Licence fee for outside seats waived for 2021

Businesses that opt to place tables and chairs outside of their premises won't have to pay a licence fee for use of the space this year Westmeath County Council has informed its elected members.

The businesses will still be required to make a formal application, but that is purely to ensure they are covered by insurance, director of services Martin Murray told members of the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District at their monthly meeting last Monday.

"It's an addition to the support we want to try and give to local businesses," Mr Murray stated, adding that this applied in both Mullingar and Athlone.

Cllr Ken Glynn wasn't entirely impressed by the announcement, reminding the council officials that the elected members from the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District had been "fairly emphatic" in their opposition to any charges.

The Fianna Fáil man said that traders have had it tough because of Covid and, prior to that, due to the roadworks. There had been a lot of cooperation from the traders, and he did not want to see them face any charge at any time.

Labour councillor Denis Leonard backed up the comments of Cllr Glynn, adding that members would not be prepared to compromise on this issue.

"Traders have had the most incredibly difficult last twelve months," he stated, adding that they had just been getting back on their feet after the recession.

"We can't bite the hand that feeds us," he continued, saying that traders who had the vision to invest in outside seating should be supported.

In accord with the view that businesses should not face a charge was Cllr John Shaw (FF). However, he supported the idea that the application process should be retained, pointing out that it can be the case where there would be two or three restaurants or cafes beside each other, and expressing the view that there should be some order and structure.

Fine Gael's Cllr Emily Wallace also believed there was some structure required, but stressed that she was supposed to the idea of charges as businesses were not just looking at a difficult environment this year, but would also have a difficult 2022. Her position was that the council needs to be seen to be helping businesses reopen, and to do so in a safe manner.

Cllr Aoife Davitt (FF) was keen to to hear an explanation as to how the council would allocate space to neighbouring but competing businesses, while Green Party councillor Hazel Smyth suggested that a list of guidelines be drawn up setting out how space allocation would be regulated, adding that this has already been done for Athlone. Cllr Smyth also stressed the need to ensure that there was no conflict between the interests of businesses and those of people with disabilities to use the same space safely.

Responding to the points raised, Mr Murray said the decision to waive licence and application fees for 2021 was a progressive move. “We want to support the use of the public realm as much as possible,” he said.

Cllr Glynn acknowledged that it was national policy, but he stressed that the majority members of the District had not accepted this policy of charging for use of public space. "It's against our wishes and it's being forced on us," he said

Cllr Wallace fully supported this stance: "Last year we stated we were completely against this charge," she said, conceding that it had been brought to their attention that was a national policy. She explained that councillors had, nonetheless, argued that it was unfair to expect businesses in Mullingar to pay the same rate as would be levied off businesses at a location such as Grafton Street.

Mr Murray responded that the reservations expressed by the Westmeath councillors had been raised at national level, but he also explained that the charges were not by-laws but national planning regulations.

"Local authorities cannot alter the regulations, but we have made your point known in respect of small regional rural towns and how maybe a one-size-fits-all rule will have to be looked at and addressed; but at the moment I don't have the whereabouts to change the regulations."