Restaurateur ‘cancels weekend’ after terrace fine warning

Restaurateur Michael Deane has said he’s been forced to “cancel the weekend” at one of his premises after council officials told him he could not keep the roof over his outdoor dining terrace.

The businessman, who invested heavily in creating a Covid safe space at the popular Deanes at Queens eaterie, told BBC’s Stephen Nolan programme the ruling, coupled with a poor weather forecast, left him no choice but to cancel hundreds of bookings.

“Look at the filling stations, they are packed full of grannies and prams,” said Mr Deane.

“It is clearly not the case for any other business which is closed over with no ventilation or no air.

“You can go get your nails done, or you can go to a beauty parlour, but you can’t sit on a terrace at Deanes at Queens and have a lunch with your mother or your sister and have a conversation in a safe environment.”

The restaurateur, who previously said hospitality was being branded the “bogey man” of Covid 19, said council staff who visited the venue referenced the 2007 Smoking Act which refers to outdoor dining areas in premises having to have 50% of the area exposed to the open air.

He added they told him he would need to “take all the glass panels” from his terrace and retract his sliding roof, or he would be “heavily fined”.

Mr Deane said: “Because of the doors at the back where the staff come out they say the business is too closed over and we have to take all the glass panels out of the front, or leave the roof back so we were exposed to all weather, all rain.

“Now if the rain was to come down, I asked the city council if we could close the roof over for maybe two minutes to save the public, save their food and keep their experience going, the council said no.

“I wish they had of told us this three or four weeks ago when we asked for compliance, we don’t want to break the law, we don’t want heavy fines.

“We are walking a tightrope trying to open, trying to keep people safe and a lot are getting very, very angry that they can’t get out for a small lunch or dinner in a beautiful terrace, that is hand on heart definitely Covid safe.

“We will bat through the day and take it hour by hour with my staff walking on eggshells.

“Once the rain comes down we will have to tell people sorry you are going to get wet because that is what the executive want, they are too busy doing other things as NI turns into turmoil and the heart is cut out of Belfast.”

A spokesperson for the council said: “Belfast City Council is committed to supporting as many city businesses as possible to reopen within the current legislation.

“Council has a statutory obligation to ensure compliance within the Coronavirus Regulations, which are set by the NI Executive not councils.”