Shropshire’s market towns could become a haven for a continental-style cafe culture under ambitious proposals to wipe out bureaucracy and encourage more cafes and restaurants to have outdoor seating areas.

Some cafes in Shrewsbury and other parts of the county already have al fresco-style dining with tables and chairs outside for people to enjoy drinks and meals in the fresh air.

But calls have been made for layers of red tape to be streamlined to help bring more of a Mediterranean flavour to the town – and other parts of the county.

Shropshire Council today said it was looking at ways to streamline the process, and it is hoped that if this is the case it could help to encourage more applications to be put in to set up pavement cafes.

Dr Maxwell Winchester, a Shropshire councillor from Shrewsbury, has been working with officers at Shropshire Council to improve the application process for outdoor seating areas.

He said: “I’d like to see the Square and, possibly in the future, parts of Pride Hill with seating outside – just like they do on mainland Europe.

“I think this is a great way to challenge anti-social behaviour because it gets more people sitting outside in the streets and more community involvement as it does elsewhere in Europe.

He added: “It makes a much more friendly environment than what we have. I’m really keen to push this in all our market towns but particularly Shrewsbury.”

Andy Goldsmith, assistant director for public protection with the unitary council, said that it was hoped a report on the issue could go before the authority in the summer and said that other initiatives were being looked at to provide a boost to town centres in the county.

Mr Goldsmith said that anyone wishing to sell alcohol on the street potentially needs planning permission, a premises licence and a pavement licence.

But he said that all these areas have now been brought together under Shropshire Council.

He added: “Shropshire Council is currently looking at ways in which we can streamline the process for businesses seeking to provide pavement cafes.”