Shop signs in Douglas.

The village streets are tight, with shopfronts close together. A sign has to stand out from its neighbours without shouting, so halo-lit letters, a well-made fascia and a small projecting sign often do better here than a large light box.

Units inside the shopping centres work differently. Douglas Court and Douglas Village each have their own rules for signs on the mall and car park sides, so we work from the landlord's sign guidelines as well as the planning rules.

Douglas used to be split between the city and county councils. Since 2019 it is all in the city, which makes the planning side simpler than it once was.

Streets and centres we cover in Douglas

East Douglas Street and West Douglas Street, Douglas Court Shopping Centre, Douglas Village Shopping Centre and Douglas Road and Rochestown Road.

Planning permission

Since the 2019 boundary change, Douglas is in the Cork City Council area. Most shop signs need permission because built-up letters are usually taller than the 300 mm exemption limit. Inside a shopping centre, the landlord usually has to approve the design as well. Our planning guide explains the limits.