A request from a store in Belfast city centre's Cornmarket area to have large digital advertisements on its facade is facing opposition from officials at City Hall.
A report from the Belfast City Council Planning Committee shows council officials are recommending elected representatives disapprove of an application by Alterity Investments Limited for 1-3 Arthur Street Belfast, currently occupied by the clothes store White Stuff. The proposal is for a “replacement facade to active facade to facilitate the display of internally illuminated moving images.”
The building is in the city centre conservation area. Of the buildings which face onto Arthur Square, the host building is the only building that is not listed.
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Permission was refused by the council for a five by three metre advertising screen at the address in 2016. At the recent meeting of the council Planning Committee, the application was deferred until after the council elections, for the June Planning meeting.
The planning report states the applicant said there was a “need for traditional and modern infrastructure to co-exist with the historic environment”. The report states the applicant said the impact on the setting of the listed buildings “should be considered acceptable” given the precedents already established in the city, and referred to Shaftesbury Square and the advertising sign next to the orange hall on the Albertbridge Road.
The Planning officers state in the report: “The proposal contains essentially two active, digital advertisements measuring 3.84 metres by 7.46 metres on the east and north facades of the host building.
“The scale of the proposal is considered excessive and would neither preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the area. The active facade/advertisement would be of a scale that is not in sympathy with the characteristic built form of the area, nor do the scale, form, materials and detailing of the proposal respect the characteristics of the listed adjoining buildings in the area.
“The active, digital nature of the proposal would accentuate its impact. It is considered that the scale of the facade/advertisement would fail to protect important views into/out of the conservation area.
“The proposal would be prominent and dominating when viewed from Arthur Square, negatively impacting an important node within the conservation area as well as detracting from neighbouring listed buildings.”
It adds: “The conservation officer was consulted and objects to the proposal stating that the proposed sign would have a harmful effect on the character and appearance and visual amenity of the conservation area. Such signage is not historic or traditional to the conservation area.
“Furthermore, the conservation officer states that the proposal would have the visual appearance of a large sheet/advertising hoarding attached to the building and occupying a substantial proportion of the facade.”
The Stormont Historic Environment Division at the Department for Communities was consulted and objected to the proposal, stating that the illuminated and moving signage would “create a competing focus to the listed buildings which form the attractive historic perimeter of Arthur Square.” No other statutory bodies objected, and no local objections were received by the council.
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