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1. I support the application by the proprietors of Bellevue Cottage by Antoine to extend the trading hours of the restaurant to ensure it is a commercial success. For too long now that beautiful heritage building has stood vacant and vulnerable to vandals. No one other than the current tenants have been prepared to invest in such a valuable site and open it up to the public. Antoine’s should be congratulated and supported in their endeavours. As a resident of the area I am delighted to share with others this facility In a prime location on Sydney Harbour.

2. I fully support the application by the proprietors of ‘Bellevue Cottage by Antoine’ to extend their trading hours and seating to allow it to succeed and flourish as a desirable and viable commercial venture.

   This lovely cottage, Bellevue, the restoration of which I, as a long term rate-payer to the City of Sydney Council helped to fund many years ago, was supposed to be for the benefit of ALL local residents.

   It was incredibly popular when it opened as the Blackwattle Cafe in 2011 but even then many local residents and patrons were aware that the tenants who ran the cafe would have liked to open for longer hours but that the objections of just a few very vocal local residents lobbied Council to prevent this. I was dismayed to then see it stand vacant and neglected for over two and a half years after those tenants vacated in 2016 and was frustrated to discover that the City of Sydney Council had outsourced its management obligations for this building and that required repair works were carried out very slowly if at all.

   I am very surprised that the City of Sydney Council has not felt more inclined to protect its original investment in the property by supporting this new enthusiastic and motivated quality tenant. While occupied, the building is alive and maintained, but while vacant it deteriorates and becomes neglected very quickly (as we have so recently seen).

   It is my understanding that a recent application by ‘Bellevue Cottage by Antoine’ was rejected primarily as a result of objections by a few local residents on the grounds of the potential for increased noise and traffic from restaurant patrons.

   I fail to understand how Council can uphold such objections when 'The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay' at 123 Ferry Road, Glebe, a nearby well established restaurant, is allowed to operate for lunch as well as dinner in the evening serving dinner Tuesday to Sunday and only offers street parking to its guests. This is a very similar venue in that it occupies and keeps viable a valued local landmark (on the site of the old Glebe rowing club) and is much valued by local residents and visitors alike as a beautiful waterside restaurant venue and is in a residential area but this has been allowed to function unhindered as a restaurant in the evening for many years and offers no more parking than Bellevue Cottage.

   Finally, Bellevue Cottage has tenants who are prepared to invest and breathe life back into this beautiful heritage building and operate it as a quality restaurant. We congratulate Antoine and all of his polite and attentive staff and I fully support their endeavours to make this restaurant a success.

   As a long term resident of Glebe, I am delighted that Glebe residents are again enjoying the benefit of this iconic building in such a beautiful location on Sydney Harbour - Let’s not lose it again !

3. I am fully supportive of the application by Bellevue Cottage by Antoine to extend the trading hours of the restaurant to ensure it is able to be a commercial success. As a local resident it was distressing to see the beautiful heritage cottage standing empty for so long and vulnerable to the elements and vandals. We often walk through the park with friends and visitors and it was embarrassing to see this beautiful spot neglected and unused. The commitment of the current tenants to this wonderful building and the enhancement of the public amenity to the advantage of all should be fully supported. As a resident of the area I am fully in favour of this opportunity to restablish thie Cottage to the role it should be playing as a place the community can come together in a social environment.

4. I support the application for extended hours. It is a magic location to enjoy an evening drink or meal and is well situated away from residents so as to not disrupt them. Not that fine dining is a noisy activity. As a cafe it is well patronised by locals and you would expect a lot of walk up guests as it is very accessible by foot. And Ferry if we ever get a ferry service in Glebe!
   It is time this location is properly utilised. It has been vacant for too long and you can only guess that it has been an unviable option for someone to only run as a daytime cafe. If Sydney city is truly serious about a night time economy let’s start here!

5. The City of Sydney has long championed small businesses in their council area, and promoted a vibrant cafe/bar/restaurant culture. Bellevue Cottage by Antoine is an example of how beautiful structures can be preserved for the public and given new life by an appropriate commercial tenant, and I believe the location can support the doubling of capacity and the proposed extended trading hours without having any adverse impact on nearby residents. It is clear that extended hours would assist in improving the viability of any cafe/restaurant in this location, and these amendments should be supported by the City of Sydney if it wishes to maintain and build upon its world-class cafe/dining scene.

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