Outdoor dining – have your say

Bass Coast Shire Council invites community and business to help define the future of outdoor dining in our region, by taking part in a consultation on parklets until December 15.

Parklets allow business to safely extend their outdoor trading area beyond the footpath. It usually involves the temporary use of on-street car parking spaces for outdoor dining and trader use. For community, parklets provide open areas to gather, encouraging us to slow down, connect and spend more time in our neighbourhoods. Increased foot traffic also drives revenue for local business.

Current approved 2022 Bass Coast Shire parklets include:

San Remo
San Remo Hotel Motel, 145 Marine Parade.
Westernport Hotel, 161 Marine Parade.

Cowes
Hotel Phillip Island, 11-13 The Esplanade.
Ocean Reach Brewing, 47 Thompson Avenue.
M&O Cafe and Tapas, 1/14 The Esplanade.
Fig & Olive and Fork and Waffle, 115 Thompson Avenue.

“By developing a clear outdoor dining parklet policy for Bass Coast Shire we can enable more local businesses to take advantage of this highly popular opportunity,” said Bass Coast Shire Council Mayor, Cr Whelan.

“Parklets are a global phenomenon that began in San Francisco in 2005, that aimed to rethink how we use public space. The idea spread through the US then Europe, when a redundant loading bay in East London was reclaimed for bike stands, benches, planters and solar lighting by Hackney Council and sustainability groups.

“A vital solution during the pandemic, parklets allowed many hospitality businesses to survive under social distancing. They created a new way to increase seating capacity then, and now remain due to the huge benefits of socialising outside – individually and as a community.

“With this new policy council aims to balance the needs of residents, business owners and visitors while facilitating economic development. Parklets will provide enhanced streetscape vibrancy, increased dwell time and more access to dine-in experiences.”

With the outdoor dining parklet policy and fee structure council aims to provide: a clear application and approval pathway; assessment guidelines and requirements; mechanism for agreements, maintenance and permit renewals.

Responses from the call out will be collated into a consultation report, available in January 2023. The council said this will then inform development of a policy, guidelines and fee structure for parklets across Bass Coast, to be considered by council in early 2023, aiming to be active by July 2023.

To make your online submission or for further information on the parklets policy, guidelines and fee structure, please visit engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au/parklet or contact council.