Wakefield district pavement cafe licences to remain free of charge

The council said the move is designed to support local business owners across the district.

Local authorities have powers to charge up to £500 for a new licence application and £350 a renewal.

Councils were able to charge up to £100 for a licence when the Business and Planning Act was introduced in 2020.

Wakefield Council chose not to introduce the fees at the time to support businesses during the covid pandemic.

New legislation now allows higher fees to be imposed.

But the council’s licensing committee unanimously voted in favour of continuing not to issue charges for a further two-year period, from April 1 2025.

Neighbouring councils, including Leeds, Kirklees and York, currently charge business owners the maximum amount, the meeting heard.

There are currently 51 active pavement café licences in the Wakefield district, including 37 in Wakefield, seven in Pontefract and two in Castleford.

The decision was welcomed by the businesses in the city.

Thomas Wales, chief executive of Wakefield Business Improvement District (BID), said: “We lobbied for this important decision, knowing how crucial outdoor space is for businesses, particularly in these challenging times.

“This initiative not only supports the growth of our cafes, restaurants and night-time economy but also helps enhance the vibrancy of our high streets.

“We’re pleased to see the council’s continued commitment to the local economy and to working alongside Wakefield BID to create a thriving city centre for all.”

Michael Graham, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and economic growth, said: “This is extremely welcome news for our local businesses who make use of these licences.

“It’s just one of the many ways we are continuing to do what we can to support them.

“Pavement cafes add to the vibrancy and hospitality offer in our towns and city centres.

“By continuing to offer licences free of charge we hope more businesses will take up the opportunity to provide outdoor cafés and help our high streets to thrive.”

Les Shaw, cabinet member for property and resources said: “Supporting our local businesses and high streets to thrive is one of our top priorities.

“I’m really pleased that we’ve made the decision to not charge for pavement café licences. It’s one less thing for businesses to worry about as they try and bring in more customers.

“Some of our smaller cafes and restaurants in particular benefit from having extra outside space, and that in turn helps to boost the local economy.”