Cafe can serve alcohol outdoors despite concerns

A cafe at a Bath furniture store is being allowed to serve alcohol outside to help it try to survive the Covid restrictions.

Operations manager Ed Taylor said social distancing had slashed the capacity of the lossmaking Provenist cafe and it may have been forced to close without the extra space.

Vulnerable residents living above the Neptune store have raised concerns.

David Carr, who moved into his flat last year and is registered blind, said: “It really isn’t practical to have to squeeze our way through a restaurant area. We never would have bought our flat on that basis. It’s totally inappropriate.”

Licensing subcommittee members encouraged Mr Taylor to work with the residents as they granted the application, which also allows alcohol deliveries.

Mr Taylor told the licensing subcommittee on July 9: “The Provenist is ancillary to Neptune. It’s a loss-making business. It’s there to enhance the experience.

“With the Government guidelines on social distancing we’re struggling with our amount of space. We used to have 28 covers, that’s been reduced to 14.

“We’d like to use our terrace. It’s not a pub or bar and it’s never going to be, it’s somewhere people can go for a glass of wine.”

Councillors encouraged Mr Taylor to address the issues raised by residents, and said they could call for a review if their concerns were realised.