Published on Friday, 11 March 2022 at 1:55:00 PM
Local businesses and the community will have the chance to share their views on parklets, eatlets and street furniture coming to Vincent’s town centres as part of a new draft policy.
Vibrant public spaces are areas in our public places that support social connection and bring a sense of vibrant street life.
They are spaces which provide places to meet and relax and are for everyone to enjoy.
The City of Vincent has formed a draft Vibrant Public Spaces Policy which includes proposed design guidelines for eatlets as well as street furniture, parklets and affixed outdoor eating area furniture.
Pop-up, or temporary, eatlets and parklets also form part of the draft policy.
The draft policy acts as a one-stop shop for such proposals and aims to facilitate private investment in the public realm for the benefit of the community, encouraging foot traffic and visitors to our town centres whilst achieving good design outcomes.
This comes after the City launched a community engagement campaign, consulted with business owners and brought the concept for the policy to several Rebound Roundtable meetings with local town teams last year.
At the March 8 Ordinary Council Meeting, Council agreed to put the draft policy out for public advertising, subject to the additional requirement of having no more than 20 per cent of the eligible public realm, within a 400m catchment, being occupied by eatlets to achieve a balance of public land use and to test the concept.
The parklet outside the former Foam coffee shop in Leederville. Picture: City of Vincent
Councillors also agreed to exclude parks and reserves from the draft policy.
Mayor Emma Cole said under the draft policy, local businesses who want to build an eatlet would take up the cost and maintenance of the structure and plants.
“Vincent has been the home of free alfresco areas to parklets and now we are testing the concept of an eatlet with the community and local businesses,” she said.
“Pinchos currently has a parklet that brings vibrancy to Leederville as an outdoor eating area.
“This would become an eatlet in the draft policy.
“Other thriving parklets in Leederville such as the ones outside Jus Burgers and Gusto Gelato and Fibber McGees will also be classified as eatlets.
“But the parklet outside Pixel Cafe will remain as a parklet as it works as a small public park set in the existing streetscape and anyone can use it during business hours, not just customers.”
Ms Cole said more private investment was needed in the public realm and investing in eatlets was a good start.
“Alfresco dining, parklets and eatlets are designed to bring life to our town centres, help businesses flourish and offer another place for locals to eat, drink and relax,” she said.
“They also enhance the public realm through local business investment and our guidelines ensure they sensitively respond to local character and context.”
The draft policy is now out for public feedback until 29 April.
Following consultation, the revised draft policy will be considered by Council.
For information, visit the Imagine Vincent website.
Call 9273 6000 or email [email protected].
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