As England prepares to start reopening following months of lockdown, applications for al fresco dining opportunities have skyrocketed.
Insight from EG’s Radius Data Exchange reveals a 38.5% increase in the number of applications for outside seating on 2019 and a 44% increase on 2018.
In 2020 and the first few months of 2021, a total of 174 applications for outdoor seating across Greater London and the big six regional cities have been made, compared with 107 in 2019 and 98 in 2018.
The total number of applications permitted in 2020 and so far this year totals 140, compared with 82 in 2019 and 74 in 2018.
In London, both the Covent Garden estate and Shaftesbury have announced plans to provide almost 4,000 al fresco dining seats come 12 April in the hope the customers will come flocking back to high streets and city centres across the UK.
According to EG’s analysis, some 10.5 acres of outdoor dining space, almost the equivalent of the 90,000-seat capacity Wembley Stadium has been approved so far this year.
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