Outdoor street furniture licences queried

The suitability and permanence of some outdoor dining structures was the subject of a discussion at Tuesday’s Municipal District meeting, with some of the structures in

both Fermoy and Mitchelstown up for discussion.

Cllr Kay Dawson, while welcoming the business and vibrancy created in towns by the restauranteurs and publicans embracing the initiative, queried the policy on the licences for some of the street furniture.

“I’m getting e-mails from people about a marquee, that people are smoking in it and people going up the town have to go into it. The footpath is going in to the marquee.”

Referring to another unnamed business, Cllr Dawson continued: “And there are others that will say there’s a building that’s been made like a cabin, and it’s a health and safety issue now. If there was an incident up that street, you couldn’t even see it. For parents, with children running around, they can’t keep an eye on them. As a county, we need to look at what we’re putting in place.”

Cllr Dawson accepted that the licences for outdoor dining were made “in a time of crisis”, and that the members and the council would “do everything we can to increase the space where people could do business”, but that care would need to be taken to see how “permanent” these structures are, and what kind of a precedent was being set for what could be added to a premises in the future without planning permission.

ANNUAL RENEWAL

Cllr Deirdre O’Brien echoed Cllr Dawson’s statements, also observing that different areas have different by-laws, and queried if what works in the city could be said to work in towns, “where you have residential areas in between.”

Pauline Moriarty, Municipal District Officer, responded to Cllr Dawson, noting that in the issue of the “marquee” in Fermoy, that the council had engaged with the business owner and that the marquee would be removed this week. She also noted that with another structure, in Mitchelstown, there is no issue with regards to health and safety, as far as the council was concerned.

She went on to say that there was an “influx” of applications this year, compared to previous years, and reassured the elected members that the licences for outdoor dining are renewed annually, so “any issues can be resolved before the renewal”.

Senior Executive Officer for Fermoy MD, Mary Hayes, also acknowledged the councillors’ concerns.

“Even though they are temporary, I think we can take on board the members’ comments. We can look at it at a county level, and take on board design aesthetic, and if we’re going to be living with these structures for a long time, we want to ensure that they complement our streetscape and the heritage of our towns.”

OUTDOOR DINING EMBRACED

Cllr Noel McCarthy, a former publican, stressed that dialogue would be the solution to these and other issues.

“These businesses were on their knees, and the outdoor dining allowed them to come back trading again.”

He also complimented the council for giving the businesses the opportunity, but stressed that publicans must work within the guidelines.

With regards to the permanence of the canopies in Fermoy and Mitchelstown, Cllr O’Brien queried if they would remain erected throughout the winter months, and expressed concern about their use (or misuse) when “alcohol is consumed, and people are waiting for taxis.”

Pauline Moriarty responded that feedback to the canopies, particularly in Mitchelstown, had been very positive. She stated that the MD would take a “wait and see” approach.

“If there are no issues, I can’s see why they can’t stay there. We’ll monitor and see, and if there are issues, they can be taken down very easily.”

Mary Hayes concluded the discussion by acknowledging that the embracing of outdoor dining in North Cork was adding to the vitality of the streetscapes and towns, and expressed the opinion that the scheme was, overall, a huge success.