It seems those of us hoping to see an end put to the Nanny State when the coalition government came to power may still have some time to wait. Sadly, Blackpool Council is the living proof that Nanny remains alive and well.
Now if ever there was a place that needed to be set free of petty rules and regulations in order to prosper, it is surely Blackpool. It is screaming out for it. But no, twice recently the council have blighted the plans of local businesses to provide a service for people, some of which will undoubtedly be our much needed tourists.
It's not that these business people wanted to do anything outlandish - they simply wanted to provide some outside seating for their customers. However in both cases it was the type of seating they required that was refused permission, not the idea of actually supplying seating. I understand they have both already handsomely contributed to the council's coffers by buying a license in order to provide this service.
These are small business people, the once backbone of Britain, and they are in the market of providing the services that customers require. It