The Scottish government has extended the special measures to enable the erection of temporary buildings by hospitality businesses meaning that temporary beer gardens can remain until March 31, 2022. Hospitality businesses in England have been granted the same extension until September 2022.
The temporary measures were extended last October in Scotland, and again in March of this year until 30th September 2021.
The move comes in the recognition that most businesses will want to maintain outdoor covered spaces to comply with physical distancing measures for a longer period after the Scottish government’s chief planner John McNairney encouraged local authorities to relax planning restrictions on pavement and outdoor seating to allow pubs, restaurants can cafes to have more seating in the open air as a result of the pandemic.
The Scottish Government then introduced the measures last summer to extend the period of time a business could install seating or erect temporary structures in outdoor areas before being required to apply for planning permission. It wrote to all local authorities asking building standards teams to relax planning controls.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing & Local Government, Shona Robison MSP said in a statement that ‘it is not my intention to extend the period further beyond this date.’
A lead in time of 6 months is being given to allow verifiers and hospitality businesses time to discuss and agree for temporary buildings to be removed or a formal building warrant application made to the local authority.
