Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 — Chapter 14: Urban Design, Placemaking and Regeneration

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   that the standards set out in DMURS must be applied to all urban roads and streets, with a speed limit of 60 km/h or less. The application of DMURS standards and guidelines is considered to be of critical importance in delivering compact growth and realising the concept of the 10-minute settlement. 14.7.1 Street Hierarchy A network of attractive streets, comprising of a high standard of quality finishes and treatments such as paving and landscaping, to create an environment with a definite sense of place, should be achieved in all new developments. All development should include a hierarchy of streets designed to recognise the needs of pedestrians and cyclists and therefore encourage opportunities for active travel. DMURS recognises the different ‘movement functions’ or roles of particular routes and identifies a hierarchy with three route types: Arterial, Link and Local Streets. In addition to informing road design and movement function, the type of route being developed will also have a critical impact on design, building line/frontage, building type, building height, density and landscape treatment. Arterial Streets are the major strategic routes that connect major centres and nodes. Arterial Streets should be provided in the form of spacious, tree-lined streets to provide a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists with associated cycle lanes and footpaths. These streets should be defined by a strong urban edge with established building lines and a high-quality public realm. Link Streets provide the links to arterial streets or between centres, neighbourhoods and/or suburbs. Their movement function will still be significant, but they will have a lesser volume of traffic than arterial streets. They cater for shorter journeys and the design, width and design speed is lower. These routes can still accommodate building height which shall be proportionate to the road width to ensure a sense of urban enclosure. The design of a link street shall vary according to the density of the area, with a higher standard of design being expected in places with more important ‘place’ function i.e., key junctions. Local Streets are the routes which connect with arterial and link streets and also provide access within communities. Their movement function is much less important and their role in the creation of ‘place’ is vital. Such streets may even be fully pedestrianised, or they may serve a number of modes of transport (i.e., shared surface spaces). They offer a more intimate space which provides opportunities for people to linger and consequently their movement function is secondary to their function as a place. Shared Surface Streets With regards to ‘shared surface’ streets and junctions, DMURS notes that they can be particularly effective at calming traffic and in bringing benefits in terms of visual amenity, economic performance and perceptions of personal safety. In particular, the Manual states that they are highly desirable where: • Movement priorities are low and there is a high place value in promoting more liveable streets (i.e., home-zones), such as on Local streets within a Neighbourhood and in Suburbs504

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   • Pedestrian activities are high and vehicle movements are only required for lower-level access or circulatory purposes. These include streets within Centres where a shared surface may be preferable over full pedestrianisation to ensure sufficient activity occurs during the daytime and the evening period. 14.7.2 Street Widths and Building Height Achieving the optimal balance between street width and building height is key to providing a strong sense of urban enclosure (as outlined in Table 14.3) and providing a robust urban structure. If such enclosure is complemented by a pedestrian focused public realm with a high level of passive supervision and overlooking, this will greatly assist in the creation of an attractive and safe urban environment, in turn providing for a strong sense of place. As illustrated in Figure 14.7, DMURS outlines examples of ratios that can achieve an optimal sense of enclosure. Ratios in excess of 1:1 can result in a ‘canyon effect’, overpowering a space. This will be discouraged in all new development. Attention should be made in designing schemes to the orientation of the street in order to maximise sunlight. Smaller streets may require the upper floors of the built form to be set back in order to achieve this. In particularly wide streets where enclosure may be difficult to achieve through the built form alone, the planting of continuous rows street trees can help deliver a sense of enclosure. Urban enclosure also requires that the street wall (building façades) are predominantly solid, allowing for intermittent gaps only (see Figure 14.7). 14.7.3 The Design of Urban Blocks How the urban structure has developed in a settlement has knock on impacts on permeability and consequently the walkability of a town or village. The more permeable and connected a settlement’s network of streets and paths are, the easier it is to move around and the more likely that this movement will be made by sustainable means (i.e., on foot or bicycle). DMURS provides guidance on the size of urban block dimensions where, as illustrated in Figure 14.8, a 60m x 80m block is the optimal size for maximising accessibility within a development. While it is acknowledged that site constraints in some cases may require larger block dimensions, these should not exceed 120 metres. Figure 14.7 - Building Height to Street Width Ratio (DMURS (2019), as adapted)505

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   Urban blocks for residential developments are generally smaller than blocks for industrial development where block sizes may need to exceed the optimal dimensions specified, in order to accommodate larger floor plates to allow for the efficient functioning of business. In such cases, mid-block pedestrian links should be provided to enable a reasonable level of permeability and encourage pedestrian movement within an area. Figure 14.8 - Optimal Sizes of Urban Blocks (DMURS (2019), as adapted) 14.8 Urban Design and Building Heights Following of the publication of the National Planning Framework (NPF) in 2018, updated national policy regarding Urban Development and Building Heights was issued to Planning Authorities. These ministerial guidelines form part of a wider drive, as outlined in the NPF, for increased efficiency in the use of land for urban development, in order to establish a framework for compact growth which plans for ‘the growth and development of our towns and cities upwards, rather than ever outwards’. In practical terms, this means that Government policy requires that building heights must be generally increased in appropriate urban locations. In addition, the guidelines note that there should be a presumption in favour of buildings of increased height in our town/city cores and in other urban locations with good public transport accessibility, subject to planning and design considerations. The Guidelines on Urban Development and Building Heights (2018) contain specific mandatory provisions referred to as Specific Planning Policy Requirements (SPPRs) which must be taken into consideration by Local Authorities. Of particular relevance is to this Plan is SPPR 1, as follows: In accordance with Government policy to support increased building height and density in locations with good public transport accessibility, particularly town/city cores, planning authorities shall explicitly identify, through their statutory plans, areas where increased building height will be actively pursued for both redevelopment, regeneration and infill development to secure the objectives of the National Planning Framework and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and shall not provide for blanket numerical limitations on building height.506

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   Also of relevance is SPPR 4 which requires that the minimum densities set out in the Guidelines for Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009) should be met and that a greater mix of building heights and typologies in planning for the future development of suburban locations, in particular in developments of 100 units or more. This section outlines how this Plan seeks to apply both guidelines and the relevant SPPRs contained therein to a County Kildare context. For more information relating to the application of the Guidelines on Urban Development and Building Heights in a Kildare Context refer to Section 3.7. 14.8.1 Residential Density and Building Heights Oftentimes the issue of building height gets conflated with that of increased residential densities, where a common misconception is that achieving higher densities automatically requires the development of tall buildings. This is not the case. Figure 14.9 (below) illustrates three different types of residential development on the same one-hectare urban block. Each variation delivers 75 units per hectare (75 uph) but does so in a different manner. The diagram shows that low rise – high coverage, and medium rise – medium coverage developments can deliver relatively high densities without the need for tall buildings. Figure 14.9 - Different architectural forms that achieve the same density (Towards an Urban Renaissance (1999), as adapted) 14.8.2 A Contextual Approach to Building Height It is considered that the delivery of compact growth in a manner that is consistent with ministerial guidelines for both building heights and residential densities is, in the majority of instances, achievable in the county without the need to develop tall buildings. However, there are some cases where it may be appropriate to integrate taller buildings into the urban environment in order to maximise the most efficient and sustainable use of land at strategic locations or to create a certain level of interest and variety in the urban form. For example, a recently developed nine-storey student apartment development in Maynooth (see Figure 14.10) provides a landmark building and increased legibility to a fast-expanding campus, without adversely affecting the existing residential or visual amenity of the area. Also, there is scope for taller buildings within Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) (see Figure 14.11). These settlement expansion areas are507

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   developed around high-capacity transport corridors such as a high frequency bus route or railway (i.e., Bus Connects and Dart+ lines). The development of taller buildings in such a context, while providing for the necessary densities to support the viability of high-frequency transport services is also considered to be an important urban design tool which can assist in providing a new development with variety and enhancing a sense of place. With regard to the above, the Council has adopted a contextual approach to building heights which integrates the specific provisions of the guidelines into the Plan whilst also directing the development of taller buildings into the most appropriate development locations within the county. It is noted that residential density levels will adhere to the requirements of Guidelines for Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009) and Circular NRUP 02/2021, or any succeeding guidelines. See Chapter 15 for more details. Location Provision of Guidelines Applied Town Centres and major towns as identified in the NPF and RSES In accordance with Government policy to support increased building height and density in locations with good public transport accessibility, town centres and major towns as identified and promoted for strategic development in the National Planning Framework and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, increased building heights of 6+ storeys may be appropriate. This would include all town centres as well as appropriate locations within the Key Towns of Naas (east of town centre in the vicinity of Corban’s Lane/Friary Lane, except for sites in close proximity to St. David’s Castle) and Maynooth (immediately outside the historic core and on sites associated with Maynooth University and St. Patrick’s College, close to the canal and rail line). Figure 14.10 - Courtyard Student Apartments (Source: Maynooth University) Figure 14.11 - Plan of a Transit-Oriented Development (Source: 2022-2042 Transport Strategy for the GDA)508

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   Location Provision of Guidelines Applied Sites located on key public transport corridors in urban areas In addition to above, the Guidelines require that Development Plans must actively plan for and bring about increased density and height of development within the footprint of developing sustainable mobility corridors and networks, particularly around key public transport interchanges or nodes. The Guidelines note that subject to design and planning considerations, there is scope to consider building heights in excess of 6 storeys on suitably configured sites, especially where there are particular concentrations of enabling infrastructure to cater for such development, and the architectural, urban design and public realm outcomes would be of very high-quality. Such locations may include areas served by high-frequency public transport services (Dart+ and Bus Connects) and lands surrounding planned future transport nodes and transit-oriented development (TOD), including the following: • Lands at Confey, Leixlip • Lands west of Maynooth (adjacent to future train station) • Lands in the Northwest Quadrant, Naas (adjacent to the bus only route from Naas Harbour to Millennium Park). Urban locations outside town centres The Guidelines seek to achieve prevailing building heights of at least three to four storeys, coupled with an appropriate density, in locations outside what would be defined as town centre areas, and in locations which would include suburban areas. Suburban/edge locations Both infill and greenfield development within the suburban edges of towns should include an effective mix of 2, 3 and 4 storey buildings which integrates well with the surrounding pattern of development. Table 14.4 - Application of the Guidelines on Urban Development and Building Heights to a County Kildare Context509

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   14.8.3 Integrating Taller Buildings into the Urban Environment In keeping with applying a contextual approach to increased building heights in the county, it is noted that due regard must be had to the existing characteristics of the receiving environment. In particular, care must be taken when making such interventions within town centres, many of which are Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) and have an established building height of two to four storeys. It is therefore recognised that developments of greater than 6 storeys, as envisaged in the guidelines, would not generally be appropriate given the existing streetscape, the sensitive historic environment and may also not be viable. As provided for in the Guidelines (p.13), each proposal will be required to ‘…successfully integrate into/enhance the character and public realm of the area, having regard to topography, its cultural context, setting of key landmarks, protection of key views’. Increased building heights for developments will be required to be subject to sitespecific and design quality appraisals which take into consideration the impact of taller developments on the existing urban fabric in order to ensure that such buildings integrate well with their surroundings. Accordingly, any new applications for development greater than 4 storeys shall address the development management criteria set out in paragraph 3.2 of the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines (2018) to enable the Planning Authority to assess the application comprehensively in relation to its local context. In locations deemed suitable for a comprehensive urban redevelopment, including areas in excess of 2 hectares, development proposals should be supported by an appropriate urban design framework/ masterplanning exercise prepared by the applicant to deal with movement, public realm, design and other issues dealt with at a neighbourhood scale rather than at a site-specific scale and should also address the development management criteria set out in paragraph 3.2 of the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines (2018). 14.8.4 Development Sequencing The Guidelines on Urban Development and Building Heights (2018) also seek to ensure that an integrated planning approach is adopted which considers employment opportunities, housing delivery and the provision of servicing infrastructure together in planning for new development, particularly within locations that are identified for significant urban expansion. SPPR 2 of the Guidelines states that in seeking general increases in building heights, planning authorities shall also ensure appropriate mixtures of uses, such as housing and commercial or employment development, are provided for in statutory plan policy. This should include mechanisms such as block delivery sequencing in statutory plans to link the provision of new office, commercial, appropriate retail provision and residential accommodation as part of a phased approach to development. In this regard, such mechanisms as phasing will be used by the Council to manage the development of larger sites and the regeneration of urban areas. The Council will apply such an approach as part of the Development Management process (see Chapter 15) and for sites of strategic importance identified in Local Area Plans.510

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   14.8.5 Building Heights and Development Sequencing Objective It is an objective of the Council to: UD O11 Comply with the provisions of the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Urban Development and Building Heights (2018) by providing for the following. (a) Support increased building height and densities in appropriate locations, as outlined in Table 14.4, subject to the avoidance of undue impacts on the existing residential or visual amenities. (b) Utilising increased building heights to support mixed use development, including downsizing opportunities and residential units that facilitate an adaptable layout to suit long term changes in homeowner requirements. (c) In mixed use schemes, development proposals shall include details of the sequencing of uses to enable the timely activation of supporting infrastructure and services. New development greater than 4 storeys will be required to address the development management criteria set out in section 3.2 of the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines (2018).511

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