Hospitality businesses in Scotland will be given the green light to set up exterior dining areas outside their premises without planning permission from the end of March.
The proposed changes were backed in a consultation carried out by the Scottish Government and will apply from March 31 ahead of the busy Easter period.
Speaking with the Scotsman, David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, welcomed the news saying: “These new flexibilities on exterior seating are encouraging and should allow eateries to get on and do what they do best – serving customers. Hopefully, they will give people a little more reason to spend time and money on our high streets. This is especially important at a time when footfall remains below pre-pandemic levels and one in six stores still lies vacant.”
For further details regarding the changes visit: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2023/35/article/7/made
With warmer weather and longer nights just around the corner; it’s a great time to start thinking about how to make the most of your outdoor hospitality space.
Designing your outdoor space can be a daunting task. That’s why we offer an all-in-one outdoor dining design service to make it easy. Rather than dealing with several suppliers we’ll help you plan everything from the furniture to the plants and parasols.
Our unique ability to offer truly all-in-one outdoor dining area design, including greenery, makes Benholm unmatched for service and value in the Scottish and UK market.
We’ve got many years of experience in providing a wide range of outdoor dining solutions for the hospitality sector. Our team is on hand to advise and provide you with attractive proposals that suit your premises both visually and financially.
Our customers use our services each year because they know their plants and outdoor areas will be maintained to a very high standard without any effort, hassle or distraction.
If you want to get your new outdoor dining space operational for this summer, you really need to start at least 8 weeks in advance. This usually allows enough lead time for some of the key items such as parasols and awnings, although it could be longer for specific branded items.
Download our Outdoor Dining Guide for Scottish Businesses in 2023 for more advice on how to create the ultimate outdoor dining experience and see examples of the venues we have worked with.
