“Punitive and opaque”: Arron Wood denounces council closure of Kensington cafe window

“Punitive and opaque”: Arron Wood denounces council closure of Kensington cafe window

Lord Mayoral candidate Arron Wood is taking action to save a beloved Kensington coffee window from closure, but the City of Melbourne says it is “working with the owner to find a way” to keep it open for service.  

Mr Wood sent a stern letter to Lord Mayor Nick Reece on October 1 regarding the council’s move to shut down Local Folk’s serving window, urging it to “immediately reverse this decision”.

Local Folk had been serving Kensington locals their takeaway coffee out of its Bayswater Rd window for 10 years before the City of Melbourne said it had to stop due to “complaints about queues from the cafe window blocking the footpath.”

“Local Folk is a popular cafe – and we want them open as soon as possible,” a City of Melbourne spokesperson told North West City News.

“Unfortunately, council has received complaints about queues from the cafe window blocking the footpath.”

“We’re working with the owner to find a way for the cafe to continue serving customers through the window, while keeping the footpath safe and accessible for everyone.”

Activities that hinder pedestrians from being able to move around in a public space are prohibited under the Activities Local Law 2024, and the council said it had instructed the business to cease trading via the window until a solution was identified. 

But the café’s owner Ashley Benson said he had asked the council how he could resolve the issue but was given no answers, adding that the window was an important asset for his business.

“We’ve had the dog walkers, the pram pushers ... they all use it,” Mr Benson said.   

 

It’s convenient, it’s good for the business, it helps us get a lot of little sales.

 

Mr Wood, who is a long-time Kensington resident and Local Folk customer, has now taken up the fight with the council, saying it was his understanding that the closure was ordered “after a single complaint” was received about customers obstructing the footpath.

In a letter to Lord Mayor Nick Reece, Mr Wood described the council’s approach as “punitive and opaque,” and said it sent “a message that the City of Melbourne is not for business and not for local communities”.

Mr Wood then promised, if elected, his team would be friendlier to small businesses.

“Team Wood will ensure we take a collaborative, supportive and transparent approach with small businesses across Melbourne,” he wrote.

“We understand local laws are important, but we’ll take a solutions-first approach, working with businesses to get the balance right.”

“Small businesses aren’t just people’s livelihoods, they are the lifeblood of our city.”

“Too many of them have already been lost under the current Town Hall term; if we lose more of them, we lose the fabric of Melbourne.”

Like us on Facebook