A petition has been launched to help save Bristol hospitality venues in "crisis" as a change in the law means outdoor seating is set to end in October. Around 40 venues with outdoor seating on pavements and on roads will have to remove them when a temporary law expires next month.
The law - Traffic Orders Procedure (Coronavirus Amendment) Regulations 2020 - has made it easier for local authorities to authorise extended road closures so that pubs could accommodate customers without breaking social distancing rules. This means dozens of venues will have to remove tables, drinking huts and outdoor decking in a matter of weeks.
Ben Cheshire, landlord at The Coronation in Southville, previously told BristolLive that the pub would lose as much as 80 per cent of its trade if they are forced to remove this outdoor space due to changes in drinking habits.
Read more: Bristol pubs face outdoor seating slash from October
He said: “This is pandemic levels of bleak, for me. I’ve worked at this pub for eleven years, managed it for six and owned it for four. The worst case scenario is, that could all be coming to an end. Because it’s unlikely I’ll be making a profit from it any more.”
The hospitality sector is facing another difficult winter with fears over rising energy bills in October, making business unstainable for many venues. Some Bristol pubs are looking for timers to reduce energy bills and even reducing staff hours in preparation for a difficult few months ahead.
Brendan Murphy, Co-Founder of British Association of Restaurants, Bars and Independents (BARBI) launched a petition calling on Bristol City Council to request the law to be extended to next year and to help the industry in a time of 'crisis'. It reads: "We are requesting that usage is extended until 30 September 2023 in line with national regulations for off sales.
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"Without this extension, many venues will lose out on trade, have to lay off staff and jeopardise their future business. We are requesting that Bristol City Council use all their powers to extend the use of the roadside for hospitality businesses and retain those structures that are currently in place."
So far, more than 2,500 people have signed the petition, which has a current target of 3,200 signatures. Mr Murphy predicts venues will lose around 1,000 seats a day, amounting to an estimated £50,000 loss from venues each day from hospitality venues.
Speaking to BristolLive, Mr Murphy said: “Any further restrictions being imposed on the hospitality industry could be the final nail in the coffin. Bristol City Council has announced a cost of living crisis and needs to do everything in their power to extend use of the road for venues to secure both jobs and businesses.”
The council has said the powers that allow them to renew or create new licenses for outdoor seating in suspended car parking spaces were removed by the Government in April 2021. Without any new legislation to put these powers back in place, the council is unable to create any new licences or extend those that are ending in October.
In a statement, the spokesperson for the council said: “Supporting venues through the pandemic with temporary outdoor seating space was a key part of our strategy to ensure Bristol’s hospitality sector had the opportunity to survive the challenges of COVID-19. Under temporary legislation introduced by the government in July 2020, the council was able to change areas of the carriageway, such as a parking bay, into a footway to make it eligible for a pavement licence.
"These temporary licences will expire in October and the temporary legislation ceased in April 2021, so no new Traffic Orders can now be produced without new powers being granted by Westminster. We would welcome the opportunity to join businesses in further lobbying the government for new powers that give councils greater flexibility on this to offer more support as the national cost of living crisis worsens.”
You can read the petition in full here.
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