Big Plans For Little 200-Year-Old Blacklion Cottage

Chrysanthemum Cottage 6JUN19

t’s becoming almost impossible to keep up with the planning applications in this town, as one former home after another is lined up to become another exclusive, expensive and lucrative little mini-estate.

After 2019’s failed application for 9 houses comes a pre-validation application this weekend for 8 houses at Eileen and Fatima Gunning’s old place up in Blacklion.

Eileen & Fatima Gunning vacate OCT10

Filed on December 19th, and with the newspaper notice in, yep, The Irish Daily Star, the most-read newspaper in Greystones, this one just might have been aiming to go under the radar.

With submissions by January 31st and the decision due on February 21st, the new application – filed by Róisín O’Boyle – reads…

Demolition of the existing cottage on the site (92sqm) and for the construction of 8 no. dwellings consisting of 1 no. 3 bed detached bungalow, 1 no. 3 bed 2 storey terraced dwelling and 6 no. 4 bed 2 storey terraced dwellings with a total gross floor area of 954sqm; for all boundary walls and fences, a communal bin store (10sqm), proposed vehicular and pedestrian entrances to the development off Chapel Road and associated footpaths, hard and soft landscaping and all site services above and below ground including connections to existing services.

The entrance in 2019, when it could still be seen…

Sweet.

Back when the 2019 application was filed we stated ‘someone’s got to grab the wheel when it comes to planning in Greystones before we all careen into the very last ditch in town. More houses, sure, given the desperate need, but let’s try and build them where there’s space, where they don’t blot the landscape, and let’s make them affordable to people without two yachts drying out on their rooftop helicopter pad’.

In 2025, we second that emotion. There will be a special commemorative vigil at the last ditch on January 1st. White flags will be provided.

You can check out application no.2561046  for Chrysanthemum Cottage here, the strange and strained history of Eileen Gunning’s evictions here, planning objections here, and catch up on some of the old Greystones homes, still here and long gone, right here.