Observation pack · Louth County Council

37/38 Shop Street , Drogheda , Co. Louth

Permission for 1. Proposed interior alterations to existing ground floor retail unit. 2. Construction of a new stairwell from first to second floor level. 3. Provision of 2 no. studio apartments (1 no. to 1st floor & 1 no. to 2nd floor) and 2 no. 1-bed apartments (1 no. to 1st floor & 1 no. to 2nd floor). 4. Construction of new private amenity space for each unit to rear. 5. All associated site works within an ACA - Ref. No. 14 West Street and Surrounding areas

Observations close 7 Oct 2026 12 days left

5 weeks from receipt (received 2 Sept 2026) · s.34 Planning and Development Act 2000 · art. 29 Regulations 2001 · fee €20 · council decision due 27 Oct 2026

The application

Reference: 2660596 · full record
Authority: Louth County Council
Type: PERMISSION
Status: NEW APPLICATION
Applicant: not published by the national dataset — see the council register
Units: 0
Floor area: —
Site area: 208 m²
Received: 2 Sept 2026
We first saw it: 18 Sept 2026, 15:44
Decision due: 27 Oct 2026
Decision: N/a

The national dataset truncates descriptions (80 characters for DLR, 70 for Fingal) and omits the applicant. The full description and the drawings are on the council register linked in step 1.

How to submit an observation

Read the file on the council register.Drawings, planning statement and site notices are at http://www.eplanning.ie/LouthCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660596/0.
Write your observation.Quote 2660596 at the top, give your name and the address the authority should reply to, and confine it to planning matters — zoning objective, height, overlooking, traffic, drainage, heritage. What you say here is what you can later appeal on.
Pay the €20 fee.Every submission needs it; without it the observation is invalid and is returned. Louth County Council takes it online with the submission or at the counter.
Submit before 7 Oct 2026.Online through the register above, or in writing to the Planning Department, Louth County Council. The test is the date the authority receives it, not the date you post it.
Keep the acknowledgement.The council's receipt is your proof of a valid observation — see below.

Statutory basis. Section 34(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) requires a planning authority to consider any submission or observation made to it in accordance with the Regulations. Article 29 of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001 (as amended) sets the window: a submission or observation must be received by the authority within five weeks beginning on the date of receipt of the application, and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee of €20. A submission received after the window, or without the fee, is invalid and the authority must return it.

After you submit: keep the acknowledgement. Under the 2024 Act it secures your right to appeal — only the applicant and a person who made a valid observation may bring the council's decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála, within four weeks of the decision. Making a valid observation is also what buys a right of appeal: under s.37(1) of the 2000 Act, only the applicant and a person who made a valid submission or observation to the planning authority may appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála (within four weeks of the decision). Missing the five-week window closes both doors.

What the site is zoned

No current zoning polygon covers this site in the store.

Designations on or near the site

Nothing designated within 100 m of the site.

Nearby precedents within 500 m, last 5 years

Decisions

Reference	Decision	Decided	Units	Distance	Description
2660525	Conditional	18 Sept 2026	0	373 m	Retention and Permission for development to Protected Structure Ref. No. DB-239 (NIAH Ref. No. 13618011) and located within an ACA (Ref. No. 14 - West Street & Surrounding Streets). The development will consist of the following: 1. Retention of the part reconstruction/reinstatement of the front façade of existing building. 2. Repair and replacement of existing pitched roofs. 3. Proposed internal alterations to existing commercial unit on the ground floor. 4. Provision of 4 no. apartment units, 2 no. 1-bed units to first floor and 2 no. 1-bed units to second floor. 5. Provision of new bicycle and bin store for apartments to ground floor with external access provided along Scholes Lane. 6. Provisions of commercial and apartment storage to basement level of existing building. 7. Minor alterations to fenestration of elevations along with restoration of front shopfront and repair/replacement of windows to all elevations. 8. All associated landscaping, ancillary and site works
2660521	Conditional	11 Sept 2026	0	266 m	Retention permission for rear extensions and internal modifications to protected structure DB-289
2660331	Refused	4 Sept 2026	0	223 m	Retention and Permission to Protected structure – Ref DB-192 – This application comprises both (1) Retention permission for the previously unauthorised sub division of the single dwelling into seven flats and (2) The proposed permission for internal alterations to these seven flats including at lower ground floor level, the demolition of existing non-original internal walls and the creation of new internal doorways; at ground floor level the demolition of internal walls and construction of new internal walls in alternative locations and the relocation of existing internal door within hallway; and at first and second floor levels the works comprise the demolition of non-original internal walls and en-suites and the construction of new internal partitions, relocation of internal doors and the sub-division of existing room at the front of the property. Also, the works will include essential repairs to the roof coverings and structure as necessary and structural repairs to external walls where required
2560717	Conditional	20 Aug 2026	0	352 m	Permission for a six-storey hotel comprising 107 no. bedrooms, lobby, bar and dining area, and associated service areas, together with all associated site development works, at Marsh Road (to the east of Scotch Hall Shopping Centre). The proposed development will include 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 no. 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 Natura Impact Statement (N.I.S.) accompanies this application. Significant Further Information Received on 03/07/2026 - To include demolition works
2560723	Conditional	17 Jul 2026	0	316 m	Retention & Permission: Permission for general change of use of site and buildings to use for 63 no. bed hostel and/or sheltered accommodation as follows: Existing 3 storey Bell’s Building – change from last known use from office / creche / Montessori to 14 no. bedrooms and 40 no. bedspaces with 14 ensuite bathrooms; Existing adjacent single storey retail unit, formerly ‘Rawfit’ with frontage onto Scholes Lane; change of use to 3 no. bedrooms and 17 no. bedspaces with 3 ensuite bathrooms; Provision of new windows / doors on north and east elevations with courtyard access to proposed bedrooms (off north elevation); Current shopfront / access from Scholes Lane to be closed up from within with shopfront left in-situ; Existing part single part two storey restaurant building - change from last known permitted use from restaurant to ancillary hostel kitchen, dining facilities, staff office, common room and toilet facilities at ground floor and 1no. Bedroom with 6no. bedspaces and ensuite at first floor; Existing single storey former public toilets (last known permitted use) - change of use to ancillary hostel laundry facilities; Demolition of the external three storey fire escape stairs on the west elevation of Bell’s Building; All associated site works, drainage and refuse storage to serve the new use. The development for the retention permission consists of: Alterations the restaurant building (approved under Reg. Ref. 82510154), consisting of an internal mezzanine floor, window / door openings at ground / first floor and external staircase accessing same (all on the south elevation); Single storey timber storage shed to rear of Bell’s Building; Timber fencing to the rear of Bell’s Building; Addition of timber cladding to the existing main entrance gates onto Scholes Lane Significant Further Information Received 23/06/2026 and Revised Notices received 25/06/2026 - Proposal clarified and will now provide sheltered accommodation. 50 beds now proposed.
2560671	Conditional	3 Jul 2026	0	322 m	Permission for a Largescale Residential Development (LRD). This proposal can be viewed via www.Southbanklrd.ie The development comprises a Large Residential Development (LRD 020), “South Bank”, of five No, six storey blocks, comprising 172 apartments, commercial (non-residential) units, and all associated roads/parking/paths, landscaped areas (including a public square to the river) and ancillary buildings,. A permission of 10 year duration is sought, at the discretion of the Louth County Council. The upper five stories comprise apartments all with balconies, and the 5th floor penthouse will be recessed with terraces. At ground floor level there is, variously, further apartments, parking and ancillary storage for the apartments and other non-residential uses. There are 172 apartments in total comprising 73 no. 1- bed apartments, 71 no. 2-bed apartments and 28 no. 3-bed apartments. There are 132 no. car parking spaces, 304 long stay and 121 short stay bicycle parking spaces being provided within the site. The non-residential uses comprise three retail units/café(s) of a total area 253 sq. m. and a crèche of 247 sq. m.. The ancillary buildings comprise provision for an E.S.B. substation (if required) of 25.5 sq. m. and a bicycle store of 33.2 sq. m. The existing, partially built, concrete building which occupies part of the site will be demolished, along with the remains of a building and a shed abutting No. 4 Marsh Road, and two old storage buildings on a lane North of Marsh Road. Vehicular and pedestrian access to the development is via, “New Road” to the East of Scotch Hall Shopping Centre, off Marsh Road. An existing lane off Marsh Road will be used to provide continued access to the Industrial/warehouse units to the South of Marsh Road, for pedestrian and bicycle access and egress for the proposed development, and as an exit for bin lorries and larger delivery vehicles only. A Natura Impact Statement accompanies this application Significant Further Information Received on 08/05/2026 Revised notices received 15/05/2026
2660074	Conditional	3 Jul 2026	1	330 m	Permission fro changes to the previously granted permission PA Ref: 24/ 60116 with internal and elevational alterations to accommodate the refurbishment of an existing vacant apartment and all associated site works
2660152	Conditional	8 May 2026	0	435 m	Permission for the construction of a single storey rear extension, renovations & alterations to existing terraced house, revisions to existing rear entrance being 2 no. off street car parking spaces, and all associated site works

Appeals

ACP case	Type	Outcome	Decided	Distance
501863	—	pending	11 Aug 2026	316 m
324143	—	pending	12 Mar 2026	28 m
322008	—	Refused	5 Aug 2025	471 m
321756	—	Granted with conditions	15 May 2025	220 m
321314	—	Granted with conditions	18 Mar 2025	2 m
318758	—	Granted with conditions	20 Feb 2025	316 m
320539	—	Withdrawn	4 Nov 2024	355 m
319899	—	Refused	3 Jul 2024	402 m

If neighbours here have appealed before and lost, the inspector's report on that case is the single most useful thing to read.

What has happened on this file

2 Sept 2026 New application · observations close 7 Oct 2026
2 Sept 2026 Decision

Generated from the Planning Register store; nothing was fetched live for this page. Source: national planning dataset, fetched 18 Sept 2026, 15:44. Not legal advice — confirm the deadline with Louth County Council before relying on it.