New council homes in Louth ‘over-powering’ private estate, meeting hears
New Louth County Council social housing on the Ballymakenny Road is “over-powering” the homes of an adjacent private development, councillors heard at the monthly meeting of Drogheda Borough District.
At the June meeting of Drogheda Borough District, Cllr. Eric Donovan said he had visited the Castle Manor estate following complaints about the adjacent Bakery View development, where new Louth County Council housing units are currently being built.
Residents, he said, feel the scheme is too close to their homes and is towering over parts of Castle Manor.
“There are a number of units at Bakery View that are positioned at such an angle that they are impeding on residents in Castle Manor and are in very close proximity to their homes,” he told the meeting.
Cllr. Donovan questioned whether the appropriate planning distances and had been adhered to. He said his own inspection of the site backed up residents’ concerns.
“I stood at the front doors of some of these homes and could clearly see the new units under construction. They are very overpowering, to be fair,” he said.
While there is currently a boundary wall separating the estates, Cllr. Donovan described it as “very small” and inadequate in protecting residents’ privacy.
Instead, he urged the council to consider planting screening trees along the boundary.
“I don’t think it would be good practice to build a higher wall,” he said. “What I’m asking the council to do is plant trees that would protect the privacy of residents in Castle Manor and help keep people happy on both sides.”
Separately, the councillor raised ongoing issues at the Listoke estate, where residents are continuing to deal with the impact of phased construction in the area.
According to Cllr. Donovan, some homeowners have been living in Listoke for up to five years, yet building work is still ongoing, leading to frustration over disruption and a lack of communication.
“They feel there is very little engagement from the developer,” he said. “Some mornings they wake up and the water has been switched off and they haven’t been informed in advance.”
He also highlighted safety concerns, particularly for children, as construction traffic continues to access the estate. Heavy machinery and delivery vehicles share the same entrance used by pedestrians and cyclists.
“Construction activity often begins as early as 6.30am or 7am,” he said. “Children on bicycles are being forced to use the same entrance as heavy machinery coming in and out of the site.”
Cllr. Donovan added that similar issues are arising across developments built in phases, where residents can be left living on active construction sites for extended periods.
“In many cases, builders are working in phases, meaning children can be waiting five years or more before their estate is fully completed and safe to play in,” he said.
The meeting heard from council officials that concerns about Bakery View and it’s proximity to Castle Manor would fall under the planning section.
Councillors were also told that Listoke is still “an active construction site” and would still be managed by the developer.