Southend pub's innovative solution after being told to remove outside benches

Yahoo

13 hours ago

A SEAFRONT business has come up with an innovative solution to being told to remove its picnic benches ... by cutting them in half and placing them on their terrace.
For years the Royal Hotel has had multiple picnic benches placed outside the business so customers can enjoy a drink and food in the sunshine.
But earlier this month, Southend Council told them they must be removed outside of trading hours as part of Government mandated rules on outdoor seating.
While staff are able to easily carry the metal chairs and tables inside at close of play, the picnic benches have proved 'far too heavy'.
Required - The Royal's outdoor seating area has been a familiar sight on the High Street for many years (Image: Google)
Now, a creative solution has seen bosses chop the benches in half and place them on the small terrace balcony so residents can still have a place to sit overlooking the seafront.
The Royal Hotel's director, Terry Garnett, said while the council were 'within their rights' to do it due to licensing permit changes introduced by the act, the sudden move was 'frustrating'.
He said: 'Our picnic tables have been outside the Royal Hotel for a few years.
"We have a mixture of furniture and the picnic tables are far too heavy for our staff to handle and there is nowhere for them to go anyway.
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Balcony - The Royal has had to dismantle and move the benches to its balcony which has received a warm reception (Image: The Royal Hotel, Southend)
'It was a really disappointing and frustrating situation and one which appeared to demand a rather wasteful and expensive solution to comply, get rid of the picnic benches and buy more free standing tables and chairs.
'Rather than get rid of them, we're being a bit creative by dismantling the picnic tables, chopping them about and building new half-sized picnic tables and benches for our terrace area. It seems to really work well, the existing terrace furniture will now go on the High Street.'
The Royal Hotel has now applied for an updated licence to reinstate the benches.
Martin Terry, Southend Independent councillor for community safety and regulatory services, said: 'The law's the same right across the country, if a business wants to put tables, chairs or other furniture out on the pavement, they need a licence and somewhere to store it at night.
'This isn't just red tape, it's there to make sure people can get by safely and our streets don't get blocked up.
'We're busy speaking to local businesses so everyone knows what's required under national law. We want to back our pubs, cafés and restaurants and we'll work with them to find solutions within a reasonable timeframe, that keep our streets safe and accessible for everyone.'