Plans to kick-start a new Cherry Orchard centre

By Maurice Garvey

EARLY-stage plans are being developed to create an innovative retail and employment hub on council-owned land, at the junction of Cherry Orchard and Parkwest.

The project will be spearheaded by community involvement, but if successful it could have major benefits for an area lacking a local retail outlet.

Funding will come from city coffers, and is the brainchild of David O’Donovan, Dublin City Council’s Cherry Orchard Project Manager.

O’Donovan acknowledges the area has suffered from a lack of investment and failed plans in the past, but he is a firm believer in the community itself creating a realistic model that they can take ownership of.

“People need some form of service in the area,” said O’Donovan.

“There is no pub, no post-office, no salon. There is the Lidl on Ballyfermot Road, and shops in Claddagh and Tommy’s, but there is no village centre. Loads of plans for Cherry Orchard have failed over the years, and I would often challenge why we don’t have funding.

O’Donovan has identified open space at the junction of Park West Avenue and Cedar Brook, which has infrastructure, such as roads, lights and bus stops in place to create “a village centre where people can have a coffee, and enterprise to upskill people locally and keep graduates in the area.”

He continued: “Traditionally development started on the outside of Cherry Orchard and dribbled in. You need to flip that, start a hub centrally and move up. There are over 3,000 people living here, and 1,000 within a minute’s walk of the site.

“People need a place where they can drop off their kids at school and pop by for a coffee, have a chat, and go to on the weekends. It’s something people in Park West would also be able to use.”

Members of the community recently went on a scouting mission to Walkinstown, to view the social enterprise organisation Walk.

Walk completely regenerated a derelict building at Walkinstown Green – turning the site into a bustling multi-purpose community hub, complete with a quality café, garden centre, men’s shed, and a range of facilities which are available to local groups and clubs.

David continued: “We have to get into why Walk works, how their ethos works. This needs to be realistic plan, and come from the community up.”

To kickstart the idea, David handed out 1,000 Euro/Cherry Orchard tee-shirts to residents if they provided an idea for the area – receiving 600 ideas to get the ball rolling.

There was a public consultation last week, and more are planned to involve the community in the decision-making process. Even the name of the village centre will come from a local resident.

With a background in community sector and regeneration work, David started his public service career in 2000 in Cherry Orchard in sports development.

David said: “I had a bit of credibility in sports but the ball game has changed. I’m here as a project manager to improve the area. It could take 18-24 months, that’s just the way it works, with planning permission etc.

“Will it be difficult – yes. But you have to draw the line and vhave a different approach. Eventually we will need expertise. Former Mountjoy governor John Lonergan is on the committee. The project has potential for an investor.

“Cherry Orchard has been let down before, but we’ve started to see great community engagement with projects like the motorcross track, skate park, equine centre, and the festival. We’re hoping the community will take ownership of this too.”