Hospitality businesses in Newport will be allowed more space for outdoor seating under new council proposals. Newport City Council has approved plans which will allow cafes, pubs and restaurants to expand their outdoor seating areas at peak times and later into the night.
Council documents say the proposal will allow businesses serving food and drink to apply to extend their premises out to "pavement cafes" and outdoor seating including tables, chairs, umbrellas, barriers and heaters. Businesses will also be allowed to have outdoor spaces open until 4am and play live and recorded music, subject to noise regulations.
Outdoor dining was previously limited to a small collection of bars and restaurants around the city, but the pandemic led the council to allow businesses to install outdoor areas, umbrellas and awnings on the streets in a bid to help their economic recovery. The council later said it was considering making outdoor seating areas such as those on High Streets permanent after traders said it had increased footfall.
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The news will further boost Newport's outdoor offering after plans for covered outdoor seating at the newly-redeveloped Newport Market were given the green light by the council back in April. The proposals allow for 88 seats around tables with a walkway from High Street to the market following its successful reopening back in March.
Amy McCann, who runs McCann's on High Street, welcomed the news and said it would benefit trade in the city centre. "[I'm] not sure how long this has been a thing but we're allowed into the road with our furniture anyway," she said. "I have enough room for 50 people outside now, whereas before it was eight. That was before Covid.
"I'm hoping it's 4am as at the moment it's 2am. We absolutely love having outdoor seating. It has boosted our trade so much, especially in the summer when people just want to sit outside in the sun. We still have quite a few sitting out there now as we have gazebos and heaters. People love it."
Sam Dabb, who runs Le Pub, also said the decision showed the council's dedication to improving Newport city centre after trialling outdoor seating during the pandemic.
"As always, we appreciate Newport City Council's support," she said. "The Covid-19 pandemic really highlighted the need for outdoor space for people to socialise in Newport and it’s really great to see the council taking that on board and allowing the outdoor areas allocated during the pandemic to remain in use."
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