Kettering council scraps pavement licence fees to help its hospitality businesses

The authority wants a cafe culture to spring up amid the pandemic restrictions
The market place was a popular eating venue before coronavirus hit.The market place was a popular eating venue before coronavirus hit.
The market place was a popular eating venue before coronavirus hit.

Kettering Council is removing pavement licence fees to help the town’s hospitality economy thrive once more during the pandemic.

The government has recently handed over the handling of granting pavement licences to borough councils from county councils – and last night Kettering Council’s executive committee decided to drop the fee completely to encourage already hard hit businesses to trade once again. The government had said fees to a maximum of £100 could be charged.

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Pubs and restaurants have been closed throughout the pandemic, with most only opening again this weekend after 14 weeks of closure.

The aim now is to get the trade back up and running but with social distancing measures still in place and a limit on the amount of people a business can allow in, outside trading is seen to be a key feature if a business is going to survive.

At last night’s executive meeting the council’s head of public services Shirley Plenderleith said a bill was currently passing through parliament and licences would most likely come into effect from July 20. The authority will have a seven-day consultation period to allow comments or objections before each licence is granted – it will then stay in place until September 2021.

The authority has also dropped market licences to zero.

Cllr Mark Dearing, who is portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “This is a great opportunity for us as a council.”

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Labour’s Cllr Clark Mitchell said: “This is fantastic. For the pubs and restaurants and cafes that have gardens they can do this themselves but there are a substantial amount of premises who don’t have the facility of having a beer garden and the restrictions in place for public safety at the moment are going to restrict how they can get out of the current crisis.

“Brilliant, get it done as quickly as possible. Clearly marked out places where people can go adds a cafe culture to the town that will be a wonderful thing.”

Cllr James Burton welcomed the initiative but highlighted a problem with the local highways authority, run by Northamptonshire County Council, threatening enforcement notices on local pubs and bars that had already put seats out ahead of the legislation.

He said: “I have concerns for businesses who have already taken Mr Johnson’s speech for granted and have used their street scene and erected very interesting and pleasing outdoor seating only to be threatened with enforcement orders. This needs investigating before it is too late and these businesses decide to leave the area. I think we need some common sense on this one and I shall be taking this personally further as I think we need some immediate investigation.”

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Shirley Plenderleith said she would be talking with the county council on the issue.

The county council said no enforcement issues or warning letters had been sent to Kettering businesses.

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