Write a commentTo date just eight applications have been received by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council for Pavement Café Licences across the entire council area since the Covid-19 crisis started with none coming from Newry.
It's believed that Finegan and Son in Newry are in the process of applying for a licence but Newry.ie don't know of any other local businesses presently investigating the option.
Council had agreed at their Strategic Policy & Resources Committee meeting on 25 June that they would waive the licence fee (usually £375 for 3 Years) for the first 12 Months due to the present climate and the urgent need for social distancing requirements to be taken into consideration. They also agreed that they would compile a list of open spaces that are considered suitable to be made available to hospitality traders to make an application for a pavement Café licence.
A Pavement Café Licence authorises a person who carries on a business involving the supply of food or drink (in or from premises) to place furniture (tables, chairs etc) on a public area for use by customers. This includes cafes, restaurants, pubs, retail outlets providing refreshments, takeaways, supermarkets with a deli counter etc.
The licence would enable venues such as bars that at present aren't allowed to open to trade providing that a suitable area could be found.
No applications have been received from Newry city or South Armagh with the only application from this part of the district being from Ye Old Ship Inn in Warrenpoint.
Four applications have come from Newcastle premises, two from Castlewellan and one each from Warrenpoint and Ballynahinch.
The Applicants
The Coffee Dock, Castlewellan
Kings Inn, Castlewellan
Kelly’s Top of the Town, Newcastle
Base Coffee Company, Newcastle
O’Hares Lounge Bar, Newcastle
Avoca Hotel, Newcastle
Paddy Kelly’s, Ballynahinch
Ye Old Ship Inn, Warrenpoint.
Dundalk's Option
A joint project between Dundalk BIDS and Louth County Council has recently seen a 'Parklet' positioned outside the 23 Seats Café in Crowe Street where customers can drink and dine outside. The parklet is a structure which occupies two parking spaces and is becoming an increasingly popular concept around the world and could easily be used in a Newry setting.
