Louth: why applications are refused, and the conditions permissions carry
Counted from Louth’s own decision notices: 776 of its 788 decisions made from 25 October 2025 to 25 October 2026 (98%). Findings, not verdicts — each figure is a share of the notices read.
- 776
- of 788 decisions, last 12 months
- 99
- of 101 refused or part refused
- 677
- of 687 granted or part granted
- 6
- the median permission read
Why applications are refused
Grounds cited in refusals
A notice counts once for each theme it cites, however often it cites it — the share of refusals refused at least partly on that ground. A notice can cite several, so the shares do not add up to 100%. The 12 most common of 19 are drawn; the table has them all.
Show the numbers
| Theme | Notices | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Contrary to development plan policy | 76 | 77% |
| Undesirable precedent | 38 | 38% |
| Insufficient information | 35 | 35% |
| Design, scale and visual impact | 34 | 34% |
| Traffic safety, access and sightlines | 33 | 33% |
| Rural housing policy and local need | 26 | 26% |
| Other | 19 | 19% |
| Ecology, Natura 2000 and appropriate assessment | 18 | 18% |
| Landscape, scenic views and routes | 18 | 18% |
| Zoning and land use | 18 | 18% |
| Environmental effects (noise, emissions, EIA) | 17 | 17% |
| On-site wastewater and public health | 16 | 16% |
| Density, layout and residential standards | 15 | 15% |
| Flood risk | 15 | 15% |
| Neighbours' amenity (overlooking, overshadowing, overbearing) | 15 | 15% |
| Protected structures, ACAs and archaeology | 14 | 14% |
| Water supply and public sewer capacity | 10 | 10% |
| Premature pending infrastructure or a plan | 5 | 5% |
| Ribbon development | 5 | 5% |
The conditions permissions carry
Kinds of condition attached
A notice counts once for each theme it cites, however often it cites it — the share of permissions given at least one condition of that kind. A notice can cite several, so the shares do not add up to 100%. The 12 most common of 20 are drawn; the table has them all.
Show the numbers
| Theme | Notices | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Built as per the plans and particulars | 677 | 100% |
| Protecting neighbours (screening, glazing, noise, light) | 498 | 74% |
| Construction hours and management | 463 | 68% |
| Entrance, sightlines, roads and parking | 454 | 67% |
| Surface water and drainage (SuDS) | 448 | 66% |
| Restrictions on use or further development | 357 | 53% |
| Materials, finishes and design changes | 324 | 48% |
| Development contributions and security bonds | 242 | 36% |
| Landscaping, hedgerows, trees and boundaries | 208 | 31% |
| On-site wastewater treatment system | 174 | 26% |
| Waste management | 127 | 19% |
| Occupancy and local-need conditions | 112 | 17% |
| Uisce Éireann water and sewer connections | 96 | 14% |
| Archaeology and built heritage | 84 | 12% |
| Duration or temporary permission | 80 | 12% |
| Ecology (bats, nesting birds, AA mitigation) | 71 | 10% |
| Other | 62 | 9% |
| Estate completion, lighting, naming and taking in charge | 52 | 8% |
| Part V social housing | 37 | 5% |
| Energy, EV charging and climate | 34 | 5% |
By type of development
| Type | Notices read | Refusals: most cited | Permissions: most common conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations | 6498% of decisions | 3 read — too few |
|
| Change of use | 5498% of decisions | 2 read — too few |
|
| Extension | 15597% of decisions | 7 read — too few |
|
| Housing estate | 46100% of decisions | 8 read — too few |
|
| New dwelling | 14399% of decisions |
|
|
| Retention | 17598% of decisions | 28 read — too few |
|
Shares are of the refusals or permissions whose notice was read. The conditions column leaves out “built as per the plans and particulars”, which nearly every permission carries. A group with fewer than 30 notices read shows its count and no breakdown.
By town
Towns with at least 30 refusals or permissions read, listed alphabetically.
| Town | Notices read | Refusals: most cited | Permissions: most common conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drogheda | 10297% of decisions | 12 read — too few |
|
| Dundalk | 18899% of decisions | 12 read — too few |
|
Shares are of the refusals or permissions whose notice was read. The conditions column leaves out “built as per the plans and particulars”, which nearly every permission carries. A group with fewer than 30 notices read shows its count and no breakdown.
About the figures
PPI’s reader reads each decision notice, finds every refusal reason and condition in it word for word, and tags each with what it is about from a fixed list. A figure counts notices: a refusal citing flood risk in two of its reasons counts once for flood risk. Reasons and conditions the reader could not find word for word are not counted.
What a council refuses for, and the conditions it attaches, depend on what it was asked to decide as much as on the council. A group with fewer than 30 notices read shows its count and no breakdown. Every council read →
Source Louth's decision notices, read and counted by PPI; no notice text is reproduced hereAlways confirm a decision against the council’s own register.