Manly coffee and croissant spot Rollers Bakehouse can host outdoor diners once more after a majority of councillors voted to provide them special permission to undertake a nine month seating trial.
The temporary permit will allow the laneway bakehouse to return their low impact seating and or pot plants. The cafe was forced to remove its furniture and decorations after five years without incident due to safety concerns in February this year. It was revealed that a permit had never been provided granting outdoor seating, but then a permit request was denied because the seating was in a busy service lane, Rialto Lane, in the Manly CBD.
The move to kick post-swim pastry lovers to the kerb – or rather, off it – created a customer backlash, covered by Manly Observer in February.
The issue also divided Manly Ward councillors, with Cr Candy Bingham concerned the seating was a major safety issue, but fellow ward councillors Deputy Mayor, Georgia Ryburn and Councillor Sarah Grattan wanting Council to ‘think more creatively’.
Deputy Mayor, Georgia Ryburn and Councillor Sarah Grattan proposed the trial return of furniture at a meeting of Council last Tuesday, which was approved by a majority.
“When a small business in Manly is making Manly better I think Council should be supporting it and not hindering it,” Deputy Mayor Ryburn told the Manly Observer.
“With any decision, we always have to weigh up the risks to the benefits. And the benefits in this instance were about listening to the community, were about increasing outdoor dining in Manly and about backing our small business. So to me, it was a no-brainer.”
The motion carried eight votes to six with Cr Grattan, Cr Ryburn, Cr, Walton, Cr Glanville, Cr Sprott, Cr De Luca, Cr Page and Cr Gencher for the seating and Cr Regan, Cr Menano-Pires, Cr Robins, Cr Korzy, Cr Heins and Cr Bingham against.
Councillor Candy Bingham strongly opposed the concept of outdoor dining adjacent to a service lane, saying it was ‘pure luck’ there hadn’t been an accident involving the furniture in the years prior.
“When it was originally put up as a motion, the staff had a really good look at it. And the report came back and explained all the reasons why it just wasn’t possible,” Cr Bingham explained.
“What can you do to make the place safer? You can’t widen the footpath. There’s nothing you can do to make the place safer… it really concerns me that we’re putting our patrons at risk.”
After the furniture was removed in February, Council completed an investigation and report which deemed the busy service lane too dangerous for outdoor dining and saw little opportunity to provide the space with safer altercations.
In response, Rollers created a change.org petition – rallying the public to support the cafe in their appeal to keep their exterior furniture and plants – which received over 2,500 signatures.
“Council asked the community not long ago about the plan for Manly over the next 5-10 years – increasing outdoor seating and dining being one of the suggested improvements!… Give them back their outdoor space,” Local Kim Lanser commented below the petition.
“Can you not ruin nice things, please. This is harmless and helps turn a desolate laneway into a nice inviting space!” Stratton Powell-Hughes also wrote in protest.
Rollers Bakehouse Manager James Bayliss said it had taken over 2,000 signatures, an outcry of public support and some strong political backing by the Deputy Mayor, but the seats were finally back in place.
“It was just really positive… we’re just really thankful that the community got behind us and especially Georgia [Deputy Mayor Ryburn] for pushing this in the Council and trying to make this happen for us again,” Rollers Bakehouse Manager, James Bayliss said.
“We will definitely try our hardest to make sure that it is as safe as it can be. Whilst also keeping the aesthetic of Rollers.”
During the nine-month trial, Council will be conducting investigations on measures to prevent vehicles from loading directly across the space.
A report will be created and submitted to the Council for further consideration once the trial period has expired.
“We heard from the community by the thousands that they wanted outdoor dining here. So all things considered, I think this was a great outcome.”
Cr Bingham remains concerned.
“Georgia’s proposal is to get rid of one loading zone and open that up so that Rollers can have outdoor dining. But what about all the other businesses in the area?
“Rollers are getting privileges that are not available to anybody else. And shouldn’t be available, because it’s a service lane.”
If you’re a fan of the Rollers’ pastries in the sun, you can rug up and enjoy a seated outdoor hot-brew at the bakehouse from now until about Autumn 2025. Just remember to look both ways.
