Fanagans Funeral Directors has secured planning for a funeral home in the south Dublin suburb of Goatstown, despite local opposition insisting on there being no need for more such services.
The green light for the Willowfield Park home comes just weeks after fellow funeral directors Massey Bros confirmed it is set to open its tenth Dublin branch beside Charlie Chawke’s nearby Goat Bar and Grill.
Fanagans, which already has a Dundrum presence, objected to Mr Chawke’s funeral home planning application claiming there was no local need for an additional funeral home for the Goatstown area. Its successful planning bid now means there will be two new premises.
Fanagans did not appeal Mr Chawke’s successful plans to An Bord Pleanála.
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Asked to comment on the Fanagans’ permission, Mr Chawke said: “There should be enough business for both. Time will tell.” He said Massey Bros are “very close” to opening their funeral home beside the Goat.
The new Fanagans funeral home is to operate as an adjunct to its existing Dundrum premises.
It had attracted some local opposition. Willowfield Park resident Michael Doyle submitted to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council that the area was “well served by existing funeral homes with a new funeral home planned to open at the Goat site less than [a] one-minute drive from the proposed site at 6 Willowfield Park.”
Mr Doyle said Fanagans also “operate a funeral home in Dundrum, located just under 1km from the proposed site at 6 Willowfield Park effectively serving the same catchment area proposed for this application”.
“We contend that the application for a new funeral home at Willowfield is an attempt by Fanagans to head off competition in the area from a new funeral service provider. There is no local need for a new funeral home in the area,” he added.
“The proposed funeral home is unsuitable for this area. This location is opposite residential housing and surrounded by businesses not compatible with the type of operations typically associated with a funeral home.”
The council planner’s report stated that it took the views of third parties into account, but concluded that the proposed development would not significantly detract from the character of the area.
Fanagans declined to comment.
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