Outdoor areas have been the saviour of many licensed premises over the last 18 months and now leading licensing lawyer Janet Hood is advising licensees to get ahead of the game when it comes to applying for planning which has not been a necessity during the pandemic.
Although the Scottish Government has allowed operators to open external areas without planning consent thanks to the Chief Planner’s guidance to local government which said refrain where possible from enforcement action, that grace period is now expected to conclude at the end of September when the Chief Planners guidance finishes.
Janet Hood comments, “I would advise everyone to get ahead of the game when it comes to getting your planning application in because planning departments will likely be swamped with applications. So speak to your architect soon, don’t delay.”