A spacelet is an outdoor dining area created in one or more car parking spaces.

Spacelets were introduced in Bayside in November 2020 to support hospitality businesses to provide outdoor dining opportunities in response to the COVID pandemic. Research shows that transmission of the virus is less likely in outdoor settings. At times there have been restrictions placed on numbers dining inside at venues, so providing outdoor dining spaces allowed hospitality businesses more scope to trade and offer their patrons relatively safer dining options.

The spacelets are supported by Victorian government hospitality grant funding. Bayside has received two rounds of funding from the Victorian government – in 2020 and in 2021.

There are restrictions on what items can be placed on the footpath depending on the width of the footpath. This is for eveyone’s safety and accessibility for prams, wheelchairs and people with mobility issues. These restrictions are outlined in Bayside’s Footpath Trading Policy which is also currently being reviewed. To provide feedback on our Footpath Trading Policy review visit our Have your say project page.

Outdoor dining spacelets take up one or more car spaces on the road and footpath trading happens on the footpath. We are also currently asking for feedback on our draft Footpath Trading Policy. Visit our project page on the future of outdoor dining spacelets.

Spacelets are semi-permanent structures that need to be installed professionally to meet safety standards. They also require a traffic management plan to ensure the safety of the workers installing the spacelet, pedestrians, drivers and cyclists. The logistics, time and cost associated with installing and removing spacelets prevent them from being set up and removed each day or just on weekends.

Council must balance the need for parking spaces and the desire for hospitality businesses to have outdoor dining opportunities where the footpath is too narrow to accommodate tables and chairs. Many businesses rely on convenient parking spaces near their businesses so shoppers can pop in and out or carry heavy goods to their car close by. Although Council is strongly in favour of sustainable transport, such as cycling or public transport, we recognise that cars are necessary at times.

Council has asked for community and trader feedback to inform its decision on the future of outdoor dining spacelets. A report on community feedback is expected to be considered by Council at its February 2022 meeting.

The spacelets occupying car spaces and the Beaumaris marquee on the Concourse Green are due to be removed on 31 March 2022.