It differs per municipality whether catering entrepreneurs receive permission to expand their terrace during this summer. This is apparent from answers from the municipalities of Assen, Emmen, Meppel, Hoogeveen and De Wolden to questions asked by RTV Drenthe about terrace widening.
After the outbreak of the corona pandemic at the beginning of 2020, catering operators were given permission to temporarily enlarge their terrace. That was to make up for the loss suffered and to welcome as many guests as possible at one and a half meters away. Now that the catering industry no longer has to deal with mandatory closing times and almost all corona rules have expired, a number of municipalities decide to cancel the expansion.
For example, the municipality of Meppel has announced that the scheme will no longer be returned. This also applies to Hoogeveen and De Wolden. “The terraces were allowed to expand where possible, so that they could at least expand their regular number of chairs and tables. The extra space has expired as of March 31.”
Emmen and Assen indicate that they will give extra space to catering entrepreneurs because of corona. “Last summer we offered the catering industry the opportunity to enlarge the terraces. We will maintain that situation this summer,” Emmen says. The municipality of Assen reports that the catering industry will be given the opportunity to invest in their terraces for several years. “Such investments are not profitable if the terraces are only allowed to be expanded briefly and temporarily.”