To place tables, chairs or other temporary furniture on the pavement you need a licence from your local authority. This is to make sure that it is properly set up, licensed and operated so that it benefits the business and does not cause a problem for other users of the street. Conditions may be attached and a fee is payable.
Enforcement action will be taken against any person who places items on the highway which have not been licensed by the council.
Eligibility
You may have to obtain frontage and walkway consent first. This can be done as part of the application process.
Fees
The fee is a maximum of £100.
How to apply
We take 3 factors into account when considering an application:
- the amount of space your café will remove from the public highway
- how your proposed café will look when it is up and running
- the effect it may have on local residents, workers, shoppers and visitors
Any other relevant authorities must be consulted. Public notice of the application must be given detailing the proposal and deadline for representations. All representations received must be considered.
Consents must not be unreasonably withheld.
You must include the following with your application:
- public liability insurance
- liquor licence (including any conditions/undertakings)
- a location plan – sketch a plan indicating:
- the area on the highway in which the café equipment would be placed, relating it to your premises
- the position of any street furniture such as lamp columns, sign posts, bollards and so on
- dimensions (where possible)
- layout – sketch a plan showing the layout of your café items within the area
If your application is successful you will be required to enter into an agreement with the council to place items on the highway under the provisions of the Highways Act 1980.
You must provide public liability insurance to the value of £5 million. Where necessary you must extend liquor licences to cover the licensed area. We will give you more information about these requirements if your application is successful.
How to apply
You can apply online.
Apply for a licence to place tables and chairs in the road
Licences must be renewed annually. Full costs are applicable.
Timescales
Your application will be granted or refused within 10 days of the application being submitted under the current government guidance.
This includes 5 working days consultation period (notice being displayed in the window of your premises) and 5 working days determination period (for Bracknell Forest Council to consider any responses to the consultation and assess viability of the application).
Please use the notice template for consultation and amend accordingly, prior to displaying.
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This guidance is temporary in the light of COVID-19 in order to help the hospitality industry to operate under current restrictions.
The law
The relevant legislation is the Highways Act 1980.
The current temporary guidance is available from GOV.UK.
Appeals
Please contact us in the first instance. An appointed arbitrator will determine if consent has been unreasonably withheld.