Government outlines work with London councils to speed up approvals for hospitality outdoor seating

The Government has set out measures intended to support London’s hospitality sector by introducing new strategic licensing powers for the Mayor of London and pursuing wider reforms to pavement licensing across England.

The response came in answer to a parliamentary written question from Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, who asked what work the Department was undertaking with London councils to expedite approval processes for independent hospitality businesses seeking to implement proposals such as outdoor seating. 

Responding on behalf of the Government, Housing Minister Nesil Caliskan said recent legislation had introduced strategic licensing functions for the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority with the aim of boosting the capital’s nighttime economy and hospitality industry. 

The minister confirmed that the Government will bring forward secondary legislation to implement the new powers. This legislation will set out how the Mayor’s new “call-in” power will operate, together with the criteria that applications must meet before they are eligible for consideration. 

In addition to the London-specific reforms, the Government said it is taking forward recommendations made by the Licensing Taskforce relating to outdoor spaces. These include increasing the maximum duration of pavement licences and consulting on the introduction of a minimum licence term.