Labour Council set to extend pandemic help for hospitality trade
Swansea Labour is set to continue to look after the city’s hospitality industry during the pandemic and is ready to waiver outside dining licences until March 2023. It is another major Labour boost to the city’s cafes, pubs and restaurants as the Covid19 continues.
The Swansea Labour council cabinet is being asked to continue to provide licences for outdoor dining areas free of charge over the next 14 months. The move, which follows the suspension of fees for Pavement Café Licences since summer 2020, would help businesses as they operate within pandemic restrictions. It will help continue to bring added life and vibrancy to the city’s streets and other areas.
The waiver would save business around £50,000 a year and would be part of the council’s wider multi-million-pound recovery fund to help businesses and communities recover from the pandemic.
Labour Cllr David Hopkins, Council joint deputy leader and cabinet member, said: “There’s a market for outdoor hospitality, and whilst keeping people safe, we want to help business as best we can at this challenging time.
“We’ve learnt important lessons from the changes we’ve made to date, including the fact that we must strike a careful balance to ensure stakeholders are engaged. Safe and accessible routes should remain for pedestrians.
“By removing some costs for the whole of 2022 and into next year we can save businesses many thousands of pounds.
“The move will help keep people in work and give residents more options for eating and drinking safely away from their homes in line with Welsh Government guidelines and regulations.
“It will allow businesses more incentive to invest in customer safety. They can, with our advice and guidance, remain up to date on latest relevant regulations.”
Measures the Labour administration took last year to help hospitality businesses included launching a fast-track license application process and removing traffic from Wind Street for much of the day.
Around £1.2m was committed by the council in grants for outdoor furniture. The council’s cabinet is due to discuss outdoor hospitality on January 20.
Labour cabinet members will be asked to approve a review of the small number of businesses that have extended – with council approval - onto roads and to extend these agreements as appropriate. The council remains happy to discuss ideas from businesses for the use of other outdoor areas for eating and drinking.
All businesses wishing to create an outdoor seating area on the highway – and those who wish to continue use their existing seating areas - must apply for a licence via www.swansea.gov.uk/pavementcafe.
