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Friday, 16th May 2008

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1

The Geniune Mario Antionette,

10/05/2008 12:26:02
Quite right - the pavement is for pedestrians, not tables & chairs or vehicles.
2

john3,

10/05/2008 12:29:22
for once I agree with #1 When you have to wend round their seats advertising boards, sometimes windbreaks, it is very hard for older people and mums with kids.
They think they own the bit outside and if the extra business does not cover their costs tough.
3

Davy,

Edinburgh 10/05/2008 12:34:50
1 & 2 me me, me, shame on you and the Edinburgh council
All you are doing is encouraging the greed of the council and aiding abetting the oppression of the people of that fine city.
4

Hmm ...,

10/05/2008 12:42:07
... sounds very LibDem - in the wake of the smoking ban, people adapt and take any opportunity to eat out of doors, or to offer them that opportunity.

Prospect of enjoying yourselves? We'd better put a quick stop to that, say LibDems!

Just what diferences are there between our totally discredited Labour Party and the LibDems? Can't see any myself, except that Labour has been practising telling people what to do and the LibDems are just making it up as they go.

The suitability of the pavement outside cafes is irrelevant - if it is not wide enough a licence should be refused, otherwise why not provide that facility?
5

Hmm ...,

10/05/2008 12:43:33
... and where did vehicles come into the story, Genuine (1)?
6

imabeliever,

embra 10/05/2008 12:46:59
extortion is the word that comes to mind. No.2 what extra business do these do these shops get? Its the same amount of tables and chairs that are currently being put out,the whole problem lies with the 700% increase that the small business's have to find. Do the maths!!
7

RT1874,

Edinburgh 10/05/2008 12:49:35

This is awful - a lot of pubs and cafes are struggling as it is to keep their businesses going following the introduction of the smoking ban.

I know I'd much prefer to be sitting outside enjoying a few sociable soirees than couped up indoors on a lovely summers evening! Shame on the council.
8

NorT,

Edinburgh 10/05/2008 12:53:01
Quite right - price them out of the market. The pavements are for pedestrians not tables an chairs. This is not the continent.
9

imabeliever,

embra 10/05/2008 13:00:38
No.8 this may not be the continent, but this is what wants council wants to create in the city to give it that kind of atmosphere, or didn't you read the article?
10

The Genuine Mario Antoinette,

10/05/2008 13:12:23
I (opposed to number 1) tihnk this is quite sad really. No idea how the pricing structure compares to other places thought.

1600 a year is nothing for a place like vittoria which could easily get that back with 2 (or 1) sunny days.

Smaller places will suffer though. it does just seem like a grtand money making scheme for lazy leftfield cooncil staff.

8 "this is not the continent". Youre damn right, its too up itself and nippy to be the continent.
11

Jenny MacArthur,

10/05/2008 13:22:05
Why should cafes be allowed to extend further into public space without at least paying for the privilege? We can all see what happens when this is tolerated. Selfish businesses like Montpeliers at Bruntsfield (and pleaase don't be conned into repeating their poncy 'French' pronunciation designed to appeal to the wannabe social climbers that buys their taste-free pretension - the local street has always been pronounced Mont-peel-ee-ur) not only put out tables but cordon off the area, confining pedestrians to a narrow passage. This is naked commercial colonisation of public space, and a huge abuse of the public realm.
12

Andrew Murphy,

EDINBURGH 10/05/2008 13:26:21
Very few of the pavements have been adapted in Edinburgh for street cafes. And some pavements are so narrow that people are having too walk on the road to pass them.

All the Council is doing in this city is turning people against each other, because they fail to consult properly.
13

Gorgie_Tony,

Edinburgh 10/05/2008 13:36:54
No surprises from this SNP/libdem council - the honeymoon period is over - and they are out to fleece the Edinburgh people for every penny they can get. Get ready for a record hike in next years council tax - mark my words - just you wait and see!!
14

Anonym,

blocking the pavement 10/05/2008 13:44:28
#1 Huh, this isn't about stopping tables and chairs on the pavements. If the business decide to pay up, then they can go ahead and put tables and chairs on the pavements!

So there is nothing 'quite right' about it.

And if enough businesses decide not to get the license the council could end up raising less money as result, i.e. selling no license when the alternative would have been to sell one at a reasonable price.
15

RT1874,

Edinburgh 10/05/2008 13:48:27

# 14, agree, selling them at a resonable and affordable price would make much more sense.

# 11, there's paying for the privellage and there's robbing businesses blind for it, the latter, I'm afraid is exactly what the Council is doing.

Viva al fresco!
16

Teofilio Cubillas,

10/05/2008 13:53:22
Seems pretty straightforward - the council have seen an opportunity to make a few quid from tax - what did you expect? They're Liberal Democrats, that's what they do.

Anyway, I don't agree with this civilised continental cafe nonsense - where would our drunken scum be able to spew up after getting wasted?
17

Feral Youth who make Gorgie Tony's life hell!,

10/05/2008 13:58:26
I was recently speaking to a weegie and apparantly in Glasgow everyone loves the council there. What a difference 40 odd miles makes. Oh well at least theres going to be trams here.
18

Andrew Murphy,

EDINBURGH 10/05/2008 14:04:35
I had a coffee on The Royal Mile today, sat outside to enjoy it and I was approached by 3 different people asking for my small change. Their a beggers charter.
19

Smokey Joe,

Edinburgh 10/05/2008 14:11:18
Hey, no-one pointed out it's half price for 6 months. And no-one wants outside seating October to March.

I think outside seating is a winner unless it's for a crap pub.
20

Dunsyre Boy,

willowbrae 10/05/2008 14:37:13
Yet again the council displays worrying schizophrenic tendencies. It wants to encourage 'continental style' cafes and spends millions in The Grassmarket on a new 'piazza'. Then thumps cafe owners with these ridiculous charges. The only outdoor drinking this will encourage is on a park bench with a bottle of Buckfast.
21

celtic4,

USA 10/05/2008 15:42:22
I love eating outdoors, and thinking several hundred increase in council pay too much. We have outdoor cafes here that pay nothing. What the problem is that was said "Sidewalks are public" well, so are cafes and customers the public. This is a sad state of affairs to really limit someone who is only trying to please the consumer and make a living.
22

Foo,

ejnbara 10/05/2008 16:00:49
#10 - Thank you! No more comments, thread over! #11 STFU and switch the light off on your way out you nasty piece of work!
23

Teofilio Cubillas,

10/05/2008 16:03:41
#21 You're absolutely right but this is Scotland we're talking about where tax and spend councils can't let pass the opportunity to fleece small businesses at every opportunity.
24

Toast,

10/05/2008 16:12:18
Businesses make very little extra revenue,customers simply sit outside instead of inside,more greedy politicians.
25

Alasdair10,

10/05/2008 16:19:20
Doesn't Edinburgh Council have a non-contributory final salary scheme pension in place.

I could be wrong but I hope someone could enlighten me on this matter.

As if they do I am sure the traders dont mind having this raise placed on their commercial shoulders, or maybe they do. I know what my money is on.
26

Fluffy,

edinburgh 10/05/2008 17:25:20
it's NOT non-contributory for your information #25!
27

r chee bold,

10/05/2008 17:33:24
Why is it this, and every other council come up with crazy ideas, always to charge somebody more, yet they cannot provide the basics which we pay for yet do not receive, clean streets,no potholes,clear gulleys, the list is endless, we pay for these BASIC services year after yearand get nothing, and year after year they come up with another crazy idea to rip the poor hard working people off, lets try please for once, give us first what we have being paying for years and never receiving, before you start any more crazy ideas.
28

jdships,

10/05/2008 18:17:24
Interesting to note that since the Scottish Government froze Council Tax Edinburgh City Council has embarked on a programme of cutting services , cutting grants etc and now raising the cafe owners licence fee.
No one needed a Phd in rocket science to know that this was exactly what was going to happen especially when the " Job and a company car " party was involved .
Why did they sign up for this freeze knowing full well this was what would have to happen.
Trust Councillors ? You must be joking !!!
Overall who is going to be the losers in the long run ?
Us , the citizens of Edinburgh, of course .
29

Sqidward,

10/05/2008 18:22:26
Judging from photo, that establishment wont be losing too much trade. The wee table doesn't look like it can hold much more than a single cup.
30

Andy Duncan.,

10/05/2008 21:07:01
MISERABLE SOUR FACED PRESBETERIANS
31

Mr Fuzzy,

Edinburgh 11/05/2008 01:07:38
#27
Because increasing number of properties are owned by BTL to students, who don't pay any council tax, while the councils are forced to pay for additional services to special interests.

So you have increasing council budgets being paid for a smaller number of working households in each city. Even if rates are capped, taxes have to be increased elsewhere.
32

Douglas,

Bathgate 11/05/2008 08:35:24
Was mine host taken by surprise by the EEN photographer or was he just about to redecorate the caff?
His 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' doorway stance could do with a wee bit of work too. :o)
33

THE BPRENTICE,

11/05/2008 10:43:02
there are planners of our town whoare tasked with considering what "street furniture" i.e. benches etc are to be plotted around our town. Fine, but we're hardly going to have a cafe societie if cafe's, restaurants and pubs can't but tables and chairs out...especially with the smoking ban. When I go out with certain pals - you never see them because they spend the night outside...at least when you sit outside they can smoke and you can socialise.

I disagree that the pavement is only for pedestrians....try going to Paris and see how they do it...its very pleasant (if you've got the time) to sit outside.

Increasing the cost is highway robbery and I think the federation of small businesses should put a set of fake teeth in their gobs and go to teh european court of human rights on this one.

But I won't hold my breath.
34

whitepuddinsupper,

Edinburgh 12/05/2008 10:55:05
I much prefer paying a pound odd for a big mug of tea and some banter at a local greasy spoon than the 3 pound or more for a mug of froth and some attitude at one of the global cafe chains.
Support your local caff.

 

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