Another Historic House Bites The Dust

Now you see me… WEDS10MAY23

aving tried twice for permission to demolish the 100-year-old Gorteen House and been rejected by Wicklow County Council both times, developer Napier Ventures Ltd had just one place left to turn.

So, they appealed Wicklow Planning’s decision with An Bórd Pleanála.

Who, generally speaking, seem to have a soft spot for developers and their fine works in these here very rich and once-green lands. And so it has proven…

The original application for the demolition of Gorteen (aka Richview) House reads…

The demolition of Richview House (275 sqm); the construction of 4 no. dwellings, including 3 no. 4 bed semi-detached units and 1 no. 5 bed semi-detached unit; internal road layout and associated open space; required site services and utilities; access will be from Bellevue Hill via estate road currently under construction as permitted under PA.Reg.Ref.15/1307 and An Bord Pleanála Ref. PL27.248401 as extended by PA.Reg.Ref.22/540.

In its prime…

Buried on the Wicklow Planning website (every new application really should be in their latest line-up), the Gorteen House case was always a hard one to follow. Its final notice is on the An Bord Pleanala website here, case 316918.. 

And while we have you there, one of the unfortunate neighbours to the Gorteen Way works was curious to note that the developers have a timetable that puts their working day as 7am to 7pm. Which means, of course, that neighbours get to hear music blaring and workers belching as early as 6.30am, as they get a head start on the day.

The curious part is, in the original Wicklow County Council decision, the working day is listed as being ‘0800 to 1800 Monday to Fridays inclusive, between 0800 and 1400 hours on Saturdays and not at all on Sundays and public holidays‘. Neighbours claim to have seen some colouring far outside the lines when it comes to Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, but the bigger concern is the extra two hours added to these daily machine grinds.

We got in touch with Wicklow Planning in May about the two different timetables and the lovely Gillian informed us that the D:Res Properties’ longer hours timetable was the right one. We asked if any of the residents were consulted about those earlier starts and later finishes being introduced, and got the following…

Please note that Planning Register Reference 15/1307 was granted by Wicklow County Council (WCC) and one of the conditions included allowable working hours. PRR 15/1307 was appealed to An Bord Pleanála and one of the conditions included a Construction Management Plan which included working hours to be agreed with WCC i.e. the condition regarding working hours of 8am-6pm Mon-Fri etc. was superseded by An Bord Pleanála’s decision.

Therefore, the Construction Management Plan with hours as detailed in Gillain’s email to you yesterday are the agreed working hours.

So, nope, the great unwashed of Bellevue Hill weren’t consulted – or, it seems, considered. The Gorteen Way developer wanted a longer working day than was agreed to, and, hey, that’s what they got. And then they wanted to demolish the 100-year-old house in the middle of their new estate, and, hey, they got that too.

Nice. Now go learn your Gorteen House history with Stay Clear right here. Before it’s gone.