More Council madness

Stuff reports:

A couple say they face going broke after the council told them to remove all but 12 chairs inside their cafe – or stop operating.  .

Jimmy Fairweather, 34, and Katie Funnell, 28,  bought the Black Rabbit Kitchen & Bar in Bannockburn, on the outskirts of Cromwell in Central Otago, a year ago. 

Fairweather said their dream had turned into a nightmare.

Three days before Labour Weekend the Central Otago District Council emailed the couple, co-owner Matt Crimp, and their landlord, to say they were operating outside the bounds of their resource consent by having seating for more than 12 people inside, and more than 12 people outside.

What a mad restriction? Maximum seating inside for 12 people? What public good is served by such a restriction?

Council staff arrived on Friday morning to check the chairs had been removed, and warned they would be monitored over the weekend. 

Central otago ratepayers paying for them to check no more than 12 chairs are out!

When they were buying the business, no-one disclosed there was a limit of 12 seats inside, he said. Had they known, they would not have gone through with the purchase.

It would be near impossible to be profitable with that restriction.

The couple, who are 30 weeks pregnant with their first child, have turned hordes of customers away, and looked on with embarrassment as patrons stared at chair-less tables. Some customers left. Others chose to stand. Some sat on the ground.

“I am wild about it. It’s ridiculous. All the tables that are here now were here before, and there was seating for about 40 inside and 40 outside when we bought the place.”

The only limit should be based on how many one can comfortably fit in.

More than 2000 people had signed a petition started by a patron in support of the cafe, he said.

“The council have discretion in their enforcement. Why can’t CODC give them a few months to fix the consent, have their baby and give them a fighting chance a keeping the business alive?” 

Stuff asked the council for comment on Friday, but it did not respond. However on October 21, council executive manager of planning and environment Louise van der Voort emailed the couple. She said the petition and “misinformation” about the consent and the position of the neighbours could “antagonise neighbours” and affect their new consent application.

And now the Council is trying to heavy them.