There is political support from left to right to allow Amsterdam catering entrepreneurs to benefit longer from larger terraces. But under what conditions drinks may be held this winter remains the question for the time being.
Enjoying a drink in the open air will probably be the most normal thing in the world in the coming winter months. There is a lot of support for the idea of VVD and Forum for Democracy, just like in Rotterdam, to give catering entrepreneurs permission to expand their terraces in the winter months.
Parties such as D66, PvdA, SP, Denk, GroenLinks and CDA understand the difficult times for pub owners. They suffer from lower turnover because they are allowed to offer far fewer seats in their businesses due to the obligation to keep a distance of 1.5 meters. This while the rents have not been reduced in most cases.
At the end of the lockdown on 1 June, Mayor Halsema introduced the Temporary Terrace Extension scheme to give catering entrepreneurs the opportunity to recoup some of their lost income. From that day on, they were allowed to expand their terraces considerably free of charge, for example in parking lots or bridge wings opposite the catering facility in question. The scheme will run until October 31, but if it is up to a broad council majority, the scheme will remain in place for a while afterwards.
“The safest way to drink a beer together in the hospitality industry is still remotely in the open air. We have to make that possible: for the health of the visitors but also for the entrepreneurs, ”says D66 councilor Hülya Kat. “We are facing an exciting winter. Everyone hopes that the catering industry can remain open and heated winter terraces can certainly help with that. ”
Heated tents
But it is precisely those heating elements that are permitted under the current regulation that raise eyebrows for other parties. “The need is great, we see that too,” says GroenLinksraadmember Zeeger Ernsting. “But I would like to know exactly what an extension means. The winter is wetter and colder and heated semi-tents in the public space do not really seem the intention to us. ” The Party for the Animals and the SP also do not think “heating the outside air” is a good idea, SP council member Tiers Bakker argues that pub owners only turn on the heating when there are guests.
And those are not the only question marks raised about the extension of the scheme. Think group chairman Mourad Taimounti does not want further terrace expansions to be at the expense of parking spaces, because according to him this makes it more difficult for motorists to find a place. The PvdA does not want to allow extension of the terrace regulation in places where this has led to nuisance, says councilor Dennis Boutkan. D66, on the other hand, would like to have terraces open until midnight where possible.
It is up to Mayor Halsema to make a choice from this maze of suggestions. In the coming weeks, she will discuss with the city council the possible extension of the terrace arrangement and the pros and cons will be investigated, said a spokesman.
Currently, the municipality has honored over 1000 requests to expand a terrace. More than half of the applications came from entrepreneurs in the center. It is not yet clear whether all these terraces also want to continue in the winter months.
