By Luke Voogt
Council is set to ban vehicles from Little Malop Street in a 12-month trial aimed at attracting more visitors and outdoor diners.
Under the 12-month trial, the street will close to vehicles between Dennys Place and Moorabool Street daily from 10am until 4am the following morning.
The timing of the restrictions will allow vehicle access between 4am and 10am, while giving pedestrians and diners priority during busy hospitality periods, according to council.
In approving the initiative, council also instructed City Hall staff to explore the possibility of a permanent vehicle-free zone on Little Malop Street.
“This is a step towards a bigger picture aim for councillors to create a permanent al fresco area in part of Little Malop Street that would be free of vehicles 24 hours a day,” mayor Stephanie Asher said.
“The growth of the precinct has been really exciting in recent years and we need to keep that momentum going by taking action to encourage more people to visit, dine and enjoy what’s on offer.”
Vehicle access will be controlled via automatic rising bollards, with business and property owners still able to enter during restricted times through a code system.
Usage data will be collected throughout the trial to help determine its success. Council has yet to confirm a start date for the trial.
Cr Eddy Kontelj, who chairs council’s arts, entertainment and hospitality portfolio, hoped the trial would make the precinct a more vibrant, inviting and safe place to spend time.
“The trial is a pleasing step forward towards fully activating the Little Malop Street hospitality precinct and addressing the safety issues we have with vehicles driving through, particularly on busy nights,” Cr Kontelj said.
“The next step is to use this trial period to examine if there are options that would allow us to permanently close off sections of Little Malop Street, in order to create a permanent al fresco zone and improve the area even further for hospitality and entertainment.”
In addition, council has requested an urban design review examining how to best activate the broader precinct, including Little Malop Street Central between Moorabool and Yarra streets.
The review will consider the potential closure of Little Malop Street to vehicles between Moorabool Street and Rock O’Cashel Lane.
