Core Refusal Reason
The proposed retention of the oversized advertising banner was refused due to its inappropriate scale and design, which fails to integrate with the building's architecture, and significant traffic safety concerns regarding driver distraction at a busy road entrance.
Decision Maker's Conclusion
- The signage is considered to be of an inappropriate scale and design that is incompatible with the hotel building's facade and fails to enhance the visual quality of the urban landscape.
- The banner poses a serious risk to public safety as it has the potential to cause traffic hazards by distracting drivers approaching the hotel's vehicular entrance from the R-446 regional road.
- Granting permission would materially contravene specific policy objectives of the Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028 and the Loughrea Local Area Plan 2024-2030, setting an undesirable precedent for similar developments.
Cited Policies (CDP)
Policy Objective PM 11Policy Objective CGR 9DM Standard 19Policy Objective LSST 36DM Standard 8DM Standard 11DM Standard 17Section 15.2.2Section 15.4Section 15.7.2
Decision Document Summary
Atlantic Troy Limited sought retention permission for an oversized advertising banner located on the western elevation of the Loughrea Hotel & Spa in Cosmona, Co. Galway. While the banner's color scheme was noted as sympathetic to the building, the Planning Authority determined that the signage was of an inappropriate scale and failed to contribute to the visual amenity of the area. Crucially, the application was refused because the text-heavy banner was deemed a significant traffic hazard, like...SOURCE PDFOpen Original
Note: If code appears below, the council site is blocking the preview. Please open the original file.