TEMPORARY signage erected without permission in Tralee will not be tolerated from the end of May.
A month-long amnesty from the 1st to 31st May is being offered to the people who knowingly or unknowingly fail to comply with the rules in relation to the erection of temporary signs in the Tralee area.
From the 1st of June, any temporary sign that has been placed on a roadside, fence, wall, housing estate or public place will be removed immediately by the Litter Warden.
The Tralee Town Manager, Michael McMahon, said in relation to temporary signage: “Any such signage advertising a commercial premises or enterprise is not allowed. Signage which is erected without permission, will be removed. These are illegal under the Litter Act and may be liable to a fine of €150 per sign, as well as the cost of removal and storage. Under the Road Traffic Act it is illegal to put signs onto Road Signs and the poles used for Road Signs.”
A more lenient approach will be taken in relation to people or groups who plan to erect signage to promote local community festivals, school fundraising or similar charitable events.
“We ask that the groups in question contact the Council first and that such signage must be kept to a minimum and is erected in such a way that it does not interfere with, or obstruct motorists, other road-users and pedestrians. All signage must be removed after the event,” added Michael McMahon.
Tralee Chamber Alliance and Tralee Town Council have teamed-up to clampdown on the problem in the interest of improving the town’s image and to retain the Gold Medal that was awarded in the Tidy Town’s Competition last year.
The CEO of Tralee Chamber Alliance, Kieran Ruttledge, said: “The Tidy Towns judges and IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) place a high emphasis on the approach roads into towns, and that a proliferation of these signs can create a poor first impression for visitor and Tidy Town judge alike. A considerable amount of time and effort has been invested in tidying the town through Tralee Chamber Alliance’s weekly clean-up initiative and the removal of illegal signs is the next step of the clean-up campaign.”
For more information about the rules relating to the erection of temporary promotional signage, please contact the Litter Warden at Tralee Town Council on 066-7121633.
Anyone who wishes to play their part in keeping Tralee tidy can join in the weekly town clean-up at 7pm every Thursday at the Grand Hotel, Denny Street.
