Local hospitality businesses no longer need planning permission to put up marquees on their land and councils will no longer need planning permission to hold an outdoor market
Measures originally introduced during the pandemic will now be made permanent following public consultation
This will draw more people to high streets and town centres and boost local businesses
High streets and local business are set to benefit from changes to planning rules, which mean markets can be held more often and marquees put up in pub and restaurant gardens without the need for planning permission, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced today (20 December 2021).
The changes to permitted development rights, first introduced last year as a temporary measure to boost high streets and small businesses during national restrictions, are being made permanent following a public consultation.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants will now be able to install gazebos on their own land without planning permission, helping them to better make use of their outside space all year round. Councils will also be able to hold street markets as required without the need for a planning application, attracting more people to high streets and town centres and boosting local businesses.
Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP said:
The changes we introduced last year supported our town centres and high streets during national restrictions, making sure businesses could stay open and helping to instil a sense of community in our local areas.
Making these measures permanent will help business and communities to build back better from the pandemic and are just one part of our vision to transform towns and cities across England into thriving places to work, visit and live.
The permitted development rights (PDR) introduced in 2020 to 2021 that are now being made permanent following a public consultation. These measures will apply to England.
- The Right for markets to be held by or on behalf of local councils
Originally introduced in June 2020, this PDR allowed markets to be held by or on behalf of local councils for an unlimited amount of days, including the provision of moveable structures related to this use.
This measure, which supported the use of outdoor public spaces and the reopening of the high street, will now be made permanent.
The right excludes markets on sites designated as Scheduled Monuments and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
- Rights for moveable structures in the grounds of pubs, cafes, restaurants and historic visitor attractions
Pubs, cafes and restaurants will be able to erect a moveable structure for an unlimited number of days without the need for a planning application .
Listed pubs, restaurants, cafes and historic visitor attractions will be able to erect a moveable structure for 120 days in a 12-month period, subject to prior approval by the local council.
This will ensure we protect historic assets whilst also making best use of their outdoor spaces to operate in.
These rights exclude markets on sites designated as Scheduled Monuments.
Additional measures apply to all moveable structures to minimise impacts on surrounding communities, including limits to size, height and distance to residential boundaries.
These measures, introduced through PDRs, are separate to changes to pavement licenses introduced last year. Pavement licenses allow hospitality businesses to place furniture, such as tables and chairs, on the pavement outside their premises the PDR for movable structures allows businesses to install marquees in gardens or outside areas on their own land.