Objections to Belmont rooftop bar go up in smoke

Andrew Mathieson
DRINKERS will soon be able to return to the old days of having a smoke at the pub after the state’s planning tribunal approved Belmont Hotel’s application for a rooftop terrace.
Owner Belinda Shaw said the hotel planned to serve meals and drinks on top of the hotel.
“It will be for smoking because it’s open-air,” she said.
“It gives us one more area and on a busy night it’s great because most people have to stand out the front to smoke, so it will be nice for people to go somewhere else to have a cigarette.”
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) dismissed residents’ concerns about noise from the hotel rooftop.
Geelong’s council had previously issued a permit for live music in the hotel’s ground floor bar area but refused to open the rooftop terrace to paying patrons.
Mrs Shaw said the pub tried working with objectors to “make sure they were happy”.
The tribunal restricted trading hours to satisfy nearby sleepers, she said.
“We’re zoned commercial but we’re close to a residential area.
“We had objections from people who lived around the area and they were worried about noise from people talking loud on the roof but we’ve been restricted until 10pm, which the tribunal said is in the normal sleep pattern.”
Ms Shaw said she initially planned live music on the rooftop.
“When it came down to being realistic in a residential area, it just wasn’t going to work.”
“But we’re very excited – it’s been a very long process – it’s a happy end.”