Sydneysiders enjoying a sunset schooner outside the Old Fitzroy Hotel is a common sight at the iconic Woolloomooloo watering hole.
But that could be a thing of the past now that City of Sydney council has wound back the Dowling St pub’s outdoor operating hours to just 8pm following complaints from neighbours.
It will impact the popular dinner service, as well as the ground floor poolroom, where the outdoor furniture will now be stacked early — but council confirmed the proprietor is in the process of lodging a review into the matter.
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The move contradicts planned changes to revitalise NSW nightlife, announced last week by the state’s government following the lingering impact of the pandemic and since-axed lockdown provisions.
“For too long, Sydney’s nightlife has been strangled by red tape,” NSW Premier Chris Minns said last Wednesday. “Having an economy that fires up at 5pm during the week is critical for global cities like Sydney.”
The slashing of the outdoor operation came as a shock to Odd Culture CEO James Thorpe, who runs the pub and claims the business was not consulted by the council before “the sudden reduction in hours” which they said they only learnt about on Friday.
“The venue has received no compliance correspondence from the council in over three years. We are saddened that the council has chosen not to work with us, or indeed even offer us procedural fairness, instead choosing to silently wind back our hours,” he said.
A City of Sydney spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au: “Occasionally, businesses face challenges in complying with the conditions of the outdoor dining license. In those instances, we work with them to try and help them remain compliant while using the footpath space.”
Amid the contradicting claims, Thorpe has slammed the council’s decision as an “error”.
“I have had several conversations with people at council since Friday, many of whom have indicated that this decision was made in error, however as it has managed to slip through to a determination, our only recourse is to put in an application and wait,” he said.
“Our last renewal took just over five weeks from submission to approval.”
A council report obtained by the Sydney Morning Herald outlined just two complaints relating to noise, which were behind the decision it said was made on June 27.
It also detailed a site inspection during which kegs were found out outside the pub on the pavement, in breach of its permit.
The City of Sydney said it was “a strong supporter of outdoor dining”.
“Since the pandemic, we have supported more than 700 businesses to trade on footpaths and on roadways, with over 4,460 square metres in footpath space approved for alfresco dining to help businesses operate safely outdoors,” the council told 7NEWS.com.au.
Thorpe said his team were “incredibly disappointed” by the move, and asked fans of the outdoor area to sign a petition against the council’s decision, ”while we jump through the various hoops in order to get a resolution”.
– With AAP