Lincoln restaurants and cafes are trying to improve “cafe culture” in the city with longer outdoor cafe licences.
Businesses on the High Street are applying to Lincolnshire County Council to get longer pavement cafe licences, so customers can sit outside in until 9pm.
At present, businesses can only have chairs and tables outdoors until 4pm in the city to make way for delivery vehicles.
However, businesses in the area found that deliveries in Lincoln take place along the High Street before 10am.
The businesses want to enhance the “ambience and vibrancy” of the evening economy and ask customers to support them by signing a petition to back the extended hours, available in stores.
Those behind the extended license so far include Pizza Express, Craft, Slug & Lettuce, Walkabout, Churchills, Café Nero, Carluccio’s and The Appletree.
Lincoln BIG Chief Executive Matt Corrigan said: “Traders point out that this area will work in the same way, if not better, than the Brayford Waterfront, where both deliveries and pavement cafes are permitted to operate all day long.
“Businesses are hoping that they will get a ‘yes’ from Lincolnshire County Council in time for them to make the most of the summer sunshine and a busy period on the tourism and events front,” he added.