Churchgoers from the St Constantine and St Helen’s Greek Orthodox Church on Barry St will be protesting against an application to close Elizabeth St in South Yarra for a craft market on Sundays.
The backlash to the application, put forward by Prahran Market, was due to parishioners being worried that car access to the church will be made difficult.
Elizabeth St, where the craft market is to be situated, runs off Chapel St between Prahran Market and the car park. It is therefore essential for churchgoers to drive through Elizabeth St to get to Barry St, which is closed off from Chapel St.
The church is also concerned a Sunday craft market on Elizabeth St will impact on church services and ceremonies, due to an increase in noise levels, and parking space taken up by stall holders and the increase on casual users. Councillor Tas Athansasopoulos said there is a risk that market goers will use the free parking in front of the church instead of the paid parking nearby.
“The elderly people who use the parking nearest to the church will be disadvantaged,” Mr Athansasopoulos said.
The councillor added the market had been put up previously in 2002, but it was not successful and only lasted about three or months before it was closed down. “I don’t see why they would set up the market in the same location now,” he said.
Mr Athansasopoulos has proposed an alternative permit for rotary to run a craft market in the Cato St car park, where there would be more room and potential drive greater traffic to Prahran Market.
Parishioners from St Constantine and St Helen’s church will demonstrate against the application outside Stonnington Town Hall on Monday 2 April on 7:00 pm. The council plans to make a decision on matter the same day.
