Calls for changes to planning law to clamp down on Vape Shops in Louth

Calls have been made for Louth County Council to clamp down on the establishment of vape shops across Louth. 

It came at the February meeting of Louth County Council by Independent councillor for Dundalk/Carlingford Ciarán Fisher. 

Cllr Fisher called on the local authority to examine planning regulations to make it more difficult for premises to be turned into vape shops. 

He suggested one solution may be to change the type of retailer vape shops would fall under. 

"There’s an opportunity to maybe do it in the planning and development regulations where we could define it as a different type of shop," he said. 

The Independent councillor said that Louth County Council should have the relevant powers to make the relevant changes. 

Cllr Fisher warned that there are cases in which shops, and in some cases restaurants are being bought and "flipped into another vape shop". 

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Thomas McEvoy, Deputy Chief Executive with Louth County Council said vape shops fall under a "generic retail" heading, and it cannot be determined which type of shop it is once a premises has been designated as retail. 

However, he did say it could be addressed through the regulations, and suggested councillors could write to the relevant department. 

Mr McEvoy confirmed Louth County Council does not have the powers under planning law and said it could offer technical advice for any letter that was sent by councillors. 

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