Decision details

To approve recommendations as set out in Section 3 of this report.

As part of the borough wide interventions to support businesses to recover from COVID-19 restrictions, the carriageway in Myddelton Road adjacent to Renaissance Café and Bohem Tap Room was widened to increase seating area by using water-filled barriers and were introduced under Temporary Traffic order in June 2021.

The temporary legislation which governs these temporary measures has now been extended until September 2024. There is also impending permanent legislation of the Levelling Up Act which will replace the temporary legislation, to support hospitality businesses through more permanent interventions. It therefore has become necessary to introduce these measures in permanent bases to ensure business sustainability through increased covers and takings, protecting jobs and increasing the sense of place for the Myddelton Road high street. The council therefore proposed to introduce these permanent measures in Myddelton Road at the locations outline.

As this is a pilot for moving forward and building on the positive work undertaken as part of the response to the pandemic and with a limited budget, the businesses were selected on a first come first served basis and for this reason there was no open application process. Should the pilot be successful and funding being secured there will be potential for a roll-out of boroughwide parklet programme.

An alternative considered was to ‘not’ undertake the introduction of the Parklets. However, this is not recommended as it would be against the Councils objectives in supporting the local businesses in the borough.