Two bars granted longer street drinking

Two of Tauranga's biggest bars have been given a reprieve from having to corral their customers into restricted outdoor drinking and dining areas.
Tauranga City Council yesterday agreed that De Bier Haus and Coyote Street Bar and Restaurant will not need to re-route pedestrians away from their building frontages until 10pm.
Licensees of the two bars, located on The Strand, have complained for months that 4pm every Thursday, Friday and Saturday was too early to erect a temporary pedestrian walkway around the perimeter of their outdoor areas.
The council began the walkway trial in November last year.
The two bars have been hard hit because their outdoor areas were already constrained by carparks and concrete street furniture.
Matt Haywood, of De Bier Haus, has complained that when patrons were kicking back for a few drinks after work, he was having to shift them at 4pm, jamming them up like sardines.
Losing nearly half his outdoor area had led to his takings dropping significantly on Fridays and Saturdays.
The council granted dispensation to the two bars to allow them to set up the pedestrian clearway from 10pm - the time when licensees said crowd problems started.
Tauranga City Council environmental monitoring manager John Payne said the pedestrian clearway trial seemed to be working well.
It avoided the old problem of flare-ups caused by pedestrians bumping people as they walked through crowds gathered outside bars.
Mr Payne said adjustments to the street furniture outside De Bier Haus and Coyote could reduce congestion without compromising safety.
City Centre Action Group project manager Duarne Lankshear said a Strand precinct group was set up last month to identify long-term opportunities to improve The Strand as a hospitality and entertainment destination.
He said a large portion of businesses on The Strand liked the 4pm time for creating the walkway because it was more  difficult later on, particularly for restaurants.
A report will come back to the council in about two months on options around street furniture and carparking outside De Bier Haus and Coyote. It will be part of a larger study by The Strand precinct group.