Monday, April 12th was the date many of us were all waiting for. The chance to meet our friends and family in a cafe, bar ore restaurant and resume some sense of normality. All that was needed was our thermals, scarf and thick jumper or coat as many of us braved the coldness of the weather in return for the warmth of our friends.
Our research team thought they would dig deeper. I think most of the Uk has heard that many venues are booked up for weeks, especially in the big cities but did you know, only 38% of our hospitality venues have outside space. Because of this many of them have had to apply for pavement licences in order to open or potential expand the little space they have. I truly hope our council is allowing this. According to 10 councils in the largest metropolitan areas in England, a total of 840 pavement licensing applications have been approved. I personally think Dalton Square and Market Square would look fabulous if they created a European Cafe-Style Culture or how about some alfresco dining on the prom?
The other interesting stat our team came up with is that 88% of homes actually have access to outside space. This is in the form of private gardens, tards, balconies and also communal gardens. This figure was greater than we expected.
How are you meeting your friends and family? At home or out and about? Our local establishments do need our help so let’s practise social distancing, keep safe but also let’s get out on our local high streets and support our local hospitality venues – they’ve made a great job in adapting to keep us safe and now need our help and support!
Thanks for reading
Michelle x