Salisbury City Centre Management

Salisbury is a beautiful city and since outdoor eating and drinking was introduced a few years ago, there is renewed vitality in the city centre.

Pavements cafés have been introduced on the some of the pedestrianised areas and wide pavements in the city centre and have created a relaxed and sociable style of eating and drinking that is comparable to many continental cities.

This new Brazilian style coffee bar in Butcher Row at the heart of Salisbury offers friendly service in a welcoming warm environment with a range of quality drinks and tasty food which is freshly prepared each day.

As part of the ‘Café Culture’ in the centre of the City this busy bar is the first of six outlets being opened by Mike and Patricia Davies to promote the growing market for good quality coffee and light meals.

The unique blend of South American coffee beans, quality of food on offer and training of the bar staff are designed to make sure that each visit is an enjoyable and satisfying experience.

Salisbury City Centre Management is keen to see more cafés in the city centre and this leaflet has been written to help businesses understand the process of applying for a licence.

Butcher Row
Fish Row
High Street
Queen Street
St Thomas’s Square
Blue Boar Row
Old George Mall
The Market Square

Other areas may be considered but applications will be assessed according to pedestrian flows and pavement width.

On Salisbury District Council land (The Market Square)
On the public highway and all other areas.

N.B. For cafés within the Old George Mall, applications must be made through the Old George Mall Management

A clear pedestrian route of two metres should be maintained between the shop front and the highway, except where the eating area is immediately adjacent to the shop. Areas with high pedestrian flows may require a clear route of greater than two metres.

Other needs in the immediate vicinity must be considered:

Kerbside parking
Bus stops
Pedestrian crossings
The layout of furniture and means of enclosure must have adequate provision for disabled customers
Access to emergency exits must be maintained at all times.

Pavement cafes must be enclosed, containing all tables and chairs to identify the licensed area; making it distinguishable to other pavement users, especially the blind and visually impaired. For this, a tapping rail will be required.

Enclosures must be removed outside the licensed period or when the pavement café is not operational within that period. The enclosure should be lightweight but stable enough to prevent collapse if stumbled/walked in to.

Barrier designs should complement the character of the area and consist of solid bars/elements at around 100 mm and 1000 mm above ground level. Rope barriers are not suitable.

Attractive planters can be used as part of a means of enclosure but must be removed outside of the licensed period.

Furniture should be of a high quality, uniformed style within the licensed area.
Umbrellas must be fabric and display limited advertising logos up to 150 x 450 mm in size. Umbrellas must not hang outside the enclosed area or impair vehicle sight lines.

Non furniture items must be approved. Any clutter or impingement of sight lines will need to be removed if causing a problem.

All items need to be portable so they can be removed at the end of the licensed period of each working day or in an emergency.

Pavement café operators will be responsible for keeping the immediate vicinity clean and litter free during licensed operational hours.
All pavement cafes must comply with food safety requirements registered by Salisbury District Council, Environmental Services department.
Adequate/additional toilet facilities relating to occupancy numbers must be considered.

At times it may be necessary for organisations, other than the café owner or business, to erect scaffolding over or adjacent to an outdoor eating area and carry out building work on that scaffolding.

It may be necessary for organisations, other than the café owner or business, to carry out works on, under or adjacent to the surface of any permitted outdoor eating area.

Wiltshire County Council as highway authority, public utilities and statutory undertakers must have easy and achievable access to their equipment, often without prior notice.

No claim can be made by a business for the effect of these works on their trade. The highway authority has statutory rights to work on, in, over or under the highway. Any disturbance to the surface of the highway by the business, must be restored and made good by the licensee and at the licensee’s cost. It must meet the satisfaction of the Director of Environmental Services, Wiltshire County Council.

Wiltshire County Council may require the use of the highway for any reason or cause arising in connection with their powers and duties as highway authority. Additionally, the Police, SDC and other statutory bodies may also require use of the licence area. In case of this event, the agreed area would not be available to the business and no claim can be made against Wiltshire County Council or Salisbury District Council for loss of trade.

To Download the Café Culture Highways/Market Square
Application Form click here

The licence will generally run for 12 months from April 1st.
Each licence will only apply to the applicant in respect of the premises concerned. The licence is in addition to any licence to sell liquor.
A new/revised licence may be issued to the licence holder if any changes to the pavement café are executed.
The highways licence (i.e. those not in the Market Square) will normally operate between 9.00 am and 10.30 p.m.. In certain areas this may be reduced due to specific local highway requirements.
Public Liability Insurance cover for £5 million will be required for the licensed area and a copy of the policy produced to the Council.
Applications will be advertised on site for 28 days and any objections resolved before the licence is issued.
The fee payable in respect of the licence will vary depending on location and size.
Licences will only be granted as part of the business of an adjoining café – i.e. no temporary food– stalls will be permitted.
In certain circumstances or on breach of a licence term, the licence can be withdrawn without notice or compensation.
The licence area can only be used for an agreed amount of approved furniture to provide an outdoor eating area.
There should be no advertising, loudspeakers, music etc. and no nuisance or annoyance to the Council or the public allowed.
No stock or waste may be left on the licensed area.
All furniture must be removed at the end of each trading day.
The licence holder is to maintain the licence area in a clean and tidy condition, removing litter and washing down the paved area as necessary.
Gas heaters will only be allowed with the specific approval of the Council’s Environmental Health Services.
The licence holder should have sufficient storage space within their premises to store the furniture normally used in connection with the area licensed for outside eating during trading hours on any day when the licence holder is not permitted to use the outside eating area.
No canopies or awnings may be attached to the main building of the café premises.