Table and chairs licence

You need a licence to use an area of public highway for tables, chairs and other furniture outside for customers to use whilst eating food and drink.

• If you wish to place removable tables, you should apply for a Pavement licence. See GOV.UK for more guidance on pavement licences.
• If you wish to place furniture that is not removeable (for example, bolted to the ground), you should apply for a Table and Chairs licence.

It costs:

• £309 per year for a table and chairs licence.
• An additional £16 per square meter per year for the space covered by the table and chairs.

Once we have approved your application, we will email you with the costs and a link to our online payment page.

Hours

Table and Chairs licences are granted for standard hours only. The hours of the licence vary depending on where your business is (on Canal Street, Canal Street’s extended area, or not on Canal Street/ somewhere else).

The following licence hours apply:

On Canal Street:

• Monday to Saturday - 11am until 11pm
• Sunday - 11am until 10pm 

On Canal Street’s extended area (canal side):

• Monday to Saturday - 12 noon until 11pm
• Sunday - 12 noon until 10pm 

 Not on Canal Street:

• Monday to Sunday - 8am until 11pm 

Application form

Guidance notes and conditions

Tell us if you need to:

• amend business or ownership details or;
• reduce the area you use for furniture and other equipment. 

If you wish to increase the size of the area you use, you must submit a new application.

We also now offer a simplified table and chairs licence.

In your application, you must include:

• photos/ brochures showing types of furniture, umbrellas and so on;
• specification describing details, materials and colours (these could be notes on plans); 
• an electronic location plan at 1:1250 scale plan showing your premises; 
• an electronic location plan at 1:50 showing boundary, kerb and building lines, points of access including the property, key dimensions, seating and other furniture layout; and
• an electronic elevation plan at 1:50 or 1:20 with information about the fencing/ partition you intend to use around the area.

Once we receive your complete application, this is subject to a 28-day public consultation. This starts within five days (not including Bank holidays and weekends).

If no objections are received (or representations are received and informally resolved) we’ll grant the licence if you have valid planning permission. 

We will notify you of this decision within five days of the end of the consultation period (not including Bank holidays and weekends). 

If we receive representations (that are not withdrawn), then we decide the outcome within 20 days of the end of the consultation period (not including Bank holidays and weekends).

We will:

• display a notice at your business. This notice sets out the period that representations can be made (a minimum of 28 days from when we publish the notice); 
• give a copy of this notice to the owner or occupier of any business that could be affected by the application; 
• consult any relevant authorities as part of this process.

What happens if we receive representations?

We consider all representations received within the specified notice period.

If we receive representations, we may arrange a hearing to determine whether the application is granted or not. We may attach such conditions to the licence if relevant. 

What happens with successful and unsuccessful applications

For successful applications, we issue the licence once we have received the relevant planning permission and payment.

For unsuccessful application appeals, an arbitrator/ moderator determines if consent has been unreasonably withheld.

View the legislation

Your table and chairs licence is valid for 12 months and you should renew it annually. You will need to apply to renew it.  

Contact our Licensing team to view the public register by email: premises.licensing@manchester.gov.uk