New public square proposed for Tallaght Town Centre

SOUTH Dublin County Council has unveiled plans to deliver a new public square in Tallaght Town Centre, with public consultation on the project now open.

There are two main parts to the proposed Part 8 development – a new public square labelled as ‘The Mobility Hub’, and an improvement to the public space to ‘Tallaght Cultural Quarter’ around Rua Red and The Civic.

The Mobility Hub aspect of the proposal is located at a parcel of land which has trees surrounded by fencing and a path running through the middle of it, adjacent to Tallaght LUAS stop.

Adapting and improving the use of these lands will “unlock the potential of the sites” and “encourage pedestrian movement through the heart of Tallaght’s Cultural Centre”, according to the council.

Interventions proposed in this part of the Part 8 will support the future Bus Connects Scheme proposed by the National Transport Authority.

The improvement works to the space outside Rua Red and The Civic is seeking to “reinvigorate the urban square”.

This includes the extension of outdoor seating to Rua Red and Betelnut (located in The Civic) cafes to include parasols, tables and chairs.

In the design report, the council has shown furniture proposed “as special pieces throughout the landscape” with the hopes of encouraging visitors into the spaces.

These special pieces include planters, a totem information point, way finder street lighting and a wooden street bench.

Both squares will include new outdoor seating and the idea is that it will “help to animate the spaces for daytime and night-time use”.

Landscaping and development works including public lighting, repaving, pathways, planting and a surface upgrade to part of the Blessington Road are included in the plans.

A tiered lawn is included in the mobility hub aspect of the proposed development and the planning authority plans to retain some of the existing trees while planting a new row of trees to the northern boundary.

“Good horticultural practice will be implemented in order to maximise the expected lifespan of the planting”, is how it reads under the “biodiversity” heading in the design report attached to the application.

These two spaces are a continuation to the public realm scheme from Cookstown to the Council headquarters, as approved by council in 2020.

Submissions or observation in relation to the proposed development will be accepted in written form or through consult.sdublincoco.ie up until September 16, 2021.