Alfresco dining along the water's edge in Hamilton may be on offer this summer — in an area normally used for motorcycle parking.

The Corporation of Hamilton has already discussed with the Chamber of Commerce the plan to transform one side of Front Street into a tented outdoor dining spot.

Alderman Glen Smith told a meeting of the municipality last week that bike parking brought in no revenue to the city and the space could be used to create a seasonal amenity for tourists and residents.

He suggested motorcyclists could park elsewhere in the capital for five months of the year, when the weather was perfect for people to sit and have a dinner or drinks by the harbour.

"When people come off the tenders they could have a chilled drink," he said. "That's something that we are going to look at."

Common councillor Nicholas Swan said he was totally in favour of the scheme. "I think we should be more aggressive on this," he said. "We saw the success of the Tall Ships [Festival] last year. I don't think it should be limited to the bike area — it should be the whole area."

He added: "If we are going to do something, let's be bold and really make a statement with this. Let's give the cruise ship passengers something as soon as they hit Hamilton. We should really push the boat out on this one.

"A lot of times people ask what does the Corporation do. This would be a really good showcase of what we can do."

Alderman John Harvey said: "The most important thing is time. It's now February and I believe the first ships come in April. We are weeks away. We do not want to be churning up things in the midst of the season."

Mayor Charles Gosling said another meeting should be held with the Chamber of Commerce to ensure the idea would add "to the business level and excitement of the city and not take business away".

Councillor Pamela Quarterly said it was important to make sure there was sufficient bike parking elsewhere and that Front Street restaurants would not be adversely affected.

Mr. Swan said: "I don't know of anywhere else in the world with such a stunning waterfront that has a bloody car park [in front of it]. But I agree that we have to be sensitive."

Mr. Smith said: "At the end of the day, we want to sell Hamilton and make Hamilton a vibrant and lively place. We want to encourage people to sit on that area, rather than the individuals that are sleeping there today.

"We have plenty of parking at Par-la-Ville as we speak, not only today because it's raining but every day. We increased parking there five or six months ago. Those bikes can easily go there."

The proposal was due to be discussed by the Corporation's infrastructure committee this week.