Street furniture rules clarified

DISQUIET among Thame Town Councillors about the proliferation of A boards and outside seating on the town’s pavements, has led to then seeking clarification from the Highways Authority as to the rules and regulations covering street furniture.

What’s Cooking’s plan for outdoor seating

The advice given is that shops and cafes should, strictly speaking, apply for a licence for such boards and furniture on the public pavement, as What’s Cooking has recently. However, the authorities prefer to take ‘a  softly, softly‘ approach apparently, and tend to tolerate any street furniture on pavements that are wide enough, as long as they do not present a nuisance or danger to pedestrians.

During a discussion at Tuesday’s Planning and Environment committee, the Town Clerk reported that Oxfordshire County Council will be looking further into the matter in the near future.

Councillors agreed to recommend approval of What’s Cooking’s application for tables with seating, outside their premises in Cornmarket, Thame, which has some of the widest pavements in the town.