Street café licence

​​​​​​​​​Cardiff Council supports and encourages the provision of street cafes, as they can make a positive contribution by adding vitality, colour, life and interest to the street scene.

While street cafes are encouraged, it is important that they are properly administered and managed to ensure that they meet the high standards expected in Cardiff.

For this reason you must first obtain a licence from the Council before you can place a street café on the highway.

Street Café licences apply to any cafes, restaurants, public houses or other catering establishments that serve food and drink within the premises. 

How to apply

You can apply for a Street Cafe licence online​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​External link opens in a new window​​. You may first need to create an account. 

Fee structure:

• ​​1 – 2 tables with up to 8 chairs / seats :   £231.10
• 3 – 4 tables with up to 16 chairs / seats : £578
• 5 -10 tables with up to 40 chairs / seats : £1040
• 11+ tables with over 40 chairs / seats : £1040, plus £36.80 for every extra chair / seat over 40
   

For the purposes of the fee a standard bench equals 3 seats. ​

You must read the Street Café Terms and Conditions (582kb PDF)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Link opens in a new window​​ before applying. 

What happens next?

Once an application is received it will be assessed by our Highway Officers and if the application is approved then Council has a duty to advertise applications for street café licences for 28 days by posting notices in the vicinity of the proposed street cafe. These notices set out details of the proposals and invite representations to be made by people who may be affected. 

If the 28 day period has expired and the application is approved you will receive an email on how to make payment. A licence is not valid until full payment has been received. 

Penalties

The company director or the authorised representative is responsible for ensuring that all the Terms and Conditions (582kb PDF)​​​​​​​​​​​​​Link opens in a new window​​ are adhered to. 

Where it has been identified that a criminal offence has been committed in relation to a street café then enforcement measures may result in prosecution. 

In circumstances where businesses fail to comply we may remove the tables and chairs from the highway. 

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