Hines Ireland is this week submitting a planning application for a major road network investment that will mark the first phase of development of a new Town Centre and upgraded Business Park at the Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) in South Dublin.

This first stage will create 150 new construction jobs when work begins next year.

Planning permission is being sought for 5.4 km of new roads while additional applications for 3 large parks serving the new Cherrywood town are to be submitted in the coming weeks. The applications also propose the building of pedestrian footpaths, cycle paths and greenways and the planting of over 3,000 mature trees including oak and cherry varieties which will make for a well established landscape prior to people moving into the area. Tenders are underway with contractors to commence the multi-million euro construction project of the roads and parks in spring 2016.

The park facilities will cover a total of 57 acres at 3 separate locations in Cherrywood. Ticknick Park will be the largest and will include 4 full size multi-code playing pitches; Tully Park at 22 acres will be located close to the planned town centre and will be equivalent in size to St Stephen’s Green; while Beckett Park (13 acres) will be located at the north western end of the SDZ development and will be similar in size to Dublin’s Merrion Square.  When completed Ticknick, Tully and Beckett Parks will be key recreational and environmental amenities for the expected population of 30,000 residents who will eventually live and work in the new town of Cherrywood.

The upfront development of Cherrywood’s large amenity zones, as well as roads, pavement and cycleway infrastructure is also tied to an overall aim to expedite the delivery of the 3,800 houses and apartments contained within the Hines land holdings.

The detailed planning application for the Town Centre, including the retail areas, cinema, other leisure uses, restaurants and the initial 1,400 apartments will be submitted in mid-2016. It is expected that construction on these will commence towards the end of next year.

Commenting on these latest developments, Brian Moran, Senior Managing Director of Hines Ireland said: “This is an exciting step forward for this landmark development and signals our ambition to create a very high quality, amenity-led environment for the residents of Cherrywood. These applications have taken into account the valuable feedback from the public at our Open Days in May 2015. The investment in three major landscaped parks, spanning 57 acres, with playing fields and sports facilities, will make this an unrivalled location for new families in South Dublin. The excellent transport network at Cherrywood, with 4 stops on the LUAS Green Line and direct access to the country’s motorway and national road network make it an unrivalled place to be for both office and retail occupiers, in addition to residents.

We are acutely aware of the enormous public demand for new housing stock particularly in the Greater Dublin Area and we are working closely with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to speed up the delivery of the housing and accommodation elements of the Cherrywood project.

This week’s submission will be the first in a series of planning applications by Hines in the coming months for the 400 acre Cherrywood site acquired in November 2014 with SDZ approval for the construction of a new retail-led mixed use town centre; up to 3,800 apartments and houses; and zoning capacity to upgrade the second largest office park in Dublin.