Temporary Coronavirus Pavement Cafe Scheme

Businesses can apply for a temporary pavement cafe consent. This is intended to help get business back up and running during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will:

• last until 30 September 2023
• allow businesses to place tables and chairs on the pavement for customer use
• be free of charge
• not need planning permission or scaled architectural plans

Who can apply

Any Sheffield business can apply for a Temporary Pavement Café Licence.  

The licence allow businesses to provide tables, chairs and associated furniture on the public highway or footway immediately outside or adjacent to your premises. This is for customers to consume food and drinks outside, subject to certain conditions.

If you wish to provide any activities other than the consumption of food and drink in the proposed area (including but not limited to live amplified music, market stalls, provision of dancing areas, cinema screens etc) then you should make this clear on your application. Separate permissions or licences are likely to be required for these activities.

For more information on what type of licences and permits you will need contact PavementCafes@sheffield.gov.uk.

If you are about to renew an existing one year Pavement Cafe Licence

You can apply for this temporarily, or you can apply for the one year Pavement Cafe Licence again.

How long the consent lasts

The consent lasts until 30 September 2023.

Costs

There is no cost for this consent.

Conditions of the Pavement Cafe Scheme

Operating the service

• core hours hours between 10am to 9pm (outside of these hours by consent only)
• have a plan in place to manage and restrict attendance
• have a plan in place to manage circulation in and around premises
• operate table service where possible
• collect all details of people who attend the premises

Set up of outside area

• keep within the shop frontage (use of other land or area with consent only)
• barriers used to separate your furniture from the rest of the footway must be placed the visually impaired can navigate around them eg consider colour contrasts and a tap rail for long cane users at the ends and the corners of the seating area
• A-boards are not permitted outside of the barriers
• in most circumstances a 1500mm clear space should be regarded as the minimum acceptable distance between the obstacle and the edge of the footway
• have provision for smoking and non-smoking areas
• no music, live broadcasts or sports commentary
• no barbecues, fire pits or naked flames
• control / clear litter and debris in immediate area
• remove all tables and chairs from the outside area within 30 minutes of maximum operating hours

Covid compliance

You still have a legal duty to manage risks to those affected by your business. You can manage this in a variety of ways:

• carry out a health and safety risk assessment, including the risk of COVID-19, and to take reasonable steps to mitigate the risks you identify
• use the working safely guidance to consider the risk within your premises and decide which mitigations are appropriate to adopt
• keep checking for updates on gov.uk on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19
• you are also encouraged to engage with any services operating in the vicinity for any risks associated with vulnerable customers, for example, care home or disability organisations nearby where individuals may be at particular risk

How to apply

You must apply online.

You'll need to confirm you have:

• public liability insurance of at least £2 million
• conducted appropriate risk assessments