More cities limiting terraces after Covid-expansions

Multiple cities are limiting or scrapping the terrace expansions they allowed restaurants during the coronavirus pandemic. Now that social distancing is no longer required, restaurants should be able to welcome their usual number of visitors even without larger terraces, is the idea, NOS reports.

Amsterdam scrapped the temporary terrace expansions in the Red Light District and Neiuwmarktbuur from Friday, much to local entrepreneurs' annoyance. Hospitality association KHN unsuccessfully suggested that the municipality only limit terraces on busy Fridays and Saturdays.

In Rotterdam, catering businesses were allowed to expand their terraces by up to 200 percent last year. This year they're limited to 125 percent expansion. Enforcement officers are checking for violations, but they've experienced few problems, according to the broadcaster.

Groningen went back to the "old normal" on April 1. Maastricht agreed with entrepreneurs that the expansion would last as long as the 1.5-meter rule remained in force. Utrecht made a similar arrangement.

Enschede, on the other hand, decided to keep the XXL terraces in the city center. Locals and visitors experience the larger outside space as pleasant, the municipality said to NOS. It will submit a new zoning plan to make it permanent to the city council by the end of this year.

In The Hague, catering businesses can apply to extend their temporary 25 percent expansion until March 1, 2023.