Meath County Council refuses permission for 249-home scheme at Oldbridge Drogheda, Co. Meath

In context

It is one of 99 housing scheme applications Meath County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,568 nationally. Of the 3,037 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 79% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 12 March 2026. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Meath County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

(i) demolition/removal of all existing farm buildings/structures and associated hard standing on site; (ii) construction of a large-scale residential development (LRD) of 249 no. units comprising 170 no. two-storey houses (including 37 no. two-bedroom houses, 111 no. three-bedroom houses and 22 no. four-bedroom houses), 16 no. three-storey duplex buildings (accommodating 16 no. one-bedroom and 16 no. two-bedroom units) and a mix of 8 no. three-storey and 3 no. four-storey apartments blocks accommodating a total of 22 no. one-bedroom and 25 no. two-bedroom apartments); (iii) construction of a new vehicular entrance and access road off Rathmullan Road with associated junction works and associated internal access road network with pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure; (iv) provision of a three-storey creche facility (411sq.m) with external play areas at ground and second floor levels and vehicular/bicycle parking area; and, (v) all ancillary site and infrastructural works, inclusive of removal of existing vehicular entrances, general landscaping and public open space provision, vehicular parking provision (396 no. spaces in total), bicycle parking, boundary treatments, foul/surface water drainage, attenuation areas, provision of a pumping station and provision of an ESB substation, as necessary to facilitate the proposed development. Each house will be served by vehicular parking to the front and private amenity space in the form of a rear garden. Each duplex building will be served by vehicular parking to the front and private amenity space in the form of balcony/terrace spaces to the rear. Each apartment block will have shared access to adjoining car parking bays with communal amenity space and bicycle/bin stores provided to the rear and each apartment will be provided with private amenity space in the form of a balcony or terrace. The development includes provision of a landscaped area of public open space to the north of the site, with 2 no. pedestrian/cyclist connections (via the northern/eastern site boundaries) to Rathmullan Road which will be subsequently ceded to Meath County Council. The application is accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) and an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). Significant further information/revised plans submitted on this application