Pavement licence for tables and chairs
If you want tables, chairs, planters or an outdoor serving counter on the pavement or a road outside your venue, you need permission from the council or roads authority first.
If you want tables, chairs, planters or an outdoor serving counter on the pavement or a road outside your venue, you need permission from the council or roads authority first. In England this is a "pavement licence" under a fast-track statutory process; in Scotland it is a street café consent under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984.
Putting furniture on a public footway without permission is an unauthorised obstruction — the council can require you to remove it and can act without much notice. It also has to sit alongside your premises licence conditions if you are serving alcohol outside.
England
Apply at least 10 weeks before you want to trade outside. Councils have up to 28 calendar days minimum to determine an application once it is valid and the public notice period has run.
Capped at £500 for a new licence, £350 for a renewal.
Fee is non-refundable even if the application is refused.
Scotland
Apply at least 10 weeks before you want to trade outside — timescales and consultation requirements are set by the individual roads authority.
Fees vary by council; typically £150–£400.
Granted by the council as roads authority — separate from planning consent.
Who this is for
Any venue that wants customers seated outside on a public pavement or road — cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants with street frontage.
Applies to any premises fronting a public highway or footway. It does not cover private land such as your own forecourt or a beer garden you own outright — that is a planning matter, not a pavement licence.
What you’ll hold
- Site plan showing the furniture layout and any pedestrian route left clear
- Public liability insurance certificate
Watch out for
- Putting furniture out on the strength of a submitted application. In both nations you need the consent actually granted, not just applied for, before anything goes on the pavement.
- Ignoring the clear pedestrian route requirement. Councils will refuse or condition an application that does not leave enough footway width for wheelchairs and pushchairs to pass.
- Forgetting it is a licence, not a one-off approval — most run for a fixed period and need renewing, and lapse if you change the layout materially from what was approved.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Pavement licences: guidance checked 2026-09-02
- legislation.gov.uk — Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, s.59 checked 2026-09-02
See also
This is item 50 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →