Sedgemoor District Council is reminding pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants to apply for a ‘Pavement Licences’ so that they can serve food and drink outside of their establishments, to help businesses recover post-lockdown.
Under new government regulations, Sedgemoor is now able to offer a quick, cut-price application process.
A Sedgemoor District Council spokesman said: “Hospitality businesses keen to maximise capacity, while still observing social distancing guidelines, will now find it easier and cheaper to obtain permission to place tables and chairs on pavements outside their premises.
Pavement Licences are normally granted by Somerset County Council, as the Highways Authority.
But the Government – in seeking to speed things up - has temporarily transferred responsibility to distribute these licences to District Councils in Somerset.
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