The abandoned clubhouse of a well-known former north Dublin golf course – now overgrown but owned by one of the biggest companies in Northern Ireland – is to be converted into emergency homeless accommodation. Turvey Golf Club in Donabate, the site of which was bought out of receivership by one of Northern Ireland’s biggest companies, is to be used to provide homeless families with emergency accommodation under the remit of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), a Dublin City Council spokesman confirmed on the DRHE’s behalf.
“The proposal for this service was received through the DRHE tender process for emergency accommodation,” said the statement. The DRHE leads homeless services on behalf of the Dublin local authorities.
Tizbur Ltd, a private firm which has provided homeless and refugee accommodation elsewhere in the city, and which has leased the Turvey clubhouse from the landowner, has proposed the move. The 144-acre abandoned parkland course, which went into receivership in 2010, was subsequently bought by a subsidiary of Dromore, Co Tyrone-based Gardrum Holdings called Turvey Manor Limited.
Gardrum Holdings is also the parent company of equipment giant Euro Auctions, which was founded by Derek Keys and other members of his family in Dromore in 1998. It runs specialist auctions of plant and machinery around the world and has grown to a turnover of more than £150m (€178m). In 2022, a £775m mega-deal for the Keys family, that would have seen the auction house sold to a Canadian competitor, was abandoned after it ran into difficulties with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The land at Turvey is currently zoned for high amenity uses, but this does not preclude the provision of emergency accommodation. In 2016, following the purchase of the site, a planning consultant made a submission to the local planning office to have it rezoned to allow for a 200-bed hotel, a conference and banqueting centre, a leisure centre and self-catering lodges. That bid was unsuccessful, as was a recent motion by local councillors that “sought to rezone part of the site to residential with a specific objective to allocate 100pc of the housing arising….to housing for older persons.”
Fingal County Council issued a memo to local councillors last week to explain that the proposed 36-room and 180-bed facility at Turvey would be used to provide emergency accommodation for “Fingal families”.
Turvey Golf Club: A History of Failed Development Plans
“No contracts have been entered into at this time, as a number of items are still being assessed with respect to this proposal, including sewerage connections and transport for future residents,” it said. “The primary focus for Fingal County Council continues to be on the provision of new social and affordable housing, the implementation of homelessness preventative measures and exiting families from emergency accommodation, and we will continue to work with a wide variety of stakeholders in this regard.”
The Sunday Independent contacted both Gardrum and Tizbur for comment but neither firm responded.
The Growing Homeless Crisis in Dublin
The move to convert the former golf course into emergency accommodation comes amid a growing homelessness crisis in Dublin. The number of people living in emergency accommodation in the city has reached record highs, with over 10,000 people currently homeless. This is due to a number of factors, including a lack of affordable housing, rising rents, and a shortage of social housing. The government has been criticized for its handling of the homelessness crisis, with many calling for more to be done to address the root causes of the problem. The government has pledged to build more social housing, but progress has been slow.
A Controversial Solution?
The decision to convert the Turvey Golf Club into emergency homeless accommodation has been met with mixed reactions. Some residents have welcomed the move, arguing that it is a necessary step to address the homelessness crisis. Others have expressed concerns about the suitability of the site and the impact on the local community. Critics have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the project, with questions remaining about the suitability of the facility and its impact on the local community. They also question the lack of detailed information regarding the long-term plan for the site.
The development of Turvey Golf Club into emergency homeless accommodation is a complex issue with no easy answers. The government has a responsibility to address the homelessness crisis, but it is crucial that it does so in a way that is both effective and compassionate. This solution may offer temporary respite, but ultimately it is not a sustainable solution to the root causes of homelessness in Dublin.
What's Next for Turvey Golf Club?
The future of Turvey Golf Club remains uncertain. The project is currently in its early stages, and it remains to be seen how it will be implemented and whether it will be successful in providing much-needed emergency accommodation. However, the project highlights the desperate need for more affordable housing in Dublin and the challenges that the city faces in tackling the homelessness crisis. The future of Turvey Golf Club and its ability to effectively address the growing homelessness crisis in Dublin will be watched closely by many.
