Multi-million pound plan announced to redevelop golf club

All Ireland property developers Dunloe Ewart and the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society have teamed up to produce an ambitious multi-million pound plan which would transform a large area of south Belfast, it was revealed today.

They are making a joint bid to redevelop Balmoral Golf Club, whose members have invited offers for their 87 acre course, and the RUAS’s neighbouring 33 acre Balmoral Showgrounds.

Under the joint proposal the course and acres around the Kings Hall would be lumped together and the Showgrounds given a much needed redevelopment.

A major hotel complex would be built beside a remodelled Kings Hall and the RUAS outdoor facilities revamped, expanded and realigned to a site parallel to the Lisburn Road.

The remainder of the 120 acre site would be laid out in tree lined residential avenues in a urban village style with a central water and leisure area as well as a new space for public art, Dunloe Ewart and the RUAS revealed.

The scheme was among bids from developers for the golf club which had to be in by noon yesterday.

Alistair Dunn, managing director of estate agents Lisney who, together with PricewaterhouseCoopers received offers on behalf of the club, said there had been a lot of interest.

‘‘We are very happy with the response from developers,’’ he said.

Balmoral Golf Club decided to test the market and invite bids after Dunloe Ewart last year made an unsolicited offer for the club. At the time the developers offered either £33m cash or £22m and a brand new course and clubhouse on a new site.

Judging by prices being achieved for development land recently much more will be needed to secure the club.

CIYMS sports club has just received well over £1m an acre for a small corner of its grounds in the Belmont area of east Belfast.

It got £3.3m for 2.67 acres of its 13 acre ground at public auction - a developer has outlining planning permission for 48 apartments on the land.

Another site of just over half an acre in the Malone Road area recently sold for over £600,000.

Revealing details of the proposal, Dunloe Ewart’s Northern Ireland director Barry Gilligan said: ‘‘It seemed natural to team up with the RUAS and put forward a better planned and more comprehensive scheme that integrates the golf club land with the adjoining RUAS site that includes the Kings Hall and Balmoral Showgrounds.’’

Mr Gilligan, himself a member of Balmoral Golf club, added: ‘‘This imaginative scheme will help solve some of the traffic and other potential planning problems that have been mooted if the golf club re-development goes ahead, while keeping the RUAS in Belfast with new and expanded 21st century facilities.

‘‘A key achievement of this proposal is to bring as much private space as possible into public use.’’

Bill Yarr, chief executive of the RUAS added: ‘‘For a number of years we have been looking at ways to bring our facilities up to the highest international standards. To do this, we have looked outside Belfast and are currently assessing our options.

‘‘This proposed scheme, subject to our members’ approval, would give us the generally preferred option of staying in Belfast and providing superb new facilities to satisfy our agricultural objectives, exhibitions and broadly based community responsibilities in the 21st century.’’

He said the proposed scheme would relieve pressure on local residents, through innovative park and ride schemes, a pedestrian footbridge to a Balmoral train halt and a multi-story on-site car park.

‘‘On balance, we believe this scheme could provide an innovative solution that allows all interested parties to win, instead of peace-meal development that could see Balmoral Golf Club and the RUAS land developed separately with serious consequences for the area.’’

Lisney and PricewaterhouseCoopers will produce a report on all the bids for the golf club and members will then decide which, if any to accept.

They are not expected to make a decision on the options until October.