Hospitality businesses in Hull are being urged to apply for Pavement Licences now so they are ready to serve customers when Covid restrictions ease on 12 April.

The reminder to businesses comes as Hull City Council reveals it has now given out grants totalling £77m to more than 4,800 businesses in the city during the pandemic.

Hull City Council is already processing a number of Pavement Licence applications from venues across the city who are looking ahead to serving customers outdoors next month.

From 12 April, hospitality venues can offer an outdoor table service to customers and no meal or curfew is needed.

It is expected that Government legislation will also soon be amended, meaning that any Pavement Licences that are granted to businesses will be valid for 12 months.

Similarly, to help boost economic recovery further, the permitted development right to erect a marquee on private land such as a pub car park, is to be extended from 28 days to 56 days. Anyone wanting to erect a marquee for longer than that will still need planning permission.

Alex Codd, Hull City Council’s assistant director for economic development and regeneration , said: “It is absolutely vital that we, as a council, do everything we can to help business owners ensure the city’s economy recovers quickly.

“I’m delighted that we have been able to provide £77m in grants during the pandemic and we are now looking to the future and how we can help Hull bounce back.

“These Pavement Licences are the first step in helping businesses in the hospitality sector to recover from the pain of the pandemic. Our business support team is working extremely hard to support all businesses in the city and making sure the path is clear to a strong recovery.

“However, we must ensure these businesses are opening up safely and we will enable this with conditional approvals, restricting the numbers of tables and chairs to ensure the spaces are covid secure.”

To learn more about applying for a Pavement Licence, email dev.control@hullcc.gov.uk for more information.

For further business advice and support as we come out of lockdown, visit hull.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-advice-and-support