There is hope for the future of popular al fresco dining at Penarth's seafront after it was decided that it will be allowed to continue on a temporary basis. Vale of Glamorgan Council's Cabinet today (Thursday, June 23) decided to allow businesses on The Esplanade to continue serving customers outdoors on a month-by-month basis whilst a decision is made on the long-term future of temporary trading licenses.
Temporary trading licences allowed businesses in the Vale of Glamorgan to trade outdoors on highways in order to support them during the Covid-19 pandemic. Temporary trading licenses on Barry Island will also be allowed to continue on a month-by-month basis.
The licenses for businesses in both Penarth and Barry Island were due to expire on June 30. As the council acknowledges there are "widely contrasting views" as to whether outdoor dining arrangements were "successful or an annoyance", a public consultation will now be carried out on outdoor trading arrangements.
