Corkery calls for “lifeline” for small hospitality businesses in Fingal

A Fine Gael Councillor has called for “every support possible” to be extended to hospitality businesses in Fingal, as a debate over ‘parklets’ dominated the agenda at Thursday’s Balbriggan/Swords Area Committee meeting.

Parklets are temporary wooden structures that were installed on public streets by numerous local authorities during the pandemic, to support hospitality businesses when indoor dining was restricted. During the Summer, Council officials caused controversy by indicating their intention to remove the parklets.

Councillor Luke Corkery, who was elected to represent the Swords electoral area in June, brought a motion before his colleagues and Council officials which called on the local authority to acknowledge “the continued positive impact, post-pandemic, of outdoor dining spaces on the physical appearance of our streets, on business and on the local economy”. He also called for the retention of all existing parklets.

Corkery said “I don’t accept that parklets are simply relics of the Covid era, nor should they be seen as some kind of perk. At a time when the hospitality sector needs every bit of help it can get, the extra custom created by outdoor dining space provides a lifeline.”

“This week, I spoke to two businesses in Swords who still have parklets outside their premises.

“One of those is a café that has invested in their kitchen facilities on foot of the extra traction they receive from outdoor space, and due to the very small size of the café, it gives them so much more footfall. It keeps them going.”

“The other business is a restaurant and the owner used the word “plea” in asking for the outdoor space to be kept in situ. They say it contributes to the survival of their restaurant’s future through what we all know are tough times for the sector.”

The Manager’s Report, provided in response to the motion, indicated the Council’s support for outdoor dining as part of future public realm projects.

“What the businesses that have availed of outdoor dining space want is a commitment that they won’t be left waiting for Fingal to commence path buildouts outside hospitality businesses if the parklets are removed, and that under no circumstances would their spaces be converted for car parking,” he said.

Following a commitment by the Manager to fully engage with hospitality businesses on the topic of outdoor spaces over the next number of months, Corkery accepted the report and the motion was ultimately agreed to.

Skerries Councillor Tom O’Leary, who chairs the Area Committee, commented:

“I visited the outdoor seating areas at Goat Café in Rush and spoke to the owner at Cabana Café at Balbriggan Train Station. Customers love sitting outdoors having their coffee and snacks. I support the Fine Gael Councillor’s motion to retain the outdoor seating at our cafés.”