Plans Submitted for New Dwellings at Former Glendun Nursing Home in Cushendun

Plans to transform the site of a former nursing home in Cushendun into residential properties have been submitted to the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. The proposal includes converting the derelict Glendun Nursing Home into a four-bedroom dwelling and building two additional semi-detached homes on the site.

The vacant Glendun Nursing Home, located at 16 Strandview Park, is also a listed building and has long been a prominent feature in the area, previously known as the Glendun Hotel. According to the recently submitted application, the site sits at the mouth of the Glendun River, bordered by Strandview Park, Cave Road, the Bay Apartments, and the Cushendun Hotel.

Mark Todd Architects, acting as agents for the project, highlighted the location's historical significance in their Design and Access Statement. "Cushendun is located within a Conservation Area and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)," the statement noted, emphasising the need for careful and sensitive design to maintain the area's heritage.

The Glendun Hotel's history dates back to the 1860s, when Benjamin Maxwell built it for industrialist Nicholas Andrew De la Cherois Crommelin, who also developed a mill complex in the area. The hotel, later purchased by the Elliot family, was converted into a nursing home in 1978 before its closure in 1999. It has remained unused and derelict ever since.

The proposals outline plans to whitewash the existing Glendun building, maintaining its traditional charm with white timber-framed windows and a slate roof. The architects aim to preserve the local character by ensuring that the new semi-detached homes mirror Cushendun's traditional aesthetic, featuring whitewashed exteriors, timber windows, and slate-pitched roofs.

The design aims to harmonise with the surrounding architecture, including the Maud Cottages on Bay Road, creating a sense of continuity and connection with Cushendun’s historic past. If approved, the redevelopment would breathe new life into the former hotel, which has been part of the village's landscape for more than a century.

The planning application is currently under review by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council planners.