The wind that shakes Barleyfield's ghost estate

GHOSTS WITH A CHANCE:The chilly breezes of change mean prices may have to fall further at a development of trophy homes in a charming village near Cork city

LITTLE MORE THAN a five-minute drive from the metropolis of Cork city lies the country village of Whitechurch, cocooned by rolling farmland, winding lanes and a deceptive sense of being a million miles from anywhere.

It’s hardly surprising that a place of such bucolic charms so close to the city caught the attention of developers, and by the time the boom arrived Whitechurch found itself zoned and on track for rapid expansion. However, this predictable tale took an unexpected twist when local residents banded together and managed to save their village from being swallowed up into suburbia.

That’s not to say that Whitechurch, located in the parish of Blarney, escaped the construction boom completely. In 2005, there were just 70 houses in the village, and now there are at least four new housing estates, including two brought to market by Castlelands Construction, which is now in liquidation, and two by Dan Buckley Whitechurch (DBW).

However, thanks to the efforts of the village development committee, much of the development that went ahead was lower density than originally intended, and Whitechurch has retained its countryside feel and sense of community.

Of all the new developments, DBW’s Barleyfield stands out for two reasons. Firstly, it is an estate of tasteful trophy homes (if such a description is not an oxymoron), as opposed to standard semi-ds. Secondly, it is the only ghost estate in the village. A newspaper cutting from 2008 stuck on a window pane in the Barleyfield show house describes it as one of the “freshest, most cutting-edge housing estates” to hit the market and says it has raised the bar for new developments in the area.

Three years on, you can still see why it earned such praise. The high, clean lines of the architecturally-designed homes give a contemporary feel, but traditional touches such as timber windows and panelling and sections of stone cladding mean they blend in with the rural setting.

The four- and five-bedroomed houses, some of which stretch to almost 232sq m (2,500sq ft), are finished to a high specification – the light, airy interiors have underfloor heating, hidden, surround-sound music systems and insulation levels that exceed those required by building regulations. Located on the outskirts of the village, the houses enjoy views of unspoilt countryside in almost every direction.

The developers, local landowners Dan and Blaithnaid Buckley, had planned to build 30 houses at Barleyfield in tranches of six, but to date only one phase has been completed. Of these six homes, just one has sold.

On the day we visit, a workman at the only occupied residence says the houses look well. At least the estate isn’t boarded up and dilapidated, he says. It’s true. There are none of the usual signs of creeping dereliction that tend to mar ghost estates. No abandoned quick fencing, no broken windows. Not even a weed to be found. The estate is immaculately maintained and the houses remain in turn-key condition. The only missing ingredient is buyers.

In the middle of the development is a sign that reads: “Your inspiration is our inspiration.” This sums up the concept behind Barleyfield, which was to offer buyers the dream home they would build themselves if they could.

The prices were set at the high end of the market, ranging from €700,000-€900,000. They have since been dropped to €490,000-€540,000, yet the five empty houses remain unsold.

So was the original concept flawed or can the lack of success be chalked up to unfortunate market timing?

“It’s more to do with new homes than that particular area,” says a local estate agent with knowledge of the Whitechurch market. “New homes just haven’t been selling for the last couple of years. It’s very, very slow.” Buyers see better value in the second-hand market, he says.

“The end of the market that Barleyfield was aimed at, with those detached houses, was one I would have thought was particularly affected by the downturn,” he says. Also, prospective buyers with the wherewithal to buy in Barleyfield could also afford to buy in upmarket parts of Cork city such as Douglas and Rochestown.

And if it’s country living people are after, they will probably want the privacy that a few acres provide, rather than just a large back garden.

“Don’t get me wrong. Whitechurch is a lovely area . . . But if you’re moving outside the city and looking for something exceptional, you’ll have a myriad of choices,” he says.

Other developments in the village have also adjusted their prices downwards. For instance, in one new estate, four-bedroom detached homes of about 186sq m (2,000sq ft) which were priced between €550,000 and €575,000 have been cut to €380,000 – substantially cheaper than Barleyfield. In order to sell the remaining units at Barleyfield, the estate agent believes a realistic price would be “sub-€500,000”.

DNG Kevin Condon, the selling agents for Barleyfield, say there have been several positive viewings in recent weeks, but the stagnation in the property market is creating a logjam. All of the interested viewers have to sell their own houses before they can trade up to Barleyfield, said a spokesman for DNG.

A member of Whitechurch’s community association says people in the village would like to see the houses sold and occupied by owners, rather than rented out. She points out that the more mainstream Lavallin – a larger estate of mainly semi-detached houses which was also developed by DBW in the village – proved more popular with buyers.

“Although Barleyfield was the more expensive development, people were saying they preferred the Lavallin houses,” she says. The majority of the Lavallin units are now sold and occupied. “Personally, I think the [Barleyfield] houses are attractive and of course we would like to see people living there,” says Eileen Geaney, a local resident who is on the village’s development committee (part of the community association).

“Because just six were built, they haven’t adversely impacted on the place,” she says. Barleyfield didn’t “pose any difficulty” in terms of planning, she says.

The development committee focused its efforts on ensuring that other new estates were low density and didn’t overwhelm the small community.

Residents were keen to retain the community spirit of the place, and fought to ensure that Whitechurch didn’t become “just a suburb”, she says.

“We would have been active with the city council to urge them to look at the overall plans for the village . . . we weren’t just going to take on a town look without facilities and infrastructure.”

One of the biggest coups was a deal negotiated with Castlelands Construction. In return for the committee’s support for zoning that would allow Castlelands to develop another site, the company bought 18 acres in the village for the community association.

This land has been used for community sports facilities, including one rugby pitch, two GAA pitches, an all-weather pitch and four tennis courts. And because Castlelands subsequently went out of business, the proposed development never went ahead, so it turned out to be a win-win deal for the community.

The net result of the committee’s efforts is that facilities have developed in tandem with housing and development took place at a pace that enabled new residents to integrate into the community.

“I don’t think you can stop development. It’s essential. It’s probably a good thing for places like Whitechurch, [but] it was about having sustainable and integrated development,” says Geaney.

All of this is in Barleyfield’s favour. Not only does the estate still offer buyers the chance to live in a convenient country setting, but it also to be part of a tight-knit village community with great facilities. Realistically, though, DBW may have to drop its prices further if it is serious about selling.