Sandwich board licence to cost €630 a year

Traders in Dublin city centre will have to pay €630 a year to use sandwich boards to promote their business.

Dublin City Council is introducing a new licence from September 1 to regulate the use of advertising boards on footpaths and to counter street clutter.

Unlike other street furniture, such as outdoor tables and chairs, which require a licence, sandwich boards (otherwise known as A-boards) have largely been unregulated.

The council believes the licence fee of €630, combined with a once-off, non-refundable application fee, will deter the use of sandwich boards.

From September 1, any sandwich boards displayed without a licence will be removed by council officials.

Legislation already exists to allow council staff to confiscate unauthorised signs on public footpaths.

Sandwich boards are already banned on Grafton St and O’Connell St, because of the high level of pedestrian footfall and the restricted width of their footpaths (less than two metres).

The council’s chief executive, Owen Keegan, has issued instructions that “zero tolerance” be shown to unauthorised use of street furniture.

The council has hired four additional inspectors to enforce regulations.

The proliferation of street furniture on Dublin streets was obvious on Make Way Day 2018, when it impeded people with mobility or sight disabilities.

The local authority is concerned that sandwich boards being used by pubs, restaurants, cafes, and other shops in the city centre pose a risk to the public.

At the same time, senior council official, Kevin Meade, said the local authority recognised that there were some retailers for whom sandwich boards were “a valuable asset”.

Mr Meade said sandwich boards could be particularly important for businesses on upper floors, businesses that have no frontage at ground-floor level.

Earlier this year, Dublin MEP Ciarán Cuffe claimed it was time to “declare war” on sandwich boards.

“The streets of Dublin have gone from bad to worse, in terms of blockage,” said Mr Cuffe.

The former Green Party leader on the council expressed doubt that businesses benefitted from using sandwich boards, “when everyone has one.”

However, the Restaurants’ Association of Ireland has accused the council of going on an “anti-tourism rampage,” though the Disability Federation of Ireland has welcomed the proposed licensing system.

The Licensed Vintners’ Association has described the cost of the licence as “completely unreasonable and disproportionate.”

The council has advised traders to contact its Street Furniture Unit to arrange a consultation in advance of submitting an application for a licence.

“The purpose of the meeting is to establish if capacity exists on the pavement to accommodate the proposed structure, taking into account the existing street furniture, and the convenience and safety of road-users, including pedestrians,” the council said.

Decisions on whether to issue a licence for a sandwich board are scheduled to be made within eight weeks of receiving an application.

Any decision to grant or refuse an application can be appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

Planning permission is also required for any signage located on private property, according to the council.