Wine bar plan hits hurdle

An up-market wine bar planned for Leederville’s Oxford Street has been stopped in its tracks after the Town of Vincent rejected planning approval, leaving its developer nursing $30,000 in costs and considering taking the business to Melbourne or overseas.

Garry Griffin, who has managed and developed several restaurants and hotels in Perth during his 35-year hospitality career, had planned to develop Bar Rosso as an upmarket wine bar, similar to Highgate’s Must Winebar, in a two-storey heritage building currently under redevelopment on the corner of Oxford and Richmond streets.

But a petition signed by 15 residents appears to have scuppered the plans, despite Mr Griffin employing the services of one of Perth’s top liquor licensing lawyers – Lavan Legal’s Dan Mossenson – to help him obtain a small bar licence.

The Town of Vincent decision came as a surprise to Mr Mossenson, who claimed the local authority had initially been very supportive of Mr Griffin’s plans.

“The feedback had been positive. The proposed use met the relevant criteria and was seen as conducive to the recycling of an historic building,” Mr Mossenson told WA Business News.

“It is a disappointing decision. In terms of diversity and offering something distinctly different it would have been wonderful.”

Mr Griffin said he was now considering establishing the bar in Melbourne or offshore because Perth would remain “dullsville” without council support.

The council’s reasons for rejecting the licence appear in its December 18 meeting minutes, which state that the application was refused because of the objections the council had received, the impact on the amenity to the area, and other planning-related issues.

The rejection is the first by a local authority, many of which have been criticised by the hospitality industry for stymieing new liquor laws that were liberalised last year in a bid to encourage the development of a Melbournian food and wine culture.

Town of Vincent Mayor Nick Catania said the council was supportive of the new liquor laws and had given planning approval for two small bars in the Leederville area late last year.

“We have no problems with small bars,” Mr Catania said. “In this case it backs on to a residential area and we have a responsibility for the people who live in the area.”

He said the council’s main concern related to hours of trade, and that the applicant had wanted to trade as late as 5am.

However, Mr Griffin said his application was to trade until midnight only and until 10pm on Sundays.

He said the venue would have had a maximum of 120 people over two levels, with its entry and exit on Oxford Street. There were no plans to incorporate live music, he said.