North Somerset Council has made rapid progress with the Outdoor Public Seating Areas Project. The contract has been awarded to Richmond Event Management who are well established in the West of England (Bristol Balloon Fiesta, Bristol Harbour Festival, Weston Air Show). They will provide appropriately distanced, suitable infrastructure to support local retail, increase confidence, create space for the public to reconnect post lockdown and encourage visits to town centres.
The project will run until mid-October.
Bistro tables and chairs will be provided and will be cleared away and stored every night. The aim is to provide seating in Thursday/ Friday – Sunday, 10am – 9pm.
The outdoor seating areas will not be designed for a waiter/ waitress service from food and drink outlets, however people can use them to enhance their experience in our town centres for example eat and drink takeaway food, have a business meeting or appointment or meet with friends.
Staff will provide oversight on each site e.g. making sure tables and chairs are not moved or damaged. These staff will also be responsible for cleaning the tables and chairs to ensure COVID-19 compliance. The staff members will be linked to NSC Community Safety Officers where available and will provide regular reports enabling the project team to make changes to the spaces as needed. Some concerns have been raised regarding opening times, particularly about opening past 6pm in WsM, the timings will therefore be kept in review.
WsM – Italian Gardens
Launch: Thursday 23rd July
Days: Thursday – Sunday, 10am – 9pm
10 tables and 25 chairs on each of the four corners of the Gardens creating seating for a total of 100 on the square at any one time.