The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department streamlines the processing of outdoor dining permit applications; simple cases are expected to be approved within a month.

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced that, with effect from today, it will work together with the relevant departments to adopt a new “review meeting” mechanism and streamlined procedures to process applications for licensed outdoor seating in food premises, in order to facilitate business operations.

A spokesperson said that in the past, applications for outdoor seating were handled from receipt of the applications to approval, with the median processing time being 12 months. Under the new arrangement, straightforward cases are expected to be approved in principle and the applicants informed of the specific licensing requirements within about 1 month.

In addition, the application requirements will also be relaxed to an appropriate extent. For example, eligible food premises are not required to increase kitchen floor area and washroom facilities for the purpose of setting up outdoor seating. If a pedestrian passageway remains at least 3 meters wide after the installation of outdoor seating, it will generally be regarded as meeting the requirements relating to road provisions, etc. The relevant departments will also assign a case manager to handle applicants’ enquiries.

Under the new arrangement, as the application forms have been improved, the departments can obtain the necessary information to speed up approvals. The Home Affairs Department will also conduct district consultations in parallel. If no party raises any objection, the application will be approved in principle; after the applicant complies with the licensing conditions and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the relevant departments conduct inspections, it will be approved formally immediately. When conducting the “review meeting” in parallel, if there are complex cases, the relevant Permanent Secretary up to the Deputy Secretary for Administration will intervene. After outdoor seating is approved, the departments will also conduct reviews as needed to ensure that there are no violations.