Key facts
A pavement licence permits a business to lawfully obstruct the pavement, helps manage the area so that it is safe and accessible for everyone and ensures insurance is in place to protect people should there be an accident.
Whilst some of the streets in Lichfield city centre are partially pedestrianised, because blue badge holders, delivery vehicles, people with city centre parking spaces, and emergency/utility vehicles can still drive into the pedestrian zone at all times, businesses wanting to use the pavement are still required by law to hold a pavement licence. A minimum of 1.5m of pavement width must also be kept clear for pedestrians to use.
Based on feedback from businesses, we’ve set the licence fee at £0 until 2026.
During the application process, we have up to 28 days to determine a valid application. This includes a mandatory 14-day public consultation period.
Pavement licensing was first introduced during the pandemic through the Business and Planning Act 2020 - view the government guidance. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 made pavement licencing permanent. Prior to this, businesses required planning permission from the district council and an annual licence from the county council.