Cafes welcome changes to footpath fees

Scott Taylor. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Cafes and restaurants are delighted at proposed changes to Auckland City Council fees for outdoor dining.

The council has suggested changing the licence fee for street trading from $70 a chair to $50 a square metre of outdoor dining space.

As part of its street trading policy, the council is aiming to strike a balance between allowing pedestrians easy access to the footpath and allowing al fresco dining to flourish.

Confirming the fee for operators is the last step in the process.

Hospitality Association northern regional manager Sara Tucker said the industry had urged the council to charge only to cover its costs, as it could not afford any more compliance fees in a difficult financial climate.

When cafes and restaurants renewed their licences, at a cost of $130, they would have to apply for the space they intended to use outside their premises.

All traders with outdoor dining must allow 2m of space for pedestrians.

"When people are sitting outside these premises, all the surrounding businesses get exposure and can benefit, too," councillor Greg Moyle said.

Peter Wren, who manages Ponsonby cafe Bambina, said his annual fee of $830 for putting 10 chairs and three tables on the footpath, was "the cheapest rent in the world".

The manager of Dida's wine and tapas bar, Scott Taylor, said he was more concerned about the council preserving a vibrant atmosphere than the costs it imposed for outdoor dining.

He was satisfied that the council's street trading policy neither stifled Auckland's cafe culture nor penalised owners too heavily.

Consultation on the changes starts tomorrow and closes on March 19.