44 houses at Lower Point Road in Dundalk get go ahead
An Bord Pleanála gives go ahead for local authority development
An Bord Pleanála has given the go ahead to Louth County Council for a social housing development of 44 houses at the Lower Point Road in Dundalk.
Louth County Council made the application in May 2024 for the development at the townland of Point, at Lower Point Road in Dundalk, which comprises three, two-storey, four bed houses; ten, two-storey, three bed houses; 21, two-storey, two bed houses; and ten, single-storey, two bed houses, on a site of 1.5 hectares.
The proposed development will also include the construction of a new access road onto Waterview, provision of a new footpath, and items including, public lighting; a new estate road; 47 car parking spaces; and private gardens. It also includes the laying underground sewers, watermains and pipes; attenuation; importation of soil and stone as byproduct for engineering and landscaping purposes within the development and all associated works.
An Bord Pleanála gave the go ahead for the development to proceed on 18 December, subject to planning conditions.
The site in question was bought by Louth County Council for €6.2 million in 2006, through a loan that was subsequently paid by the Government at the end of 2023, under the condition that social housing be built on the site. It was one of a number of sites in Louth bought by the Council at the late stages of the Celtic Tiger, for which the Council held legacy land loans.
The Government approved a scheme for dealing with the legacy land loans at the end of 2023, under the condition that social housing be built on the sites bought with the loans that it was repaying.
The Lower Point Road development was the subject of debate at the Dundalk Municipal District May 2025 meeting, where several councillors voiced concerns over flooding, should it go ahead. At the time councillors were told that Louth County Council carried out a flood risk assessment on the lands and engaged a flood risk consultant who carried out a justification test in accordance with the County Development Plan.
Councillors were also told at the May meeting that the project was then passed to go ahead on the basis that the Council stays out of certain areas of the land that are susceptible to flooding, and also that the intention is to raise the ground levels on the site.