What do we mean by a ‘Concept Park’?
It is important to understand that at this stage (July 1, 2020) the prospects of where a future Community Park might be located is unclear; we understand that ownership of the land at Killegland is under negotiation and any future owner’s plans are not publicly known. Likewise, the position of MCC or the AMDC on possible future options for the use of this land is unknown to us. However, we believe it is still useful to develop a hypothetical plan for how a well-known land-bank might be used to accommodate a Community Park, Sports, Accommodation, Research Zone etc. For present purposes, we designate this as the Killegland Concept Park plan.
So, to make assurance doubly sure, while the model described here is developed with a particular site in mind, we do not know whether there is or ever will be an option of locating a park on that site. That said, the essence of the concept and its attendant ideas are transferable to a different site, or indeed could be distributed over multiple sites. So please view the following more as the description of a concept or blueprint, rather than as a site-specific proposal.
Strategic Land Bank Approx. 241 acres (97.5 ha)
Description
The property consists of a strategic landbank located beside the Ashbourne development boundary. It is bounded by the M2 motorway and the R125 road to the south. The lands consist of 241 acres (97.5 Ha) of top quality free draining lands which have been farmed to a very high standard as a tillage and grazing farm over the past few years. The farm also contains a very attractive two storey residence and a range of useful outbuildings. The residence consists of six bedrooms and four reception rooms and is situated in a most private setting in the centre of the farm. In addition to this there are a range of very useful farm buildings and out houses to the rear of the dwelling house and 2 bed Mews. End of extract from Irish times advertisement.
Killegland Park is the working title given to the Concept Park which could be built on the site.
The Concept Plan envisages using the land to provide Community facilities under three principal headings:
- Amenity (Walks, Gardens, Allotments etc.) – in the short-term
- Sports – in 2-5 years
- Research, Innovation and Learning zones: Health and Wellness zone, Environmental zone, Innovation hub, Remote working hub, Park ‘n Ride facilities, Education zone– a National School, a STEAM-themed park/campus with separate Academies/Institutions/Museums for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts/Music, Mathematics and an Institute of Community Studies) – rolled out with National and Private funding over 3-10 years.
Additionally, we expect that approximately 25% of the land might be used for mixed housing, shops and (long-term) commuter facilities (e.g. Metro Station).