A café is forced to take down television screens in the outdoor area because a municipality did not consider this appropriate for the ‘character and heritage value’ of the area.
Pavilion sports bar in Hobart’s Salamanca opened in March 2023, featuring a beer garden with two large screens.
The owners were unaware of the strict municipal regulations and did not seek permission from Hobart City Council to hang the screens.
Co-owner Blair Brownless was eventually alerted to the ‘breach’ and applied to have them installed in November.
But the Council ruled the screens are ‘unacceptable’ because they do not comply with building regulations protecting heritage structures in the area.
Pavilion sports bar in Hobart’s Salamanca opened in March 2023, featuring a beer garden with two large screens. Hobart City Council has now removed them
“The signs proposed for the outdoor dining area do not comply with the clauses… as it amounts to placing signs on a structure adjacent to places of cultural significance…,” said planning and heritage officer Nick Booth from the Council, in a letter to the location.
‘(This) would, by their design, detract from the character and heritage value of the adjacent properties individually and collectively.’
According to the scheme, the TV screens are considered as signboards.
The code states that signs displaying or containing ‘electronic or video images or mechanically moving figures or images for commercial purposes’ are not permitted to protect the heritage of buildings in the area.
Mr Brownless criticized the council’s response, saying the screens are there so customers can enjoy watching live sport.
“You don’t even notice the TVs unless you’re in the room,” he said Yahoo.
‘If you park the car there or if you sit in the shop next door, you can’t actually see the TVs anyway.’
The Council ruled that the screens are ‘unacceptable’ as they do not comply with building regulations protecting heritage structures in the area
Mr Brownless (pictured left), co-owner of the pub, slammed the council’s response, saying the screens are there so customers can enjoy watching live sport and are essential to his business
The municipality’s action has angered customers.
‘The nice police are back!’ wrote one person.
“It’s time for the Heritage Fuddy Duddies to pack their bags and leave,” said another.
Mr Brownless said that although he has nine other TV screens in the venue, his business would take a huge hit if the two screens were removed.
The council will vote on a proposal to ban the screens at a council planning meeting on Wednesday evening.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Hobart City Council for comment.
Salamanca is home to several sandstone warehouses and historic architecture built in the 1830s.
The historic harbor area was once frequented by ships carrying imported goods, but the warehouses have since been converted into shops, restaurants and pubs.