Vibrant town centres are created by lowering the barriers to everyday enterprise

Scrapping the “table tax” would deliver an immediate, nationwide boost to high streets and small businesses. 

Kitty Thompson | Head of Campaigns

With margins being squeezed from every direction, charging hospitality businesses hundreds if not thousands of pounds for putting some tables and chairs on the pavement is perverse. 

The maximum length and price for pavement licences, or as we call it the table tax, are set in Westminster. Councils are charging for this because they can, not because they need to. Hence, some London borough councils charge £0 while others charge up to £1,400 a year. For small, independent operators especially, this is not a trivial cost. It can be the difference between expanding capacity and standing still.

There is the issue of bureaucracy too. Small business owners don’t have the time to navigate a maze of applications, consultations and arbitrary rules. This is time that should be spent serving customers and helping to grow our economy, not form-filling.

This regulation is the opposite of what high streets need. Vibrant town centres are not created by Whitehall funding pots, but by lowering the barriers to everyday enterprise. 

Sitting outside is not just a lifestyle preference, it is an essential tool for turning streets into communities. Outdoor seating is one of the easiest ways to increase footfall, enliven public spaces, and transform high streets into places people want to spend their time and money.

As long as the pavement remains safe and accessible, the hospitality industry is actually doing their community and council a favour by putting tables and chairs outside. This should be encouraged, not licensed.

If ministers are serious about backing businesses and revitalising the high street, scrapping the Table Tax is the fastest win available.

First published by CityAM. Kitty Thompson is CEN's Head of Campaigns.