A RULING BY the planning board could end the common practice of advertising using parked trailers on private property.
In the first ruling of its kind in Ireland, An Bord Pleanála have said that parking this type of signage on private property “for the purpose of advertising constitutes a material change of use of the land on which it is located”.
Although some exemptions exist for placing advertisements on land without planning permission, it was decided that mobile ads are not covered by these.
First noted on Irish Planning News, these exemptions are nullified due to the public safety hazard they pose as a distraction to drivers.
On top of a ‘standard trailer’
The ruling concerned a sign at Little Island Business Park in County Cork, and is described as “a large ‘hoarding’ type advertising sign, two sided, approx. 4 metres long and 1.8 metres high, located on top of a standard trailer, which has double wheels on each side.
“The trailer is affixed, by way of a lock and chain, to the roadside safety barrier, but is otherwise free-standing, on the grass.”
An example from 2010 of an advertisement in a field. (Image Credit: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland)
It was argued that since the area was already “heavily signed”, an advertising trailer would not be inconsistent with the character of the road.
When on public land, a license is require for advertising structures.
Similar advertising trailers attracted controversy earlier this summer a trailer bearing a Youth Defence poster was parked opposite the Dublin Rape Crisis centre.
AdMobile discontinued their contract with Youth Defence following outrage it sparked online.
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