Bigge Park cafe’s turn in the spotlight

A popular pop up kiosk café operating in Bigge Park is in the spotlight, with a Liverpool councillor wanting to know if it has been operating without proper approval for seven months.

Cr Peter Ristevski will outline his concerns at this afternoon’s extraordinary Liverpool City Council meeting (at 1pm), called to discuss the demolition of another Bigge Park landmark, the old Liverpool Bowling Club.

“What I’d like to know is why a Development Application (DA) has been lodged almost seven months after the pop up café started trading,’’ Cr Ristevski told the South West Voice this morning.

He said he had discovered this week that a DA was lodged on August 25; the kiosk started serving customers on Monday, January 26.

“I’d also like to know why is the DA being lodged by Liverpool City Council and not the operator of the café,’’ Cr Ristevski said.

The South West Voice put those two questions to the Liverpool City Council CEO, Mr Carl Wulff, who responded to Cr Ristevski’s first concern relating to the timing of the DA.

“The initial pop-up café was a trial (no more than 12 months),’’ Mr Wulff said.

“Council issued a licence for use of the pump house on a temporary basis, in order to assess longer term possibilities for activating Bigge Park.

“Given the outstanding success of the trial since its operation from mid -January 2015 Council is now looking at a permanent arrangement for the kiosk which is why Council has now lodged a Development Application.’’

Mr Wulff said council called for Expressions of Interest to operate a temporary pop-up café at the disused pump house at Bigge Park, with EOIs closing on October 15, 2014.

“All parties who submitted EOIs were brought through to a final selection process, where they presented their case to an internal staff panel established by Council (as required through procurement arrangements).

“Ristretto & Co’s case and concept was judged to be the best submission,’’ Mr Wulff said.

“The objective of the pop-up cafe was to draw staff and students out of the surrounding health and education precinct, as well as other city workers, to activate an important civic space in Liverpool.

“This initiative looked to build on other important  place-making initiatives in the Park, including the Live, Life, Get active exercise program, Harmony Day celebrations and Council’s Spring Expo.’’

The operator of the café, Mr Frank Angilletta, said he wasn’t aware of the DA situation.

He confirmed he had received temporary approval to operate the café for 12 months with an option to extend at the end of the period.

We also asked Mr Wulff why the DA is being lodged by Liverpool City Council and not the operator of the café?

“Council has responsibility to manage Crown land on behalf of the State. This includes care and control of the park and its assets,” he responded.

“Council effectively acts as the owner of the pump house and must lodge the DA. The operator is entering into a lease with the Council.”