EMERALD International Equestrian Centre looks set to be wiped from the map, after the current owner James Buckley revealed exclusively to The Irish Field, that he intends to sell all of the building structures and return the property to agricultural grazing land.

It has emerged that despite interest from several potential purchasers, the centre, set on approximately 56 acres in Mucklon in Co Kildare, cannot be sold as a going concern due to outstanding planning issues with Kildare County Council.

Formerly known as Jessbrook Equestrian Centre and previously owned by notorious druglord John Gilligan, Emerald was purchased from the Criminal Assets Bureau by Carlow-based James Buckley in May 2014, who carried out extensive refurbishment before running its sole international jumping fixture – Emerald Irish Masters – in November 2014.

However in January 2015, in a shock announcement, Buckley decided to sell Emerald, citing his reasons as a bad back and ongoing health issues.

James Buckley this week told The Irish Field: “We were aware when we originally purchased the centre that there were some outstanding planning issues but we were given assurances that these would not be a problem to clear up, especially because the building was standing for well over the seven years [statute of limitations on enforcement orders].

“We were told the centre was built bigger than the original planning application but despite several attempts by our engineers to get a copy of the original planning application, we still cannot get a copy of it. It seems to have disappeared.

PRE-PLANNING

“It took us four months to get a pre-planning meeting with Kildare County Council. We submitted the first application for retention of the existing structure in March 2015 and paid over a very considerable fee with the application - as a large part of the building was deemed commercial.

“This application was deemed incomplete as we had applied on the basis that the stables part of the centre was not commercial, they were for our own use.

“The council wanted to rate the whole building, including the stables, indoor and outdoor arenas, as commercial. We argued our case with them and in the end it was agreed that we should send in a new application on the basis that all the seating areas and offices would be commercial but the stables and arena would be agricultural. We re-submitted a new application in May 2015 as agreed but this was later deemed invalid by Kildare County Council as they said they couldn’t find the site notice. The site notice was on the front entrance to the property.

“Our engineers re-submitted a third application in August 2015, exactly as the council had requested but seven weeks and six days later, this too was returned as invalid. The Co Council told us that they were going back to their original decision and now wanted the stables and arenas included as commercial.

“At this stage we have had enough. I feel we are just being given the run around.

“Each of the three applications for retention has been dealt with by different planners and my own opinion is that no one wants to sign off on this and they will never give us the retention. The Co Council also at one stage asked us to send in a whole new planning application for the entire centre, not just for retention, but our engineers advised us not to do this.”

MISTAKES

Buckley continued: “We have also handed over €50,000 for a fire certificate which still has not been issued to us. I have to ask the question, why the State did not regularise this planning issue before I was sold on by the State? I feel we are being punished for mistakes made before we bought the property.

“Our engineers have now written to Kildare County Council informing them that we will not be submitting any further applications for retention. We are going to sell the building itself and return the area to a green-field site.

“We have had several enquiries from outside Ireland since the property was put on the market from individuals wanting to buy the building alone. The size of the 3,000 seat indoor arena at 60,000 square foot, with a 70 metres-wide open span and 120 metres long makes it an incredibly valuable building for a variety of uses, not just as an equestrian centre. Large buildings like this are taken down and transported to new locations all the time and that is now what will happen to Emerald.”

Buckley also added that he was sorry to see Ireland lose what was a world class equestrian facility,

“I am disappointed that Ireland now looks set to lose what is probably the largest indoor jumping arena in Europe. I love the sport myself and this was never my intention when I bought it to sell it on but I am now left with no choice. I haven’t decided yet if I will sell the land afterwards or keep it myself for my own horses.

“If the building is sold for a use outside the equestrian industry, I will sell off the arena surfaces, jumps, lighting, timing systems and seating separately but first option will be given to someone who wants to buy the whole package. The reality is that this building could end up anywhere in the world,” Buckley concluded.

It is still to be decided if the Emerald building will be sold on the open market or at auction, with details of the sales process set to be announced in the coming weeks.