The City Council has turned down plans for an “ugly” illuminated Starbucks coffee sign at Ceannt Station.
Franchise holder Megdo Ltd – which opened a Starbucks outlet in the train station last year – had sought permission for an illuminated ‘Starbucks’ disc sign with a 61cm diameter on the front of the building, which is a Protected Structure.
The sign would have been just feet from a memorial plaque marking the 1916 Rising, and the proposal was slammed as “extremely disrespectful”.
The outlet is owned by brothers Colum and Ciarán Butler from Dublin, who operate the Irish arm of Starbucks. Their other Irish business interests include TGI Fridays and the hard Rock Café.
The city’s Heritage Officer, Jim Higgins, said holes had already been drilled in the façade for the new sign.
“A sign has been erected already inside the station without planning permission and Starbucks have not applied for permission to erect a new sign on the front of the edifice which is an important historic and archaeologically significant protected structure. Holes have already been drilled in the façade for a new sign.
“Starbucks should, in my view, be applying for retention permission for the signs included inside the station and the holes drilled in the façade.
“The signs erected already are ugly, inappropriately large and made of materials which detract from the building internally. The proposed new sign is of the same nature – ugly, overly large and of inappropriate materials.
“It also detracts completely from the architectural setting and detracts from the newly re-erected historic plaque to Eamonn Ceannt.
“I am completely opposed to either the retention of the signs erected inside the building, the retention of the drill holes, or the granting of permission for any new signage to the frontage of the Protected Structure,” said Mr Higgins.
Environmental and planning watchdog group, An Taisce, also objected to the sign.
Planners have now decided that the sign fails to adhere to the principles of good design set out in the City Development Plan, and would also contravene national guidelines for built heritage.
They noted that there is already a similar sign inside the station, adjacent to the platform, which does not have planning permission.
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