New six-storey hotel gets go ahead in Louth

Louth County Council has given the go ahead for a new six-storey, 107 bedroom hotel in Drogheda.

Hallscotch Venture 2 Ltd applied to Louth County Council last November for planning permission for the development at Marsh Road (to the east of Scotch Hall Shopping Centre), Drogheda, Co. Louth.

The planned development comprises 107 bedrooms, lobby, bar and dining area, and associated service areas, along with all associated site development works

It also includes plans for vehicular (servicing and drop-off) and pedestrian access via New Road, to the east of Scotch Hall Shopping Centre, off Marsh Road; provision of 54 reserved car parking spaces within the existing Scotch Hall Shopping Centre car park; 22 bicycle parking spaces, and an enclosed pedestrian bridge connection from Level 1 (first floor) of the proposed hotel to the eastern end of the Shopping Centre Mall at Level 1.

A number of submissions had been lodged objecting to the planned hotel. Among them was a submission on behalf of the operator of the D hotel in Drogheda.

Included in its submission in relation to the further information submitted by the developer, it said that: “There has been a failure to assess the impact of the proposed hotel development on the long term viability and use of the D Hotel in terms of its need for safe convenient access and parking and emergency fire access and the need for a quality design of the public realm and visual prominence necessary to sustain its long term use and viability as a hotel.

“The existing use of the D hotel for accommodation of refugees is temporary and is authorized by reference to the S5 declaration issued on the 27thMarch 2026 (ref 2026/10) and is supportive of Government policy.

“This temporary use should not be taken as an opportunity to undermine the visual prominence and accessibility of the hotel, which will occur directly as a result of the location of a proposed bridge connection from the eastern end of the Scotch Hall from level 1 of the Mall to level 1 in the proposed hotel.”

A decision had initially been due on the application by January but further information was sought by the local planning authority that month.

Following the submission of Significant Further Information in July, which included details on demolition works, Louth County Council granted conditional planning permission on 20 August.