In January, two large glass and plastic "pods" appeared on Sturt Street and Armstrong Street, aiming to provide extra capacity for hospitality businesses there, following the City of Ballarat changing its outdoor dining policies as restrictions began to ease.

In March, council put out the call for feedback - the pods were only meant to be temporary, and are expected to be removed this month.

READ MORE: Council asks for feedback on outdoor dining hubs

On Saturday, as unseasonably warm conditions brought more people out of the house on what's usually a quiet Easter Saturday for the city, The Courier spoke to several business owners in the CBD, who agreed to remain anonymous, some of whom have a pod nearby, and others who don't.

The first thing almost everyone mentioned was parking.

The city's parking plan has come under near-constant attack since it was introduced at the end of 2019 - the first hour is free, but costs $3 for every hour after that, and while people can use an app, there were fears the new system on parking meters could alienate visitors.

The aim was to promote turnover for shoppers in the CBD, and it appears that's what traders are most conscious about, particularly as the city emerges from the pandemic.

By installing pods on the street, even temporarily, some valuable parking spaces were lost.

Several traders said they would be happy to sacrifice one or two spaces as long as a balance could be made for food delivery services or people getting takeaway food.

The design of the pods was also a consideration - as opposed to some businesses which created their own solutions to increase capacity, often at their own expense, the pods supplied by the City of Ballarat included lights and large windows, as well as decoration from local artists.

One trader said customers had noted the pods felt like "greenhouses" on hot days, with customers sometimes asking to be moved out of them, while another said there wasn't enough shelter between the pods and the restaurant, so on rainy days customers' meals were affected.

READ MORE: Council sets up more outdoor dining spaces

However, there was agreement that the new idea brought a sense of "vibrancy", and there was an appreciation that council was trying something new.

One trader noted when the shopping strip appeared busy, with more people eating outside, that in turn attracted more people, benefiting the entire area.

Some expressed hope for a permanent outdoor dining area to be built, particularly on Sturt Street, but parking would still be required nearby, and support would be required through the miserable Ballarat winters.

The Committee for Ballarat's chief executive, Michael Poulton, said he hoped the trial had been valuable for council and traders.

"We've brought about behaviour change, a new way of doing things, so let's continue that," he said.

"We'd all say it's successful, what business is looking for is policy certainty from council, which would allow them to invest in more customised and unique features - when you get that policy certainty, you're more willing to invest your own money.

"I think council needs to balance the overall good and bigger picture of activating the city against the short term concerns some businesses will have."

In particular, parking should be considered but not the primary concern, he added.

"It might put us out a bit because we can't park in front of a cafe, but I can still park around the corner and walk," he said.

IN THE NEWS

"It's a continual adaptation towards a city with less reliance on car parks, and more reliance on activity and activation, because that's what brings business to individuals, and good stuff in the shops.

"Car parking doesn't deliver that, we do that with good use of outdoor space - you can't tell me people are excited by car parks, we're excited by cool areas that bring people in, and they'll walk, or ride a bike or an e-scooter."

Feedback on the outdoor dining hubs can be provided through council's MySay website.

Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.