Calls have been made to waive planning charges outside their premises
Calls to waive charges on business outdoor furniture
Calls to waive planning charges for South Dublin businesses to place outdoor furniture outside their premises were rejected at a council meeting earlier this month.
A motion was brought to the Dublin City Council (DCC) South Central Area Committee meeting on Wednesday, May 21, calling for the fees to be waived to due to a “substantial drop in footfall”.
This comes as the government announced a fresh extension to Covid-era regulations to waive fees for the outdoor furniture itself on May 9.
The motion from independent councillor Vincent Jackson called for DCC to waive the planning fees associated with putting furniture outside businesses “along the main shopping strip in Ballyfermot and indeed other areas who are suffering from a substantial drop in footfall”.
“Allowing the public footpath to be used to extend food business outside would attract additional footfall,” he said in his motion.
“Our charges prevent the possible usages when margins are so tight.”
The Street Furniture Licence Fee is €200 per square metre for an area of up four m².
For areas like Ballyfermot, it costs another €200 per square metre for additional area above four m².
For example, a six m² space outside a premises in Ballyfermot would incur a planning fee of €1,300 upon approval, plus a planning application charge of €100.
The annual fee of €125 per table was temporarily waived during the pandemic when indoor dining was not permitted, and this has been extended each year since.
Housing and local government minister James Browne announced earlier this month that his department were working to ensure the extension for this year was passed by the Oireachtas before summer, calling it “a cost-saving measure for local businesses”.
In their reply to Cllr Jackson’s motion, DCC said there are “currently no plans to waive or review the Street Furniture Licence fees”.
“The Street Furniture Unit will engage with all businesses and work with them and assist them in the application process/procedures for Street Furniture Licensing.”
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
