More than 17,000 outdoor seats added to English streets in al-fresco boom
Pubs and restaurants have made space for more than 17,000 extra customer seats outside with Westminster processing one third of total pavement licence applications.
More than 3,300 fast track applications for pavement licences were lodged by cafes and restaurants as ministers pledged to slash red tape and make the process cheaper and quicker.
PwC analysed 1,022 licences with available tables and chairs data and determined at least 17,045 additional outdoor seats were added.
Of the 3,366 applications tracked to June 2021, 2,061 were approved, with 350 rejected, 490 pending and 11 withdrawn.
Al-fresco hotspots included Westminster which processed more than a third of total applications (1,310), Kensington & Chelsea (442), Hackney (95) and Islington (74).
The gradual easing of restrictions in the spring saw a boom in applications with more than half (54%) of the total applications recorded in March, April and May 2021. At least 678 were made in London during these months.
Pwc said the absolute number of additional seats was likely to be markedly higher owing to 490 pending applications and chairs data only being available for a third of applications.
A bid to encourage outdoor dining due to the lower Covid transmission risks has seen many main streets in London boroughs pedestrianised on weekends.
Westminster Council plans to partly pedestrianise Oxford Street to create two piazzas either side of Oxford Circus, before the end of 2021.
“The take up of these pavement licences shows that for all forms of hospitality businesses, just how much effort they are making to keep going and how every penny counts, especially in times of financial stress,” Zelf Hussain, retail restructuring partner at PwC said.
“The last social distancing restrictions are lifting, but we’ve seen businesses encouraging customers to keep using their outdoor spaces. Some customers still feel more comfortable being outside, especially during the summer months, helping to allay any lingering concerns about meeting indoors.”