City Development Plan 2008 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Core Strategy

3.1 Introduction

The underlying principle of the development of the City and Environs over the last thirty years has been a commitment to balanced growth, coherence of urban form and a good spatial distribution of services. The development strategy outlined here is intended to continue and improve upon this tradition by creating a compact, vibrant and sustainable City, in line with the City Vision as outlined in Chapter 1, and the Aalborg Charter. 

Kilkenny City is the capital of the county and the principal service centre for the wider hinterland. The development of Kilkenny over the last three development plans has been primarily concentrated to the south and east of the City, influenced by the availability of services and good road connections.  The City accommodates vital services for the County such as the headquarters of Kilkenny County Council, the Health Services Executive offices, the Garda, Court Services and St Luke’s General Hospital. It also serves a wide hinterland in terms of community facilities, fire services, law enforcement and education.

Currently 25.4% of the population of Kilkenny County resides within Kilkenny City & Environs and consequently it is the dominant population centre in County.

3.2 Compact City

A balanced, compact form combined with efficient public transport links between employment and residential locations will facilitate easier circulation and mobility within the City and Environs.  The resulting density and scale of population will support a wider range of retail, commercial, social and civic services than would be the case in a more dispersed city. The provision of a wide range of dwelling types and densities within the City and Environs will be critical in counteracting the current trend of leakage of residential development into the surrounding towns and rural areas. By providing residential accommodation within a compact city form there are substantial economies of scale to be made in terms of the costs of service provision.

A compact, balanced and focused city will place greater emphasis on the role of the central core in maintaining the vitality of the city.  This approach is in complete harmony with the economic development role envisaged for Kilkenny in the NSS, not only in terms of the development of a hub, but also in terms of protecting and maintaining the rural environment which surrounds the city and in terms of reducing the demand for travel by the reduction of commuting.

For the purposes of this Plan ‘city centre’ is defined as the area contained within the Kilkenny City Centre Local Area Plan 2005. 

3.3 Background

The Kilkenny City and Environs Study Structure Plan (1978) set out that the major expansion of the City was to occur in the Environs in phased blocks.  The Structure Plan took into account the Land Use and Transportation Study which was completed in 1977 for the City and Environs.  This philosophy was continued through subsequent development plans in 1986, 1994 and 2002.

Four areas were identified for the development of neighbourhoods:

1.       Loughboy/Archerstreet

2.       Newpark Upper/Eastern Environs

3.       Loughmacask

4.       Poulgour/Wetlands/Western Environs.

These four neighbourhoods comprise sustainable extensions to the compact city, providing residential and other uses to service an expanding population, within convenient walking/cycling distance of the city centre. 

These neighbourhood areas are linked by a transport strategy providing for new and improved roads, cycleways and footpaths.  The potential for a public bus based transport system within the City Environs is being taken into account.  (See Figure 3-1.)

Loughboy/Archerstreet

An Action Area Plan was prepared for the phased development of the Archerstreet/Loughboy area.  The Loughboy area has been successfully built out, and incorporates a neighborhood centre containing a mix of uses including retail and community services.   Development potential in this area consists mainly of infill. 

Newpark Upper/Eastern Environs

Under the Structure Plan, the Eastern Environs was identified as containing growth potential for a new neighbourhood.  An Action Area Plan was prepared in the early 1980’s and during the last two Development Plan periods, this area accounted for the major expansion in population of Kilkenny City and Environs.  The Eastern Environs area is now well advanced in its development, with limited potential for further significant residential development.   

Loughmacask

A Local Area Plan for the development of 114 hectares (283 acres) of land in the Loughmacask area has been made. 

 

Poulgour/Wetlands/Western Environs

During the period of the last plan a Local Area Plan was prepared for the Western Environs.  This area contained 114 hectares and is bounded by the Circular Road on the east, the Kilmanagh Road to the north, the Callan Road to the south and by the line of the Outer Ring Road to the west.  Planning permission has been granted for approximately 540 residential units along with two local parks and other mixed uses.  There are a total of 94 hectares of development land remaining.

The Council is utilising compulsory purchase to provide essential pieces of infrastructure in the form of roads and sewers and the first phase of the major public parks.  It is envisaged that construction of this infrastructure will commence late in 2007.

 

3.4 Development Strategy

The underlying principles outlined in Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 are based on a compact city, with a four neighbourhood model founded on the following criteria:

• National/Regional/Local Policy Context (i.e. the NSS, Regional Planning Guidelines, PLUTS, etc.)
• Demographic and socio-economic trends outlined in Chapter 2
• Assessment of need for housing
• Water, drainage and road infrastructure (existing and planned)
• Kilkenny City Smarter Travel Plan
• Flood Risk Assessment
• Supporting infrastructure. (social, community and commercial, both existing and planned)
• Physical suitability
• Environmental policy (ground and surface water quality, flooding, etc.)
• Heritage policy
• Sequential approach (zoning should extend outwards from the core of an urban area, with undeveloped lands closest to the core and public transport routes being given preference. In addition, areas to be zoned should be contiguous to existing zoned development lands)

The four neighbourhoods are:

1.       Loughboy/Archerstreet

2.       Newpark Upper/Eastern Environs

3.       Loughmacask

4.       Poulgour/Wetlands/Western Environs

As Loughboy/Archerstreet and Newpark Upper are substantially built out, the two main areas identified for expansion are Loughmacask and the Western Environs, both of which are the subject of Local Area Plans. 

As of 2011, the total amount of undeveloped residentially zoned lands within these two areas totalled 136 hectares. This land could accommodate approximately 3,264 units at relatively low densities (24 /ha) or 4,760 units at higher densities (35/ha). 

The development of lands in the Western Environs and Loughmacask LAPs are linked to the capacity of existing infrastructure and the delivery of new essential infrastructure in each area. There was no time line on the development of these lands.

In total the Kilkenny City & Environs Development Plan 2008 contains 187 hectares of undeveloped land zoned solely for residential uses, and a further 22 hectares for a mix of residential and other uses.  

As set out in Table 2.2 above  the South Eastern Regional Planning Guidelines have allocated Kilkenny City an increase of 1,800 persons  in the period 2010-2016.   Applying an average household size of 2.8 this is translated into a housing requirement of 642 units.  At an average density of 20 dwellings to the hectare, this gives a requirement for 32 hectares of land.  To incorporate a 50% over-zoning in accordance with DoEHLG Development Plan Guidelines^[1], this works out at 48 hectares of residential land to 2016. 

Table 3.1 below sets out the undeveloped land and the total amount of land with extant permissions in the city. 

 

Table 3.1: Undeveloped residentially zoned land in Kilkenny

	Undeveloped land in hectares	Land with extant permission (inc. sites under appeal)[2]
Area	187	49[3]

Source: OS mapping and Planning Department information, 2011

 

The four neighbourhood model as set out in the 2008 Development Plan continues to be appropriate for Kilkenny City, with the focus on the Western Environs and Loughmacask neighbourhoods.   Development is underway in both.

 

Since the adoption of the Western Environs LAP area a total of 537 units have been granted permission. Of these a total of 175  units have been constructed. The compulsory purchase order for the necessary infrastructural works has been confirmed and design has been completed as far as contract document stage.

As of May 2011, since the adoption of the LAP, In the Loughmacask area 145 units have been permitted (with an additional 210 units on appeal).  

The population allocation as stated in the RPGs is an additional 1,800 for the City to 2016. It is clear that the land currently zoned for residential development (187 ha) could far exceed this demand.  Therefore, it is recommended that a significant proportion of the land in both these LAP areas be phased for development.  Development will be permitted in principle on Phase 1 lands during the period of this Plan (to 2014).  Development will not be permitted on Phase 2 lands during the lifetime of this plan. 

 

The proposed phasing is based on the principles of sustainable development including a sequential approach to the expansion of the city, the planning histories of the area, the likelihood of sites coming forward for development and the criteria outlined above.  The areas of phasing are set out below in Table 3.2.

 

Table 3.2: Amount of zoned land in Kilkenny by phase

Area	Phase 1 land	Phase 2 land	Total
Western Environs LAP	14.8	71.7	86.5
Loughmacask LAP	23.5	25.8	49.3
Infill/brownfield - not in either LAP	14.1	36.7	50.8
Total	52.48	134.4	187

 

Phase 1 land is the only land that in principle will be developed during the life of this plan, and therefore for the purposes of this core strategy, Phase 2 land is considered to be lands which will act as a strategic reserve into the future.  

Expansion of existing land uses within the Phase 2 lands will be considered on a case by case having regard to the potential impacts on the strategic nature of the  phase 2 lands and  general planning considerations.

New land uses other than significant residential  development will also be considered on their merits having regard to the strategic nature of the phase 2 lands and general planning considerations.

Applications for single houses on the phase 2 lands will be considered on the same basis as outlined in Section 10.29 of the Kilkenny City & Environs Plan.

 

Areas of Strategic Reserve are included on the Core Strategy Map.  These areas will provide for the long term expansion of the city, following substantial progress being made in the implementation of the Western Environs and Loughmacask areas.  Local Area Plans, or appropriate planning framework documents will be prepared for the areas of Strategic Reserve as required in the longer term.

 

There are a further  242 hectares of land within the plan’s development boundary  which are at present zoned for agriculture and which can be used into the future for further development of the City  & Environs.

 

As part of the development strategy the major employment areas are shown on Map 3.1. These are located south of the N10 Ring Road at Smithsland, Joinersfolly Loughboy and Danville, the Hebron Road, Purcellsinch and a new Business Park zoning at Leggestrath.

These land banks are strategically located and zoned close to existing and proposed transportation corridors such the N9/N10, the Ring Road extension and the proposed N10 motorway link.

In all a total of 412 acres of green field land is available in the various business and industrial zones.

South of the N9/N10 at Smithsland, Joinersfolly, Loughboy and Danville is a strategic parcelling of lands that cater for Enterprise, Business and Technology parks for Foreign Direct Investment through the IDA and quality industrial lands catering for small and medium enterprises. In this area there is 106 acres of greenfield uncommitted land available for development. There is also a further 25 acres of zoned land where permission has been granted for 21 serviced industrial sites.

This approach enables a clustering of businesses and firms including those involved in interrelated activities thereby providing for critical mass of economic activity at one specific location.

 

Section 3.5 Retail Strategy Update

The retail strategy for the City and County was adopted in 2008 and is three years old.  This Core Strategy does not change the fundamental assumptions in relation to the strategic location of retail development within the County.  It does alter the expected population levels within the timeframe of the Development Plan.  Since its adoption there has also been a significant change in the economic situation within the country.  In particular the economic outlook is pessimistic in the short term and is subject to some uncertainty.  Having considered the time frame to the review of the County and City Development Plans (commencing in 2012) it is considered more appropriate at this time to review the implementation of the retail strategy in the light of the new Core Strategy.  Subsequently, when the retail strategy is reviewed it will take account of the core strategy. 

 

 

3.6 The Development Boundary

The Development Boundary proposed for the City and Environs has been designated following detailed consideration of the following factors:

• The existing form of the developed areas of the City and Environs.
• The road structure, and in particular the reserved line for Phase II of the Eastern By-Pass, and the proposed line of the Western by-pass route of the City.
• The anticipated expansion of the City in the Western Environs during the Plan period.
• The need to offer locational choice within the City and Environs in so far as practicable.
• The clear benefits of utilising areas of land in which infrastructural investment has been made or is planned.
• The need to avoid blighting large areas of good agricultural land for which no Action Area Plan has been prepared.

The development boundary is shown by the heavy blue dashed line on the zoning objectives map.