Council street ads branded a total ‘disaster’
A popular architectural website has branded Dublin City Council’s new on-street advertising panels “an unmitigated disaster”. The website, Archiseek, now wants the council to halt the installation of the free-standing billboards pending a review and investigation. Outdoor advertisers JC Decaux have been permitted to put up 120 of these panels in return for a bicycle rental scheme. But many opponents of the scheme have emerged to date including the National Council for the Blind of Ireland, An Taisce and the Dublin City Business Association. One of the major sticking points has been the obstruction of footpaths by the metal-framed panels. The deal between the council and JC Decaux requires the French-owned company to supply four rental bikes for each on-street panel, amounting to a total of 480. Archiseek said “fortunately” only half of the billboards were granted planning permission.
