One of Dublin's last remaining urban farms, the Airfield Trust in Dundrum, has unveiled multi-million euro plans for expansion, but says it needs to sell part of its land to developers to fund the project.
The trust, which was set up in 1993 to administer the estate and wishes of Letitia and Naomi Overend, warned yesterday of major cutbacks in its operations if no new finances became available.
Airfield's plans to sell three acres of its land, known as Dudley's Field, has prompted massive local opposition, with over 700 submissions made to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council on the issue.
Critics say the proposed sale may be "the thin end of the wedge" but the trust insists it has no further plans to dispose of land.
Nonetheless, it applied to have much of the remaining estate zoned residential in the council's current draft development plan.
Campaigners want the council to protect the integrity of Airfield as a park and farm by rezoning it as open space or amenity land. Dudley's Field is currently zoned for development as a neighbourhood centre, and the trust says any change to open space zoning would "seriously inhibit" Airfield's future.
Mr John Edmondson, chairman of the board of trustees, told a press conference yesterday that Airfield would "run into the ground" if things continued as they are.
The operation - which includes a working farm, gardens, a restaurant and educational programmes - was losing money and slowly using up the capital provided in the Overends' legacy. Approaches would be made to Government departments to see if State funding was available, he said. However, the trust believes "relying on public or private sector funding is unrealistic and impractical". The trust has assets of about €12 million but the sale of Dudley's Field could raise as much as this again.
Under the masterplan, it intends to realign the estate along an axis to the south-east, with a new entrance from the new extension to the Wyckham bypass. The estate would be remodelled to create a network of new habitats and gardens, and new buildings would be constructed around Airfield House to provide a museum, archive and exhibition space.
Chief executive Mr Brian Dornan said the aim was to create "a unique living classroom experience, indoor and out" for school students, particularly those studying biology and environmental science.
Mr Brian O'Brien, the architect who drew up the plans, admitted the reorientation of the estate was prompted by the fact that Airfield's views of the Dublin mountains had been "obliterated" by nearby apartment blocks currently under construction.
Mr Edmondson defended the residential zoning sought for much of the estate, saying this was just "a contingency" in case current plans did not work out. The trust had no plans to sell any further land and was not in discussions with any developer, he said.
As part of a reform process, the trust is currently recruiting a new chief executive with a commercial background. The five-person board of trustees may also be expanded to bring in new expertise. Mr Dornan said the reason the trust did not want Airfield House, which dates back to the mid-19th century, listed as a protected structure was because it would be "awkward" to adapt and renovate if it had this status.
"There is no agenda here and we have no intention of demolishing it," he said. Rejecting claims that the inheritance of the Overends had been squandered, Mr Edmondson said he believed that if they were alive today, "the ladies would say 'yes' to these plans".
The plans will remain on public display in Airfield House for the next few weeks. Final decisions about the zoning of the estate will be taken by county councillors later this year.
