Licences for tables and chairs for restaurants or cafés

Licences for tables and chairs for restaurants or cafés

If you want to place tables and chairs on the public highway outside your restaurant, café or public house you need to apply for a licence. 

The annual fees for placing tables and chairs on a public pavement or pedestrian area are:

• Pedestrian squares: £362 per year  
• Town centres: £612 per year 
• Other highways: £362 per year

If you wish to place tables and chairs on the public highway you will firstly need to apply for planning permission in order to change the use of the land. Please contact the duty planning officer on 020 8753 3440, or email preapp@lbhf.gov.uk or make a planning application.

Please allow approximately eight weeks for the planning permission application process which will include a one-month consultation period.

Your planning application will not be processed until you have submitted all the required documentation and correct fee, so please check your application thoroughly before submitting it. You will be allocated a planning reference number which is required with your Highways Tables and Chairs licence application.

If you wish to place tables and chairs on privately maintained highway such as a forecourt which forms part of the highway and can be walked across by the public, you may require planning permission.

If you are unsure whether planning permission will be required, please contact the planning team via the details given above. If the planning team confirm you do not require planning permission, you will need to obtain written confirmation of this and enclose it with your Highways Tables and Chairs licence application.

If your application is successful you will be sent two copies of your licence to sign, one of which should be displayed at the premises and the other returned to the licensing office. Please allow approximately four weeks for your Highways Licence application to be processed.

Click here to download an application form for a tables and chairs licence (pdf). Please print the form, complete it and return with your payment to the Environment Services Department Reception (fax number/postal address given on the form).