Britain to go all out for al fresco dining in Queen’s Speech

BRITAIN will go permanently continental as al fresco dining is made law in the Queen’s Speech.

Boris Johnson will announce the laws next week, letting councils grant “pavement licences” for outdoor dining and drinking on a permanent basis, cementing café culture across Britain.

The licences were introduced temporarily in the pandemic to enable restaurants, cafés and bars to stay open safely and boost the hospitality industry.

They were extended until September this year when Covid restrictions eased last summer, but will now be made permanent in the Queen’s Speech next Wednesday.

Pubs are also expected to be granted an extension to off-licences that allow them to sell takeaway pints and meals.