The airlock was constructed around one of the entrances of the Coles supermarket in the Eastwood Shopping Precinct, with work finishing last month.

The structure went right up to the edge of the footpath on Sharwood Street, with council saying it was "not satisfied" with the end result.

Following a meeting between council officers and Coles last week, both agreed for a new temporary footpath to be installed around the outside of the new structure.

The work will be fully funded by Coles but will only be a short-term measure. Council representatives have requested "additional material" from Coles to work through a longer term fix.

A City of Ballarat spokesperson said they would "continue to work with Coles in relation to the best public outcomes for the interface of the renovated supermarket with the public realm of Sharwood Street."

It said council wanted to facilitate public access along the street as well as improvements and the upgrade of the supermarket.

Planning permission had originally been issued by Ballarat council.

One shopper, Max Power, called the airlock a "crazy" precedent, saying that it could encourage other businesses to do the same.

"What's to stop everyone else wanting their own little atriums? You could have them all the way up Sturt Street," he said.

When The Courier visited the site on Tuesday afternoon, chalk marks were in place around the structure but no work had begun. The temporary footpath is likely to spill across part of a taxi rank that lies outside the supermarket.

A Coles spokesperson wrote: "Coles takes the safety of our customers and pedestrians seriously.

"We are working with the City of Ballarat on a temporary solution to modify the footpath outside our store with more permanent works slated for the new year."

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