Leitrim businesses told to remove outdoor seats, meeting hears

Businesses in Leitrim that have placed tables and chairs outside their premises have received letters from the council stating that they have to remove them.
Cllr Gary Prior said: "I contacted the council and was informed that the letters were sent to businesses in Ballinamore, Drumshanbo and Carrick-on-Shannon and the issue was that the benches were on the main street rather than the footpath."
A clear 1.2-meter wide pedestrian path should be maintained between all street furniture, he noted.
He said that he had asked the Planning section to meet with the businesses and "they have agreed to come back on that."
He also said he was sent photos taken in Carrick-on-Shannon which show "quite a large section of the main street was taken up where tables, benches and chairs had been set up."

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Justin Fannon, Director of Services (Acting) said that the businesses had placed the street furniture in the parking bays.
He added that a Section 254 licence-which is required to put out street furniture on the footpath-can be sought from Planning, however he added, "there is no licence for taking up parking places."
Emma Donohoe, district engineer, stated: "It's on the road; in the parking bays."
Cllr Prior said that "there are other parts of the town where businesses have benches on the footpath but the footpath is actually wide enough for that so maybe we could look at widening the footpaths outside these premises, sometime to allow them to do that."

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Cllr Paddy O'Rourke noted that during Covid "this practice was encouraged and there were places where footpaths were extended so they can be forgiven for thinking that maybe they had sanction to do so."
Cllr Prior said that one publican spoke of how he received a leaflet from Leitrim County Council the week before on "how they can support businesses and help them and the week they got a registered letter to ask them to remove the benches. Especially as you come into the summer season and you're trying to bring a bit of business around the place."
Cllr Brendan Barry said that the council "try and accommodate businesses where it can be done safely".