Louth County Council refuses planning for houses in Blackrock

Louth County Council has refused planning permission for four houses in Blackrock due to the lack of capacity at the Blackrock wastewater treatment plant to accept wastewater from the facility.

Michael English had applied for planning permission in December 2024 for the development at Main Street, Blackrock, seeking the go ahead for the construction of four new three-bed, semi-detached houses.

The application also provided for all ancillary and associated site development works including site clearance works, new vehicular entrances off the Main Street, car parking spaces, hard and soft landscaping and boundary treatment works.

Louth County Council had sought further information on the proposed development, which was provided at the end of July.

The local planning authority refused planning permission on 20 August, saying in its decision that "having regard to the nature and scale of the proposed development and the lack of adequate capacity at Blackrock wastewater treatment plant to accept wastewater from the facility, it is considered that the proposed temporary provision of a new waste water treatment system to service the four new properties on an interim basis has not been adequately demonstrated" to be in compliance with policy objectives in the Louth County Development Plan, and if permitted would be a potential risk to public health, and contrary to an objective of the Louth County Development Plan, which requires "that all new developments connect to the public supply where public water and wastewater infrastructure are available or likely to be available and which has sufficient capacity".

It also said that on the basis of information provided in relation to waste water disposal, it could not be satisfied that the proposed development, "individually, or in combination with other plans or projects would be likely to have a significant effect on European sites Dundalk Bay SAC (000455) and Dundalk Bay SPA (004026) or any other European site, in view of the site's Conservation Objectives."