From 12 April, pubs, bars and restaurants but only for outdoor seating.
Unless a specific exemption exists, you must only visit these as a single household or bubble indoors, or in a group of 6 people or 2 households outdoors.
Outdoor areas at hospitality venues (cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs, social clubs, including in members’ clubs) can reopen. Hospitality venues can also provide takeaway alcohol. These venues may allow customers to use an inside bathroom and customers can order and pay indoors. At any premises serving alcohol, customers will be required to order, be served and eat/drink while seated. Venues will be prohibited from providing smoking equipment such as shisha pipes, for use on the premises.
Taking Indoor Payments
Whilst we have now had clarification from Government that Covid certification for your venues will not be a requirement for Step 2 and 3 on the roadmap, we continue to push for all restrictions to be completely lifted from 21st June, to ensure that your businesses can return to trading fully and freely from this point.
In addition the guidance for taking payment indoors has now been updated. This has changed as a direct result of conversations with Government, ensuring that if your WiFi doesn’t stretch to the bottom of your beer garden, or you don’t have mobile payment terminals, you can still take payment from your customers.
Please note, that this has been positioned as a last resort with only one customer at a time allowed in your venue for the purpose of taking payment.
Guidance on Rules for Entertainment
As per step two of the roadmap mapped out by the government, pubs can provide complementary music for seated customers however customers must not pay for admission or the music be the main purpose of their visit.
Events will only be allowed to take place from step three of the roadmap, which, at the earliest will be 17th May.
Recovery Loan Scheme
A new government-backed loan scheme launched on 6th April to provide additional finance to businesses that need it. The loans include 80% government guarantee and interest rate having already backed £75 billion of loans to date as part of an unprecedented £350 billion support package.
Businesses can access loans from £25,000 to £10 million with interest rates capped at 14.99%.
Test & Trace
Pubs must gather contact details from all customers in group bookings rather than just the lead booker’s details.
All hospitality venues in England will be legally required to display an official NHS QR code poster and all customers aged over 16 must check in to the venue or provide their contact details, which can be done using the NHS Covid-19 app.
Pub staff and customers alike must keep to social distancing rules when visiting or working at the premises.
From the Welsh Government
To support the reopening of businesses in Wales (hopefully on 26th April) the government are temporarily relaxing planning control for specified development through amendments to the Town and Country Planning. The idea is to create a safe environment for the public so that they feel comfortable visiting hospitality and the high street in general.
For more information or any queries email planning.directorate@gov.wales