4076/22

PROTECTED STRUCTURE: Replacement of a 6.4m x 7.7m conventional advertising poster (including 150mm wide frame all round and a 1.25m apron), with overhead lights and an overall height of 10.95m off the ground; with a 5.2m x 7.7m digital advertising display unit (with 200mm wide frame all round) without overhead lights, with an overall height of 12.2m off the ground, on the side (east) elevation to Lower Bridge Street, Dublin 8, on the corner with Usher's Quay, Dublin 8.

Refused

Core Refusal Reason

The proposed digital advertising display would seriously detract from the special architectural character, integrity, and setting of the Protected Structures and the surrounding Conservation Area, while failing to provide sufficient planning gain to justify the intensification of signage in a sensitive historic location.

Decision Maker's Conclusion

  • The digital unit would be visually overbearing and incongruous with the period architecture of the Protected Structures, significantly damaging the architectural legibility of the quayside streetscape.
  • The proposed decommissioning of signage at Parnell Street and Fairview Strand does not constitute adequate rationalization or planning gain, as those sites are not comparable in sensitivity or context to the appeal site.
  • The scale, illumination, and frequency of image changes inherent to digital signage would result in a visually intrusive form of advertising that is contrary to the Advertising and Signage Strategy set out in the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028.

Cited Policies (CDP)

Z5 City Centre ZoningSection 14.7.5Section 11.5.1Policy BHA1 (Conservation of Protected Structures)Policy BHA2 (Structural Integrity)Policy BHA9 (Conservation Areas)Section 15.15.2.8 (Lighting of Protected Structures)Section 11.5.3 (Conservation Areas)Section 15.2.2.2 (Development in Conservation Areas)Appendix 17 (Advertising and Signage Strategy)Section 12.3 (Signage)Section 4.5.6 (Public Realm)

Decision Document Summary

This report evaluates a first-party appeal against Dublin City Council's refusal to replace a 6.4m x 7.7m static advertising poster with a digital display unit on the eastern gable of Nos. 3-4 Usher's Quay. The subject site comprises two four-storey period buildings designated as Protected Structures and located within a prominent Conservation Area along the River Liffey. The Inspector's core argument is that the transition to digital media represents an unacceptable intensification of signage t...
SOURCE PDFOpen Original
Note: If code appears below, the council site is blocking the preview. Please open the original file.

PDF Document Missing

The original decision document for this case could not be linked. This often happens for older cases or those with restricted documentation.

Search for case on ABP