Businesses in Edinburgh are set to be able to apply to use tables and chairs on the pavement for longer during the day.
At present, businesses outside of the Grassmarket area can keep tables and chairs in use from 9am to 9pm, with an extension to 10pm possible with a one-time fee and an environmental assessment.
But under new plans being put before councillors, businesses could become able to apply to use them between 7.30am and 9am, as well as from 9pm to 10pm.
The rules for the Grassmarket, where businesses can only use outdoor furniture from 12 noon to 9pm with no extensions possible, would remain the same.
Transport and Environment Committee convener, Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, said: “So currently, at the moment, if you have a business and you’re looking to have outside seating space, you can only operate it between about 9am until 10pm.
“The proposal is to change that. We’ve been listening to businesses, we’ve heard a lot of feedback from businesses that the 9 o’clock start is a bit of a problem.
“It’s impacting on the service they’re aiming to provide to their customers, and at certain times of the year – predominantly in the summer months – there’s a real desire from customers to actually utilise that outdoor space a little bit better.
“We’ve got a proposal in front of us to change that from a 9am start to a 7.30am start.”
Officers said the change was being sought to respond to requests from businesses, and to get more use out of the benefit offered by street furniture.
According to a report before the committee, outdoor seating helps provide ‘natural surveillance’ of city streets. And, it says it provides ‘vibrancy’ to areas where they exist.
The council’s policy on outdoor tables and chairs was last revised in 2007, though application fees have been since updated, with a cost of £206 per square metre in the world heritage site area and £163 per square metre elsewhere.
Cllr Jenkinson continued: “Certainly from a customer, a business point of view, I think that will be very well received.
“We’re hoping that creating that degree of flexibility will enhance the offering that businesses will be able to offer.”
He said that the council had not faced pressure to expand the 10pm end time of the use of outdoor furniture.
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
