The Cherrywood SDZ

The Week in Housing 09/05/25

Today I’m very pleased to bring you a guest post based on the Housing Agency’s recent Housing Insights piece on the Cherrywood Strategic Development Zone. The Housing Insights series highlights examples of good practice from across Ireland’s housing sector – showcasing innovative, effective approaches to housing delivery, planning, and infrastructure coordination. Thanks to the Housing Agency’s Nicola Turley for writing the piece and Roslyn Molloy for editing.

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Cherrywood is setting a new standard for how we plan and deliver sustainable communities. With over 10,000 homes planned, accommodating a population of around 26,000 people, a new town centre, three village parks, schools and integrated public transport, Cherrywood offers a clear lesson for practitioners: when infrastructure leads, community follows. The latest Housing Insights paper explores how Cherrywood has delivered essential infrastructure in tandem with residential development—and what housing practitioners can learn from its approach.

Infrastructure First: Laying the Groundwork for Community

A defining feature of Cherrywood’s is its focus on delivering infrastructure ahead of residential development. In the Cherrywood Planning Scheme, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) prioritised the provision of social and physical infrastructure such as roads, parks, school sites and sustainable transport links before housing construction began. By the time residents moved in, the essentials of a sustainable community were already up and running – rather than waiting years for basic services to follow.

To coordinate such a complex project, DLRCC set up a dedicated Development Agency Project Team – a multidisciplinary group of planners, engineers, architects and financial experts. Acting as a single point of contact for developers, landowners, and state bodies, this “one-stop shop” model supported early land activation and ensured consistent implementation of the Planning Scheme.

Phasing with Purpose

Phasing and sequencing were carefully built into the Cherrywood Planning Scheme. Infrastructure wasn’t an afterthought; it was built into the delivery timeline. Key infrastructure like schools and open spaces were required to be delivered in tandem with new homes, with thresholds tied to the number of residential units. For example, school sites had to be transferred before 1,000 homes could be approved. Rather than delivering housing first and chasing amenities later, Cherrywood’s planning ensured these elements were integrated from the start.

Collaboration

Collaboration was another cornerstone. With thirteen landowners, multiple state agencies, and significant environmental considerations, communication was essential. DLRCC hosted regular forums and workshops, giving stakeholders early guidance, resolving queries, and ensuring alignment from concept to delivery. This helped avoid delays and ensured all stakeholders worked toward a shared goal.

Funding to Unlock Delivery

DLRCC funded the required infrastructure by drawing on a mix of government programmes, like the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund and Urban Regeneration and Development Fund, alongside strategic development contributions. In some cases, developers who delivered key infrastructure, such as roads, were allowed to reduce their contributions accordingly. This flexible approach aallowed development to progress faster once key infrastructure was in place.

A ‘10-Minute Neighbourhood’

Cherrywood was designed as a ‘10-minute neighbourhood’, which builds on the ‘15-minute city’ concept popularised by Carols Moreno. While the 15-minute city concept gained international traction post-2020, Cherrywood was ahead of the curve. The emerging data from DLRCC shows that its sustainable travel targets have been exceeded, and higher and more ambitious sustainable travel targets have now been set.

Challenges and Adaptation

Of course, challenges remain. The cost of building continues to be a barrier to affordability, and changes in post-COVID working patterns have altered demand for retail and office space. DLRCC has responded by reviewing elements of the Town Centre plan and introducing planning amendments to adapt to changing needs. For example, car parking requirements are being adjusted to improve affordability, reduce reliance on private vehicles, and support more sustainable development patterns.

Progress and What’s Next

To date, Cherrywood has delivered over 1,600 homes, with more than 2,000 currently under construction. Public parks are open, four Luas stops are operational, Luas to bus interchanges have been secured, and a range of local amenities (including crèches, shops, and active travel routes) are already serving residents.

For housing practitioners, the key takeaways are:

1. Plan and lead with infrastructure

2. Phase development carefully

3. Build collaborative teams

4. Stay flexible to change

Ultimately, sustainable development starts with people. Homes aren’t just standalone units – they're part of a wider network of infrastructure, services, and community life. Cherrywood shows how bringing all these elements together from the outset can create lasting impact.

Events & news

Threshold have launched a campaign for a deposit protection scheme, together with some of the Student Unions. The next in the webinar series I’m running is on cost rental in Denmark - taking place May 21st (register here). It’s conference season. The big ones over the summer are the European Network of Housing Researchers (Paris, June 30th - July 4th) and the International Social Housing Festival (Dublin, June 4th - June 6th). I’ll be speaking at an event on cost rental at the ISHF but don’t plan on attending the ENHR this year. A reminder to any of you who organise housing related events - as I’m no longer on Twitter I’m not finding out about as many events, so please email me if you’re organising something.

What I’m reading

A very important new publication from NESC on compact growth was published this week. Nicholas O’Neill (DCU) had a very interesting piece on the role of investment funds in nursing homes on RTE.ie. I was in Barcelona last week and picked up two new books on tenant activism (Poder Inquilino and El Secuestro de la Vivienda). There only available in Spanish but I’m very interested in this new wave of books reflecting the increasing politicization of the PRS. I’m almost finished the new Jacob Stringer book on the same topic, Renters Unite. It gives a very good overview of tenant activism across a bunch of countries, including Ireland. On the same theme, there is a review in the London Review of Books of Nick Bano’s book from last year, Abolish Landlords.