Bars, cafes, and restaurants in Brent hoping to encourage customers back following the Covid-19 outbreak will have to pay up to £100 to use tables and chairs on the pavement outside their premises.

Brent Council’s licensing committee approved plans to charge the fee to businesses in the hospitality sector, should they choose to apply for a licence.

Simon Legg, senior regulatory service manager at Brent Council, said this was a “cheaper, quicker and more efficient” way of getting more people into bars and restaurants that will help “stimulate” the local economy.

He pointed out that, under the current process, businesses have to apply for a new licence costing £81, with many subjected to a £91 monthly fee to make use of the public area outside their shops.

These licences will run until 30 September 2021, though, where deemed appropriate, the council can permit ones for a shorter term of at least three months.

Businesses will have to comply with spacing guidelines and ensure there is enough room for pedestrians – including those with accessibility issues – to pass.

They can only use the outside furniture for food and drink, while the council has banned smoking in these areas, despite government legislation permitting it.

Mr Legg confirmed the licences would not be valid on event days, while the council’s central CCTV system would be used to monitor any new measures.

Cllr Ahmad Shahzad, of Mapesbury ward, suggested businesses should be handed these licences for free to help them recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “This is a time where we should be helping shops – many are struggling, and we should not be putting an extra burden on them.

“They are serving our communities and helping our economy. We should not charge them any fee.”

However, the rest of the committee felt the charge of around £2 per week, for those who require it, was a “reasonable” amount.

Mr Legg explained that two licences under these rules were passed under the council’s executive ‘gold command’ strategy employed at the height of the pandemic, with a third in the process of being approved.

Any future licences will be assessed by the council’s licensing teams, with extra staffing costs expected to be around £60,000.