This article is from page 4 of the 2007-09-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
A COMPANY has objected to the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) seeking planning permission for three large advertising billboards on the approach to Shannon Airport.
The billboards are expected to in- crease the advertising revenues raised by the SAA. However, a company that recently secured planning permission for student accommodation in Shan- non has objected to the proposal.
In its objection, Brookdrive Proper- ties state that the billboards “due to their size and location” would cause
a substantial negative impact to the visual aspects of the area.
The company states, “The proposed commercial signage conflicts with what is already in and 1s proposed for the area, the granting of residential student accommodation and under- mines both existing permissions and the residential units 1n the area.
“The adjacent site has existing per- mission for the construction of 35 student accommodation units. Dur- ing the planning process, the planners insisted that these building would be ‘landmark buildings’. The erection of this signage would substantially un-
dermine the ‘landmark buildings’.
“The erection of this signage would substantially undermine the land- mark impact of the proposed devel- opments and goes against the plan- ning department’s own guidelines and hence does not keep in line with what is proposed in that area.
“As part of the existing permission on the site adjacent to the proposed erection of billboards, a pedestrian cross will need to be developed. The erection of these billboards will hinder this development and un- dermines the existing permissions granted in the area.
“There would be an environmen- tal impact to the area and any future development of that area would be severely impacted by the erection of these billboards. This impact would have commercial implications to the area, which now needs commercial activity to create employment.”
The company states that, based on the above, “We believe it 1s in no one’s interest or benefit that these billboards are erected in its current proposed lo- cation, nor does it add anything to the area by their inclusion’.
A decision 1s due on the application later this year.