Council lifts outdated ban on matchday street cafés

Only police objected

- Phil Corrigan

COUNCIL leaders have agreed to lift 'outdated' restrictions barring street cafés near Stoke City and Port Vale on match days - despite police concerns over football violence.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has adopted a new pavement licences policy, which sets out the rules for businesses wanting to place furniture on the highway for the serving of food and drink.

The previous policy included rules specifically barring the operation of licensed street cafés near the bet365 Stadium or Vale Park on days with home fixtures, with the aim of preventing football-related disorder. But council chiefs believe that such restrictions are no longer necessary and have removed them, saying that the updated policy will help struggling businesses in areas such as Burslem and Stoke who are currently missing out on trade.