Dublin, Dublin (FUA), Ireland
City population: 1894440
Duration: 2016 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 90000 m2
Type of area: Cultural Heritage Area, Public Greenspace Area, Building
Last updated: May 2024

The biggest park to date for the new town of Cherrywood in South Dublin is being developed. Tully Park will be part of a major strategic development in the area which will contribute to the economic growth of the county through the development of a vibrant residential and economic community anchored around a town centre. The park will act as a recreational space, and the plan is to create a high profile, high quality and distinctive flagship park with a range of visitor attractions and diverse active and passive recreational facilities. Schedule of provision to be informed by the current Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Open Space Strategy and local needs at the planning application stage but may include e.g. flagship playground, local pitches, courts, tea-rooms, toilets, public art, litter bins, street furniture, interpretation. The development of Tully Park shall be appropriate to the tranquil character and setting of the cluster of national monuments at its centre. The mature trees in the vicinity of the Tully Church complex shall be retained in so far as possible. (ref 1, 3, 5)

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Improving mental health
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

1. Provide a place for recreation and connecting with the environment. 2. Contribute to the economic growth of South County Dublin by helping create a vibrant, friendly, safe, and sustainable residential and economic community anchored around a town centre. 3. Tully Park will serve as a facility for the entire development, containing everyday walking and cycling routes and providing environmentally-positive connections. 4. To create a heritage zone, biodiversity zone, play zone and a passive zone. 5. To open the area for school children and the local community. (ref 1, 3)

Implementation activities

Facilities and amenities in the park include fitness, ecological trails, active and passive recreational areas, a playground with café, a distinctive heritage area incorporating three national monuments. Tully park will be divided into four zones: - A Heritage Zone with Tully Church & Graveyard, High Crosses and their environs, with paths to explore the monuments. - A Biodiversity Zone with lots of native wildflowers, shrubs, trees and informal paths to wander. - A Play Zone which includes a large play area for kids, a skate park and an amphitheatre area for open-air plays or performances. - A Passive Zone with lawns, meadows and wooded areas which make up the majority here, plus winding paths and sitting areas. (ref. 1, 3)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality
  • Private sector/corporate actor/company

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The planning permission for Tully Park was granted by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, who designated Cherrywood as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) and sold the land to the property company Hines Ireland and the investment management firm King Street Capital. The park is developed by Hines Ireland and William Neville & Sons. Apparently, even if the private companies own the land, the nature and design of their projects still need to abide by the spatial planning requirements of the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (ref 3, 4, 7).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The Planning and Development Act 2000 – 2011: On 25th May 2010, the national government designated Cherrywood as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ). When land is designated as an SDZ by a Government Order, according to the Planning and Development Act 2000 – 2011, a Planning Scheme must be prepared by a Development Agency specified by the Government within 2 years of the order. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was specified as the Development Agency for the purposes of preparing the Planning Scheme for Cherrywood. (ref 5))
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The Planning Scheme for Cherrywood, developed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. (ref 2, 5))

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Corporate investment
  • Private Foundation/Trust

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

No

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • More sustainable tourism
  • Increased property prices
  • Attraction of business and investment

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Improved mental health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Preserved spiritual and religious values
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

Ref. 1. Cherrywood (2017). Parks. [online] available at: Source link (accessed 3 September 2020).
Ref. 2. Irish Independent (2016). Two new flagship parks planned for Cherrywood. [online] available at: Source link (accessed 3 September 2020).
Ref. 3. The Campus Cherrywood. Available at: Source link. Accessed on 3rd September, 2020.
Ref. 4. Murphy, F.H. (2016). Construction Is Scheduled To Begin On Two New Southside Parks In The Coming Weeks. [online] available at: Source link (accessed 3rd September, 2020).
Ref. 5. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (2020). Cherrywood SDZ. Cherrywood Planning Scheme 2014 (to be read in conjunction with Approved Amendments 17 January, 2020). [online] available at: Source link (accessed 3rd September, 2020).
Ref. 6. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (2014). Cherrywood SDZ. SEA Environmental Report. [online] available at: Source link (accessed 3rd September, 2020).
Ref. 7. Paul, M. (2015). Planning process for new Cherrywood town centre begins. [online] available at: Source link (accessed 3rd September, 2020).