Enforcement action taken against cafe

East Herts Council has taken enforcement action against popular town centre bar and cafe Brew Garden following complainta about seating on the pavement.

A statement issued by the council explained that liocensing officers had tried to work with the bar, granting them a licece for seating in Salisbury Square, but the tables and chairs continued to be placed on the pavement outside the cafe.

We know the chairs outside Brew Garden in Hertford have become a popular place to sit and enjoy the town centre.

Since August 2024, however, we have been receiving complaints that some of this seating is blocking the pavement, forcing members of the public including those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters or pushchairs into the road. One resident even reported being abused when trying to get past.

For many months we’ve tried to work with Brew Garden to find a way forward and issue them with a licence for outdoor seating. As a result, they have been granted two pavement licences which mean they can put some tables and chairs around the fountain area as well as a few directly outside.

Unfortunately, despite this, they have continued to place tables and chairs where they are not licensed to do so. This has left us with no option but to remove some of the chairs and tables this morning (Thursday, 2 October), so that people can pass Brew Garden without obstruction

Whilst we value Brew Garden as a local business and want them to thrive, we cannot ignore the public safety risks and the accessibility issues being presented. This action was very much a last resort but it was necessary to ensure everyone can move safely and freely around the town centre.

:: East Herts District Council

Brew Garden also has an outlet in Holborn. The Hertford outlet opened in December 2022, in premises previously occupied by Accessorize and earlier, Gravesons. The immediate area has a number of coffee shops, including Caffe Nero, Hertford Coffee Lab and Esquires.

In a post on social media, Cllr Vicky Glover-Ward said: "Officers have worked with a number of the cafes to get pavement licences for their tables and chairs arranged so that they are not obstructing the pavements. This morning, after long discussions that hadn't yielded an acceptable result, enforcement action was taken by confiscating tables and chairs from one establishment, as per the following press release.

"Hopefully this will help those who have trouble navigating the pavements and particularly those who need wheels as we should all be able to get around unimpeded."