The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

A cold beer outdoors?

2021-11-16T18:45:14.895Z


Landsberg - Deadline November 1st: "Areas for outdoor catering are only permitted in the period from April 1st to October 31st of each year in order to avoid impairment of winter service", can be read in the statutes for the special use of public spaces. Last year, due to the effects of the pandemic on the catering trade, there was an exception that allowed innkeepers to set up tables and chairs on public land after November 1. That this does not apply this year surprised many innkeepers - and also annoyed them. Some of them continue to offer outside catering, which the public order office partially tolerates. The SPD / FDP city council group has submitted an urgent application for tomorrow's meeting to approve the outdoor catering until the start of the city Christmas on November 29th.


Landsberg - Deadline November 1st: "Areas for outdoor catering are only permitted in the period from April 1st to October 31st of each year in order to avoid impairment of winter service", can be read in the statutes for the special use of public spaces. Last year, due to the effects of the pandemic on the catering industry, there was an exception that allowed innkeepers to set up tables and chairs on public land after November 1. That this does not apply this year surprised many innkeepers - and also annoyed them. Some of them continue to offer outside catering, which the public order office partially tolerates. The SPD / FDP city council group has submitted an urgent application for tomorrow's meeting to approve the outdoor catering until the start of the city Christmas on November 29th.

The Hellmairs on the square of the same name has already dismantled everything except four high tables. In the Vorderanger, too, there is nothing to be seen in the outside area either at “Villa Rosa” or at “Level 15”. Cars are now parked at the location of the wooden platforms that were set up so far. The Likka on Peter-Dörfler-Weg, on the other hand, continues to offer tables outside. Not only in view of the sometimes beautiful weather: In view of the currently rapidly increasing number of infections, many prefer the fresh air to the indoor areas.


The problem for the city is winter road clearance: clearing snow between chairs and tables would be difficult. Above all, the building yard employees could no longer clear squares with machines, says Ernst Müller, the head of the public order department. And only shoveling there by hand is hardly feasible in terms of personnel. One tries to clear all public areas as well as possible, especially in the busy old town. If someone slips there anyway and is injured, the owner is officially responsible - in this case the city. It could transfer this responsibility to the tenants, but would then have to regularly check whether the clearing and littering obligations are being consistently observed. However, the question of liability is not that clear in practice, says Müller.The nationwide jurisprudence also sees the responsibility of pedestrians. If the devil has to walk the one meter that has not been cleared, although three meters are free next to it, a court could dismiss a claim for damages.


The problem with an outdoor restaurant extension this year is mainly due to the extensive city Christmas, for which stalls and lighting have to be set up in the entire old town area.

Tables and chairs would be in the way, which is why the SPD / FDP parliamentary group also inserts in the application that outdoor catering should only be approved in "areas not directly affected by the construction of the Landsberg City Christmas".

However, the question of equality also arises here: If the restaurateurs on the Vorderanger are not allowed, why are the restaurateurs on Flößerplatz?


Coffee in the cold?


Another problem is the heating. The November sun is seldom so strong that you can drink your coffee comfortably without additional heat. Gas mushrooms are rarely seen. The other variant is heating via infrared. A study by the Federal Environment Agency shows that this is not environmentally friendly: “Both propane gas and electric patio heaters cause high CO2 emissions.” There you can read about the “absurdity of heating the street” and “waste of energy” - why In some cities the emitters, whether gas or electricity, are banned. In addition to 'heating the street', CO2 emissions are the catch. Infrared devices require less energy than gas-powered ones, but their performance is also more limited. If you calculate the hourly CO2 emissions per heatable area,if the emissions for both types of heating are “about the same”, this can be read in the paper of the Federal Environment Agency. The gas devices emit an average of 66 grams of CO2 per square meter and hour, the electric devices an average of 74 grams.


Each municipality decides for itself whether the heating devices are to be banned or whether there are different levels.

They are banned in Augsburg.

In other municipalities, the electric heating devices were temporarily approved again.

In Munich, the hosts are allowed to set up heating devices that run on green electricity.

The city of Bern even wants to reimburse hosts for half of the costs if they use electric heating pads.


The city of Landsberg has actually forbidden the restaurateurs to use outside heating - of course only in public areas, for example the area in front of the restaurateurs' entrances on squares or the entire Peter-Dörfler-Weg.

Every landlord is informed about this in the notification that he receives when the special use is approved, says Müller.


But one can ask whether this prohibition is legally tenable.

While the State of Berlin has stipulated by law that the aspect of environmental protection may very well be taken into account in the special use permit, Bavaria has not yet done so.


Last year, heating with gas mushrooms or infrared screens was tolerated, says Müller.

At that time, however, the restaurants would not have had the opportunity to entertain guests inside.

And this year is very different.

You have nothing against one or the other high table in the outdoor area, for example for smokers.

But heating devices will not be tolerated.


Whatever the decision tomorrow evening: City Councilor Felix Bredschneijder points out in his letter that, given the climate changes, it would make sense to adjust the previous period for outdoor catering from the beginning of April to the end of October: “While snow has become rare in November , sun is to be found all the more often in March. ”But that should not be negotiated as part of the urgent application.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-16

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.