Planning permission and licensing for hospitality

It depends on the current use of the premises. In England most restaurants and cafés fall within Use Class E, so moving between uses inside that class may not need planning permission, while bars, pubs and takeaways are sui generis and usually do. External works, extraction flues and signage can need consent regardless. We confirm the position during feasibility.

Planning permission controls the use and development of land; listed building consent controls works that affect the character of a listed building, including internal alterations. They are separate applications. At Mercato Mayfair we secured both from Westminster City Council, plus a premises licence, as three applications run in parallel with the build.

Timescales vary by authority and by complexity. Heritage designations, neighbour objections and extraction proposals all extend the process. The way to protect the opening date is to start consents early and run them in parallel with design and build, which is how we programme every project that needs them.

Yes. We hold working knowledge of local codes in Spain, France and Italy. In Barcelona we secured a single activity licence covering both wholesale production and retail for Badiani, and in Florence we managed a change of use on Via de’ Tosinghi inside the historic centre.