The Regulatory Committee of Richmond upon Thames Council met on Thursday 12 February 2009 to discuss proposals for alfresco dining in Church Street, Twickenham. The meeting's agenda also included a review of licensing procedures.

Alfresco Dining in Church Street, Twickenham

A key item for discussion was the continuation and potential extension of alfresco dining in Church Street, Twickenham. The committee was scheduled to consider whether to approve alfresco dining for the 2009 season and, if so, to determine the specific hours, days, and duration of the season. Furthermore, the possibility of extending this permission to future years was on the agenda.

The report pack indicated that alfresco dining had been a regular feature in Church Street for the past five years, with licences typically granted for a single season. Extensive consultations with residents and businesses had been conducted in previous years. For the 2009 season, the proposal was to maintain the same terms as agreed for 2008, which included operating from Thursday 21 May to Sunday 6 September, with specific hours for Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays.

The report pack highlighted that alfresco dining was popular with restaurateurs, their clients, and the town centre management, acting as a positive attraction for Twickenham, particularly for its night-time economy. However, concerns had been raised in the past regarding potential disruption to residents from vehicle diversions when Church Street is closed, and occasional issues related to noise.

The committee was presented with the results of extensive consultation exercises carried out in 2007 and 2008, which detailed responses from residents, non-restaurant businesses, and restaurants regarding various aspects of alfresco dining, including preferred hours, season length, and potential disturbances. The report pack also included a letter from Councillor Eleanor Stanier, Chair of the Regulatory Committee, to local residents and businesses, informing them of the application and how they could make their views known.

The report pack also outlined legal considerations, noting that the use of the street for alfresco dining requires a street trading licence/permit issued under the London Local Authorities Act 1990. It also mentioned that licences can be granted for up to three years and that conditions can be imposed.

Licensing Act 2003 Procedures

The committee was also scheduled to consider matters related to the Licensing Act 2003. This included a discussion on the non-statutory advertising of licensing applications, with a recommendation to adopt this practice and define a notification radius of 25m from applicants' premises. The report pack indicated that this decision would be subject to the securing of necessary resources.

Additionally, the agenda included noting reports on Licensing Act 2003 Review Hearings and Expedited Reviews, providing an update on case law relevant to the Act, and considering the electronic receipt of licence applications. The report pack noted that while a software package for electronic applications had been evaluated, the council had decided not to proceed with it at that time, though an EU directive was expected to mandate online licensing application processes by late 2009.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Salon at York House, Richmond Road, Twickenham.