Blackridge Housing Scheme Blocked Over Traffic and Connectivity Concerns

Ardee & Mid Louth News | Local Planning

An Coimisiún Pleanála has upheld the decision to refuse planning permission for 45 new homes at Townparks, Ardee, following a failed appeal by the developers.

The proposal, submitted by MRM Structural Limited, sought to develop a site at The Blackridge. The scheme was designed to include 23 houses and 22 apartment units across three blocks, alongside new vehicular access and pedestrian footpaths. However, both local and national planning authorities have now deemed the project unsuitable for the location.

Council Concerns Over Public Safety

Louth County Council originally refused the application in October 2025, citing four primary reasons. Chief among these was the belief that the development would endanger public safety. The local authority noted that the existing Black Ridge road is “significantly below the minimum standards” required to accommodate a development of this scale.

Planners described the local road network as substandard in terms of:

Road width and junction alignment
Driver visibility and overall traffic hazard
Inconsistency with the prevailing pattern of local development

The council argued that the proposed housing density was excessive and would create a significant traffic hazard for the area.

An Coimisiún Pleanála Ruling

In its final ruling issued on 30 March 2026, An Coimisiún Pleanála (formerly An Bord Pleanála) agreed with the refusal, focusing on the “substandard” nature of the site’s integration with Ardee town centre.

The board highlighted a critical lack of “permeability,” noting that the plans failed to provide adequate links to adjacent lands zoned for town centre use or nearby public open spaces. It ruled that the layout failed to prioritise walking and cycling, which is a key requirement of the Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027.

Failure to Integrate

The planning board concluded that the scheme would result in a poorly connected residential area with insufficient surveillance of public spaces. The decision stated that the project was contrary to sustainable development goals, which require new neighbourhoods to be attractive, well-connected, and oriented toward public transport nodes.

“The proposal would constitute a substandard form of development which would fail to successfully integrate into the existing and planned built footprint of Ardee.”

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