Planning refused for multi-use development in Blackrock Co Louth

Louth County Council have refused planning permission for a multi-use development at Knockshee in Blackrock. Abortree Investments Ltd had sought planning permission for the development across three separate buildings, that would have included community digital hub office accommodation; a yoga, gymnasium; pilates and wellness centre; and retail units.

The applicant had also sought planning permission for a landscaped public realm with hard landscaping seating areas, semi-mature planting etc. to the west of the site along the public road and also between buildings one and two, centrally in the site. It was the second application for such a development at the site this year. An application for a similar development was lodged by Thorhammer Ltd on 10 January but was invalidated by Louth County Council as being an Incompleted Application on 8 February.

Among the reasons for refusing planning permission for the development, Louth County Council said that the site of the proposed development is zoned as B2 "Neighbourhood Centre", the objective of which is "to provide for and improve local neighbourhood facilities", but "the scale of the proposed development is excessive and not reflective of the intended scale required to serve as a neighbourhood centre".

The local authority also said that "the proposed development would be contrary to the "Town Centre First" approach advocated in the Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 and would give rise to trade diversion and office displacement from the retail core of Dundalk."