City centre pub falls foul of planners

A city centre pub has fallen foul of planning regulations governing shopfronts in architectural conservation areas.

Martin and Róisín Proulx of Fides Playhouse Ltd – which operates Seven on Bridge Street (formerly Kelly’s/The Living Room) – had sought permission to retain the signage, lighting, window surrounds, entrance pilasters and window awning, projecting signs and six projecting flag poles.

Local environmental group An Taisce said that commercial plastic, internally-lit signage should be replaced by hand-crafted painted signs.

They added that flagpoles should only be allowed on St Patrick’s Day.

“Under the guidelines, canopies or awnings are not permitted unless they are necessary to protect goods on display or to shelter external areas of premises that have been granted a licence for outdoor seating. We are not aware that any licence exists at this premises, due to the narrowness of the pavement outside. Certainly, the awnings at first floor level are not required, are overdone and should be removed.

“Flag poles were deemed to be an unwelcome and excessive element at the Quays Bar, and should not be allowed here, only for St Patrick’s Day,” Derrick Hambleton of An Taisce said in his submission.

In his report to the Council, Senior Executive Planner Liam Blake wrote: “Recent shopfronts guidelines prepared by the City Council highlight the principles of good design, the current proposal fails to meet these standards.

“A basic requirement for good design in particular for this area would be to complement the prevailing character of the street in relation to proportions, materials, colours, and it is considered [these] will all detract from the appearance of this building.”

The Council ruled that permission be refused for the retention application.

“The canopies, signage, flagpoles, projecting signs and other apparatus to be retained across the frontage of this building contravene Development Plan policy and would be injurious to the visual amenity of the area.

“[The items] including the uplighters and security cameras all detract from the appearance of this building and this important streetscape within the City Core Architectural Conservation Area.

“The development therefore contravenes the Council’s adopted Shopfront Guidelines, which require shopfronts to take account of the heritage of Galway,” the decision reads.