Puff and nonsense! Cafes to carry out 'wind assessments' for outdoor areas

But those who operate pavement cafes 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. Operators in Edinburgh already arguably pay too much for the privilege of having outside seating areas and this is an example of why that is the case. It demonstrates just how much needless paper-filing businesses in Edinburgh now have to do just to trade."

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."

In the year to April 2010, the city council brought in 224,670 from charges for outdoor tables and chairs, more than treble the amount brought in four years earlier.

Councillor Jason Rust, economic development spokesman for the Conservatives on the council, said: "It is important that patrons are safe, but this is overkill. I am not surprised that many traders have concerns."

Daniel Hamilton, assistant manager at the Rose and Crown on Rose Street, said: "This is nothing less than bizarre. There is no danger of our parasols flying away, especially as they are fitted with concrete bases that weigh about as much I do.

"Also, under these new laws we would have to have a member of staff outside checking the wind conditions throughout the day, which is ridiculous."

The only wind-related incident in recent years was in 2008, when high winds blew stalls over at an Italian market in Castle Street, injuring five people.

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."