Planning refused for apartment development at The Laurels in Dundalk

Louth County Council has refused planning permission for 18 new apartments at The Laurels in Dundalk.

STFA Limited applied last June for planning permission for a development on lands at the junction of The Laurels Road and Patrick Street.

The planned development comprises 18 apartment in a three storey building of which there are 10, one-bed apartments; six, two-bed apartments; and one, three-bed apartment; along with associated residential communal spaces at ground level.

The planning application also provides for items including the provision of bin and bicycle storage at ground level, boundary treatments, external landscaping, and associated works to the footpath.

A decision had originally been due at the end of July on the application but further information on the proposed development was sought, which was received on 5 December. Louth County Council made the decision to refuse planning permission on 7 January.

Included in its decision, Louth County Council said that, “the design of the subject apartments is considered to be substandard having regard to 'Design Standards for New Apartments – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2023)' and specifically substandard in terms of the failure to provide functional private amenity space for the ground floor units, communal amenity space that is accessible to all residential units, an absence of storage provision for bulky goods and inadequate provision for adequate and convenient bin and bicycle storage for all residential units.

“To permit the proposed development would be contrary to the aforementioned Guidelines and to the proper planning and development of the area, would allow for a substandard level of residential accommodation and would set an undesirable precedent for other similar substandard apartments in the area.”