'Ugly' shop signs in parts of Kilkenny City slammed - Council Highlights

Labour Party councillor and former Mayor of Kilkenny City, Sean Ó hArgain has called on Kilkenny County Council to enforce its policy on 'traditional shopfronts' in a motion raised at a meeting of the Kilkenny Municipal District earlier this year.

The erection of a new shopfront in the city centre in recent months has caused much outrage and debate surrounding local authority rules on plastic and corriboard signage. Has much changed in subsequent months?

READ KILKENNY COUNTY COUNCIL'S SIGNAGE POLICY HERE

"When I was elected first in 2004, Kilkenny’s reputation as a ground breaker in terms of the presentation of our shop and pub fronts was second to none. Our city regularly featured on posters and postcards celebrating the vernacular artwork and architecture of those shopfronts, many now sadly changed, as happens in the natural cycle of businesses," Mr Ó hArgain remarked.

"Many however still remain and I must start on a positive note with the recent addition of Siopa Chúinne Grincell, on the junction of Irishtown and Dean Street, which has a traditional hand painted and bilingual frontage which is a credit to Fran Grincell and his family.

"It simply is not much cheaper to use what are increasingly ugly signs but it does make the business premises and our city look much cheaper.

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"A number of very poor examples have been erected recently and in my view they are in flagrant breach of what is stated in  our city and county development plan. What we need now is clarity. We need a clear set of guidelines and instructions for business owners. We need to clearly state that plastic and corriboard signage will no longer be acceptable and that tacky plastic decal, stick-on signage should be removed."

"In order to implement this, we need adequate resources for our planning and municipal offices to enforce this policy and to provide helpful advice to businesses who would like to do the right thing. Many of us here remember Ann Kelly’s role in this regard in Kilkenny Borough Council where the policy was very effectively patrolled. We need this approach to be recommenced."

The Labour representative also claimed encouraging the ‘Living above the shop’ initiative will play its part in the 'rejuvenation of our city.’

"Our council is doing its level best to keep our city centre as a living and breathing place," he said, adding, he has received a massive reaction to his motion.

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