A small cafe that opened two years ago, when emergency legislation allowed for outdoor seating to be created on pavements, roads and parking bays, may have to close now that the law has changed. Greenbank number 5 gets most of its trade in the summer when they can hold more outdoor events and the weather is suitable for people to sit outside.
Many hospitality venues have already been forced to remove their outdoor seating in Bristol, now that the legislation brought in during the pandemic to allow for more outdoor seating has not been renewed by the government. Although Bristol City has advised businesses to seek planning permission, many have been told that they are unlikely to get it.
Catalina Banados runs the cafe from a converted shipping container and cooks healthy homemade Chilean food and cakes. She shares the space with two Italian women who serve ice cream in the summer.
READ MORE: Fury as Bristol council begins process to turn outdoor dining space back to parking bays
Due to the location of the cafe, it is popular with local families who often meet after school as well as mothers with young babies. The cafe is so popular that 300 local residents have submitted letters to the council in support of the cafe, which doesn’t have any space for indoor seating.
Mum-of-two Catalina, 50, has worked in cafes and restaurants in Bristol for over 20 years, often on low pay working part-time shifts around childcare responsibilities. When the owner of the building on Bruce Road decided to convert a shipping container into a cafe, she jumped at the chance of fulfilling her ambition of running her own.
A lot of work has been put into creating a comfortable outdoor seating area which is utilised for the music and poetry evenings the cafe holds, especially in the summer. The two businesses that rent the space fear impending enforcement action will strip away their livelihoods.
Catalina said: “We haven’t got hardly any seating inside so our situation is quite different. In winter I just manage to open because the beauty of this cafe is the concept of outdoor dining, which is common in South America and Europe.
“It’s a very nice community here, we are open to everyone and it’s more than just a cafe. I try to keep the prices low and think about bringing some South American culture into the home-made food.
“Some kids come here after school and ask for water or to use the toilet. People know us here now and they know it’s somewhere they can stop to meet people.
“We sent off for a permit but it was rejected. The council hasn’t said exactly when we have to remove the tables yet.”
The cafe launched a campaign last week to keep its outdoor seating, which is supported by their local councillor, Barry Parsons. They have so far received 300 responses from the community who want to support them to remain open and are currently in the process of setting up a petition.
Bristol City Council has been approached for a comment. Other businesses have raised similar concerns since the outdoor seating allowance was lifted, including The Coronation pub and the Bristol Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independents.
Previously the council has said that the issue is out of its control, as the changes are the result of national Government rules. During a debate on outdoor seating in October, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees said: "We’re sympathetic, we love what’s happened and we moved incredibly quickly as an authority to support businesses to have that outside provision, but we have to work within the restrictions and opportunities presented by central government, over which we have little local discretion."
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