Identification of potential lands to meet new housing growth requirements in County Louth provided for in the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines for Planning Authorities
Identification of potential lands to meet new housing growth requirements in County Louth provided for in the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines for Planning Authorities
Closeddate_range18 Mar, 2026, 09:00 - 8 Apr, 2026, 23:59
To support the implementation of the National Planning Framework First Revision (2025), the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage issued the National Planning Framework Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines for Planning Authorities in July 2025.
The Guidelines set new annual housing growth requirements for each local authority to 2040 and require planning authorities to reflect these revised housing growth requirements in their City County Development Plan. The Guidelines also set out that “additional provision” of zoning of up to 50% additional land in excess of the baseline housing growth requirement may be reflected in the Development Plan, subject to justification. “Additional provision” is a measure to provide additional flexibility in achieving the baseline housing target and does not change the target. The Guidelines are available here.
In response to the Guidelines, Louth County Council is inviting the public, landowners, homebuilders and other interested stakeholders to put forward suggestions for lands within the County that may be suitable for residential uses to contribute to meeting the revised housing requirements.
Public Submission
Louth County Council is seeking proposals for lands or sites within its administrative area (with supporting information) that:
Align with the growth strategy for the County as set out in section 2.4.4 of the County Development Plan and would follow a sustainable pattern of development provided for in local, national, and regional policy.
Are likely to contribute to the delivery of housing in the immediate term.
Are serviced or serviceable within the next five-year period.
Are located in areas with good social infrastructure and capacity in schools and community facilities or that can provide for the development of necessary social infrastructure.
Support the development of infill housing, housing on brownfield land and/or address vacancy and dereliction.
Have no significant challenges or impediments that would inhibit or restrict development e.g. legal, environmental, topographical or servicing.
There is no guarantee that any land included in submissions made in response to this consultation will be zoned for residential purposes. No land will be zoned purely on foot of this consultation. Lands can only be zoned by way of a formal process to make or vary a development plan.
In this regard, sufficiently meeting the above criteria is not a guarantee that lands will come forward as part of a formal process to make or vary a development plan.
Residential Zoned Land Tax
Landowners should be aware that any lands zoned for residential use may be liable for an annual Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) based on the value of the site. Landowners are advised to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the RZLT. Further information is available here.
Invitation to make submissions
Submissions, including supporting information, identifying lands that are suitable for zoning for residential use, that meet the above criteria and that could contribute to meeting Louth County Council’s revised housing requirements are hereby invited from interested parties during the period:
09.00 Wednesday 18th March 2026– 23:59 on Wednesday 8th April 2026
Supporting information will assist Louth County Council in assessing the development potential, suitability and deliverability of the lands. The following information should be included in a submission:
Ownership details – confirm if submitter owns the land or not.
Site Area.
Any information on availability of services.
Submissions should be kept short and concise and should be no longer than 3-4 A4 pages inclusive of maps
How to make a submission
Submissions may be made online or by post. Submissions must include the name and address of the person making the submission, a map identifying the lands concerned, confirmation of their interest in the lands and, where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company represented.
Submissions must be made in one of the following ways only (late submissions in any form will not be accepted):
Online: Submissions can be made via the Council’s consultation portal at https://consult.louthcoco.ie/ using the ‘Make a Submission’ button.
Post: Submissions by post should be addressed to:
Forward Planning Section, Louth County Council, Town Hall, Crowe Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth A91 W20C
Submissions must be made by one medium only – either hard copy (by post) or via the consultation portal. Email submissions will not be accepted.
All submissions received during the period stated above, which meet the criteria stated above, will be taken into consideration as part of the process of identifying additional lands for residential zoning, where required.
Early submissions are encouraged. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Queries
Any queries relating to this consultation should be emailed to louthcdp@louthcoco.ie
Submissions will be available to view online
Please note that submissions received as part of this consultation shall be available to view (in part or in total) online.
Louth County Council is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts (as amended). If you consider that any of the information supplied by you is either commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, this should be highlighted and the reasons for its sensitivity specified. In such cases, the relevant material will, in response to FOI requests, be examined in light of exemptions provided for in the FOI Act.
Louth County Council is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act (as amended) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In order to assist us in complying with Data Protection and GDPR please include your name and contact details on a separate sheet to the content of your submission/observation.
Identification of potential lands to meet new housing growth requirements in County Louth provided for in the NPF Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines for Planning Authorities
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LOUTH COUNTY COUNCIL
NON-STATUTORY PUBLIC CONSULTATION
To support the implementation of the National Planning Framework First Revision (2025), the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage issued the National Planning Framework Implementation: Housing Growth Requirements Guidelines for Planning Authorities in July 2025.
The Guidelines set new annual housing growth requirements for each local authority to 2040 and require planning authorities to reflect these revised housing growth requirements in their City County Development Plan. The Guidelines also set out that “additional provision” of zoning of up to 50% additional land in excess of the baseline housing growth requirement may be reflected in the Development Plan, subject to justification. “Additional provision” is a measure to provide additional flexibility in achieving the baseline housing target and does not change the target. The Guidelines are available here.
In response to the Guidelines, Louth County Council is inviting the public, landowners, homebuilders and other interested stakeholders to put forward suggestions for lands within the County that may be suitable for residential uses to contribute to meeting the revised housing requirements.
Public Submission
Louth County Council is seeking proposals for lands or sites within its administrative area (with supporting information) that:
There is no guarantee that any land included in submissions made in response to this consultation will be zoned for residential purposes. No land will be zoned purely on foot of this consultation. Lands can only be zoned by way of a formal process to make or vary a development plan.
In this regard, sufficiently meeting the above criteria is not a guarantee that lands will come forward as part of a formal process to make or vary a development plan.
Residential Zoned Land Tax
Landowners should be aware that any lands zoned for residential use may be liable for an annual Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) based on the value of the site. Landowners are advised to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the RZLT. Further information is available here.
Invitation to make submissions
Submissions, including supporting information, identifying lands that are suitable for zoning for residential use, that meet the above criteria and that could contribute to meeting Louth County Council’s revised housing requirements are hereby invited from interested parties during the period:
09.00 Wednesday 18th March 2026– 23:59 on Wednesday 8th April 2026
Supporting information will assist Louth County Council in assessing the development potential, suitability and deliverability of the lands. The following information should be included in a submission:
Submissions should be kept short and concise and should be no longer than 3-4 A4 pages inclusive of maps
How to make a submission
Submissions may be made online or by post. Submissions must include the name and address of the person making the submission, a map identifying the lands concerned, confirmation of their interest in the lands and, where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company represented.
Submissions must be made in one of the following ways only (late submissions in any form will not be accepted):
Forward Planning Section, Louth County Council, Town Hall, Crowe Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth A91 W20C
Submissions must be made by one medium only – either hard copy (by post) or via the consultation portal. Email submissions will not be accepted.
All submissions received during the period stated above, which meet the criteria stated above, will be taken into consideration as part of the process of identifying additional lands for residential zoning, where required.
Early submissions are encouraged. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Queries
Any queries relating to this consultation should be emailed to louthcdp@louthcoco.ie
Submissions will be available to view online
Please note that submissions received as part of this consultation shall be available to view (in part or in total) online.
Louth County Council is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts (as amended). If you consider that any of the information supplied by you is either commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, this should be highlighted and the reasons for its sensitivity specified. In such cases, the relevant material will, in response to FOI requests, be examined in light of exemptions provided for in the FOI Act.
Louth County Council is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act (as amended) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In order to assist us in complying with Data Protection and GDPR please include your name and contact details on a separate sheet to the content of your submission/observation.
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