A sign which was placed outside a cemetery in Derry advertising a memorial business will now have to be removed after it failed to get planning permission.
The sign was erected at a fence in front of properties at Blackthorn Manor in the Waterside area by Limavady Memorials, and is situated directly opposite to the entrance of Ballyoan Cemetery.
The advertising hoarding was the subject of a planning application brought before a recent meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Planning Committee, where Limavady Memorials had sought ‘retrospective advertisement consent for the retention’ of the sign.
A planning officer told the meeting that an objection had been lodged against the application from a resident of the Grovemount area of the Waterside.
The objector stated that an advertisement of this type opposite a cemetery is ‘cheap’ and its location is ‘inappropriate’.
The officer told the meeting that objection is based on ‘moral grounds in terms of the sensitivity of the location of the advertisement at the entrance to a cemetery’ and as such, was not considered as a material planning consideration.
However, he added that in terms of the sign’s location, ‘visual amenity is a relevant and important planning consideration when assessing advertisements and their setting’.
The meeting heard that the Planning Authority agreed that this sign is located to the front of a primarily residential area and therefore is not an ‘appropriate setting or location for any advertisement’.
In addition, planners were of the opinion that the sign would ‘prejudice the safety and convenience of road users’ as its close proximity to a road junction would ‘distract the attention of motorists from road traffic thereby creating a traffic hazard.’
The DUP’s Hilary McClintock said that she had seen the sign and felt that it was ‘distasteful for people entering and leaving the cemetery’ to see it.
Meanwhile, the SDLP’s John Boyle said that whether the sigh was ‘distasteful or appropriate was ‘not a planning consideration’.
He then raised the issue of the number of signs that had been erected across the city and district without planning permission, which was ‘something we as a council need to address’.
Alderman McClintock proposed that council accept the refusal, which was seconded by Cllr Boyle.
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team on 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories Or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Or you can email editor@derrynews.net at any time.