Many hospitality venues in Watford are applying for pavement licences after the Government extended laws for relaxed outdoor seating rules.

The legislation allowing restaurants and bars to temporarily keep chairs and tables on pavements outside their premises was introduced in a push for hospitality venues to operate in a Covid-secure way, but the deadline for the legislation was due to expire this month.

Now the Government has extended this until September 2022, allowing hospitality sectors to keep additional outdoor seating changes.

While it may not be directly linked – several hospitality venues in Watford have now applied for new pavement licences.

This includes Café Bianco, based at the Parade, which applied for 15 tables, 46 chairs and four barriers to be in place from Monday to Sunday, 7am to 9pm.

Wishing Well, based at St Albans Road, applied for seven tables, 27 chairs and 10 barriers / windbreakers for Monday to Saturday (10am to 11pm) and Sunday (10am to 110pm).

The Colombia Press is also among the list of venues, with a request for 12 tables and 48 chairs in place from 8am to 12am from Monday to Saturday, and 8am to 11pm on Sunday.

Perfect Blend, based at St Albans Road, has applied for three tables, six chairs and one flower planter.

The request is for the furniture to be in place from 7am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday, and 8am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.

When plans of the Government extension for outdoor dining rules became clear, UKHospitality chief executive previously Kate Nicholls said: “The proposal to make outdoor measures permanent is a welcome boost for the hospitality sector, its customers and local communities.

“It has provided a vital lifeline to venues all over the country during an extraordinarily difficult period and allowing operators to provide extra outside seating has been a key driver of survival and recovery since reopening.”

But she added that businesses “face huge hurdles going into the autumn and winter”.

“The move by some councils to restrict outdoor seating and return traffic to these areas is a significant blow to our city centres and threatens a huge number of businesses and jobs.

“It is in the interest of the country to have a thriving, dynamic and properly-supported hospitality sector and retaining these outdoor measures would help secure the recovery of a large and vital part of the UK economy.”