Stonnington: Council delays decision on on-street dining to address resident concerns

An inner city council believes it can be the pioneers of Melbourne’s on-street dining scene and plan to ramp things up this summer.

Stonnington Council closed off part of Greville St for its on-street dining program last summer. Picture: Kiel Egging.

An inner city council is set to expand its outdoor dining program this summer, but will take a bit more time to fine tune its offerings.

Stonnington councillors met on Monday night to discuss two proposed permit options to continue the program after existing arrangements end in September.

One permit would allow businesses to get space in parklets and trade for roughly $20 a day between October and March.

The second permit would allow venues to take out their parking spots and trade 365 days a year at a cost of $25 a week, along with the extra expense of building their own structures.

Councillors voted to defer a decision and revisit options after more community consultation.

Leader understands at least five complaints were lodged by nearby residents to an on-street dining hub built in Armadale’s Beatty Ave when the program was introduced earlier this year.

Cr Mike Scott said more time was needed to consult with residents near the hub and another one on Greville St, Prahran to consider any concerns.

“We need to maintain a balance between resident amenity and supporting our local businesses,” he said.

“Its clear that it (on-street dining) has been a win for our businesses, but we want it to be a win for our residents as well.
“Its an amazing opportunity to get right, and delaying that policy for a little bit longer can let us do that.”

Businesses will have to dip into their own pockets to participate in on-street dining in October and November, with the new policy set to be introduced at the start of December.

The program has so far been funded by $700,000 in State Government grants secured by the council.

Under the 365-day permit option, businesses would face an annual bill of $1300 for each car spot they use.

Toorak Cellars owner Lyndon Kubis, whose venue was part of the Beatty Ave hub last summer, said the scheme would get expensive if owners had to also build their own structures.

Outdoor on-street dining was introduced on Beatty Ave in Armadale last summer. Picture: Toorak Cellars Facebook page.

He said building a safe structure across five spaces would cost his business an extra $8000.

“For some it will work, but for others it doesn’t,” he said.

“It’s a fair price if council contribute to the structures provided … but if you have to start building your own, it gets expensive.”

Mr Kubis said he was unsure if the Beatty Ave hub would return next summer after the council received five complaints from neighbours.

The council took away roughly 140 parking spaces at 50 sites for the program, which was introduced in November and has been funded through $700,000 in State Government grants.

A council survey of over 1100 people found 92 per cent supported the council continuing the program and also taking over more parking spaces to introduce new sites.

The survey also found 78 per cent of businesses who participated in the program believed it increased their revenue.