Street Trading Guidance for the Hospitality Sector
Street Trading Guidance for the Hospitality Sector Team London Bridge is working hard in partnership with Southwark Council, TfL and others to ensure that London Bridge can safely welcome staff and visitors back. Already we have seen walking and cycling routes improved (particularly on St Thomas Street), we’ve increased our street cleaning service, enhanced local wayfinding, developed an interactive map to showcase re-openings and distributed over 800 free social distancing floor stickers. However, we know that there’s a need to increase outdoor trading space where we can and thankfully central government has taken steps to facilitate this with a new ‘Pavement Licence’ for outdoor street furniture. We want to support our hospitality sector get operations up and running smoothly and have produced this document to help support you through the process of applying for a Pavement Licence. Standard licence conditions imposed by Southwark Council are outlined here on their application form, however with Covid-19 restrictions in place and an increased demand on the public realm we have developed some additional ‘best practice’ to ensure our area is well managed for the benefit of all.
Overview •
A Pavement Licence is only required for land which is ‘adopted public highway’ (managed by the Council). You can check this on this map here
•
The area you’re applying for does not need to be immediately adjacent to your premises, it can be nearby
•
A licence is not needed for private land
•
The new legislation has speeded up the application process to 10 working days
•
Alterations can be made to existing tables and chairs licenses
•
There is a reduced flat fee of £100
Summary of Southwark Council process Application and Consultation
can be used once it is granted and confirmed by a Council officer at any point after the consultation period ended.
Day 0:
Contact highwayslicensing@ southwark.gov.uk for further information or guidance.
Premises submits a Pavement Licence application to the Council online here and displays a visible notice outside the premises. Public consultation starts the day after the application is submitted.
Day 1 – 5: Public consultation during which the Council sends the notice to relevant authorities allowing representations to be made.
Day 6 – 10: The application is assessed, representations reviewed and recommendations for extra conditions or reasonable adjustments made. A site meeting may be requested.
Day 6 – 10: Applicant informed of the result. The licence will be granted, granted with conditions or refused with reasoning explained. If the Council does not respond by the end of day 10 the licence is deemed to be granted. The licence
Inspections will be carried out regularly and non-compliance with reasonable requests to make improvements may result in the licence being revoked.
Image @elvinobars Instagram
Management Responsibilities •
Make sure there is space for pedestrians to pass by safely without forcing them into the road. Southwark Council require a minimum of 1.5m of clear footway.
•
Display and clearly communicate new protocols and encourage customers to adhere to social distancing.
•
Ensure there is adequate provision for the disposal of waste.
•
Remove tables and chairs from the public highway at 10pm and/or securely lock them overnight.
•
Limit the number of customers allowed in seating areas at any one time.
•
Tables and chairs 2m apart, 1m if other measures in place.
•
Control entry and exit points -consider meeting and greeting customers on arrival.
•
Regular cleaning and litter picks to keep the area safe and inviting.
•
Table service should be implemented to help customers maintain social distancing.
•
Make sure you have the relevant insurance in order to operate outdoor seating.
•
Toilets should be made available to customers. Risk assessments, use and access should be reviewed.
•
If lighting is necessary in the evening for practical or safety reasons, you should avoid cables along the footpath/ street or overhead unless absolutely necessary. If so, cable covers are required or cables should be at a height that will not impede emergency vehicle access. Additional lighting should not cause any light pollution for residents. Lights should ideally be plastic to prevent breakages. Electric lights will need to be suitable for outdoor use. Free standing lights should be firmly secured.
•
Any new advertising or signage may require advertisement consent from Southwark Council.
•
External heaters or umbrellas should not be used.
•
Outdoor music and entertainment should not be arranged to avoid disrupting nearby residents. Likewise you should ask customers to be mindful of their surroundings and to keep noise to a minimum, particularly during the evening.
•
You should comply with the Health Act 2006.
Being a good neighbour •
Do speak to your neighbours to let them know that you are planning to submit an application so that they are aware when the consultation starts.
•
Do liaise with neighbouring businesses to see how you can coordinate the management of external spaces.
•
Two business can share the same seating area, however each will need to submit their own application.
•
Be mindful of the number of customers being served takeaway food & drink as they may tend to
congregate in streets and pavements outside your premises and others. Consider using your staff to disperse these crowds or temporarily cease off-sales. •
Outdoor seating areas and takeaway service will likely cause issues with litter, consider a litter sweep at the end of the evening before closing.
•
Markings to delineate different queues will avoid confusion and assist with social distancing.
•
Introduce some form of barriers to indicate your seating area. This will help you to maintain social distancing; manage the number of customers; and not encroach on your neighbours.
Safety & Security •
•
•
•
Be aware that outdoor seating areas can attract thieves targeting customers’ mobile phones and bags. Gently remind customers not to leave mobile phones on tables, and always have bags in view and secured (clipped to a Chelsea Hook or placing a bag handle through a chair leg will suffice). Do not leave belongings on the backs of chairs. Limiting entry and exit points and having visible staff as greeters on the door / outside area will discourage would-be thieves. Be aware that the threat from terrorism remains substantial and that outside seating areas may present an attractive target. Guidance on protecting customers is available from CPNI here.
Useful links Central Government Guidance – Pavement Licenses Central Government guidance for hospitality businesses reopening Eat Out To Help Out Scheme Southwark Council
How Team London Bridge can help •
Our dedicated local police officers can provide crime prevention training to staff.
•
We’re giving away free social distancing floor markers.
•
We can provide outdoor planters & plants to improve the aesthetic of your space and/or serve as barriers.
•
Sign up to our subsidised recycling service to save 50%on your disposal costs for glass, food, cardboard and plastic.
•
Waste experts from Paper Round can help you improve your recycling rates and make the switch to more sustainable packaging.
•
We can provide advice on changing over to cargo-bike deliveries to cut vehicle journeys around your premises, and in turn make your outdoor seating areas more pleasant with better air quality.
•
Our marketing team can help with local promotion.
For all of the above please email your requests to info@teamlondonbridge.co.uk