Section 254 Licences [Schedule 12 Part 1(h)] for Table and Chairs in public spaces outside a hotel, restaurant, café, public house or other
If you own a café, restaurant, hotel, or bar, you can apply to Laois County Council to put tables and chairs within the Public Realm. This is known as a Section 254 Licence.
Laois County Council will consider the re-assignment of existing public spaces into seating areas to facilitate businesses. This will require the business to apply to the Council for a Section 254 Licence.
As the Council aims to support businesses during the Covid-19 Pandemic, we want to engage with local traders in order to ensure that such tables and chairs are safely and appropriately located in areas which do not pose a risk to pedestrians/footpath users etc.
In order to help businesses get back up and running, Laois County Council would like to invite applications for a Section 254 licence from those businesses interested in expanding into the public realm.
All applications will be assessed from a public health, fire safety, road safety and public circulation point of view.
Laois County Council will be facilitating the use of the public realm for expanded street furniture provision as a temporary measure up to the end of August as part of Phase 3 of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions starting the 29th of June 2020.
Fee
The Section 254 licence fee will be waived up to the end of August 2020 for table and chair street furniture applications as a recovery measure by Laois County Council.
Application Process and Requirements
Applications for a Section 254 licence(Schedule 12 Part 1(h)) in respect of tables and chairs must be accompanied by the following:
- Applicants must apply to Laois County Council Planning Department in writing (covering letter/email) for a Section 254 licence. The covering letter/email should include: name, address, contact details, together with a scaled drawing/sketch indicating the outdoor area for tables and chairs outlined in red and the proposed hours of operation and the period for which the licence will be needed;
- Any application submitted must be accompanied by Public & Products Liability insurance (and Employers Liability insurance) with indemnity limit(s) of not less than €6.5million (and €13million) respectively covering any liability, loss, claim or proceedings in respect of loss, claim or proceedings whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the death and/or bodily injury to any persons whomsoever and/or loss or damage to any property whatsoever which arises directly or indirectly out of the granting of the Licence.
Such insurance(s) shall contain a notation of an indemnity to Laois County Council.
- Applications can be submitted by post/email to: The Planning Department, Laois County Council, Aras an Chontae, JFL Avenue, Portlaoise, Co. Laois R32 EHP9 or by email to: planning@laoiscoco.ie
Applications received by the Council will be processed as soon as possible.