Licensing of outdoor drinking and dining

As pubs and restaurants come out of lockdown and following the introduction of Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020, councils are working hard to support businesses to re-open safely.


This note sets out the immediate first steps for councils to consider taking to help ensure they have processes and procedures in place for when the Act comes into force, and outlines some wider reopening issues for councils and business to consider. In doing so, it builds on the licensing guidance we published earlier in the response to the pandemic, and in particular the key principles which councils can base their work on.