Search form

menu menu
  • Daily & Weekly newsletters
  • Buy & download The Bulletin
  • Comment on our articles

Woluwe-Saint-Lambert contemplating ban on patio heaters

13:12 27/09/2019

Officials in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert are considering banning patio heaters throughout the territory of the Brussels municipality.

Currently, a municipal decree prohibits use of patio heaters in a single street, the Avenue Georges Henri. The decree was issued to preserve the avenue’s historical character.

Officials are now considering extending the ban to the entirety of the district for environmental reasons. According to urban planning alderwoman Delphine de Valkeneer, patio heaters are extremely wasteful. “Four patio heaters used for a duration of eight hours consume the same amount of energy as a car that drives a 350-km distance. It’s simply wasteful to heat the outside of a café,” she told La Capitale.

Although the municipal decree banning the appliances from Avenue Georges Henri has been in force since 2012, not a single café or bar owner has been fined for using a patio heater. De Valkeneer nevertheless said that checks are regularly conducted.

“And we will keep these checks up, especially as autumn and winter are approaching – a time when cafés and restaurants are more easily tempted to use the patio heaters,” she said.

Written by Linda A. Thompson

Photo: Belga/ Nicolas Lambert

Comments

Frank Lee

What about encouraging people to do the right thing by spreading information and providing incentives? Why do lawmakers only know punitive measures? You think I recycle because I'm scared of a fine? You think I stop at red traffic lights because I fear a hidden policeman? Maybe we should all get more familiar with the Nobel-winning "nudge theory." Google it.

Sep 27, 2019 18:10