The reduction will make it easier and more affordable for hospitality businesses to create outdoor spaces where customers can enjoy food, drink and socialise while spending time in Herefordshire’s town centres.

Approved by Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads and Regulatory Services, Councillor Barry Durkin, the reduced fees will apply to both new pavement licence applications and renewals until 2028.

The cost of a new pavement licence will fall from £500 to £150, while renewal fees will reduce from £350 to £105.

Pavement licences allow businesses including cafés, restaurants, pubs and coffee shops to place tables, chairs and other approved removable furniture on the public highway outside their premises.

The council hopes the lower fees will encourage more businesses to make use of outdoor spaces, helping to create more vibrant and welcoming high streets while giving residents and visitors more opportunities to enjoy Herefordshire’s towns.

Councillor Durkin said:

“Hospitality businesses are at the heart of our high streets and play a key role in creating places where people want to spend time.

“We want to make it easier for businesses to offer outdoor seating and make better use of available space, giving customers more choice and helping our town centres feel more vibrant and welcoming.

“By reducing pavement licence fees by 70 per cent, we are removing a cost barrier for businesses while continuing to ensure that outdoor seating is managed safely and appropriately.

“This is a time-limited reduction until 2028, allowing us to understand the impact on businesses, customers and our communities.”

Business owner Samantha Morgan, from Drapers Lane Deli in Leominster said the Council’s move was good for local businesses like hers.

Samantha said:

“This is great news for us and our customers. We love being able to offer people the chance to sit outside, enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by, and reducing the cost of a pavement licence makes it much more affordable for independent businesses like ours to do that. Hopefully, it will mean more people choosing to spend time in our town centres, discovering local businesses and enjoying what they have to offer. We’d love to see even more people coming along, grabbing a coffee and enjoying our outdoor space.”

The Council hopes the reduction will encourage more businesses to apply for licences, supporting the growth of outdoor hospitality while ensuring pavements remain safe and accessible for everyone.

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth, Councillor Graham Biggs, added:

“Small businesses make a huge contribution to the character and vitality of our town centres, and relatively small changes can make a real difference to them.

“Making it more affordable for cafés, restaurants, pubs and other hospitality businesses to offer outdoor seating is one way we can support them while also helping to create town centres where people want to spend more time.

“More outdoor spaces mean more opportunities for people to meet, eat, drink and enjoy our towns, which can benefit businesses beyond the premises with a pavement licence. We want to see our high streets busy, welcoming and full of life, and this is a practical step towards that.”

Businesses must have a valid pavement licence before placing tables, chairs or other furniture on the public highway.

More information about pavement licences, including how to apply, is available on the Council's website.