The seafront Victorian style home was put on the market by estate agents HJ Byrne last December with a guide price of €1.295m.
The seafront Victorian style home was put on the market by estate agents HJ Byrne last December with a guide price of €1.295m.
A “sale agreed” sign was erected at the property, known as Montebello, in March with the Property Price Register confirming the sale closed on July 16, meeting the guide price.
The move to put the property on the market came five months after An Coimisiún Pleanála dismissed planning permission to then owner, Rachel Carthy, to convert the property into five apartments.
WCC first refused permission on the grounds that “it would be out of character with the streetscape and would intrude on views of the protected structures in the vicinity of the site”.
The council believed the development would “adversely affect the architectural character of the seafront area”, and contravened objectives set out in the now expired Bray Municipal District Local Area Plan (LAP).
The LAP aims to avoid any building that would have “a negative impact on the character of the area, including its natural and built heritage”.
Montebello, Bray, former home of Sinéad O’Connor.
News in 90 Seconds – Friday, October 24
A group of residents opposed the planned apartment scheme, and the planning authority found that the proposal would result in “an incongruous structure in terms of design”.
The commission, which dismissed its own inspector’s recommendation to grant planning permission on the site, found that the scheme would adversely affect the architectural character of the seafront area.
The new application, lodged in the name of Jane Hughes and David Lynch on October 15, proposes the removal of the non-original front porch of Montebello, and the provision of two new bay windows to the front. They also seek to remove the non-original rear conservatory, and replace it with a single-storey sunroom extension.
Permission is also being sought for a single-storey side extension, a single-storey rear side extension and the removal of the existing rear garden room.
The planning section of WCC are also being asked to consider allowing the installation of a commemorative plaque for the late musician to the front boundary wall of the property.
The seafront building has been in the public eye for nearly 20 years when the late star bought it at the height of the property boom in 2007, for €1.7m, only to cut the asking price to €950,000 when she put it back on the market in 2021.
The local authority is due to issue their ruling on the application by December 9.
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