In light of property developer Johnny Ronan’s recent decision to forgo his extended effort to develop an upscale housing project at the site of Stylebawn, one of Ireland’s long-standing private homes, both the house and its 13.9-acre land are now up for sale. Declan McDonald of receiver PwC, represented by CBRE, is selling the property at a guide price of €4.75 million.
Principal zoning for the property is residential and the land is covered under the local area plan (LAP) for Delgany, Greystones, and Kilcoole. However, attempts to secure approval for development have thus far been unfruitful. In April this year, An Bord Pleanála validated Wicklow County Council’s rejection of Ronan’s RGRE J&R Stylebawn Ltd’s proposal for the creation of 42 flats, conversion of the main house and its gardener’s cottage into two homes, and a separate bid to build 99 apartments elsewhere on the land.
Despite the dismissal of that proposal, the selling agent maintains that the Stylebawn site holds clear potential for a higher density residential development, providing necessary permissions are obtained. A feasibility study conducted by MOLA Architecture recommends that the land could support a compact residential project with up to 90 units, as opposed to the 143 proposed by RGRE. A planning report undertaken by Brock McClure Consultants is available upon request via CBRE.
The property briefly includes both Stylebawn and Clara House, accompanying structures, and the surrounding greenfield lands majorly characterised by woodlands. According to the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Stylebawn House, a protected edifice, is listed as “a detached multi-bay one-and-a-half-story house built in 1773, with extensive expansions made in the mid-19th century.”
Before Ronan’s purchase of the property in 2004, its former owner, John Gaisford St Lawrence, regularly opened Stylebawn’s gardens to the public.
In the past, Stylebawn functioned as the primary coaching inn for Delgany, traditionally referred to as the Delgany Inn. Its identity now parallels with the popular collective dwelling, consisting of Firehouse Bakery, Delgany Grocer, and Pigeon House Cafe, situated just opposite of it on the road. Delganyheritagevillage.com suggests that Stylebawn once entertained Sir Walter Raleigh and is rumoured to house two apparitions – a lady garbed in black lace and a gentleman in grey attire. In 2016, the establishment endured a considerable fire incident.
The village of Delgany and neighbouring seaside town of Greystones, situated close to each other, have observed substantial residential growth in the past few years. This includes a multitude of newly-established housing plans such as Littlebrook, Eastmount, Churchlands, Thorndale, Barnfield, and Melwood all emerging in the area.
Both Delgany and Greystones provide a wide selection of facilities and are conveniently connected by road and rail transport systems. The tenth junction of the N11/M11 is located a mere kilometre from Delgany village, while the Dart commuter rail service is accessible from the neighbouring Greystones.