Ballina council makes decision on Covid-era outdoor dining spaces
Outdoor dining became the norm at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Council officials in Ballina have resisted an attempt by councillors to retain so-called 'parklets', which were introduced to facilitate outdoor dining during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The time is up, they have to go,” was the view of the Head of Ballina Municipal District Declan Turnbull when the matter came up for discussion at last Wednesday's municipal meeting.
Parklets were introduced and funded as part of temporary measures during the Covid-19 pandemic and businesses in Ballina and elsewhere have now been asked to remove them. Independent Cllr Mark Duffy and Fine Gael Cllr Jarlath Munnelly said there is a desire among some businesses to keep the parklets.
“Businesses have been asked to remove the parklets,” said Cllr Duffy. “Many of them had spent a lot maintaining them over winter and they are aesthetically pleasing when active and used.”
However, Mr Turnbull explained the parklets were typically erected in a parking space and therefore are on public roads.
“We can’t pass by-laws to allow people to build things on public roads,” he said.
Cllr Munnelly said there should be dialogue with the business community instead of the parklets simply being removed from the streets but Mr Turnbull said they were introduced as a temporary arrangement and that "temporary means temporary".
“These temporary arrangements have come to an end and they have to go,” he said.
Municipal district architect Robbie Maguire cited a number of reasons for wanting to remove the parklets, including public safety, commercial fairness and access, and the protection of town and village streetscapes.
