Cherrywood Town Centre plans move forward as 8.65 acre site goes on market
The long awaited Cherrywood Town Centre could bring hundreds of new homes, major retail and leisure space to Dublin 18, with the key site now being offered for sale following a major update to the area's planning scheme.
Plans for the long awaited Cherrywood Town Centre have moved a step closer to reality, with the central 8.65 acre site now on the market and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council having approved a major update to the area's planning framework.
The site, which covers approximately 3.5 hectares, sits at the heart of the Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone in south Dublin.
It is currently owned by Hines and King Street Capital Management and was placed on the market in June 2026 with a guide price of €40 million.
The sale comes as the planning framework for the wider town centre has also been updated, potentially allowing a significantly larger development than originally envisaged.
A major site in the heart of Cherrywood
The Cherrywood Town Centre site is located beside the Cherrywood Luas stop, putting the future development directly on the Green Line.
It is also close to the M50 and N11, while Cherrywood has an expanding network of roads, cycle routes and pedestrian connections.
The site forms part of the much larger Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone, which covers approximately 388 acres.
The SDZ was designated in 2010, with the original Cherrywood Planning Scheme approved in 2014.
The wider development has been planned as a new urban community, with residential areas, parks, schools, transport infrastructure and a central town centre.
The original scheme envisaged approximately 10,500 homes across Cherrywood.
Much of the surrounding residential development and infrastructure has already been delivered, leaving the town centre as one of the major pieces still to be developed.
Hundreds of homes could be built
The exact scale of the future town centre has not yet been finalised.
A feasibility study for the site indicates potential for more than 600 apartments, alongside significant retail, leisure and community space.
The feasibility proposals include approximately 30,000 square metres of retail and leisure space.
However, earlier plans produced by Hines for Cherrywood Town Centre were considerably larger.
Those plans envisaged approximately 1,300 apartments, around 66,000 square metres of retail space and a 200 room hotel.
These figures should not be treated as an approved final development.
The site is now being marketed to potential buyers and the eventual developer will have to bring forward detailed proposals and secure the necessary planning permissions.
The updated planning scheme does, however, provide scope for a substantial mixed use development.
Planning changes could allow more development
A major development in the town centre area was approved by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council earlier this year.
Amendment No. 11, which focuses on the Town Centre and surrounding area, was approved on 4 June 2026 following a public consultation process.
The amendment increases the potential housing provision in the town centre area by approximately 2,000 homes and makes changes to the mix of uses that can be provided.
The consultation took place between November 2025 and January 2026.
No appeals were lodged following the council's decision, meaning the amendment subsequently took effect.
The changes are intended to help make the town centre more viable as Cherrywood's population continues to grow.
Despite the planning amendment being approved, it does not mean that a particular 600, 1,300 or 2,000 home development has automatically received permission.
A future developer will still need to submit detailed plans and obtain the relevant planning approvals.
Luas connection already in place
One of the biggest advantages of the site is that much of the transport infrastructure is already there.
The Cherrywood Luas stop sits directly beside the town centre lands, providing a connection to Sandyford and Dublin city centre on the Green Line.
The development is also close to M50 Junction 15 and the N11, providing road connections towards Dublin and the south east.
Cherrywood has also benefited from new bus routes and an expanding network of walking and cycling infrastructure.
This means that, unlike a completely new development starting from scratch, the future town centre will be built around an existing transport network.
The proximity to the Luas is also expected to be important as the number of people living and working in Cherrywood increases.
Parks and infrastructure already delivered
The development of Cherrywood has not simply involved building houses.
A significant amount of infrastructure has already been delivered across the SDZ.
Three major public parks, Tully Park, Lehaunstown Park and Ticknick Park, opened in May 2023.
The area has also seen approximately 5.4 kilometres of new roads and pathways constructed as part of the development.
Cherrywood Educate Together National School is already operating beside Tully Park, while additional schools are planned as the wider community develops.
The planning framework also provides for further community infrastructure to support the growing population.
The approach was intended to ensure that infrastructure was delivered alongside residential development rather than leaving a new community without adequate facilities.
Protecting the surrounding environment
The town centre is also being developed within a wider landscape containing important environmental features.
One of the most significant is Druid's Glen, an area of woodland containing rare tufa forming springs.
The Cherrywood planning framework includes green corridors and buffers around environmentally sensitive areas.
The wider development also includes measures for managing surface water and flooding, including sustainable drainage systems integrated into parks and public spaces.
Historic features in the wider Cherrywood area are also protected, including the remains of Tully Church and its adjoining burial ground.
The town centre itself does not contain major historic buildings, but its development has to take place within the environmental and heritage framework established for the wider SDZ.
What happens next?
The immediate future of the town centre will depend heavily on the sale of the site.
The 8.65 acre parcel was placed on the market in June with a guide price of €40 million.
There has been no confirmed sale reported as of September 2026.
Once a buyer and development proposal are established, detailed plans will need to be prepared before construction can begin.
That means the recently approved planning amendment does not mean construction is about to start.
The town centre is likely to be delivered in phases, with the exact timetable depending on the eventual development proposals, planning process and market conditions.
The level crossing changes associated with the wider Cherrywood and DART+ plans are also not expected to happen immediately, with that element of the development unlikely to progress before 2030 at the earliest.
A town centre for a growing community
Cherrywood has changed significantly over the past decade and is now home to thousands of residents.
The original vision for the area was to create a large new urban community rather than simply another collection of housing estates.
The town centre is therefore an important part of the overall plan.
If the proposals eventually come to fruition, the site could provide hundreds or potentially more than a thousand new homes, alongside shops, restaurants, leisure facilities, offices, community uses and potentially a hotel.
The development could also create significant numbers of construction and permanent jobs.
Previous estimates have suggested that the town centre phase alone could support thousands of construction jobs, while the completed retail and leisure area could provide hundreds of permanent positions.
For residents, however, the biggest change would be the arrival of a genuine commercial centre within the community.
Cherrywood already has homes, parks and a Luas connection.
What it has been waiting for is the town centre.
With the central site now being offered for sale and the latest planning changes approved, one of the biggest remaining parts of the original Cherrywood vision is now moving into its next stage.
