Temporary outdoor dining measures originally introduced to support retail and hospitality businesses during the pandemic will now be made permanent following a public consultation.

Pubs, cafes and restaurants will now be able to install gazebos on their own land without planning permission, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced.

Craig Beaumont, chief of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “As we look to keep going through the Omicron wave, this will be something that supports the spring economic recovery, giving a boost to firms that have been affected so deeply by covid.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, added: “Marquees and other structures provided a lifeline for some businesses during the pandemic, evidencing the value of covered outdoor spaces to hospitality venues. Today’s announcement is a really positive move to rid businesses of an administrative burden and encouraging better use of outdoor space – for many venues it will expedite future recovery and growth.”