Westmeath County Council has said it will not be reviewing its signage policy, despite being told it should be “bending over backwards” to assist businesses, not obstructing them.
Judge Gerard Haughton made the comments at Tullamore District Court where he applied the Probation Act to the owner of Tyrellspass Castle.
Martin Buckley had pleaded guilty to offences under the Litter Pollution Act of having four signs advertising a full Irish breakfast on the N6 westbound at Tyrrellspass on August 9 last.
Judge Haughton said the council should be “bending over backwards to assist business” and should not be obstructing them and not “advantaging just their own”.
He added that there are precious few castles maintained and in working order.
The court heard that on one stretch of the N52 between the Mullingar Park Hotel and Tyrrellspass village there are over 30 signs for Belvedere House and Gardens, a facility owned and run by Westmeath County Council.
The court heard that the Guilford Trading Services, trading as Tyrrellspass Castle employs 30 people and has suffered a decline in business since the village was bypassed. Mr Buckley said he had been unsuccessful in negotiating adequate signage with Westmeath County Council despite over a dozen meetings.
Thousands of cars have been taken out of the village since it was bypassed.
He said the castle had 200,000 visitors in 2007 but the County Council tell him he is still not entitled to a sign.
Speaking after the hearing, Mr Buckley said he has scores of tour buses booked in for the coming season, but already they are having difficulty finding the correct exit and have requested maps.
Responding to the judge’s comments, Hugh O’Reilly, SEO at the Environment Section of Westmeath County Council, said the council is not likely to review its signage policy which he described as “very fair”.
He said Belvedere House was in a different category to Tyrrellspass Castle and that the NRA has a policy in place for tourist attractions with more than 100,000 visitors per year.
Otherwise facilities can have one brown finger-post sign at the junction closest to the facility and each case is dealt with on its merits through an application procedure, he said. Mr Buckley did not complete the application procedure.
The council says it will continue to implement the Litter Pollution Act in deference to the 99 per cent of people who comply with it.
Speaking of the proliferation of signs for Belvedere House, Mr Buckley said, “If they feel it necessary to have that many signs and we’re not entitled to one, there’s something terribly wrong”.
