A prominent ice cream shop has challenged Clare County Council’s decision preventing it from retaining alterations to its storefront.
The local authority ruled last month that Gino’s Italian Limited was out of character with other buildings on O’Connell Street.
Having only arrived last August, Gino’s is one of the newest additions to Ennis’ business community and street scape.
A unique feature of the franchise at stores nationwide, is a completely open shopfront design, which can be seen clearly on display at 18 O’Connell Street.
According to Clare County Council though, its out of character with surrounding businesses and is within an Architectural Conservation Area.
The local authority also highlighted the style, materials and entrance size of Ginos as aspects that differ from traditional window front designs in the town centre.
However Gino’s has now appealed the decision to the newly formed An Coimisiún Pleanála.
Company Director Johnathan Kirwan has brought the appeal on the grounds that the shopfront is an attractive design and is in use at similar architectual heritage sites nationwide.
It also states that the former shopfront replaced was of little architectural merit, having been in place for 20 years, consisting of plywood sheets and softwood framed windows.
The appellant also claims that during trading hours, the provision of an open shopfront is entirely consistent with a town like Ennis, particularly given the encouragement offered to cafés and restaurants to bring tables and chairs onto pedestrian streets.
