Footpath fiasco
Published 1 year, 3 months ago in Making News.As if the cafes spreading their tables into the path of pedestrians wasn’t bad enough, we now have pubs and bars taking over our footpaths. Nowhere is this more evident than in Bridge Road, Richmond, where our way is blocked by carousing, beer-toting louts (and loutesses) who show no regard for the right of passsage of us non-revellers. And one of the worst offenders is almost opposite the Town Hall. But, of course, those who should be controlling such behaviour have long ago knocked off and gone home to bed. Come on, Yarra Council, give us back our footpaths, unimpeded by drunks and carousers.
13 Responses to “Footpath fiasco”
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‘yarra rp’, i suppose you are a Yarra Ratepayer. From what you say I am not sure what you are complaining about. Are you complaining about the Yarra trading policy of footpath tables and trading, which is a Town Planning issue? Or are you complaining about having “louts and lotesses” revelling around, which is a social issue?
In Glen Eira we have a town planning problem with the Officers and the Council pushing through a Footpath Trading Policy without community consultation, which is unsuitable for the great majority of shopping strips. Have a look at the policy www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/Page/Page.asp?Page_Id=109&h=0
The problem is that the implementation of this clear path policy is only suitable in few larger shopping centres. It creates havoc in smaller centres, because the footpath width is just too narrow to accommodate the clear path policy. And the Council is doing nothing to upgrade any other shopping strips apart from Urban Villages.
The justification given is that the Council MUST be compliant with the UN based Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). What a lot of hogwash. There is absolutely no obligation by any local government to be compliant to the UN HREOC, but there should be an obligation to conduct properly community consultation to find out what the problems on the ground might be.
Let’s compare Yarra with Glen Eira.
Don’t you agree ‘yarra rp’? And what do you think Nooksters?
I am simply highlighting a social issue whereby one section of society is ignoring the needs of another. The footpaths are there to enable pedestrian passage - and that includes people using prams, pushers and motorised wheelchairs. But this is becoming less and less possible, not only because of the uncontrolled intrusion of cafe tables but, especially at night, when bars now spill out on to the footpaths and - largely because of the effect of the alcohol - there is a wide disregard and lack of awareness of the needs of footpath users to have unhindered passage. Forget all the rules and regulations you quote; just let’s have some courtesy and civility and consideration for the needs of passers-by. The footpaths are NOT bars.
As a WA girl I have never understood the strange obsession that Melbourne folk have with eating and drinking on a footpath, particularly in the dead of winter.
When I first came to Melbourne I worked for some time in a Cafe in Hight Street Armadale that had the obligatory 6 or 7 tables outside. Every hour or so I had to wipe the dirt that settled on the tables from all the passing traffic. It was noisy, smelly, dirty and worst of all High Street acts as a funnel to the Arctic wind that blows straight through your clothes to your very marrow. Yet these tables were most in demand.
Go Figure!
I did respond…but once again our Nookmasters seem to have cast it out for no good or justifiable reason. It was a straightforward response with no content likely to offend. Why do we suffer this censorship and inefficiency?
This footpath trading is a pain in the A@$%. Not only is it the coffee shops and pubs trying to keep their stinking smoking customers, but it’s the fruit and veg shops, who block the footpath completely in main shopping times, pinch the trolleys from the supermarkets and leave them lying around the streets afterwards, and then sweep their damaged fruit and vegies, and cast off leaves, into the gutter to block the drains! And thats just one shopping centre in Niddrie!
There should always be consultation with the community, ’specially seeing as they are major stakeholders.
“Footpath” is the operative word it is a path for feet. As such it’s role in that function should be first & foremost.
As nice it is for cafes to have outdoor eating areas, Councils have a duty of care to pedestrians, to ensure they are able to use footpaths in a safe and unimpeded fashion.
Pubs & Bars should not be permitted to utilise footpaths as drinking areas.
BAN PEOPLE, or at least some people (the beer drinking kind!). Is that what you want in your Village nooksters?
I detect some wowserism and Oz cultural cringe creeping into to this debate. Up until sixties Melbourne had a ban on public alcohol, mainly beers, drinking after 6pm, also known as ‘6 o’clock swill’. You should have seen the ‘louts and loutesses’ streaming from pubs then. Richmond full of pubs (nearly on every corner) was a very busy place. Then they removed this ban and Melbourne became ‘cafe’ society or ‘cafe and beer’ society. Immigrants did that. there are still some areas prohibiting alcohol places and drinking. Is that what nooksters want?
I wonder how other cities around the world have handled this drinking social issue. Is there an Urban Architect that can put some light on this topic?
maybe all pedestrian should take to walking through the offending cafe, bars, shops etc , just in & out and round & round.
No, no, no. Don’t distort our words. All that is sought is clear and unimpeded access on the footpaths and not to have our way blocked by drinkers who can often be unyielding and even abusive and aggressive. Pedestrains should not be forced on to the roads and have a thought for those with pushers, mobile wheelchairs etc. There is no wowserism - purely a fair go for all.
The traders utilising the footpath is about the only thing moving in Glen Huntly. If it wasn’t for people sitting in the sun drinking coffee, you’d shoot a cannon down the road.
I like to see people out and about enjoying their day and their nights…and mostly people do move over when they realise they’re impeding your way….
Last Century I moved from St Kilda which is a hub of activity which generates its own sense of its good to be alive….Here in Glen Huntly it is exactly the opposite and I do miss that aspect of being among a group of people even if not with them…..However, I don’t miss having my sunshine restricted by surrounding buildings…..
Richmond is also a great hub of activity….strange how hard it is to please everyone!
Mary, mostly I agree….up until now. But it is the advent of bars extending on to the footpaths, especially at night, that is the NEW problem. Try walking down Bridge Road, Richmond, past Plan B bar or Cosmopolitan on a Friday or Saturday night and then see how you feel.
… AS THE OLD DEVIL SAYING GOES, THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO CHOICES … MOVE IN OR MOVE OUT … OR … IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM JOIN THEM …
Hey, I was here first. And why should I stay up all night boozing and obstructing the footpath? A good malt or a bottle of red quietly imbibed in my own environment with companions of my own choosing is surely preferable to becoming a public nuisance. Live and let live - but that applies to both sides of the coin.