Development plan · Kildare County Council
Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 — Chapter 4: Resilient Economy and Job Creation
One part of the council's development plan written statement, which the council publishes in parts. Variations adopted since are not in this text.
Kildare County Council · 2023–2029 · 48 pages
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- Objective It is an objective of the Council to: RE O17 Undertake, within the first 2 years from the adoption of the Plan, a Strategic Land Use, Employment and Transportation Study of north-east Kildare including the Dublin Metropolitan area towns of Leixlip, (and Collinstown), Maynooth, Celbridge and Kilcock. The preparation of the study will have regard to existing and emerging local area plans and any evidence-based assessments associated with same. Where LAPs are prepared after the completion of the study, such plans shall have regard to any relevant recommendations set out therein. It is envisaged that the study will involve the participation of all strategic stake- holders, including the National Transportation Authority, adjoining local authorities (i.e. Meath, Fingal and South Dublin County Councils), the Regional Assembly, transportation providers, Waterways Ireland, Government Departments and Environmental Agencies. 4.4.2 Key Towns Naas and Maynooth are identified in the County’s Economic Development Hierarchy as its two Key Towns. These towns are recognised as having the potential to accommodate commensurate levels of population and employment growth, facilitated by their location on public transport corridors and aligned with requisite investment in services, amenities and sustainable transport. The growth of these Key Towns will require sustainable, compact and sequential development and urban regeneration in the town core. The degree to which these ‘Key Towns’ can grow will have a notable bearing on the County’s ability to attract additional multinational companies. The development of urban centres of scale is key to developing agglomeration benefits, which is considered an especially important factor in creating an appropriate economic environment for multinational companies. As evident from the RSES, one of the key economic benefits of developing urban centres of scale within the region, is to ensure that we can accrue agglomeration benefits. Agglomeration allows for a variety of external benefits such as labour and knowledge spill overs, supplier concentration, and specialisation, which in turn contributes to increased productivity and regional economic growth. For this reason, and other factors, the IDA notes that clear trends are evident in the demands of multinational companies in selecting locations; with one of the main reasons being “regions of scale with appropriate urban centres”. Therefore, ensuring investment priorities align with the growth ambitions of Kildare’s designated key towns – namely Naas and Maynooth is imperative. 4.4.3 Maynooth The Council is focused on developing the Key Town of Maynooth as an ‘economic driver’ and ‘strategic employment location’ within the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP), it is important that the preparation of a joint local area plan (LAP) with Meath County Council is prioritised to ensure that the town can capitalise on opportunities for regeneration, consolidation and sequential growth and that infrastructural requirements to support sustainable growth are co-ordinated and delivered.100
- Employment uses for Maynooth shall focus on the development of Life Sciences, High Tech, Bio Tech, ICT, Research & Development and seek to benefit from synergies with third level institutions including Maynooth University (MU) and major employers already established in the sub region (Intel, Hewlett Packard). The area can become a centre of excellence in the knowledge-based economy. The objective is to foster a ‘dynamic partnership’ between multi-national companies, indigenous Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME’s), and third level institutions such as NUI Maynooth. Objectives It is an objective of the Council to: RE O18 Support Maynooth as a Key Town to act as the economic driver for north Kildare and provide for strategic employment at key locations to improve the economic base of the town and provide for an increased number of local jobs. RE O19 Co-ordinate the delivery of strategic infrastructure subject to appropriate route option selection processes and environmental assessments including pedestrian and cycle linkages within Maynooth and the Royal Canal Greenway, DART expansion and road linkages forming part of the Maynooth Outer Orbital Route in a manner which supports future development and population growth. RE O20 Further key linkages and partnerships with Maynooth University (MU) including the branding of the area as a centre of excellence in the knowledge-based economy. RE O21 Develop the Key Town of Maynooth as an attractor for Life Sciences, High Tech, Bio Tech, ICT, Research & Development employment. Kildare County Council will work with Irish Water and other agencies to ensure the delivery of key infrastructure to facilitate future development. 4.4.4 Naas A key priority for the Key Town of Naas is the regeneration of the historic town centre with enhancement of retail and commercial functions and consolidation of strategic development areas. Other key economic considerations are the strengthening of the local employment base through the development of MERITS, Millennium Park including the broader North-West Quadrant area and the regeneration of underutilised lands including industrial lands in the north-east of the town. The strategic aim for the Plan is to protect existing employment in the town and to create new employment opportunities for Naas to fulfil its role as a ‘Key Town’ in the region. It is also important to recognise Naas’s role as the County town of Kildare, particularly as a hub for high quality employment. Naas also benefits from a strategic location, proximate to the M9 motorway and rail connection in Sallins, which provides the town with great opportunities to avail of its proximity to the biggest market in Dublin and other cities throughout Ireland, as well as getting access to international markets via the connectivity provided by Dublin International Airport and Dublin Port.101
- Objectives It is an objective of the Council to: RE O22 Promote the Key Town of Naas as a primary centre of high-quality employment in the County so that its significant residential population will have employment opportunities within easy distance of their homes, thereby reducing outbound commuting. RE O23 Strengthen and promote the local employment base through the development of MERITS (Mid-East Regional Innovation Thinkspace), Millennium Park in the North-West Quadrant and the regeneration of underutilised lands including industrial lands in the north-east of the town. RE O24 Regenerate and consolidate the historic centre of Naas to improve the retail and commercial functions of the town core, with enhanced permeability and sustainable mobility within the town centre and improve links between the core and surrounding residential and employment areas through the further development of walking and cycling routes and im- proved public transport. RE O25 Co-ordinate the delivery of strategic infrastructure including pedestrian and cycle linkages within Naas, in a manner which supports future development and population growth. 4.4.5 Self-Sustaining Growth Towns Newbridge, Leixlip, Kildare and Athy are designated as Self-Sustaining Growth Towns in the County’s Economic Development Hierarchy. The RSES defines these towns as those with a moderate level of jobs and services, which adequately cater for the people of its service catchment with good transport links and capacity for continued commensurate growth. Objectives It is an objective of the Council to: RE O26 Continue to support and develop the Self-Sustaining Growth Towns of Newbridge and Leixlip as an attractor but not limited to Biotechnology, ICT, professional services, High-tech manufacturing and research employment. Kildare County Council will work with Irish Water and other agencies to ensure the delivery of key infrastructure to facilitate future development. RE O27 Promote the town of Athy as a Food, Drink and Skills Innovation Hub and to support the regeneration and development of Athy to ensure that it provides an enhanced role in delivering economic growth and promoting sectoral interests, including the development of tourism within the south of the county while recognising the historic importance of the food and drink industry in the town and potential for future development. RE O28 Continue to support and develop Kildare Town as a bloodstock, tourism and manufacturing location.102
- RE O29 Investigate the feasibility of proposals for the redevelopment of the Dry Dock along the River Barrow in Athy as a County Kildare tourism initiative, subject to all necessary environmental assessments. RE O30 Co-ordinate the delivery of strategic infrastructure including pedestrian and cycle linkages within Leixlip and between Leixlip and the Greenway, Intel, Celbridge and Lucan in a manner which supports future development and population growth. 4.4.6 Self-Sustaining Towns Celbridge, Monasterevin, Clane and Kilcock are designated as Self-Sustaining Towns in the County’s Economic Development Hierarchy. The RSES describes these settlements as those with high levels of population growth and a weak employment base which are reliant on other areas for employment and/or services and which require targeted ‘catch-up’ investment to become more self-sustaining. Accordingly, these towns require contained growth, focusing on driving investment in services, employment growth and infrastructure while balancing housing delivery. Growth shall be focused on consolidation and inclusion of policies in relation to improvements in services and employment provision. Objective It is an objective of the Council to: RE O31 Encourage job creation in the Self-Sustaining Towns of Celbridge, Monasterevin, Clane and Kilcock and with particular focus on the economic areas of biotechnology, digital enterprise, tourism, distilling and brewing industries and food and beverage products, in order for them to become more self-sustainable and balanced considering they have experienced rapid population growth with high levels of commuter focused residential expansion without equivalent increases in jobs and services. Also, encourage new businesses to develop and embrace the diversity of opportunities that exist in these locations. 4.4.7 Towns Kilcullen, Kill, Athgarvan, Sallins, Prosperous, Rathangan, Castledermot and Derrinturn are designated as Towns in the County’s Economic Development Hierarchy. Some of these Towns are proximate to larger urban centres while others provide local service and employment functions within a largely rural economy. Objective It is an objective of the Council to: RE O32 Encourage and promote small scale industry, diversification of the rural economy, new economic opportunities arising from digital connectivity and indigenous innovation and enterprise as well as more traditional natural and resource assets (e.g. food, energy, tourism) in these Towns.103
- 4.5 Economic Clusters Economic clusters, according to the EU Commission, are defined as groups of firms, related economic actors and institutions located near each other and with sufficient scale to develop specialised expertise, services, resources, suppliers and skills. The potential for such clusters to become self-sustaining beacons for attracting further investment, industry, employment opportunities and institutional collaboration is acknowledged by the Council. Accordingly, the following two areas within County Kildare have been identified as economic clusters: • The MASP (Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan) Economic Cluster in northeast Kildare, which includes the settlements of Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge and Kilcock. • The Sallins-Naas-Newbridge Cluster which also incorporates the proposed Naas to Newbridge Strategic Economic and Employment Zone. The designation of these clusters is in keeping with the provisions of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019-2031 and Kildare 2025 Economic Development Strategy. It also acknowledges the existing relationships and synergies that have developed between settlements and in particular, the role that certain towns within these clusters have developed as strategic destinations for employment and education. It is considered that the focusing of sectoral growth opportunities, along with targeted infrastructural development, within these designated clusters will enable the development of economies of scale, thereby securing critical mass. The successful development of these clusters will not only provide the county with a competitive advantage but also help to safeguard its longterm economic wellbeing. Objectives It is an objective of the Council to: RE O33 Promote and facilitate the development of the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) Economic Cluster, encompassing the towns of Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge and Kilcock, by supporting identified key sectoral opportunities, including the development of synergies between Maynooth University, employers in the area, key stakeholders and community leaders, along with the requisite targeted infrastructural investment, in accordance with the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019-2031. RE O34 Promote and facilitate the development of the Sallins-Naas-Newbridge Economic Cluster, including the proposed Naas to Newbridge Strategic Economic and Employment Zone, by supporting identified key sectoral opportunities along with requisite targeted infrastructural investment, in accordance with the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019- 2031.104
- Action It is an action of the Council to: RE A3 Develop a strategy for the lands between the settlements of Naas and Newbridge, to consolidate existing development whilst also preventing the coalescence of these settlements. 4.6 Land Use and Economic Development It is an objective pf this plan to facilitate and support the growth of the economy in Kildare and the Greater Dublin Area in a sustainable manner, and in accordance with the Regional Spatial Economic Strategy. Good land use planning and economic development is recognised as a critically important factor in the attraction of businesses to an area. The Council recognises this and is continuously seeking to build a resilient economic base by means of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, developing and enhancing accessibility and connectivity, providing a framework for collaboration and partnerships, improving education skills and social inclusion, and the promotion of creative places. Policies It is a policy of the Council to: RE P1 Ensure that future economic and enterprise development in Kildare should be largely distributed in accordance with the county’s economic hierarchy having regard to each individual areas (a) identified role within the hierarchy, (b) existing size, (c) existing function (d) capacity for sustainable growth (i.e. growth without detriment to its surroundings, its built or natural assets and/or its character) and (e) available infrastructure capacity. There is, however, a positive presumption in terms of employment creation and therefore it is Council policy to examine such proposals within other locations on a case-by-case basis for example employment related development in a location clearly linked to a rural re- source activity. RE P2 Support and facilitate the economic development of the county in accordance with the Kildare 2025 (Economic Development Strategy); across a range of sectors. There will be a general presumption against development that would prejudice the achievement of the Economic Development Strategy. RE P3 Ensure a co-ordinated approach to policy, objectives and actions as contained within the County Development Plan, Kildare 2025 (Economic Development Strategy) and the Local Economic and Community Plan through continued engagement with the relevant stakeholders including (but not limited to) Kildare Local Community Development Committee, and Municipal Districts.105
- 4.7 Urban Growth, Regeneration and Placemaking The role of placemaking in helping to enhance Ireland’s attractiveness to investors has been highlighted by research carried out by the IDA and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in recent years. The creation of urban environments that offer good quality of life is important in allowing investors to attract and retain the talent necessary to support their establishment and growth. Placemaking offers the opportunity to differentiate Ireland and County Kildare from other locations by delivering attractive, vibrant urban areas in which to reside and work. Good placemaking is recognised as a critically important competitive advantage in the attraction of business to an area. The Council recognises this and is continuously investing in placemaking through various schemes. Working from home or from a local hub provides options for employees and employers which are increasingly likely to be taken up. This provides an opportunity not just for a more balanced live-work environment but for the regeneration of spaces within towns and villages. Ground floor work-live units, where the residential component is ancillary to the workspace, will be encouraged within mixed use schemes to animate street frontages. In order to enhance the appearance and socio-economic performance of the towns, villages and settlements in the county, Kildare County Council will proactively engage with the Elected Members of each Municipal District in devising and delivering plans and projects for regeneration. Town/Village Renewal Masterplans shall be informed by Town Centre Health Checks and shall incorporate public realm enhancement proposals that are bespoke to each settlement. Funding opportunities at both national and EU levels will be targeted to empower local communities to make a difference at a local level. The Council has recently launched the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, which will prioritise tackling vacancy in towns and villages, remote working and supporting town centre living. Other projects which the Council is seeking to progress include regeneration projects that support, inter alia, active and vibrant town or village centres, upgrading shopfronts and street facades, and green spaces and parks. For further details on the Council’s actions in the renewal and regeneration of the county’s towns and villages refer to Section 14.5 Policy Responses. Policies It is the policy of the Council to: RE P4 Support urban growth and regeneration through the promotion of good placemaking to attract employees and employers and to provide a competitive advantage to County Kildare.106
- Objectives It is an objective of the Council to: RE O35 Ensure that there is a sufficient supply of zoned and serviced lands at suitable locations to accommodate a range of enterprise and employment development types and to promote compact growth by strengthening the integration between employment, housing and transportation. RE O36 Address derelict sites in towns and villages by invoking the powers of the Derelict Sites Act, 1990 (as amended) and by the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended). RE O37 Continue to promote the sustainable development of vacant residential and regeneration sites in towns that are the subject of a statutory Local Area Plan, through the application of the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (as amended), Vacant Site Levy3, on lands zoned for Town Centre, Regeneration and Residential uses. RE O38 Promote the 2021 Town and Village Renewal Scheme (or any successor to same), which prioritises tackling vacancy in towns and villages, remote working and supporting town centre living. RE O39 Encourage economic development that is urban in nature to locate on appropriately zoned lands within urban areas in the first instance. RE O40 (a) Promote the Shop Front Improvement, Accessibility and Age Friendly Grant Scheme to financially assist and support independent business owners to improve the appearance of their shop fronts/commercial properties. (b) Financially assist and support independent business owners to improve accessibility to their commercial properties. (c) Promote the use of Irish language signage in the County through the Shop Front Improvement, Accessibility and Age Friendly Grant Scheme (d) Promote all signage both within and outside of all public buildings to be displayed in both the Irish and English languages. RE O41 Direct significant employment uses such as major office developments into appropriately zoned lands and close to the strategic public transport network for the region that is outlined in the Draft Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2022-2042 and other Regional Plans. RE O42 Ensure that proposals to diversify or densify underutilised industrial lands support the overarching goals of placemaking, consolidating growth centres along public transport corridors in a planned and/or sequential basis, and ensure realisable, sustainable linkages with nearby services and amenities, that particularly includes walking and cycling. 3 Action 15.2 of Housing for All identifies the introduction of a new tax to activate vacant land for residential purposes as part of the pathway to increasing new housing supply, which will in time replace the Vacant Site Levy. The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT) was introduced by the Finance Act 2021 and will come into effect from 2024. The principal purpose of the Residential Zoned Land Tax is to encourage the timely activation of serviced lands zoned for residential or mixed-use purposes.107
- RE O43 Support the provision of ground floor work-live units as part of mixeduse and residential developments in appropriate locations, as a means of enlivening streets as well as providing flexible accommodation for small businesses. RE O44 Require that employment space provided as part of new mixed-use development is suitably designed to be a viable workspace to meet the needs of a broad range of different employment types and sizes, catering for a range of opportunities. RE O45 Positively consider proposals and initiatives that seek to re-purpose and revitalise redundant or declining uses in important town centre locations and ensure that proposals for the reuse of buildings, introduces a greater diversity of daytime and night-time uses, while encouraging sustainable modes of transport/travel, and within the lifetime of the Plan, highlight the range of re-use achieved through the above proposals and initiatives. RE O46 Review the possibility of an inland port at the strategic rail junction of Cork, Limerick and Waterford railway routes at Cherryville junction in Kildare Town. RE O47 Support and prioritise the delivery of all projects funded under the Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Towns funding programme to enhance public spaces and projects. Actions It is an action of the Council to: RE A4 Engage with the Local Enterprise Office to undertake an audit of infrastructural deficits that may be impeding economic development within the County and engage directly with the relevant stakeholders to ad- dress these deficits. RE A5 Proactively engage with the members of each Municipal District in devising and delivering plans and projects for regeneration. 4.8 Remote Working / Co-Working Spaces / Digital Hubs The increase in remote working as a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic has brought the potential for blended work arrangements to the forefront of working life. Though the adoption of remote work was already increasing in Kildare, COVID-19 has notably accelerated this trend making remote work a central part of the workplace today and into the future. It is an objective of this Plan to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature and viable option in the Kildare workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits. The Council recognises the need for remote working in the interests of flexible work arrangements, be it from home or from a designated hub / co-working space. Remote working reduces the need for commuting and accordingly contributes to lower carbon output. Kildare’s co-working hubs are ideal for remote workers (working one or more days away from the main office) and for those setting up or growing their own business.108
- Funding has recently been granted under the Connected Hubs Scheme for a number of remote working hubs in Kildare including Ventura House (Crookstown House); The Hub @ Market Square, Ballymore Eustace; County Kildare Chamber 1 Hub, Naas; Osprey Business Centre, Naas and Allenwood Community Development Association, Allenwood. The new Mid-Eastern Region Innovation Think Space (MERITS), which is near completion and located in Naas is an innovation hub developed to support digital and technology innovation in the Mid-East region of Ireland (Kildare, Meath and Wicklow). It is intended that the facility will provide co-working incubation and accelerator space for technology entrepreneurs and technology business and will work in tandem with the Kildare Local Enterprise Office Policy It is the policy of the Council to: RE P5 Support the Government’s National Remote Work Strategy and National Connected Hubs Network, which support the provision of appropriate IT infrastructure and facilities (including hubs at neighbourhood level) that enable a better life-work balance enabling people to live near their place of work. RE P6 Facilitate home-working and innovative forms of working which reduce the need to travel. Objectives It is an objective of the Council to: RE O48 Support remote working opportunities from designated hub/ co-working spaces, in the interests of mitigating long commuting times. RE O49 Support the role of the new Mid-Eastern Region Innovation Think Space (MERITS) in providing a co-working incubation and accelerator space for technology entrepreneurs and technology business. RE O50 Continue to develop North Kildare as a digital economic hub by building on an existing critical mass in the IT and digital sector and attracting further significant investment to further develop the sector to its maximum potential. RE O51 Support the development of the Equine Tech Hub and other appropriately located projects of this nature. 4.9 Home Based Employment Home-based employment activity assists in dispersing enterprise activity and sustaining smaller settlements within the county. While the economic benefits associated with the location of ‘start-up businesses’ within the home is acknowledged. This Plan also recognises that as businesses grow and activity intensifies to the level where they require additional employees, beyond the homeowner and immediate family, that such enterprises will be required to re-locate to more suitable premises within commercial areas of the county’s settlements.109
Source Kildare County Council: Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 — Chapter 4: Resilient Economy and Job Creation (2023–2029) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.