The Irish Kennel Club has distanced itself from claims by a property group controlled by solicitor Noel Smyth that it has a “form of development agreement” in relation to valuable club lands near Dublin airport.
The 100-year-old club, which promotes dog-breeding and ownership, owns a conference and exhibition centre at Cloghran adjacent to the airport which the HSE has been using as a coronavirus vaccination centre. The club developed and owns the 18-hectare National Show Centre site and leases a further 12 hectares from the airport authority.
In formal planning papers this month, Mr Smyth’s company Fitzwilliam Real Estate Capital told Fingal county council it was making a submission “on behalf of” the IKC when seeking to change the zoning on the centre to “general employment” from “green belt”. The company also sought a review of public safety zones around the airport, which place limits on economic activity in such areas.
Fitzwilliam’s submission to Fingal on its new development plan raised questions within the IKC ard-chomhairle, the club’s ultimate decision-making body, as to whether a rapid sale of the Cloghran property was under discussion, a prospect some members oppose.
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In a statement on Tuesday to the ard-chomhairle, the club’s board said Fitzwilliam’s submission to the county council was “purely to request a review” of airport safety zone and green belt planning restrictions. “It is important to note that the board of the IKC have not signed any agreement, legally binding or otherwise with Fitzwilliam or indeed any other party.”
Mr Smyth and another property investor with interests in the wider airport area, Niall Melvin, are known to have spoken about the future of the National Show Centre lands at a February meeting of the ard-chomhairle. Mr Smyth declined to comment for this article on his plans or on the Fingal submission, as did Mr Melvin. “I wouldn’t be in a position to divulge commercial information to you,” Mr Melvin said.
But February ard-chomhairle minutes seen by The Irish Times quote Sean Delmar, the club's president, telling members that Fitzwilliam had approached the club's board.
The proposed terms included Fitzwilliam buying the centre for €4 million after three years if the company was not successful in obtaining planning permission and buying it for €6 million if it did receive planning permission. Fitzwilliam would allocate 20/30 days for kennel club events as part of the arrangement on a lease free-of-charge for the first five years, the minutes state.
Responding yesterday to questions submitted on Monday, Mr Delmar said the statement to ard-chomhairle members dealt with the issues raised. He did not reply to further questions.
That statement, published on the club’s website, said the board has appointed commercial real estate agents CBRE to provide a consultancy, advisory, valuation and negotiation service. “We have let CBRE know of Fitzwilliam’s interest and have also asked them to contact Fingal Council to seek out their interest. If other parties show an interest, they will be directed to negotiate with CBRE,” the statement said.
