The erection of a 6.5-metre illuminated Golden Arches sign, at the new McDonald’s Drive-Thru in Thurles has reportedly been granted permission, according to local press reports.
Three local residents had lodged objections, citing concerns about light pollution, road safety, wildlife and the impact on nearby homes.
One objector highlighted an existing planning condition banning totem and banner signs at the development. They questioned the justification for changing that restriction, arguing that the application offered insufficient new evidence.
Another resident had raised concerns about how the illuminated sign could affect neighbouring private homes.
The press reports states that permission was granted despite those objections.
Nothing surprising George. They were always going to pull this stroke. Notice was probably up on the site with the main building work ongoing, so anybody would have presumed it was the original application. Fair dues to the three objectors for paying attention.
McDonalds aren’t really the villain of this piece. This is standard operating procedure for them. They’d bulldoze a fairy fort, a famine grave, the sacred sod of Semple itself, if it offered an advantageous position for trade. Tipp Co. Council though, well that’s a different matter. If Supermac’s were to apply for permission for a drive thru on the Nenagh Road, for example, would such an application even have been entertained? And if any business in the whole of Thurles wanted to erect an absolutely garish illuminated 8-metre sign would that have been considered? Even if it was tasteful? Would it by Fred!
This isn’t an 8-metre sign advertising a burger joint, it’s a giant middle finger to a neighbourhood reminding them that corporations with the sneaky acquiescence of spineless planning officials in Tipperary County Council run the show in the Thurles. And they always will.
Every single thing about McDonalds is plastic and disposable even the fake plastic ivy screen that runs for tens of metres along the both roads of the site. Can’t see Tipperary County Council making any waves over that either.
Can’t be long now before they apply for the 24-hour license to operate. I guarantee George, that if they were 200 objections to that, Tipperary County Council would still rubber stamp it.
Another day in Ireland Inc.