Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) has granted planning permission for the development of two major parks at Cherrywood in south Co Dublin, marking the first important phase of development for a new ‘town centre’ and 3,800 new homes at Cherrywood. Work is to get under way in the coming weeks, which will see the development of two substantial-sized parks over the next 18 months. Planning permission has been granted by DLRCC under the fast-track Strategic Development Zone (SDZ). The two parks will comprise a total of 35 acres at two separate locations in Cherrywood. Tully Park, at 22 acres, will be immediately adjacent 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 northwestern end of the SDZ and will be similar in size to Dublin’s Merrion Square. An application for a third major park, the 22-acre Ticknick Park, is to be submitted in the coming months. When completed, Ticknick, Tully and Beckett parks will be key recreational and environmental amenities serving the expected population of 30,000 residents who will eventually live and work in the new town of Cherrywood. Earlier this year, housebuilders Cairn Homes and global property investment firm Hines Ireland announced a €30.7 million housing deal for Cherrywood to build homes under the masterplan for the Cherrywood SDZ. The upfront development of Cherrywood’s large amenity zones, as well as roads, pavement and cycleway infrastructure, underpins the commitment to expedite the delivery of the 3,800 houses and apartments contained within the Hines land holdings. A further announcement on the proposed development of 5.4km of new road network to serve the entire Cherrywood SDZ is expected to be made in the coming weeks. A detailed planning application for the new Cherrywood Town Centre, including retail areas, cinema, other leisure uses, restaurants and apartments will be submitted in the autumn. The 400-acre Cherrywood site was acquired in November 2014 with SDZ approval for the construction of a new retail-led mixed use town centre with up to 3,800 apartments and houses; and zoning capacity to upgrade the second largest office park in Dublin. Brian Moran, senior managing director of Hines Ireland, said: “We will break ground on this initial phase in the coming weeks, and in doing so it will raise the flag on what is set to become the largest construction project in the state – a completely new town for South Dublin which when completed will be home to 30,000 people. “We also look forward with equal excitement to additional developments in the coming months with approval for the roads network to serve Cherrywood and our submission of planning in the autumn for the new Cherrywood Town Centre and apartments.” For more information, see www.cherrywooddublin.com.