Local Council

Our LA's latest is enforced terrorism insurance for all businesses. You are not allowed to shop around and are forced to have theirs at a crazy rip off price.

Ours did that years ago too grannysue They never miss a trick when it comes to money. Just a pity they didn't spend it more wisely.

Ours did that in 2015

Lots of LA's are looking around for ways to raise cash.
Our local council has just converted their car parking ticket machines so that you have to first put in your car registration.
This is to stop you from passing on any tickets with unused time to other car parkers.
Yet you have already paid for that space for that amount of time.

Good idea ninathenana

glamma it's not large enough to be the subject of a planning application. It's a triangle just large enough for 5 sets of tables and chairs.
I assume as the council are charging it belongs to them but after 21 yrs you would think they could "suck it up"
There is a petition in process from locals and people have started bringing their own deckchairs to set up there and drink their tea

Our LA are an absolute disgrace.

Cash strapped for some things starbird but surprisingly not others.

Most councils are cashstrapped these days having to find money for nursing homes etc. They have probably been looking to see where they can get extra money from.

Who owns the grass area? If the cafe own it they might still need permission to put chairs there - I don't know the law on this, but I din't see why they would have to pay an annual fee.

If the council owns it then the cafe is, in effect, leasing it so it is not unreadonable for the council to charge. If the cafe is allowed to do it, what is to stop all and subdry setting up a business on common land - verges, parks etc?

However, even if the Cafe does not own the land, but has been cutting the grass and generally using it gor many years they may have established a right to it. This would have to be looked into by a splocitor or someone who knows more about it.

Assuming the cafe uses the outside space for six months of the year and is open every day, the cost works out to about £11 per day. Depending on how many customers they get, that could be an extra 50p or so on each bill. If this is going to put them out of business they will have to stick to staying inside or try to negotiate a reduction in the charge.

Your council sounds a bit like ours ninathenana, always on the look out for ways to bleed businesses dry but always harking on about job creation and retention. We had a few tables and chairs outside our little community centre (owned and run by residents for residents) and our LA wanted a similar amount, so we were forced to remove them. The local councillor holds his surgery there (FOC) and we are voting soon whether to kick him out or start charging him an inflated rent.

The mind boggles ninathenana why can't things be left as they are the owner will loose a lot of business as well as the tourism aspect as you mention,can the locals not object and present the outcome at a Council Meeting,what will the area be used as if this goes ahead are there any plans in with the Local Planning Office.I hope something gets done about this it's important to your area.