From barbershop to a bar?
One Williamstown barber certainly hopes that will be the case.
The owner of La Bodega Barbershop and Shave Parlour, at 1 Cole Street, has applied to Hobsons Bay council for a planning permit to serve alcohol after the last cut of the day, which is about 7pm.
A report prepared for La Bodega by On Tap Liquor states that limited alcohol would be supplied during ordinary barbershop hours, with the venue becoming a small-scale tavern after hours.
The tavern would open until 11pm seven days a week and would have a maximum capacity of 30 patrons.
No live music is proposed and recorded music would be “no higher than background level”.
“This proposal relates to a small-scale premise, and the hours proposed are not considered as ‘late night’ or ‘high risk’,” the report by the liquor industry consultant states.
“Victoria Police assault data may suggest that the density of packaged liquor outlets is associated with assaults, however there is no direct evidence to suggest there is a causal relationship between the number of licensed outlets and violence or assaults and there are only two packaged liquor outlets within the study area [within a 500-metre radius].
“It is not expected that the hours of operation will attribute to unreasonable noise or nuisance given the propose use.”
No additional parking spaces are proposed.
“The waiver of parking associated with the development is considered appropriate,” the report states.
“The high level of parking that takes place in the Williamstown area, combined with the stringent enforcement of drink-driving laws and very good accessibility to public transport services and the local cycle and footpath networks, would result in a lower parking demand for the proposed development.”
