8   Heritage

Strategic Aim: To seek the protection, sustainable management and where possible, enhancement of heritage for the benefit of current and future generations and to promote increased awareness of heritage.

8.1   Introduction

County Kilkenny has a rich and varied built, natural and cultural heritage resource. Landscapes, rivers, woodlands, hedgerows, geology, plants and animals are all part of our natural heritage. Archaeological sites and many other buildings and structures such as houses, shops, churches, bridges and mills are features of our built heritage. Our cultural heritage includes aspects of heritage, such as traditions, practices, knowledge and skills, which are an expression of our culture.

Kilkenny’s heritage is that which makes the county unique, what gives it its special character and its ‘sense of place’. It is a valuable economic resource. It is the basis for Kilkenny’s tourism industry, and brings significant economic benefits to the county. Heritage is also vital for the health, well-being and quality of life of communities.

The National Heritage Plan and the National Biodiversity Plan 2011-2016 recognise the key role that local authorities, and locally-led action, plays in heritage awareness and management. A key element of both plans is an enhanced role for local authorities in heritage management, to be given effect through the preparation and implementation of County Heritage Plans and Biodiversity Action Plans. 

Under this remit the Council will seek the protection, sustainable management and where possible, enhancement of the heritage of County Kilkenny for the benefit of current and future generations. 

Objective: To implement, in partnership with the Kilkenny Heritage Forum and all relevant stakeholders, a County Heritage Plan and County Biodiversity Plan.

8.2   Natural Heritage

Natural heritage includes the variety of life we see around us every day, often referred to as biodiversity, including rivers and woodlands, hedgerows, mammals, birds and plants. It also includes geology and landscape. 

Our natural heritage provides significant economic benefits for the county. It underpins important economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism and recreation, and is a core component of the county’s green infrastructure. Protection of the county’s natural resources is regarded as necessary to sustain economic growth[1].

It is the aim of the Council to conserve, enhance and manage the County’s natural heritage including its biodiversity, landscapes and geological heritage and to promote understanding of and sustainable access to, it.

8.2.1   Protecting Biodiversity in Kilkenny

A number of areas in County Kilkenny have been identified as being of exceptional importance for wildlife at a national and/or international level. These areas are protected through national and European legislation.  In addition, certain plant, animal and bird species found in the county are considered rare or vulnerable and are protected by Irish law.

8.2.1.1   Protected Areas of International Importance: Natura 2000

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are being, or have been, designated to conserve habitats and species of European importance pursuant to the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. These sites are part of a pan-European network known as Natura 2000. The designation of candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSAC) is to conserve habitats and species of European importance and the aim of designating Special Protection Areas (SPA) is to protect birds which are rare, in danger of extinction or vulnerable to changes in habitat, and which need protection.

The designation of these sites is the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) division of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Up-to-date information regarding these sites is provided on the NPWS website (www.npws.ie).  Current Natura 2000 sites in County Kilkenny are listed in Table 8.1 and shown on Figure 8.1.

Conservation Management Plans have been drawn up for a number of Natura sites, but for only one in Kilkenny to date, for Cullahill Mountain SAC. Such plans include descriptive information and a management framework section that outlines objectives and strategies. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will be requested to prioritise the preparation of Conservation Management Plans for Natura 2000 Sites which are located in County Kilkenny. This is in order to examine how the Conservation Objectives of the sites can be achieved in the context of the proper planning and sustainable development of the county. 

Appropriate Assessment

As set out in Chapter 1, appropriate assessment means an assessment, based on best scientific knowledge, of the potential impacts of a plan or project, wherever located, on the conservation objectives of any Natura 2000 site and the inclusion, where necessary, of mitigation or avoidance measures to preclude negative effects.

The Council will ensure that an Appropriate Assessment, in accordance with Articles 6(3) and Article 6(4) is carried out in respect of any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site, but likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 site(s), either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, in view of the site’s conservation objectives. 

8.2.1.2   Protected Areas of National Importance

Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) have been designated to conserve species and habitats of national importance under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000. There are also a small number of Statutory Nature Reserves and Wildfowl Sanctuaries in County Kilkenny, established under the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000; these are areas where nature conservation is the primary objective and takes precedence over all other activities. The designation of these sites is the responsibility of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) division of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The boundaries of the protected areas may change during the lifetime of the plan and additional areas may be designated. Up-to-date information regarding these sites is provided on the NPWS website (www.npws.ie).  Current protected areas of national importance in County Kilkenny are listed in Table 8.1 and shown on Figure 8.1.

8.2.1.3   Rare or Protected Species and their Habitats

Certain plant, animal and bird species are rare and threatened and are protected by law. This includes plant species listed in the Flora Protection Order, 1999 (or other such Orders) and their habitats; animals and birds listed in the Wildlife Act, 1976 and subsequent statutory instruments; animals and plants listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive; and birds listed in Annex 1 of the Birds Directive.  For further information on protected species and their habitats see www.npws.ie.

The Planning Authority will consult with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (a) in respect of any proposed development where there is a possibility that such development may have an impact on a protected area of international or national importance, and (b) take account of any licensing requirements, when undertaking, or approving development which is likely to affect plant, animal or bird species protected by national or European legislation.

Objectives

• To protect and, where possible, enhance the plant and animal species and their habitats that have been identified under European legislation (EU Habitats Directive, EU Birds Directive).
• To protect and where possible enhance the natural heritage sites designated in National legislation (the Wildlife Acts and the Flora Protection Order).  This protection will extend to any additions or alterations to sites that may arise during the lifetime of this plan.

 

Development Management standard

Ensure that an ecological impact assessment is carried out for any proposed development likely to have a significant impact on rare and threatened species including those species protected by law and their habitats.  Ensure appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures are incorporated into development proposals as part of any ecological impact assessment. 

Table 8.1 Protected Natural Heritage Sites of International & National Importance
Site Name	Site Code/Ref	cSAC	SPA	pNHA	SNR	WF
Cullahill Mountain	000831	x
Hugginstown Fen	000404	x		x
Galmoy Fen	001858	x		x
Lower River Suir	002137	x
River Barrow & River Nore/ Abbeyleix Wood Complex	002162/000698 002076	x		x     x		x
River Nore	004233		x
Spa Hill & Clomantagh Hill	000849	x
The Loughans	000407	x
Thomastown Quarry	002252	x
Archersgrove	002051
Ardaloo Fen	000821			x
Ballykeeffe Woodland	000400			x	x
Barrow River Estuary	000698			x
Brownstown Wood	000827			x
Clohastia	000830			x
Coan Bogs*	002382			x
Dunmore Cave	000401			x
Dunmore Complex	001859			x
Esker Pits	000832			x
Fiddown Island	000402			x	x
Garryrickin Nature Reserve	000403			x	x
Grannyferry	000833			x
Ice House near Inistioge, Co Kilkenny	002094			x
Inchbeg	000836			x
Inistioge	000837			x
Kilkeasy Bog	000839			x
Kyleadohir Wood Nature Reserve	000405			x	x
Kylecorragh Wood	000842			x
Lough Cullin	000406			x		x
Lough Macask	001914			x
Mothel Church, Coolcullen	000408			x
Mount Juliet	000843			x
Murphy's of the River	000844			x
Newpark Marsh	000845			x
Rathsnagadan Wood	000409			x
Red Bog, Dungarvan	000846			x
Thomastown	000410			x
Tibberaghny Marshes	000411			x
Whitehall Quarries	000855			x

cSAC      candidate Special Area of Conservation                                 pNHA    Proposed Natural Heritage Area

SNR        Statutory Nature Reserve                                               *          Designated Natural Heritage Area

WF         Wildfowl Sanctuaries

SPA        Special Protection Areas

 

See www.npws.ie for further information on protected areas.

 

8.2.2   Green Infrastructure

The term Green Infrastructure (GI) can be defined as strategically planned and interconnected networks of green space and water capable of delivering ecosystem services and quality of life benefits to people.  The South East Regional Planning Guidelines advocate the development of a green infrastructure approach at all levels in the planning system and the preparation of Green Infrastructure Strategies at County/City level.

Green Infrastructure is designed and managed to provide and facilitate the following:

•  a high-quality environment which will provide economic benefits by attracting inward investment and new business
•  high quality open spaces which provide health and social benefits for people through the provision of play areas, safe and attractive areas and routes for meeting, walking and cycling
•  opportunities and space for contact with nature, which is considered essential for good health and wellbeing

•     adaptation to the impacts of climate change and flooding.

•  local food production - in allotments, gardens and through agriculture
•  space for biodiversity (nature and wildlife) to flourish
• a sense of place and local distinctiveness

The emergence of Green Infrastructure planning is a response to the growing recognition of the many benefits which green space provides to society and of the need to plan for its protection, provision and management in tandem with plans for growth and development. It has a significant role to play in assisting in the protection of Natura 2000 sites and biodiversity

Objective:

To prepare and support the implementation of a Green Infrastructure Strategy for County Kilkenny, as resources allow.

 

8.2.3   Nature Conservation Outside of International and National Protected Areas

Much of the biodiversity, and many of our landscape features of importance in the county, occur in areas outside of sites which are subject to legal protection under National or EU law. These habitats and features are particularly important in contributing to the biodiversity, landscape value and sense of place of the county. They also have an important role to play as ecological “corridors” or “stepping stones”, that is, they allow for the movement of species, and help to sustain the habitats, ecological processes and functions necessary to enhance and maintain biodiversity.  They provide vital links and corridors to allow movement of plant and animals between the network of protected sites. These features include: hedgerows, ditches and banks, stone walls, woodlands, estates and parklands, rivers, streams and associated riparian zones, reservoirs, ponds and canals. Such corridors or interconnected networks are the basis of our Green Infrastructure. It is important that these areas are conserved and managed well.

Article 10 of the Habitats Directive outlines our obligations in relation to natural heritage in the wider countryside.  It provides that, through land use planning and development policies, Planning Authorities shall endeavour to improve the ecological coherence of the Natura 2000 network and encourage the management of landscape features that are of major importance for wild fauna and flora.  Such features are those which, by virtue of their function and structure are essential for the migration, dispersal and genetic exchange of wild species and form part of the network of green infrastructure.

Kilkenny County Council has commissioned habitat assessments and Green Infrastructure surveys of a number of towns and villages throughout the county (Kilkenny City, Gowran, Fiddown, Piltown, Johnstown, Urlingford, Ballyragget, Ballyhale, Mooncoin, and Knocktopher). The findings of these surveys are vital to improving our understanding of biodiversity resource in the county and will be used to inform the development management process. Based on the findings of these habitat assessments policies and objectives for the protection and enhancement of the habitats within the local area plan boundaries of Gowran, Fiddown and Piltown have been adopted. These reports are available to view at the Planning Offices of Kilkenny County Council.  Further work is required to be undertaken to map the habitats and Green Infrastructure networks associated with the remaining settlements. 

Objective:

To protect and where possible enhance wildlife habitats and landscape features which act as ecological corridors/networks and stepping stones, such as river corridors, hedgerows and road verges, and to minimise the loss of habitats and features of the wider countryside (such as ponds, wetlands, trees) which are not within designated sites. Where the loss of habitats and features of the wider countryside is unavoidable as part of a development, to ensure that appropriate mitigation and/or compensation measures are put in place, to conserve and enhance biodiversity and landscape character and green infrastructure networks.

 

8.2.4   Geological Heritage

8.2.4.1   County Geological Sites

The Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) has assessed the geological heritage of County Kilkenny and produced two reports entitled The Geological Heritage of Kilkenny (2007) and An Audit of Geological Sites in County Kilkenny,  Phase 2 (2012). Both reports are available on the Council’s website (www.kilkennycoco.ie). In these reports the GSI identified sites of geological and geomorphological importance in the County and recommended their protection as County Geological Sites (See Appendix E).  Some of these sites may be designated by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the GSI as Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) because of their geological interest from a national perspective. In the interim, the Council will seek to maintain the geological value of these sites and to protect, and where appropriate, enhance the geological and geomorphological heritage values of County Geological Sites listed in Appendix E. The locations of the sites are shown on Figure 8.1. 

Development management standard

• The Council will consult the Geological Survey of Ireland when considering undertaking, approving or authorising developments which are likely to affect County Geological Sites.

8.2.5   Woodlands, Trees and Hedgerows

Woodlands and trees are an environmental, economic, amenity and landscape resource of great importance.  They contribute significantly to the biodiversity and landscape character of the county and form part of a network of habitats, ecological ‘corridors’ and ‘stepping stones’ essential for wildlife to flourish and move between and within habitats.  They are also an important part of our townscapes.

The Tree Register of Ireland (TROI) is a database of outstanding trees in Ireland compiled by the Tree Council of Ireland. The TROI identified significant trees in the county, based on characteristics such as age, height, diameter, historical or folklore connections. A copy of the TROI for Kilkenny is available to view from the Parks Department of Kilkenny County Council.

A Woodland Survey of Kilkenny, commissioned by Kilkenny County Council in 1997, identified the amenity potential of woodlands in the county. A copy of the survey is available to view from the Parks Department of Kilkenny County Council.

The National Survey of Native Woodlands (NSNW)

The NSNW surveyed a total of 58 sites in Kilkenny as part of a National Survey (BEC consultants 2003-2008). A range of data types from both the general site survey (e.g. area, occurrence of rare species, presence of hydrological features) and a sample dataset of the trees (e.g. structural diversity, regeneration status) was used to produce a conservation score for each of the woodlands surveyed. 

Ancient woodlands

Ancient woodlands are defined in Ireland as areas which have been wooded since 1660.  Possible ancient woodlands (PAWS) and long established woodlands (LEWS) were identified from documentary and archaeological evidence by the NPWS.  A total of 28 PAWS and LEWS were identified in Co. Kilkenny.    

There are a number of legislative measures which recognise the importance of trees and woodlands and provide for their protection. These include:

i.              Tree Preservation Orders (TPO)

Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, TPOs allow for the protection of trees, groups of trees and woods of amenity value. Trees, which are the subject of a TPO, cannot be felled unless the owner also obtains planning permission.   See Appendix F for list of current TPO’s in the county. This list may be added to over the course of this Plan.  Consult with the Parks Department of the County Council for the most up-to-date list.  The Council will conserve important trees, groups of trees or woodlands, using Tree Preservation Orders, as appropriate.

ii.             Tree Felling

Under the 1946 Forestry Act, with certain exceptions, it is illegal to uproot or cut down any tree unless notice of intention to do so has been given in accordance with the Act.  The Council will provide guidance to landowners on the legal requirements and procedures in relation to tree felling in order to protect the landscape character and biodiversity of the county.

8.2.5.1   Hedgerows

Hedgerows contribute significantly to the biodiversity and landscape character of County Kilkenny. They have an important farming function, they are wildlife habitats, and wildlife corridors between habitats, and they also have historical significance as townland and field boundaries. 

Hedgerows are afforded protection under the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000, prohibiting the cutting of hedges within the bird nesting period (1^st March -1^st September).

Kilkenny County Council has undertaken surveys of hedgerows in a number of areas/settlements around the county, as part of Habitat and Green Infrastructure Assessments, undertaken to inform Local Area Plans. See Section 8.2.3 Nature Conservation Outside International and National designations.

 

Development management standards:

• To protect existing woodlands, trees and hedgerows which are of amenity or biodiversity value and/or contribute to landscape character of the county, and to ensure that proper provision is made for their protection and management, when undertaking, approving or authorising development.

• To ensure that when undertaking, approving or authorising development that sufficient information is provided to enable an assessment of impacts on woodlands, trees, and hedgerows.

• Have regard to, and seek the conservation of (a) sites of significance identified in the Kilkenny Woodlands Survey 1997, and (b) the trees of County Kilkenny identified in the Tree Register of Ireland and (c) Survey of Mature Trees in Kilkenny City and Environs in the assessment of planning applications. d) the National Survey of Native Woodlands and Ancient Woodlands

• Retain hedgerows, and other distinctive boundary treatment such as stone walls, when undertaking, authorising or approving development; where the loss of the existing boundary is unavoidable as part of development, to ensure that a new hedgerow is planted using native species, and species of local provenance to replace the existing hedgerow and/or that the wall is re-built using local stone and local vernacular design.

• Discourage the felling of mature trees to facilitate development.

• Require the planting of native broadleaved species, and species of local provenance, in new developments as appropriate. See Appendix G for a list of native trees and shrubs.               

Objective:

Kilkenny County Council will promote the planting of native tree and shrub species, by committing to using native species (of local provenance wherever possible) in its landscaping work and on County Council property.

 

8.2.6   Inland Waters, Rivers, Streams, Wetlands and Groundwater

The rivers and streams, wetlands and groundwater in County Kilkenny are important for biodiversity and provide amenity and recreational resources, particularly angling tourism. Groundwater is important for supplying water and maintaining wetlands and river flows in dry periods. The County’s rivers and streams and are also a key component of our Green Infrastructure (see section 8.2.2).

The Rivers Barrow, Nore and Suir (known as the “Three Sisters”) are the principal rivers flowing through County Kilkenny.  They are protected heritage sites under European legislation – all being designated as cSACs and with part of the River Nore designated as an SPA, see Section 8.2.1.1 above.  The rivers of the county are susceptible to impacts from developments carried out at geographically remote areas outside of the site boundary through hydrological links with the designated site, including water abstraction, discharges from wastewater treatment plants, surface water or surface water attenuation. 

The development of riverside walks has enabled greater access to the waterways corridors, whilst the rivers themselves are used for water-pursuits including angling, boating, canoeing and kayaking, and swimming.  The rivers also provide a rich landscape setting for the towns and village of the county and are often the primary green infrastructure network in urban settings.  The economic benefits of the rivers are significant.  In 2010 some 127,000 overseas visitors engaged in angling while in Ireland, resulting in a spend of €89 million[2].  Kilkenny County Council has undertaken a heritage audit of the River Nore, identifying and mapping the built, natural and cultural heritage of the River Nore corridor in County Kilkenny.  See section 7.2.3.2 for further details.  The data from the audit is being used to inform an interpretative strategy for the River Nore corridor, funded by Kilkenny County Council and Trail Kilkenny.

Because of their importance all rivers and streams will be maintained in an open semi-natural condition, wherever possible. Their corridors and valleys will be protected and maintained for their biodiversity and landscape values, including flood protection where practicable.  The natural floodplains along the rivers serve as buffer areas and also as flood attenuation areas. In partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Waterways Ireland and other relevant stakeholders the Council will facilitate public access to, and understanding of, waterways corridors and wetlands where feasible and appropriate.

Development management standard

• To consult with Inland Fisheries Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service prior to undertaking, approving or authorising any works or development which may have an impact on rivers, streams and waterways.
• Proposals must demonstrate that they will not adversely affect any habitats and/or species of interest or compromise the river’s function as a green infrastructure corridor. 

8.2.7   Peatlands

Peatlands are important ecosystems sustaining a range of animal and plant species.  The distribution of peatland in Kilkenny is shown on Figure 8.3.  This amounted to approximately 1.3% of the total land area of Co. Kilkenny in 2006.  There is no industrial extraction of peat for energy and horticulture in Kilkenny, however damage to peatland can occur from domestic peat extraction, afforestation, wind farms, recreational activities and invasive species.

Development Management Standard

To protect peatlands from inappropriate development having regard to their amenity and biodiversity value and their visual sensitivity. 

 

8.2.8   Invasive Species

Invasive non-native plant and animal species (animals and plants that are introduced accidently or deliberately into a natural environment where they are not normally found) are a significant threat to biodiversity. They can negatively impact on native species, can transform habitats and threaten ecosystems causing serious problems to the environment, buildings and the economy. The current estimate of the annual cost of invasive species in Ireland is €261 million[3].  There is potential for the spread of invasive species during development works and recreational activities. A number of invasive species are prevalent in Kilkenny. For more information on invasive species see (www.invasivespeciesireland.com).  The Council will raise awareness of, and promote best practise in the control of, invasive species.

Development management standard

Ensure, as far as is possible, that the potential for spread of invasive species is examined as part of any application. 

8.2.9   Native Plant Species

Where possible, the use of native plants and seeds from indigenous seed sources should be used on all developments and landscape projects/treatments. This is important as it:

• Contributes to national commitments on the conservation of biological diversity by establishing native habitats and reducing the planting and dispersion of non-native plants
• Ensures a reduction in the threat posed by the importation of pests and diseases carried on non-native (and non-indigenously sourced) plant material, which have potential for major impact on native flora and fauna, the landscape, agriculture and forestry
• Restores or compensates for loss of habitat
• Maintains regional identity, landscape character and diversity

Development Management Standard

• To promote the use of native plants and seeds from indigenous seed sources in all landscape projects

8.2.10   Landscape

"Landscape" is defined as an area whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.  The landscape of County Kilkenny is a dynamic and valuable resource which incorporates all aspects of the natural, built and cultural heritage. Landscapes provide a sense of place and characterise the county for local residents and visitors alike both in terms of a place to live and also for recreational and tourism purposes.

Developments by their nature are likely to have some varying degree of visual impact on a landscape’s character profile depending on the type, use and scale of development proposed. It is important that Kilkenny’s landscape as a resource is sensibly managed and protected.  Consequently, the onus shall be on the developer to satisfactorily demonstrate that such new development can be adequately absorbed into its surrounding landscape without significant adverse visual impacts to its overall landscape value.

The County’s landscapes offer a significant economic asset, in particular, the agricultural and tourism potential of the rivers and upland landscapes. The protection and promotion of the landscape as an economic product is therefore critical.

The European Landscape Convention promotes the protection, management and planning of European landscapes. The Convention was adopted by the Council of Europe in October 2000 and came into force in March 2004.   The Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht has signalled its intention to publish a National Landscape Strategy, and in September 2011 it published a public consultation paper on the issues to be considered in the preparation of the strategy[4].  The Council will support and implement the provisions of the National Landscape Strategy following its publication.

8.2.10.1   Landscape Character Assessment

Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) is a process which describes, maps and classifies landscapes objectively.  Defining landscape character enables an understanding to be formed of the inherent value and importance of individual landscape elements and the processes that may alter landscape character in the future.

Having regard to the European Landscape Convention a Landscape Character Assessment report was prepared for County Kilkenny in 2003 (in accordance with the Landscape and Landscape Assessment Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2000[5]).  The Landscape Character Assessment identified four landscape character types, which are subdivided into 14 landscape character areas, with some areas identified as being of special landscape character value and also identified features and areas of high landscape sensitivity.

Objective:

To protect and sustainably manage the landscape character of County Kilkenny, having regard to the findings of the landscape character assessment and the development management standards as set out in this chapter for the sustainable development of the county and appropriate conservation of its landscape character.

8.2.10.2   Landscape Character Types

Landscape Character Types are distinct types of landscape that are relatively homogenous in character and are generic in nature in that they may occur in different localities throughout the county, but share similar combinations of geology, topography, land cover and historical land use, for example, Upland Areas.

The Landscape Character Assessment divides the county into four landscape character types (LCTs). These are:

• Upland Areas,
• Lowland Areas,
• River Valleys, and
• Transitional Areas.  

8.2.10.3   Landscape Character Areas

LCTs are sub-divided into 14 geographically specific Landscape Character Areas.  Landscape character areas and types are identified in Figure 8.2 (for further details please refer to the Landscape Character Assessment, which formed Appendix C to the 2008 Development Plan, and is reproduced in full on the Council’s website[6] and available for inspection at the Planning Section of the Council).  Landscape Character Areas are units of the landscape that are geographically specific and have their own character and sense of place. Each has its own distinctive character, based upon patterns of geology, landform, landuse, cultural, historical and ecological features.

8.2.10.4   Landscape Character Values

In addition to the physical and visual characteristics of the landscape, communities or individuals attach certain values to the landscape.  Landscape values can be described as the environmental or cultural benefits (including services and functions) derived from various landscape attributes. 

Landscape Areas of Highly Scenic and Significant Visual Amenity Value

The Landscape Character Assessment identified a landscape value for each of the Landscape Character Areas.  It highlights the special landscape value of several of the Landscape Character Areas illustrated in Figure 8.2 – in particular Brandon Hill Uplands and the River Valley Areas of the Rivers Nore, Barrow and Suir have been identified as being highly scenic and as having significant visual amenity value and tourism potential within the county. 

Objective:

To ensure that development within the Landscape Character Areas of Brandon Hill Uplands and the River Valleys of the Nore, Barrow and Suir, which are highly scenic and of significant visual amenity value, are carefully sited and designed and can be successfully assimilated into the landscape.

8.2.10.5   Landscape Character Sensitivity

The sensitivity of the Landscape Character Areas is defined as its overall resilience to sustain its character in the face of change and its ability to recover from loss or damage to its components. 

Areas of Greater Sensitivity

The Landscape Character Assessment identified areas throughout the county that are highly sensitive to development and have a low capacity for change.  These areas are identified on Figure 8.3.  These areas take account of areas of higher altitude in the county and of land cover.  In general areas of elevated topography, with low growing or sparse vegetation and little existing development are landscapes of high sensitivity and have a low potential to absorb new development.

Sensitive land-use categories include areas which are open and exposed with sparse or low growing vegetation cover which is insufficient to provide screening.  Even if planting is introduced, the exposed nature of these areas will not support any significant tall vegetation.  Due to this, any development would be visible over a wide area.  The exception to this are broadleaved, mixed forest and transitional woodland scrub areas which do support tall vegetation with potential to screen development.  However these categories area sensitive due to their natural character and their longevity in the landscape; any loss to their structure (for example, through felling) would have a visual impact over a wide area. 

Development Management Standard:

To maintain the visual integrity of areas of greater sensitivity in the county and ensure that any development in these areas is appropriately sited and designed.  Applicants shall demonstrate that the proposed development can be assimilated into the landscape and will not have a disproportionate visual impact on the landscape. 

8.2.10.6   Views and Prospects 

There is a need to protect and conserve views and prospects adjoining public roads and river valleys throughout the county where these views are of high amenity value.  In conserving views, it is not proposed that this should give rise to the prohibition of development along these routes but development, where permitted, should not seriously hinder or obstruct these views and should be designed and located to minimise their impact.   The views and prospects to be protected are contained in Appendix H to the Plan and are shown on Figure 8.2.

Objective:

To preserve and improve places or areas from which views or prospects of special amenity value exist, as identified in Appendix I and on Figure 8.2. 

Development Management Standards:

• To seek to protect the landscape character, quality and local distinctiveness of County Kilkenny, and have regard to the guidance set out in the Landscape Character Assessment.

• To require that an application is accompanied by any necessary assessments, including a visual impact assessment, as part of a development proposal particularly in upland areas, river valleys and areas of greater sensitivity.

• To facilitate appropriate development that reflects the scale, character and sensitivities of the local landscape throughout the county, and require that developments minimise the loss of natural features such as trees, hedgerows and stone walls.

• To facilitate, where appropriate, developments that have a functional and locational natural resource requirement to be situated on steep or elevated sites (e.g. reservoir, telecommunications or wind energy structures) with reference to the appropriate County strategies currently in place, and to ensure that any residual adverse visual impacts are minimised or mitigated.

In the case of telecommunications infrastructure proposals in landscape areas of highly scenic value or greater sensitivity the developer shall demonstrate an overriding technical need for the equipment which cannot be met by sharing of existing authorised equipment in the area and the equipment is of a scale and is sited, designed and landscaped in a manner which minimises adverse visual impacts. (See section 9.4.2 Telecommunications Antennae)

• To ensure that development in upland areas or on steep slopes will not have a disproportionate or dominating visual impact (due to excessive bulk, scale or inappropriate siting) and will not significantly interfere or detract from protected views, see Appendix H.

• To have particular regard to the potential impacts of new development on sensitive upland areas, and to materially consider the difficulty of establishing and maintaining screening vegetation when assessing development proposals in these areas.

• To continue to permit development that can utilise existing structures and settlement areas whilst taking account of the local visual absorption opportunities provided by existing topography and prevailing vegetation and to direct new development whenever possible towards the vicinity of existing structures and mature vegetation in the Lowland Areas, River Valleys and Transitional Areas.

• To recognise that in the Lowland Areas which are comprised of low lying open environments, tall and bulky development sometimes can have a disproportionate impact against the landscape particularly when viewed from the predominantly low lying areas of the public realm. Visually obtrusive and/or insensitive development shall be discouraged in such instances.

• To ensure that development in the River Valleys will not adversely affect or detract from either protected views (see Appendix H) (especially from bridges) or distinctive linear sections of river valleys (especially open floodplains) when viewed from settlements.

8.3  Built Heritage

Built heritage includes all man-made features, buildings, and structures in the environment.  It includes our rich and varied archaeological and architectural heritage.

8.3.1   Archaeological Heritage

Archaeology is defined as the study of past people through the physical traces left by them in the landscape, often in the form of monuments, sites, features or objects. Our archaeological heritage contributes to our understanding of our past and also to our cultural, educational and tourism assets. Archaeological sites and monuments vary in form and date. They include earthworks (e.g ringforts), megalithic sites; Fulachta Fiadh; early Christian ecclesiastical sites, churches, graveyards, medieval buildings; castles, industrial archaeology and underwater sites. Archaeological remains may not always be isolated finds or sites but may have been linked at one time with other archaeological monuments in the immediate vicinity or sometimes in more distant locations – creating historic landscapes.  The Council will promote awareness of, and facilitate access to, the archaeological inheritance of County Kilkenny and will provide guidance to developers and property owners regarding the archaeological implications of proposed developments.

The National Monuments Acts 1930 – 2004 provide for the protection of the archaeological heritage. The principles set out in the Framework and Principles for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (1999) provide the national policy framework in relation to archaeological heritage. 

There are different levels of monument protection under the National Monuments Acts. A level of universal protection is afforded to all monuments listed in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP). A lesser number of monuments are accorded a higher level of protection, that is, some are entered on the Register of Historic Monuments, and some are deemed to be of national significance and are National Monuments. While the RMP lists those sites above and below ground that are known to exist, due to the time span and density of human settlement in Co. Kilkenny the possibility always exists of finding previously unrecorded archaeology.

The RMP for County Kilkenny can be viewed in the Council’s Planning Department and online at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht’s website www.archaeology.ie.

A list of National Monuments in State Care^[7] is available at:

 http://archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/NationalMonumentsinStatecarebycounty/

 

A list of Monuments subject to Preservation Orders is available at:

http://www.archaeology.ie/media/archeologyie/PDFS/PO10V1_AllCounties.pdf

Archaeological structures may, in some situations, be considered as architectural heritage and, therefore, may appear on both the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) and the Record of Protected Structures (RPS). This means that these structures are protected by both the National Monuments Acts and the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2010.

8.3.1.1   Walled Towns

County Kilkenny has a rich medieval heritage and contains a number of walled towns and villages, of which Kilkenny city is perhaps the best known.  There are also other towns and villages throughout the county which are known to have been walled, including Callan, Gowran, Inistioge and Thomastown[8]. Town defences are considered to be monuments for the purposes of the National Monuments Acts, 1930-2004. The Council will support the National Policy on Town Defences[9] which sets out national policy for the protection, preservation and conservation of the defences of towns and cities.

8.3.2   Industrial Archaeology

Kilkenny has a wealth of industrial archaeological sites - sites of past industrial activity.  This includes sites and machinery relating to extractive industries (e.g. mines and quarries), manufacturing (e.g. corn and textile mills), service industries (e.g. main drainage, water supply, gas, electricity), power (windmills, watermills, steam engines) and transport and communications (e.g. roads, bridges, railways, canals, harbours, airfields).  Although some of this heritage extends back to prehistoric times, most of what now survives relates to the last 250 years, the period during which Ireland became progressively industrialised. 

An Industrial Archaeology Survey of County Kilkenny (1990) was commissioned by Kilkenny County Council and this identified significant sites which have since been added to the Record of Protected Structures.  Contact the Heritage Office of the County Council for further details.

OBJECTIVES

• Protect archaeological sites and monuments (including their setting), underwater archaeology, and archaeological objects, including those that are listed in the Record of Monuments and Places, and in the Urban Archaeological Survey of County Kilkenny or newly discovered sub-surface and underwater archaeological remains.

Development management standards

• Endeavour to preserve in situ all archaeological monuments, whether on land or underwater, listed in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP), and any newly discovered archaeological sites, features, or objects by requiring that archaeological remains are identified and fully considered at the very earliest stages of the development process and that schemes are designed to avoid impacting on the archaeological heritage.

• To require archaeological assessment, surveys, test excavation and/or monitoring for planning applications in areas of archaeological importance if a development proposal is likely to impact upon in-situ archaeological monuments, their setting and archaeological remains.

• Ensure that development within the vicinity of a Recorded Monument is sited and designed appropriately so that it does not seriously detract from the setting of the feature or its zone of archaeological potential. Where upstanding remains of a Recorded Monument exist a visual impact assessment may be required to fully determine the effect of any proposed development.

• Require the retention of surviving medieval plots and street patterns and to facilitate the recording of evidence of ancient boundaries, layouts etc. in the course of development.

• Safeguard the importance of significant archaeological or historic landscapes from developments that would unduly sever or disrupt the relationship, connectivity and/or inter-visibility between sites.

 

8.3.3   Conservation Plans

Conservation Plans have been prepared for significant archaeological and architectural sites in County Kilkenny. These include St. Lachtain’s Church, Freshford[10] and Newtown Jerpoint[11]. 

Objective:

To facilitate and support the implementation of existing (and any further) conservation plans, as resources allow. 

 

8.3.4   Historic Graveyards

The historic graveyards of Kilkenny, in addition to being the resting places of our ancestors, are an important part of the heritage of the county.  They contain a wealth of architectural and archaeological features and are refuges for many species of plant and animal. Most historic graveyards are afforded legal protection through the National Monuments (Amendment) Acts or the Planning and Development Acts.

Kilkenny County Council commissioned an inventory of the historic graveyards of the County.  The data from this survey has been mapped and is available at for inspection on the council’s website[12].  In addition, recordings of the headstone in historic graveyards have been collected by community groups with support from the Council and can be accessed at www.historicgraves.ie.  

“Guidance for the Care, Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards” (Heritage Council, 2010) provides best practice guidance and advice on caring for and recording historic graveyards[13].  The Council will conserve and protect historic graveyards and churches within Kilkenny and encourage their maintenance in accordance with conservation principles and as resources allow.

8.3.4.1   Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes

 Historic gardens and designed landscapes are of natural heritage, architectural, landscape, cultural and historical importance. In addition, they are often the important setting of a Protected Structure. 

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) has carried out a preliminary survey of historic gardens and designed landscapes in 2003-2005. A total of 196 potential historic gardens and designed landscape sites in County Kilkenny were identified.  For further information see http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/Surveys/Gardens/

Development management standard

To seek the protection, and enhancement of significant historic gardens, parklands and designed landscapes in the county, their setting and views to and from them

 

8.3.5   Architectural Heritage

8.3.5.1   Record of Protected Structures

Protecting architectural heritage is an important function of the planning authority, particularly in a county like Kilkenny where the built heritage has such a strong role to play in ensuring the continued economic prosperity of the place.  Each development plan must include policy objectives to protect structures or parts of structures of special interest within its functional area.  The primary means of achieving this is to include a Record of Protected Structures (RPS) for the functional area within the development plan.  A planning authority is obliged to include in the RPS every structure, which, in its opinion, is of architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest. 

A protected structure, unless otherwise stated in the RPS, includes the interior of the structure, land lying within the curtilage, any other structures lying within that curtilage and their interiors, plus all fixtures and features which form a part of the interior or exterior of any of these structures.

Works which would in the opinion of the planning authority have a material effect on the character of the protected structure require planning permission.  Those with an interest in a protected structure may seek a Declaration under Section 57(2) which would offer practical guidance in relation to the protection of the structure.  Section 57(10)(b) of the Planning and Development 2000 provides that permission may only be granted for the demolition of a protected structure in exceptional circumstances.

There are now approximately 700 buildings, structures and features listed in the RPS and the Record will continue to be added to as structures, buildings and features of special interest are identified and as resources permit.  The RPS (as correct at time of publication) is listed in Appendix I.

 

8.3.5.2   National Inventory of Architectural Heritage

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) survey for Kilkenny was published in 2006. The planning authority is obliged to consider for inclusion in its Record of Protected Structures any buildings rated as being of Regional, National or International importance by the NIAH. Kilkenny City and County Councils are continuing to process, on a phased basis, the addition to the RPS of all NIAH buildings recommended for inclusion by the Minister.  This may be done as part of the development plan review process or separately under Section 55 of the Planning and Development Act.

Objectives

• To ensure the protection of the architectural heritage of County Kilkenny by including all structures considered to be of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest in the Record of Protected Structures.
• To respond to the Ministerial recommendation to include in the Record of Protected Structures, structures which have been identified as being of Regional, National or International significance in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage survey of the city and county published in 2006.
• To carry out a review of the Record of Protected Structures.

 

Development management standard

• The Council will have regard to the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines[14] when assessing proposals for development affecting a protected structure.
• To require an architectural impact assessment/conservation method statement for developments within the grounds of country house estates which are Protected Structures. 
• To encourage the sympathetic retention, reuse and rehabilitation of protected structures and their setting.

8.3.6   Architectural Conservation Areas

Each development plan must include a policy objective to preserve the character of Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) within its functional area.  An ACA is a place, area, group of structures or townscape, taking account of building lines and heights, that is of special architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical interest or that contributes to the appreciation of a protected structure, and whose character it is an objective of the development plan to preserve. 

There are ACA’s within Bennettsbridge, Callan, Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh, Thomastown, Gowran, Freshford, Inistioge and Ballyragget which were identified during the preparation of Local Area Plans for these villages. It is proposed to designate an ACA for Johnstown in this plan.  There may be other ACA’s designated within the lifetime of this county development plan. The Local Area Plans for Ballyragget, Freshford and Inistioge designated ACAs for these towns and these are incorporated into this plan.  Each ACA is given a description, statement of character and set of policies. The ACAs for Callan, Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh, Thomastown and Gowran are set out in the local area plans for those towns which were published in 2009 and 2010.

A general set of policies for all ACAs within the County is set out below. A statement of character has been devised for each of these ACAs in order to identify the character elements that are worthy of protection. Any works proposed within an ACA which would affect the special character of the area or works outside the ACA which would affect the setting of the ACA may not be considered exempted development. For example replacement of timber sash windows with inappropriate alternatives (eg uPVC) would not be exempted development within an ACA and development outside an ACA which may affect views into or out of the ACA thereby affecting its special character may not be exempted development. Guidance on the criteria the planning authority will use to assess proposals for new development and proposals for demolition within an ACA are given in section 3.10 of the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines.

The following table lists the conservation areas in the county.

 

Table 8.2 Architectural Conservation Areas, County Kilkenny (excluding Kilkenny city)

Ballyragget

Callan

Castlecomer

Freshford

Gowran

Graiguenamanagh

Inistioge

Johnstown (proposed)

Thomastown

Implications for Planning and Development

The objective of the ACA designation is to protect the special character of an area through rigorous control and positive management of any changes made to the built environment.  Owners and occupiers of non-protected structures in any ACA should be aware that works which in the opinion of the planning authority would materially affect the character of the area as outlined here would require planning permission under Section 82(1) of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

General ACA Objectives

• To ensure the preservation of the special character of each ACA listed (Table 8.3)above and within the county particularly with regard to building scale, proportions, historical plot sizes, building lines, height, general land use, building materials, historic street furniture and paving.

• To designate ACAs where appropriate and provide a local policy framework for the preservation of the character of these areas.

General ACA Development Management Guidance

• To have regard to the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines, when assessing proposals for development affecting the character of an ACA
• To ensure the retention, repair rather than replacement and the regular maintenance of original/early features in buildings which contribute to the character of an ACA such as chimney stacks, roof coverings, roof profiles, external wall treatments, doors and windows, shopfronts and pubfronts and to ensure the use of appropriate materials and repair techniques when repairs are being carried out.
• To ensure that inappropriate materials such as windows, doors and rainwater goods constructed in aluminium or uPVC are not introduced to buildings within ACAs.
• To encourage high quality, contemporary design and materials where appropriate when new buildings are being introduced into an ACA and the retention of the historic scale and plot size
• To ensure the preservation of the character of an ACA when assessing proposals for advertising
• To retain historic items of street furniture where they contribute to the character of the ACA and to protect historic items of street furniture and roadside items as appropriate.
• To ensure the conservation of historic shopfronts and pubfronts.  Where replacement is necessary, to encourage the introduction of shopfronts and pubfronts of contemporary high quality design and materials.
• To seek the retention of mature trees/significant planting (those in good condition) which contribute to the character of each ACA where appropriate. 

 

8.3.6.1   Ballyragget ACA

Description and historical Background

Ballyragget is the Anglicised version of Béal Átha Ragadh meaning mouth of Ragget’s Ford and it takes its name from Richard le Ragget, an Anglo-Norman landowner who held these lands in the 13th century. The layout of the town lends support to its Anglo Norman origins.  The Square was originally laid out as a wide main street to accommodate markets and the famous ‘fair day’ which took place here right up to the 1960s when people bought and sold farm animals.

Older names of the settlement include 'Donoughmore' (Irish: Domhnach Mór 'Large Church'). There is some debate as to the meaning of Donoughmore. The very first Journal of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society "Old Kilkenny Review, Number 1 (1946–1947) January 1948" has an article about Ballyragget and its environs and states the belief that Domhnach Mór means Big Sunday and relates to the fact that thousands of people congregated at the now ruined church in Donoughmore for its opening on a Sunday and the name stuck.

ACA Boundaries

See Figure 8.4.

 

Statement of Character

Ballyragget’s unique character is formed by:

1. The urban street pattern, characteristic of a town rather than a village, with streets leading off the square in different directions and a complete urban block between the Square and the Fair Green.
2. A generally coherent streetscape as a backdrop to the public realm, made up for the most-part of 18^th and 19^th century structures of consistent architectural scale, proportion and finish, particularly around the square.
3. The contrast between the town’s principal open spaces…
4. The well-contained space and triangular shape of the Square which allows attractive oblique views of the complete streetscapes from most vantage points.
5. By contrast, the open nature of the Fair Green which allows long views to landmark buildings like the Church and Stephouse.

 

The characteristics as set out above combine to create an urban quality of very pleasant scale in Ballyragget and this gives the town a strong identity and a unique ‘sense of place’.

 

ACA Development Management Standards based on assessment of special character.

• BACA 1 Care should be taken during works on external wall finishes, the practice of removing render to expose stonework significantly alters the character of the structure and can damage the fabric of the building.
• BACA 2 The roofscape of Ballyragget is part of its special character. Original elements and profiles should be retained where possible and repaired and reused rather than replaced.
• BACA 3 Original window and door fittings should be retained where possible and reused rather than replaced.
• BACA 4 To seek the retention of materials and finishes, massing, height, alignment, orientation and window proportions that reflect the existing character of the area
• BACA 5 To seek the protection of the existing landscaping and features within the public realm that contribute to the character of the town
• BACA 6 Carriage arch openings are a feature of many of the buildings around the square. These openings should be retained with planning permission required for alterations.
• BACA 7 Planning permission is required for the alteration of commercial frontages whether a structure is within an ACA or not. Original/early shopfronts should be retained or repaired where possible.
• BACA 8 New signage must not detract from the character of the ACA. Locations of bus stops and advertising must be carefully considered within the ACA
• BACA 9 To seek the retention, repair and maintenance of the buildings which make up the streetscape of the ACA.
• BACA 10 To seek the refurbishment of derelict or vacant properties which are of historic interest or which contribute to the visual coherence of the streetscape.
• BACA 11 New development should be appropriate in form and use to its corner, infill or backland location.  Established views to local landmarks should be maintained.
• BACA 12 New development should be of a very high standard of design, and should contribute to the visual enhancement of the area and respect the character of the ACA as set out in the above statement of character.
• BACA 13 Where a planning application is made for the demolition of a structure within an ACA on the grounds of structural defects or failure, a report produced by a suitably qualified and experienced professional specifying the existing condition and outlining reasons why repair options and remedial works are not deemed suitable in this case will be required.

8.3.6.2   Freshford ACA

Description and historical Background

The square in Freshford was not laid out as a planned space but instead developed and evolved organically as an urban centre to facilitate the needs of the community.  Its appearance as a planned settlement is due to the work of the Eyre family of Upper Court Demesne and particularly, Thomas Eyre.

During the late nineteenth-century the landowner Thomas Eyre undertook a programme to formalise the centre of the village.  His ambitious plans included the construction of two schools, housing for his estate workers, a new Roman Catholic Church, installation of water pumps and construction of a new formal entrance to his property, Uppercourt House, on the south side of the square.

The two schools were realised.  Separate male and female schools were built and were officially opened by their patron, Thomas Eyre on 10^th May 1876. These fine two-storey rendered buildings with tooled limestone dressings continue to flank the south side of the square.  It was Thomas Eyre’s intention to construct the new entrance to Upper Court House in the space between the schools.  This was never built and instead the void was gradually filled with extensions to the schools.  These buildings are now in use as a community nursing home called Prague House.

The town’s water pumps were installed by the same member of the Eyre family in 1878.  A large pump was installed in the centre of the Square with limestone slabs and drains around it.  Thomas Eyre’s patronage of the project was recorded on one of the limestone slabs.  The second smaller water pump is located on the west side of the square.

Thomas Eyre also undertook the construction of estate workers’ cottages on the west side of the square.  He was responsible for the first four to six cottages at the south end of the west side of the square known as ‘New Row’.

By the late nineteenth century the formalised square had become the central focus of the town, accommodating schools, the doctor’s house and the town’s dispensary, the constabulary barracks, the canon’s house, local shops and public houses. In c.1910 Emma Browne Clayton built a town hall and donated it to the community.  Located on the north side of the square, it is the only three-storey structure on the square.

In c.1913 Stanislaus Eyre planted the horse chestnut trees around the green.  These trees formalise the square’s character and contribute greatly to the setting of the architecture.  In the past the square was used as a public meeting area, recreational grounds and fair green.  Charles Stewart Parnell delivered his speech from the steps of Dr. Hourigan’s house (a large detached house on the east side of the square) when he visited Freshford in 1890.

ACA Boundaries

The boundaries as shown in the 2004 LAP to remain the same.  See Figure 8.5.

Statement of Character

Freshford is arranged around a tree-lined square.  The Square forms not only the physical centre of the town but also its social and commercial heart.  It is the hub from which all local roads radiate, bringing life into the community.  The green is surrounded by nineteenth-century terraced houses, the Roman Catholic Church, a community hall and various shops and public houses.

The square is flanked to the east by a long wide road leading to the Catholic Church and to the local primary school located to the rear of the Church.  The entrance to Uppercourt Demesne is located further out this road.  The west side of the square consists of a terrace of eleven two-storey houses and the south side consists of the former girls and boys school, now Prague House, a community nursing home.  The north side of the square has a predominantly commercial character and forms a thoroughfare west out of the town.

ACA Development Management Standards based on assessment of special character.

• See policies above relating to all ACAs
• FACA 1 Care should be taken during works on external wall finishes, the practice of removing render to expose stonework significantly alters the character of the structure and can damage the fabric of the building.
• FACA 2 The roofscape of Freshford is part of its special character. Original elements and profiles should be retained where possible and repaired and reused rather than replaced.
• FACA 3 Original window and door fittings should be retained where possible and reused rather than replaced.
• FACA 4 To seek the protection of the Square in Freshford, and maintain its importance as natural amenity. No development shall be permitted that in any way negatively impacts on the pivotal nature of the square in the town.
• FACA 5 To maintain the height lines of the structures particularly the relationship of the Community Hall to its surrounds to the north of the square.
• FACA 6 To seek the protection of the existing landscaping and features within the public realm that contribute to the character of the town. To retain the horse chestnut trees around the green.
• FACA 7 To seek the retention of materials and finishes, massing, height, alignment, orientation and window proportions that reflect the existing character of the area
• FACA 8 New signage must not detract from the character of the ACA. Locations of bus stops and advertising must be carefully considered within the ACA
• FACA 9 To seek the retention, repair and maintenance of the buildings which make up the streetscape of the ACA.
• FACA 10 To seek the refurbishment of derelict or vacant properties which are of historic interest or which contribute to the visual coherence of the streetscape.
• FACA 11 New development should be appropriate in form and use to its corner, infill or backland location.  Established views to local landmarks should be maintained.
• FACA 12 New development should be of a very high standard of design, and should contribute to the visual enhancement of the area and respect the character of the ACA as set out in the above statement of character.
• FACA 13 Where a planning application is made for the demolition of a structure within an ACA on the grounds of structural defects or failure, a report produced by a suitably qualified and experienced professional specifying the existing condition and outlining reasons why repair options and remedial works are not deemed suitable in this case will be required.

8.3.6.3   Inistioge ACA

Description and Historical Background

Inistioge may have originated as a Viking settlement as it is located at the lowest crossing point of the River Nore and we know that the Osraige defeated Olaf Cuaran, King of Dublin, at Inistioge in 964.  The area was granted to Thomas FitzAnthony in 1169 and he established the Augustinian Priory in 1206. The priors developed the settlement but Inistioge declined after the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, and in 1566 the Priory lands were granted to Sir Edmond Butler.

Inistioge was incorporated as a town by James 1st in 1608 and weekly markets on a Friday and an annual fair on December 13th were established. In 1649 the town was besieged and captured by the Cromwellians.

Much evidence of medieval Inistioge can still be seen today.

• The vestibule of the church of Ireland was part of the original priory and fragments from the cloister have been incorporated into the north and east wall of the Catholic Church. 
• The Black Castle in the churchyard behind the Church of Ireland was part of the Augustinian Prioryand is now the Toghe (Woodstock Estate) family mausoleum.
• The motte of Thomas FitzAnthony’s first fortification is located behind the houses halfway up the hill from the Square and survives to a height of 10 metres.  The ruin of a three-storey fortified town house can be seen on the west side of the Square and between the Square and the river is another two-storey medieval structure.  The upper level is a later remodelling on the original base and we know this building was used as a courthouse during part of its history. 
• St. Columbkille’s Holy Well, tucked away in the north-east of the village has an elaborate entranceway incorporating a number of 16^th century carved stone panels which were probably salvaged from the priory.  There is mention of a town wall in the 1608 charter but knowledge of the line of the wall over most of its length has been lost.  However there appears to be remains incorporated into the boundary walls of the houses running south from the fortified houses of the square.

Inistioge prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries and its development was intertwined with that of the Woodstock Estate. Woodstock was built by Francis Bindon in the late 1740’s for the Fownes family and although the House is remote from the village, the main approach to Woodstock, the River gate, lower avenue and lodge and the almshouses on the Square all attest to the importance of the Estate in the development of the village.

The combination of the steep hill and the earlier medieval walled settlement pattern resulted in a dense concentration of buildings by the end of the 19th Century with a high proportion of fine two and three storey structures.

The relative density and elegance of much of this development gives Inistioge an urban quality which is unusual in such a small town and the concentration of public buildings set out informally round a sheltered space away from the River would be more typical of pre-renaissance Italy.

The Catholic Church was built in 1836.  The Church of Ireland Church incorporates sections of the mediaeval Augustinian abbey, with a belfry and clock donated by William Tighe, the local landlord, in 1876.  With his wife, Lady Louisa, he is more famous for the development of the 19th century Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum now restored and managed by Kilkenny County Council.  Inistioge is identified as a National Monument due to its rich archaeological heritage and is protected under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1994.

ACA Boundaries

The boundaries as shown in the 2004 Local Area Plan should be maintained, see Figure 8.6.

Statement of Character

Inistioge is a settlement which has prospered down through the ages, located on the river, once a major thoroughfare and source of fresh water and sheltered by hills into which it nestles, its topography is a key contributor to its success as a settlement and to the sense of place which it retains to this day.  The unique character of Inistioge is formed by its siting as a compact urban settlement in a panoramic landscape, allowing Inistioge to be viewed as an entity from the surrounding hills.  The rectilinear street pattern of the village and the numerous sharp turns provide shelter from the elements within the settlement but also frame beautiful and unexpected views out to the surrounding landscape.

The urban quality of Inistioge is founded in part on a remarkable hierarchy of public open space.  The ready perception of the surrounding landscape, the open but gentle river front, the formal urban streetscape round the square, the effective civic core at the bottom of the hill sheltered and surrounded by public buildings, churches, restaurants and public houses, the more informal townscape of the rising streets with miniature gardens and picturesque porches.  The incidence of such a variety of urban space, contained so neatly within a small settlement is rare indeed, almost as if a city in miniature had evolved on the historic crossing of the River Nore.

ACA Development Management Standards based on assessment of special character.

• See policies above relating to all ACAs
• IACA 1 Care should be taken during works on external wall finishes, the practice of removing render to expose stonework significantly alters the character of the structure and can damage the fabric of the building.
• IACA 2 The roofscape of Inistioge is part of its special character. Original elements and profiles should be retained where possible and repaired and reused rather than replaced.
• IACA 3 Original window and door fittings should be retained where possible and reused rather than replaced.
• IACA 4 To seek the retention of materials and finishes, massing, height, alignment, orientation and window proportions that reflect the existing character of the area
• IACA 5 To seek the protection of the hierarchy of public open spaces within Inistioge.
• IACA 6 To seek the protection of the existing landscaping and features within the public realm that contribute to the character of the town
• IACA 7 To maintain front garden walls and railings. Any proposals to convert front gardens for use as off street parking will not be permitted.
• IACA 8 New signage must not detract from the character of the ACA. Locations of bus stops and advertising must be carefully considered within the ACA
• IACA 9 To seek the retention, repair and maintenance of the buildings which make up the streetscape of the ACA.
• IACA 10 To seek the refurbishment of derelict or vacant properties which are of historic interest or which contribute to the visual coherence of the streetscape.
• IACA 11 Planning permission is required for the alteration of commercial frontages whether the structure is within an ACA or not. Original/early shopfronts should be retained or repaired where possible.
• IACA 12 New development should be appropriate in form and use to its corner, infill or backland location.  Established views to local landmarks should be maintained.
• IACA 13 New development should be of a very high standard of design, and should contribute to the visual enhancement of the area and respect the character of the ACA as set out in the above statement of character.
• IACA 14 Where a planning application is made for the demolition of a structure within an ACA on the grounds of structural defects or failure, a report produced by a suitably qualified and experienced professional specifying the existing condition and outlining reasons why repair options and remedial works are not deemed suitable in this case will be required.

 

8.3.6.4   Johnstown ACA

Description and Historical Background

Johnstown is so-called from John Hely of Foulkscourt who laid the first foundations of the town in about 1770.  Previous to this date there was not even a small village here and previous to the building of the town the site was known as Hely’s crossroads (Carrigan II, 299-300).  Johnstown or Baile Sheáin and traditionally Foulkscourt or Cúirt an Phúca, is characterised by four roads converging on a formally laid out square at the cross-roads. The town has changed little since it was mapped in the first half of the 19^th century by the Ordnance Survey.  This 1^st edition OS map shows such landmarks as the Church of Ireland Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the formally laid out square, and a grouping of several country houses and their grounds occupying the fields on the southern approach to the town.  By the turn of the century when the second edition OS map was published a smithy and two schools had been added to the town’s infrastructure and the pattern of development that had begun in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth centuries had been consolidated.  The 25” OS map dating to the early part of the twentieth century shows the addition of a courthouse, constabulary barracks and hotel to the square, and a post office, dispensary and a further smithy to the town.  The town was known for its health-giving spa waters during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Ballyspellan spa well having been visited by the famous Dean Swift in 1728.

The extremities of the town as they existed on the 2^nd edition Ordnance Survey map have been chosen as the boundaries for the ACA and include the grounds of Ellen Ville and Melrose House forming the southern entrance to the town and the Church of Ireland Church which formed the boundary to the eastern approach.  Canal Road which forms the western approach has been included as far as the junction with the Rathdowney Road and the boundary on the northern approach route to the town, Chapel Street, has been taken as the point at which development had reached by the time the 2^nd edition OS map was published.  The Glebe lands and Rectory have been omitted from the ACA because of their physical distance from the core of the town and from the eastern thoroughfare.  It is envisaged that protection will be afforded to the rectory buildings through their addition to the RPS as recommended by the Minister for the Environment following the NIAH survey.

 

Statement of Character (see Figure 8.7)

The town is characterised by the essentially two-storey, late eighteenth-century principally residential structures which line the four roads converging on the formally laid out octagonal square.  The houses on the square are for the most part in the classical vernacular style, their character imbued by their rendered and painted facades with simple classical window and door proportions which at one time would all have been enhanced by timber sash windows and solid timber doors.  The roofs are simple pitched roofs often gable-ended but sometimes hipped, and traditionally covered with natural slate.  The approach from the south, Urlingford Road, is characterised by open fields which form the semi-formalised grounds of a number of middle sized classical country houses, set well back from the road and symbolising the level of prosperity derived from the rich agricultural hinterland.  The approach from the east, Church Street, is dominated by the presence of the Church of Ireland Church, a Board of First Fruits design set in its own grounds back from the road and on a slightly raised piece of ground.  The views from the Square to this Church make an important contribution to the character of the town.  The approach route from the west, Canal Road, is much less formal and retains more modest vernacular buildings associated with less well-off occupants.  The commercial end of the town lines the principal thoroughfare which is the route to the north of the square, and as its name, Chapel Street, suggests, forms the setting for the impressively sited and scaled Roman Catholic Church on its east side, set well back from the street and also on higher ground.  Chapel Street is characterised by more two-storey rendered structures, often with a commercial element in the form of a shopfront at ground floor and often with a carriage arch leading to stable yards and other ancillary buildings to the rear.

ACA Development Management Standards based on assessment of special character.

• See policies above relating to all ACAs
• JACA 1 To seek the retention, repair and maintenance of the buildings which make up the streetscape of the ACA.
• JACA 2 To seek the refurbishment of derelict or vacant properties which are of historic interest or which contribute to the visual coherence of the streetscape.
• JACA 3 Care should be taken during works on external wall finishes, the practice of removing render to expose stonework significantly alters the character of the structure and can damage the fabric of the building. Works such as sandblasting, repointing ashlar stone work, repainting of natural stone or brick require planning permission.
• JACA 4 The roofscape of Johnstown is part of its integral special character.  Original elements and profiles should be retained where possible and repaired and reused rather than replaced. Removal or alteration of roofing materials or features of the roofscape requires planning permission.
• JACA 5 There is no tradition of dormer windows within the Johnstown ACA and their installation will not be deemed appropriate by the local authority.
• JACA 6 Original window and door fittings should be retained where possible and reused rather than replaced.
• JACA 7 A characteristic of Johnstown is the survival of a number of wrought iron gates on Chapel Street leading between buildings to the rear yards of properties.  These gates should be retained in situ and repaired where necessary rather than being replaced.
• JACA 8 Carriage arch openings are a feature of many of the buildings around the square. These openings should be retained with planning permission required for alterations.
• JACA 9 Planning permission is required for the alteration of commercial frontages whether the structure is within an ACA or not. Original/early shopfronts should be retained or repaired where possible.
• JACA 10 New signage must not detract from the character of the ACA. Locations of bus stops and advertising must be carefully considered within the ACA
• JACA 11 New development should be appropriate in form and use to its corner, infill or backland location.  Established views to local landmarks should be maintained. The view from the Square towards the Church of Ireland church on Church Street is of significance in Johnstown.
• JACA 12 New development should be of a very high standard of design, and should contribute to the visual enhancement of the area and respect the character of the ACA as set out in the above statement of character.
• JACA 13 Where a planning application is made for the demolition of a structure within an ACA on the grounds of structural defects or failure, a report produced by a suitably qualified and experienced professional specifying the existing condition and outlining reasons why repair options and remedial works are not deemed suitable in this case will be required.

8.3.7   Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes

 Historic gardens and designed landscapes are of natural heritage, architectural, landscape, cultural and historical importance. In addition, they are often the important setting of a Protected Structure. 

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) has carried out a preliminary survey of historic gardens and designed landscapes in 2003-2005. A total of 196 potential historic gardens and designed landscape sites in County Kilkenny were identified. For further information see http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/Surveys/Gardens/

 

8.3.8   Townscapes

The townscape in towns and villages of rural Kilkenny is comprised mostly of two- and three- storey 18^th and 19^th century terraced structures interspersed with public buildings, places of public worship, and very often medieval ruins, these structures built of more expensive materials and often with elaborate detailing providing a focal point/s within many of the county’s towns.  Features which contribute to the special character of Kilkenny’s towns are the detailing of the urban vernacular - the classical wall to window ratios, the rendered facades, the timber sash windows and doors, the slate roofs.  All of the towns have evolved organically over time often since medieval times and have a good representation of building stock from all of the major periods of historical development since then.

Development Management Standard:

• To protect, conserve and where necessary restore or enhance, the quality, character and distinctiveness of the townscapes of the county.

 

8.3.9   Street Furniture and Roadside Features

Items of street furniture are an important part of our built and cultural heritage. They are also important elements in establishing the character and interest of an Architectural Conservation Area.  Such items could include the following; lamp standards, seats and benches, bollards, railings, street signs, freestanding or wall mounted post boxes, telephone kiosks, horse troughs, water pumps, drinking fountains, jostle stones, milestones, paving, kerbstones, cobbles and setts, pavement lights, coal hole covers, weighbridges, statues, plaques, gates and other monuments. 

Development Management Standard:

• To protect and enhance historic items of street furniture and roadside features, as appropriate.

 

8.3.10   The Vernacular Built Heritage

The vernacular built heritage consists of buildings and settlements historically created by local people from local materials and resources to meet local needs following local traditions.  The response to the local environment gave rise to construction techniques which vary from region to region, often with great subtlety.  This type of building is often undervalued because it does not represent ‘great architecture’ and because of associations with poverty and a perception that the buildings have become obsolete.  The value of these buildings lies in the regional distinctiveness and identity that they confer on a place and their importance as an embodiment of the accumulated wisdom and cultural traditions of the people who built and lived in them.  Vernacular styles of architecture and their importance in modern buildings in the countryside is discussed and illustrated in the publication County Kilkenny Rural Design Guide[15].

One of the most vulnerable elements of the built vernacular tradition in County Kilkenny (as elsewhere in Ireland) is the tradition of thatch.

Development Management Standard:

• To apply the conservation principles and guidelines in practice as set out in the ICOMOS Charter on the Built Vernacular Heritage (Mexico 1999) when considering proposals to adapt vernacular buildings to meet contemporary living standards and needs.

• To promote the retention and re-use of the vernacular built heritage through increasing public awareness of its potential for re-use and its adaptability to change.

 

8.3.11   Farm Villages of South Kilkenny

A number of villages in South Kilkenny can be considered distinctive on a national level due to their nucleated and clustered settlement pattern.  A total of 57 such villages were identified, but six have been identified as being worthy of further study, namely: Listrolin, Licketstown, Glengrant, Luffany, Corludy, and Portnahully located in the parish of Mooncoin[16]. 

The Council will examine measures to protect the importance of these farm villages.

Development Management Standard:

• To protect the unique character and setting of the farm villages of South Kilkenny.

 

8.3.12   Floodlighting

The floodlighting of buildings and structures is often regarded as a means of highlighting the significance of a structure and reflects the substantial pride that communities have in individual heritage sites and structures. Notwithstanding this, floodlighting has the potential to negatively impact on both natural and built heritage. It can contribute to light pollution, impinge on protected species such as bats, and affect the architectural and archaeological significance of a site. 

Draft guidance “Guidelines on the Floodlighting of Monuments” has been prepared by the National Monuments Section of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This Department should be contacted for further details.

Development Management Standards

• To require an assessment of the potential visual, heritage and environmental impacts of proposals to floodlight buildings and structures.
• To ensure the protection of the special character and setting of protected structures, ACAs and Recorded Monuments, and protected species when considering proposals for floodlighting.

8.4   Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage includes aspects of heritage such as traditions, practices, knowledge and skills which are an expression of our culture. In Kilkenny our cultural heritage includes oral history, placenames, folklore, local history and sport. It also encompasses features of cultural heritage interest such as mass rocks, mass paths, rag trees and vernacular gates which are locally significant and add to the distinctive character and sense of place of an area.   The Council will preserve, protect and where necessary enhance, significant heritage objects such as mass rocks and holy wells and/or other significant cultural features that form part of the cultural heritage of the County.

8.4.1   Placenames

Placenames are an important and disappearing part of our cultural heritage.  They provide a link to the past and reflect the natural, built and cultural heritage of a locality.  There are few written records of traditional placenames and fieldnames as they were usually passed down by word-of-mouth. Kilkenny County Council has undertaken surveys, in partnership with local communities, to record and map traditional place and fieldnames through the Townlands project and the River Nore Heritage Audit (Section 7.2.3.2).

It is important that place names of all new developments reflect the local topography, history, culture, ecology or significant people and events and incorporate traditional and Irish language place names from the locality.  Resources to aid in the naming of new developments include Foras na Gaeilge’s booklet entitled “Name your place – Logainmneacha Cuid dar nOidhreacht” see www.logainm.ie and the Placenames Commission www.coimisineir.ie.

Development Management Standards

•           To ensure that the names of all new developments shall reflect local historical, heritage or cultural associations. 

•             To encourage the use of bi-lingual and Irish-Language place names and signs.