"Bikes-for-Billboards" scheme exposes major planning flaws
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“Bikes-for-Billboards” scheme exposes major planning flaws
Plan Magazine
by Ruadhán Mac EoinIt sounded like a fairytale, yet what was initially hailed as “free bikes” has become one of the biggest planning controversies to hit the capital in years.
The so-called “metropole” plan – whereby advertising company JC Decaux is to swap city advertising space for 450 bicycles has exposed major flaws in the capital’s planning system – with elected representatives left out of a deal where they should have been instrumental.
Over the Christmas break of 2006/ 07, 70 applications were filed, followed by another 50 for billboards which are to be erected on public footpaths.
Remarkably, nobody seemed to tell the then Lord Mayor – or indeed the other councillors of this; this despite the requirement under section 183 of the Local Government Act which specifies that the release of public lands is a reserved function, necessitating a vote by councillors.
Yet councillors have not even been allowed to see the already-agreed contract, which officials describe as “commercially sensitive”.
What councillors were told was that the non-cash deal was worth €85m to the city, although subsequently it has been claimed that the revenue generated by the billboards is only worth €1M per annum over the 15 year terms.
This scheme has been hit by a number of criticisms – chiefly that by virtue of a single project being split into 120 applications it was project-split and applied to an authority that had a vested interest in approving the scheme. Critics claimed that this meant that to comprehensively appeal the scheme to the Bord would have cost €30,000.
Fortunately for JC Decaux, all applications left with Dublin City Council were approved – with city planners staunchly defending the scheme and denying that there was any conflict of interest for the council to adjudicate on applications arising out of a scheme in which it has a vested interest. However some 24 units were appealed to An Bord Pleanála, resulting in two dozen successive hearings over three days in October – which an inspector herself described as “unprecedented”.
Bizarrely the billboards all seem to have been earmarked for less well-healed areas; no application was lodged for Donnybrook, Ballsbridge, Sandymount, or Rathgar. Yet applications were made for Ringsend, Dorset Street, Coolock, and Fairview.
So how much are 120 billboards worth? Intriguingly it is claimed that the larger electronic billboards, displaying 3 different adverts, should each generate €8,000 per month – netting approximately €7M per annum, with the 50 smaller billboards making another €3M per annum. Hence over the 15 year terms the deal may have been worth €150 Million to JC Decaux.
So one estimate now puts each of the “free bikes” in the original deal at each costing the city over €300,000 in terms of foregone revenue. But that’s not the only problem. In recommending that the Bord reject all units under appeal, Inspector Jane Dennihey reasoned that the applications were “premature”.
One reason for her recommendation was the use by senior city planners of a map, entitled “Zones of Advertising Control”, as now exclusively reproduced by Plan.
The hitch here is that councilors claim to have not even seen this map previously – never minded voted on it.
This throws suggests that key planning documents are being decided without any consultation with either the public or elected councillors, resulting in what An Taisce often calls as “rezonings without due process”.
Notably the document is broken into areas that correspond with Dublin City Council Development Plan maps – yet equally notable is the absence of an official City Council stamp, or for that matter a date.
So the question must be asked: who drew up the map? And by what authority? It is now being acted upon as if it were already adopted policy?Now the Bord has rejected 18 of the 24 units, permitting some of the smaller bus-shelter size units in pedestrian areas – while refusing all of the larger “Metropole” units which were to be7 sq m and standing 2m off the ground – primarily on grounds of road safety.
The ratio of bikes yielded by billboards was less than 4 per unit, although in Paris JC Decaux provide 13 bikes per unit as well as an annual rental of €2,085 per billboard over 10 years – while Dublin gets no cash over 15 years.
Paris also rolled out a programme of putting in place an additional 300 kilometres of cycle-ways in advance of their scheme.
Intriguingly, the original deal required 75% of all applications to be passed for the scheme to go ahead. However, even though only 72 billboards are now permitted, the deal is still going ahead – and where JC Decaux was to remove 100 existing billboards, as stipulated in each planning permission, city planner Jim Keogan is now saying that only 50 are to be removed – a change which critics say is unlawful.
The units are already under construction although no rental bikes are expected until next spring – and the units are distinctly different from that which was illustrated in the applications, with brown metal mesh detailing replacing what appeared to be solid chrome stands.
Split applications, dubious rezoning maps, and the Bord rejecting all “Metropoles”: to add to this the Dublin City Business Association has written to Minister John Gormley asking him “to investigate”. The only question is what’s next? It’s over to you, Minister.
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Just further proof that the Green lobby is made up of nothing but 100% knee jerk, feel superficially good, but ultimately self-defeating platitudes and crackpot schemes.
Add this too:
Rush to bio fuels to ‘save they earth’ leading to worldwide food shortages and possible famine.
Ireland saying no to Nuclear Power (or even uranium mining) because the Green minister thinks experiments Nepture’s wrath will light our homes when the oil stops arriving at the North Wall
anti-Poolbeg Incinerator because well ‘Bali-Jet Set’ Gormley is as clueless as Ryan
Mercury-filled lightbulbs and all their libilities and limitations.
and now this.
Enough of this chattering class rubbish to “save the planet” – we need real issues dealth with now and not worry about polar bears or AL Gore’s business.
I need a metro, not a free bike and Walkers Crisp billboard.
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A really good article I think. Probably the best summary of the whole affair I have heard. Certainly beats the Times
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PRESS RELEASE – AN TAISCE
AN TAISCE NOTES “SECRET” DUBLIN REZONINGS MAP PUBLISHED IN PLAN
MAGAZINE AND BACKS CITY BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS CALL FOR MINISTER
GORMLEY TO INTERVENE IN “BIKES-FOR-BILLBOARDS” DEBACLEAN TAISCE NOTES THAT THE NEW BILLBOARDS BY JC DECAUX MAY HAVE BEEN
WORTH €150 MILLION TO JC DECAUX WERE THE SCHEME TO BE FULLY
IMPLEMENTEDAN TAISCE – 02 – 05 – 2008
An Taisce notes that a map entitled “Zones of Advertising Control” has
been adopted by Dublin City Council officials without proper
consultation with elected councilors, the public, or other interested
parties.Whereas previously planning policy has had a presumption against
permitting new outdoor advertising billboards, this map now rezones
various areas and roads of the city for billboards. The map first
emerged when presented by Dublin City Council officials at oral
hearings last October regarding JC Decaux, and has now been published
by Plan Magazine.It is highly problematic that such a policy has been adopted –
particularly in view of the critical issue of road safety. It is well
recognized that roadside adverts can distract causing a lapse in road
safety; it is for this reason that An Bord Pleanála generally rejects
such developments, and it is also worth noting the research by Dr.
Mark Young of Brunel University in this area.An Taisce notes that a value of €150 Million has been estimated in
terms of revenue potential, had the scheme of 120 units been
implemented in full. In return the city was to get 450 bicycles and no
money. These figures were given as evidence by Stewart Fogarty of AFA
O’Meara Advertising, former chair of the Advertising Practictioners of
Ireland.An Taisce notes the remarkable discrepancies in the figures given by
Dublin City Council, as carried in media reports. Whereas the scheme
when first announced was due to provide €90 millions worth of benefits
to the city, (by way of 450 bicycles, 4 toilets, and some
“way-finding” signage), it is now repeatedly reported that the scheme
is estimated to generate only €1 Million per annum, over 15 years.
This leaves a gross shortfall of some €75 Million. Where has it gone?We also note the Dublin City Business Association has formally
requested Environment Minister John Gormley to intervene in this
matter, and fully support that this be done with urgency.ENDS
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@Cute Panda wrote:
Just further proof that the Green lobby is made up of nothing but 100% knee jerk, feel superficially good, but ultimately self-defeating platitudes and crackpot schemes.
How did you arrive at that conclusion from the article above? Did you read it?
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@Cute Panda wrote:
Just further proof that the Green lobby is made up of nothing but 100% knee jerk, feel superficially good, but ultimately self-defeating platitudes and crackpot schemes.
Add this too:
Rush to bio fuels to ‘save they earth’ leading to worldwide food shortages and possible famine.
that was result of clietnist dems and repubs, and farmers, no green said yeah sure, clear virgin forest for biofuels,no green said, make growing food less economic…
anti-Poolbeg Incinerator because well ‘Bali-Jet Set’ Gormley is as clueless as Ryan
it was world conference where else would you have the conference?
I need a metro, not a free bike and Walkers Crisp billboard.[/QUOTE]
the greens and councillors like lacey denying there’s any problem with this is dispicable though. this is where the greens are ordered about by corporataions.
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From The Evening Herald:
City bosses under fire after move to allow billboard ads
CITY bosses have been accused of failing to carrying out proper consultation before rezoning parts of Dublin to allow for billboard ads. Heritage watchdog An Taisce noted a map entitled Zones of Advertising Control has been adopted by Dublin City Council officials.
“Whereas, previously, planning policy has had a presumption against permitting new outdoor advertising billboards, this map now rezones various areas and roads of the city for billboards,” An Taisce stated. The map first emerged when presented by Dublin City Council officials at oral hearings last October regarding JC Decaux and has now been published by Plan Magazine.JC Decaux plans to provide the city with hundreds of bikes for rent in return for advertising space.
In a statement, An Taisce said: “It is highly problematic that such a policy has been adopted, particularly in view of the critical issue of road safety. It is well recognised that roadside adverts can distract causing a lapse in road safety.
“It is for this reason that An Bord Pleanala generally rejects such developments.”
It said the council did not undertake proper consultation with councillors, the public, or other interested parties.
POTENTIAL
An Taisce noted that “a value of EUR150m has been estimated in terms of revenue potential” from the billboard ads.
“In return the city was to get 450 bicycles and no money. These figures were given as evidence by Stewart Fogarty of AFA O’Meara Advertising, former chair of the Advertising Practitioners of Ireland,” it added.
An Taisce stated there were “remarkable discrepancies in the figures given by Dublin City Council, as carried in media reports”.
“Whereas the scheme when first announced was due to provide EUR90m worth of benefits to the city – by way of 450 bicycles, four toilets, and some “way-finding’ signage – it is now repeatedly reported that the scheme is estimated to generate only EUR1m per annum over 15 years. This leaves a gross shortfall of some EUR75m. Where has it gone?”
An Taisce said the Dublin City Business Association has formally requested Environment Minister John Gormley to intervene in this matter.
Cormac Murphy
© Evening Herald 06.05.08The whole affair, complete with dodgy rezoning maps, has really become a tawdry mess. The question now is will the minister intervene – and will culpable parties be made account for their actions?
One continues to watch with interest…
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Hutton writes…. “The question now is will the minister intervene – and will culpable parties be made account for their actions?” 😮
Are you sniffing sap or at the sherry,Hutton ?
Culpability,Accountability,…and other benchmarks of a developed administration most certainly do not feature on ANY Irish Public Administration website……. 😀 😀
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