Pavement licence

A business which uses (or proposes to use) premises for the sale of food or drink for consumption (on or off the premises) can apply for a Temporary Pavement Licence. Businesses that are eligible include:

• public houses
• cafes
• bars
• restaurants
• snack bars
• coffee shops
• ice cream parlours

A licence permits the business to use furniture placed on the highway to sell or serve food or drink and/or allow it to be used by people for consumption of food or drink supplied from, or in connection with the use of the premises.

To apply for a Temporary Pavement Licence please complete this application form. You will also be required to display a notice advertising your intention; this is available in Word and PDF formats below:

• Pavement Licence - notice of application (Word doc) [15KB] (opens new window)
• Pavement Licence - notice of application (PDF) [110KB] (opens new window)

The applicant is encouraged to talk to neighbouring businesses and occupiers prior to applying to the local authority, and so take any issues around noise and nuisance into consideration as part of the proposal.

It is important to note the grant of a pavement licence only permits the placing of furniture on the highway. Other regulatory frameworks still apply such as:

• the need for alcohol licences
• the need to comply with registration requirements for food businesses

If the applicant has a licence to serve alcohol on premises, temporary amendments to the Licensing Act 2003 will allow them to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises without needing to apply for a variation of their licence.