Walking around the city last summer, it was impossible to miss a sight that was born out of the pandemic: crowds of people sitting at tables that restaurants, cafés and bars had placed onto car parking spots.
In April last year, the Brussels Government approved the provisional creation of café, bar and restaurant terraces on car parking spaces in the context of the pandemic with the aim to limit the economic impact on the hospitality sector. On Thursday, it was confirmed these can remain in place until September 2024 if they meet certain guidelines.
"These terraces have become an important source of income. Moreover, their place on public roads has also shown how lively the city becomes when residents and not cars are given the necessary space," State Secretary for Urban Development Pascal Smet said.
The guidelines, which under certain conditions provide a permit exemption for terraces in car parks between 1 April and 31 October and/or during end-of-year festivities, were scheduled to expire on 31 December 2022.
However, while the big impact of the pandemic has started to ease, the new energy crisis continues to put pressure on the region's restaurants, cafés and bars. There was a strong demand from the region's catering federation to give these terraces a stable and long life, as they are a boon for visibility and turnover.
Related News
- #SaveBoomCafe: Brussels café at risk of being evicted by authorities
- Two Brussels Italian restaurants ranked in worldwide top 50
"This is excellent news not only for Brussels' catering operators but also for everyone who enjoys outdoor eating or drinking!" said State Secretary in charge of Economic Transition Barbara Trachte. The system also contributes to the regional objective of bringing the number of parking spaces on public roads below 200,000.
While for now these terraces, which owners of hospitality establishments can easily install on the parking spaces in front of their doors, are allowed to remain in place until the new Regional Urban Development Ordinance comes into force in September 2024, Smet has said he would like to make these temporary fixtures permanent in the new version of the Regional Urban Development Ordinance.
