What is a Street Cafe Licence?
A Street Cafe Licence is required to use a portion of a public street, road or place for the sale of food and drink and for the placing of tables, chairs or other temporary furniture outside a restaurant or cafe for patrons to use whilst consuming food and drink.
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This is a requirement under section 115E of the 1980 Highways Act and is designed to ensure cafés operate safely and attractively without interfering with other legitimate uses of the street.
How to apply for a Street Cafe Licence
The holder of the licence for the premises should be the occupier or someone who is concerned about the conduct or management of the business.
Street Cafe Licences applications must be made via your local council. You can find the contact details for your local council at the Official UK Government Website.
Criteria
To apply for a street cafe licence, you must ensure that you are able to provide the following documents:
Public liability insurance document
The person to whom a licence is granted must always have valid public liability insurance for at least £5,000,000.
Location Plan
When you apply for a Street Cafe Licence, you need to include an A4 plan clearly showing the premises and the location of your proposed outdoor seating area.
Site Plan
When you apply for a Street Café Licence, you will also need to submit a site plan of at least 1:200 showing the precise location and proposed setting out of the tables and chairs.
The site plan should include the following:
✅ access points
✅ building lines
✅ kerbs
✅ dimensions of the seating area
✅ table and chair arrangement
✅ the layout of other furniture / items
✅ plan and elevation (1:50) of barriers / enclosures.a lighting scheme if the licensed area is to operate after dusk
Displaying an advertising notice
You need to complete a Public Notice and display it on or near the premises. It should be in a location that's easily visible from the street for a period of at least 28 days from the date you apply for a Street Cafe Licence.
