Decision to refuse Laois hotel and food court signage close to M7 motorway overturned

A decision by Laois County Council to refuse a Laois hotel and food court permission to retain and erect new signage close to the M7 motorway has been overturned.

Planning permission was sought to retain two 'Maldron Hotel' and 'Midway' signs at Meelick, Portlaoise, off junction 17 and replace three existing signs with new ones.

The local authority initially refused permission arguing that it would lead to a proliferation of signage, that it would set a precedent and would adversely affect the operational efficiency and safety of the national road network. The ‘Maldron Hotel’ and ‘Midway’ signs are located above the third floor of the building below roof level. CONTINUE READING BELOW PHOTO

The applicant, Dalata Hotel Group plc, said the proposed new Maldon signage is part of the company’s rebranding in the UK and Ireland. They said the existing signage has been in place for over 15 years.

One of the new signs proposed highlights the new Applegreen Service Station constructed on the site.

The company appealed the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála stating that the proposals “will not result in any material or negative planning impacts in terms of scale, amenity, visual or any other point of view.” The planning documents said “the signage proposed carries a significant commercial function by announcing to passing motorists the presence of the Hotel and the range of other adjacent services available.”

“The design, scale and form of the existing hotel building serves to absorb the signage. The signs which are the subject of this appeal are intended to identify the business and assist in wayfinding for passing motorists. The signs do not represent duplication.

“The signs are not prominent along the M7 Motorway and are significantly mitigated for by distance and intervening landscaping.”

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The An Coimisiún Pleanála inspector agreed with the Council that the permission should be refused, however this decision was overturned by the Commission.

Outlining the reason the Planning Commissioner said: “Given the location of the proposed development adjacent the motorway entrance ramp and the extensive plantings in between, the Commission was satisfied that the proposed development would not adversely affect the operational efficiency or safety of the national road network, and would not therefore constitute a material contravention of either the provisions of the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government’s Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2012) or Development Management Standard
DM TC 10 (Advertisements on Public Roads) of the Laois County Development Plan 2021-2027.”

The Commissioner also pointed out that the signage had been in place over an extended period of time “without any apparent history of complaints or enforcement action”. They said they took into account “the specific location of the hotel and its spatial relationship to the motorway, and disagreed with both the planning authority and the Inspector’s view that the signage would pose a risk to road safety and the operational efficiency of the national road.”

Planning permission was granted with four conditions attached on March 5, 2026.