Nearly 50 new pavement cafes set for Newcastle next week as permits fast-tracked

A North East council has revealed that nearly 50 new pavement cafes will be created next week.

Newcastle City Council has fast-tracked 45 new pavement cafe areas this year, ready for pubs and restaurants reopening their outdoor service from Monday onwards.

The new permits mean that Newcastle now has 104 businesses with pavement licenses, with a 140 per cent increase in outdoor dining in Grey Street.

Ed Foster, the council’s head of public safety and regulation, commented: “We are working with businesses to get up and running quickly and, with safety paramount, we have made it as easy as possible for the hospitality industry to make the changes they need to welcome back customers.

“Newcastle is rightly renowned for its excellent hospitality and it is important that those businesses, which provide jobs and a sense of community for so many, have the best chance of continued success.

“We have cut red tape as best we can, making applying for license variations easier and cheaper, be that to offer things like a takeaway service, create outside pavement-café style seating areas, or change the layout of premises.

“And we’ve encouraged publicans, restauranteurs, and café owners to let us know what their reopening plans are, so we can support them.

“We know that, from the last year, parts of the economy can restart successfully and that people are capable of being sensible, social distancing and showing respect for others around them and we can only encourage the public to follow the measures that businesses put in place.”