Edinburgh pavement cafes told to carry out wind assessments every morning

It is probably not the first priority for a busy restaurant or bar manager trying to get ready for a day's business. But those who operate pavement cafes in Edinburgh are being told by council safety chiefs that they have to carry out a full "wind assessment" every morning. Information has to also be on display within the premises for staff showing at what wind speed they would have to bring in parasols, gazebos and canopies. They then need to check weather forecasts to ensure that winds are not expected to rise above the safe level.

The rules have been sent to businesses that apply for table and chair permits and have been labelled a "needless paper-filing" exercise. Patrick Browne, chief executive of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, said: "This is council bureaucracy gone mad. This seems to be more about the council making work for itself than it is about public safety."

Each operator also needs to either buy an anemometer or ask staff to judge wind speed themselves using a chart drawn up by council officials. The chart says that a "strong breeze", of 25-31mph, can be indicated by "larger tree branches moving", while a gale, at 39-46mph, would be indicated by "whole trees in motion and resistance felt when walking against the wind".

Malcolm Duck, chairman of the Edinburgh Restaurateurs' Association, said: "It is like a Monty Python sketch. Right now is a time the council should be encouraging businesses, not putting obstacles in their way." A council spokesman said: "This is about raising awareness of the need to plan ahead, ensuring that any temporary structure be properly constructed and suitable measures taken to mitigate against the dangers of high winds."

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Editor's Note: In American English the term 'Pavement' is called 'Sidewalk'.