Council reveals reason for refusing planning for 80 homes in north Louth

Louth County Council has refused planning permission for 80 homes at Haynestown, Dundalk, due to a lack of capacity to cater for it at the Blackrock Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Groveview Builders Ltd applied to Louth County Council in November 2024 for planning permission for the development at Raynoldstown Village, Haynestown, Dundalk, on lands of circa 2.48 hectares.

The proposed 80 new houses comprise, one end of terrace, three-bed, two storey dwelling; 23 terrace, three-bed, two storey dwellings; 45 three-bed, two storey semi-detached dwellings; nine four-bed, two storey semi-detached dwellings; and two four-bed, two storey detached dwellings.

The planning application also provided for all associated ancillary site development works, boundary treatments and landscaping, with access via the existing approved vehicular and pedestrian access from the Western Relief Road to the west and the Dublin Road via the Boulevard to the east at Raynoldstown Village, Haynestown.

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Groveview Builders Ltd had previously been granted planning permission for development at this location in 2005, as part of a larger development that comprised 1,450 dwellings in a mix of houses and apartments.

A decision on the application had initially been due in January of this year but Louth County Council sought further information on the planned development that month, which was provided by the developer on 21 October.

Louth County Council made the decision to refuse planning permission for the development on 10 November. In its decision, Louth County Council said that the proposed development was dependent on a connection to the Blackrock Wastewater Treatment Plant, but Uisce Éireann confirmed that the plant does not have the capacity to cater for the development, with the necessary upgrading of the plant not scheduled to be completed until the final quarter of 2031.

It said that "the Planning Authority is not satisfied that the applicant has demonstrated a sufficiently developed commitment and specific timeframe that shows that the proposed development would have access to an effective wastewater treatment system within the lifetime of the permission, if granted.

"In light of the foregoing it is considered that the proposed development would be premature by reference to the existing deficiency in the capacity of existing sewerage facilities, which would set an undesirable precedent for other similar developments in the surrounding area and would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area."