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Outdoor dining

If you want to use the footpath or public property for outdoor dining for patrons of your bar, restaurant, cafe, or club, you must apply to the Council for permission.

A family enjoying ice cream cones on a sunny day at a wooden table on the footpath outside of a cafe.

Your outdoor dining/activity will be supported if there is:

  • safe and unobstructed accessibility for everyone
  • a positive impact on safety or perception of safety
  • outdoor seating that is fit for purpose

When you need a permit

You need an outdoor dining licence if you intend to place furniture or objects on part of the footpath or public property outside of your shop or business.

You do not need one:

  • to place objects on private property – you just need the property owner’s permission.
  • to permanently place furniture or objects on part of the street, you’ll need to apply for an encroachment licence

Sandwich boards can’t be considered as part of an outdoor dining permission application. These are licensed separately, see Sandwich Boards.

Wellington hospitality venues with outdoor dining on public land have been smokefree and vapefree since 1 March 2023. For more information, please see the Smokefree Wellington Policy and Condition 8.3 of the Trading and Events in Public Places Policy

How to apply

If you would like some advice before you submit your application on the viability of the location or considerations for furniture placement, please send your query to outdoordining@wcc.govt.nz.

Information required

With your outdoor dining licence application, you’ll need to provide:

  • Proposed plan – a to-scale detailed plan of your premises marked to show the outdoor area you wish to use, including:
    • The front of your premises with the location of any entrances marked.
    • The kerb with measurements from the front of your premises. The layout and orientation of furniture in the proposed outdoor seating area must allow for at least 0.8m to the adjacent kerb line to ensure safety of patrons (this is the area between the seating the kerb line).
    • Location of any existing street furniture and amenities eg bins, street lights, trees.
    • Proposed placement of tables and chairs with measurements of size and height.
    • Proposed placement of any other temporary furniture eg planters, umbrellas, heating devices with measurements of size and height.
    • Location of any veranda covering the site or part of the site.
  • Site specific photo – showing the proposed outdoor area including an aerial and in relation to the front of your premises.
  • Photos or product images – showing the outdoor furniture and elements you intend on using.
  • Public liability insurance – a certificate of insurance which shows you hold public liability insurance of at least $2 million for any outdoor area you plan to use. This public liability insurance must remain current while the approval is in force. Please note, your application will not be approved without this. 

For more information about pavement lease rules or drawing a scale plan see: Supplementary footpath information (222KB PDF)

Consider the following when applying for an outdoor dining licence:

How to lodge your application

You can give us your application:

Fees

Prior to COVID relief cost reductions for pavement permissions, leases fees were charged for pavement permissions (excluding those that were smokefree). As all pavement permissions are now smokefree these lease fees are being re-introduced to all premises.

Application fees

All fees include GST.

Item Fee
To apply for a new lease or change one you already have $236
To renew an existing lease (pavement leases must be renewed on 31 August every year) $119

Lease fees

All fees include GST.

Item Fee
City centre pavement permissions $113 per square metre
Suburbs pavement permissions $73 per square metre

Clearly display your pavement permission

You must display your pavement permission next to the seating area so it can be viewed from outside your venue. All permissions have an aerial photograph clearly showing the allowable area.

Displaying your permission will help patrons, staff and enforcement agencies to:

  • keep pedestrian areas clear
  • make sure all venues and patrons comply with the central area liquor ban.

Central City Liquor Ban

Renewals

All Pavement Permissions are issued for a period of one year (1 September to 31 August). Annual fees include the renewal fee and a lease charge for the space.

The Council will send you a reminder before the permission expires.

Contact us

If you would like to get in touch with someone from our team, please contact outdoordining@wcc.govt.nz