Paddington pub wins approval for $50,000 parklet to boost late-night dining

The London Hotel in Paddington, Sydney, has won Woollahra Council approval to build a 7.5‑metre outdoor parklet outside the pub, at a cost of about $50,000. The plan also extends the pub’s operating hours to 11 p.m. to boost late‑night dining and align with the pub’s 150th anniversary, first established in 1875.

Council records show more than 400 submissions from residents on the plan, with supporters and opponents weighing in. The decision was issued with a package of more than 70 conditions intended to manage potential impacts on noise, safety and street use. Among the conditions are a ban on amplified music, requirements for security guards on Friday and Saturday nights, a prohibition on smoking nearby, and the installation of barriers to separate diners from the footpath to protect pedestrians. The parklet is to be placed on the sidewalk and would accommodate 14 seats, plus a sidewalk table, according to the council-backed plan.

The debate touched both the economic aims of extending alfresco dining and concerns about neighbourhood livability. A Woollahra Council report noted the project would be consistent with the council’s parklet policy and anticipated to ease after‑dark dining options in Paddington. Supporters argued the parklet would help invigorate the area without creating large crowds; opponents warned of noise and disruption to pedestrians, including dog walkers and parents with prams.

Local business advocate and Paddington Chamber of Commerce member Jock Bell supported the plan, saying the parklet would “strengthen Paddington as a destination and enhance the sense of community,” and that it would not run late into the night on weekends. He told the Sydney Morning Herald that the parklet would not transform the area into a late-night corridor, but would add a modest alfresco option.

Opposition came from residents such as Petra O’Neill, who cautioned about the potential mental health impacts of noise and disturbance from a pub‑side outdoor space. “The detrimental impact of this parklet will be felt on our mental health caused by noise and disturbance,” she said. Councillor Mary-Lou Jarvis criticized the orange fluorescent bollards proposed for the parklet, arguing they could clash with Paddington’s streetscape, while Councillor Toni Zeltzer questioned the precedent such a project might set for the suburb.

The parklet’s licensee, Kingsley Smith, downplayed the likelihood of disruption, noting the new area would contain only 14 seats and a sidewalk table, and that the venue would not become a crowd magnet. Smith argued that the post‑pandemic shift toward alfresco dining and more moderate alcohol consumption among younger patrons supports the project’s goals.

Mayor Sarah Dixson said introducing more food options after 10 p.m. would benefit the local economy and align with the council’s parklet policy. She stressed that the plan would help provide a safer, managed outdoor space rather than an uncontrolled street extension, with the summer opening anticipated to capitalize on improved weather.

The decision underscores Woollahra Council’s ongoing balancing act between supporting small businesses and maintaining community well‑being. The London Hotel, which marks its 150th anniversary this year, will begin the parklet rollout ahead of Sydney’s summer months, as planners aim to provide a refined, controlled alfresco dining option that fits Paddington’s characteristic streetscape.