Cherrywood Public Realm – Ticknick Park

Murray & Associates were engaged by the largest land-owner in the SDZ area to design three of the largest public parks in the open space network: Tully Park, Beckett Park and Ticknick Park. Each of the parks was designed to provide different facilities, spaces and experiences for the future residents, creating a different atmosphere in each park to respond to their context and function in the new settlement.

In general terms, Ticknick Park’s design concept aims to exceed the brief and create a high quality space with a range of facilities appropriate to the spaces that will aspire to foster community spirit; respond to the anticipated needs of the future community in an inclusive and accessible manner; provide walking and cycling routes and sporting facilities of various kinds; enhance habitat values and biodiversity; create inviting, well-designed spaces that afford an opportunity to simply relax and enjoy the environs.

Ticknick Park is primarily intended to provide formal recreational facilities in the form of grass playing pitches.  The pitches will be constructed to a high level of functionality and will be suitable for use all year round, due to a high-capacity drainage system. A path circuit is proposed around the playing pitches, wide enough to accommodate maintenance and emergency vehicles. Adjacent to the pitches will be a changing facility with toilets and ancillary facilities, along with parking for up to 22no. cars (including 2no. universally accessible spaces), and turning space for coaches for team transport, as well as service vehicle access.  These will be accessed by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles via a route from the existing M50 Lehaunstown Lane bridge. Also included in the park layout is a maintenance facility for the whole of Cherrywood.

The importance of external and internal views within the park has been accounted for in the design.  Appropriate planting and the management of existing trees and vegetation (crown-lifting and thinning, pruning of vegetation) are proposed to maintain and enhance certain important views and vistas.