Latest news with #outdoor dining
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Via Dolce owner frustrated after government demands removal of $150,000 gazebo
A city hospitality business owner said he would never have spent $150,000 on a gazebo had he known he would be ordered to remove it 18 months later. The ACT government deemed the covered dining room outside Italian restaurant Via Dolce on Garema Place "not consistent with guidelines" for the government's upgrade of the inner-city thoroughfare. Owner Joe Pelle installed the gazebo in December 2023 to encourage year-round outdoor dining in the ACT. It has a built-in floor and a reverse air conditioner. "I want to see the city of Canberra flourish. I want to see it vibrant." The permit for the gazebo included the requirement that the structure could be disassembled within 48 hours. However, since then, the City Renewal Authority's 2024 Garema Place toolkit, which outlines aesthetics for the area, doesn't support such gazebos. Instead, large umbrellas are the approved outdoor dining option for hospitality venues. Mr Pelle was given 48 hours to remove the structure by July 27. City Renewal Authority chief executive Craig Gillman said the gazebo was larger than the initial permit allowed. "It exceeded, by a significant margin, the permit zone." However, Mr Pelle said the gazebo and its size had previously been approved by the government. With construction continuing in the area, Mr Pelle supports the government's plans to attract more visitors to the area, but is worried about limited outdoor dining options. He believes plans should allow for businesses to build enclosed dining areas to protect customers. "Even on a hot day, a gazebo would really enhance and make the dining experience more comfortable." A few doors down, restaurant owner Richard Ho also supports the government's plans to revitalise the area. He is optimistic that the new upgrades will encourage more people to visit Garema Place. But he believes umbrellas may not attract diners during extreme weather. "It's very good for other seasons like summer," Mr Ho said. "In winter, it's a bit too cold." City Renewal Authority's Mr Gillman said approvals for umbrella structures would be fast-tracked for permit approvals. But he said gazebos would not be. "You can't see through structures and that creates a perception that places are unsafe because you can't see what's coming in front of you," Mr Gillman said. "City Renewal would not support the return of that style of structure into Garema Place for any business. "We're not the regulator … but we do get consulted, and that would be our position." Businesses have engaged in consultation with the government for the Garema Place development since 2023 Major works are expected to be completed by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Mr Pelle has removed the gazebo, which he says cost his business $150,000 and is hoping to gain approval for his application to install it around the corner, replacing an existing gazebo on Bunda Street.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Wakefield pavement cafes allowed outdoor seating until midnight
Businesses in Wakefield will be able to serve outdoor food and drink later at night in a move which would help the city "feel alive after dark".Wakefield Council has approved extended opening hours for pavement cafes across the district, allowing them to open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays instead of 22: new opening hours will be in place until June next year when they could be made permanent, the licensing meeting was Hemingway, the council's cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said it was a "welcome move" and something hospitality venues had been asking for. The committee voted unanimously in favour of the changes at a meeting on Wednesday, according to the Local Democracy Reporting move was supported by the council's city centre management group Wakefield Business Improvement District (BID) and Daniel Wilton, the council's cabinet member for were told a consultation, to involve the public, police and environmental health officers, would be carried out over the to figures in February this year, there were 51 active pavement cafe licences recorded in the district, including 37 in Wakefield, seven in Pontefract and two in Wales, chief executive of Wakefield BID, said: "This is a really positive step forward for Wakefield."Extending outdoor trading hours gives our hospitality businesses the flexibility they've been asking for and helps create a more sociable, welcoming city centre in the evenings."It's a small change with a big impact - supporting jobs, boosting business, and helping Wakefield feel alive after dark." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
