Development plan · Kildare County Council
Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 — Chapter 15: Development Management Standards
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 · 75 pages
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- The Planning Authority will require the following in relation to site development and landscaping works: • The planting of semi-mature trees2 depending on location and circumstances. Proposals to provide semi-mature trees of appropriate species (as set out in Table 15.1) in suitable prominent locations within a development site will be considered favourably. • Existing trees (particularly mature trees) and hedgerows shall be retained and incorporated into the design of development layouts, e.g., in public / private open space and at boundaries. Measures to protect the trees with secure fencing (prior to any site or engineering works commencing) shall be indicated on a site management plan. • A detailed replanting proposal shall be submitted should the removal of hedges / trees be required during development, those to be removed shall be identified on drawings. This proposal should provide for the replacement of, at minimum, an equal amount of similar native hedgerows and the planting of a minimum of five mature / established trees per tree felled. The replacement of hedgerows / trees shall have due regard to the ecological function of hedgerows as a wildlife corridor and shall not work in isolation from the remaining hedgerow network. • Where a large site adjoins a green corridor, public open space or area of high ecological value, any new public open space on the site should be contiguous to same and encourage visual continuity and expansion of the green infrastructure/biodiversity network. The appropriate grading or transition of public open space towards a green biodiversity corridor shall be factored into the consideration. • Landscaping works shall incorporate nature based drainage systems such as biodiversity areas or wetlands, which can reduce surface water run-off. Green roofs, walls, street trees and permeable surfaces will be encouraged. • Street trees shall be encouraged into developments where possible and facilitated by way of appropriately designed tree pits. • All planting must take place in the first planting season following occupation of the building or completion of the development, whichever is sooner. Any trees or plants, which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development die or become seriously damaged or diseased, shall be replaced in the next planting season. • Leylandii trees Cupressocyparis ‘Leylandii’, Cupressocyparis ‘Castlewellan Gold’ and Laurel Prunus laurocerasus shall no longer be permitted as part of landscaping proposals for any new development. Leylandii because of their nuisance and safety risk they pose when not managed and Laurel due to the invasive nature of this species. • The planting of species listed as of concern by invasive species Ireland, including species such as Cherry Laurel Prunus Laurocerasus and also species of a potential invasive nature as outlined by invasive species Ireland such as Cornus sericea L. shall neither be permitted in rural nor urban areas. 2 Semi-mature trees are defined as trees with an overall height of more than 4 metres and/or a stem girth measurement (circumference) of 20 centimetres or larger.522
- To ensure that trees and hedgerows are protected on a site and that all agreed landscaping is carried out, a bond or cash lodgment may be required as part of a grant of planning permission, the amount of which shall be determined by the Council. The Good Practice Guidelines for Developers – Biodiversity and Development in County Kildare, Kildare Heritage Series Volume 1 and The Good Practice Guidelines for Householders – Biodiversity and Development in County Kildare, Kildare Heritage Series Volume 2 should also be referenced for advice regarding landscaping and biodiversity matters. Soft landscaping proposals for public areas shall also be assessed having regard to the principles of the Urban Design Manual Best Practice Guide (DEHLG, 2009), as appropriate. Common name Height (max) Suitable for public open spaces Suitable for streets and confined spaces Suitable for tubs, containers and raised beds etc. Guide to planting: See key below Alder 22m Yes No Yes ADPS Alder Buckthorn 6m Yes No Yes D Ash 28m Yes No No ADIPS Aspen 24m Yes No No DPSV not close to buildings or services. Arbutus (strawberry tree) 8m Yes No Yes Not frost hardy Bramble 2m No No No C / H tends to be invasive Broom 2m Yes No Yes Tolerates dry conditions Burnet Rose 2m Yes No Yes, but vigorous C / H. Restricted distribution. Common (or European) Gorse 2.5m Yes No In a rural setting HV Crab Apple 6m Yes No No AHIP Dog Rose 2m Yes No Yes. Vigorous C / H Downy Birch 18m Yes Yes Yes ADIP Elder 6m In hedge No No V Grey Willow 10m Yes No No AHDV Guelder Rose 4.5m Yes No No DH Hawthorn 9m Yes Yes Yes AHIPS523
- Common name Height (max) Suitable for public open spaces Suitable for streets and confined spaces Suitable for tubs, containers and raised beds etc. Guide to planting: See key below Hazel 6m Yes No No AHS Holly 15m Yes Yes Yes AHPS Honeysuckle climber Yes On walls No C Ivy climber Yes Yes Yes C Juniper 6m Yes No No S Pedunculate Oak 30m Yes No No AI only suitable for large spaces Purging/ Common Buckthorn 8m Yes No No HP Rowan or Mountain Ash 9m Yes Yes Yes ADHIP Scots Pine 24m Yes No No AI Sessile Oak 30m Yes No No AI only suitable for large spaces Silver Birch 18m Yes Yes Yes ADIP Sloe, Blackthorn 3m Yes No No AHPV Spindle 7.5m Yes No No H Whitebeam spp. 12 Yes Yes Yes IPS Wild Cherry 15m Yes Yes Yes AHI Wild Privet 3m Yes Yes Yes No Willow spp. 6m Some No No V Not suitable near buildings or services Wych Elm 30m Yes No PS Yew 14m Yes No Yes AIPS Table 15.1 (a) - Native Trees and Shrubs Key – Table 15.1 (a) (Native Trees and Shrubs) A Grows in a wide variety of soils C Climber H Suitable for hedging I Suitable as an individual tree D Tolerates or prefers damp conditions P Tolerates smoke or pollution S Tolerates shades V Invasive524
- STREET TREES Species Flowering Juneberry Tree Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Robin Hill’ April Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna ‘Stricta’ May Pillar Crab Malus tschonoskii May Callery Pear Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ April-May Rowan Sorbus acuparia varieties May-June Lime Tilia x europaea ‘Euchlora’ (culitvars as many can grow to large tree size proportions that will exceed allotted roadside space) June-July Table 15.1 (b) - Street Trees (Source: Pollinator friendly planting code, NBDC). OPEN SPACE TREES Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastum Juneberry Amelanchier species (not A. lamarki which may be invasive) Indian Bean Tree Catalpa bignonioides Hawthorn Crataegus species Apple Malus species / cultivars Foxglove Tree Paulownia tomentosa Wild Cherry Prunus avium Bird Cherry Prunus padus Japanese Flowering Cherry Prunus serrulate ‘Tai Haku’ Pear Pyrus species and cultivars Rowan Sorbus species/cultivars Willow Salix Table 15.1 (c) - Open Space Trees The trees outlined above are fast growing and excellent for pollinating insects producing large quantities of nectar and pollen. Choice of appropriate species / cultivar for the right situation requires careful consideration. Priority should be given to native species. However, recommended non-native species include: - Salix aegyptiaca (early spring flowering) - Salix alba (spring flowering) - Salix abla ‘Liempde’ Salix alba var. vitellina - Lime525
- - Tilia (Tilia Americana ‘Redmond’, Tilia cordata, Tilia x europea, Tilia platyphyllos, Tilia tomentosa). The range and diversity of Tilia is large therefore a small selection is recommended. These are outlined above. 15.2.5 Hard Landscaping Hard landscaping design, including paving and street furniture, is an important element in defining the character of streets and public open spaces. It can also help to provide a visual link to the surroundings; define and enclose spaces and delineate public from private space; provide security to private areas; distinguish between pedestrian, cycle, and vehicle movement; and provide suitable play space for children. Hard landscaping shall address the following: • Applications for substantial hard-surfaced areas (e.g., streets, squares, open spaces, paved areas, footpaths, and driveways) must use appropriate materials that are durable and of good quality while demonstrating methods of controlling and limiting surface water run-off consistent with sustainable development. • Use of permeable paving/surfaces, ponds, bio-retention areas, tree pits, rain gardens, swales and other nature based drainage system methods, such that rainfall is not directed immediately to surface water drains. Such methods can serve to reduce the risk of flooding. • The use of artificial grass in all new residential developments shall not be permitted, save in exceptional circumstances including for children’s play areas. • Walls, fences, metal railings, and gates used to define spaces should be selected so as to be an integrated part of the overall design. Street furniture should be appropriately designed and sited such that it does not provide an obstacle for people with disabilities. • Where underground or surface works are carried out, the Council will ensure the reinstatement of materials or the replacement with materials of similar style and quality. Hard-landscaping proposals for public areas shall also be assessed with regard to the principles of the Urban Design Manual Best Practice Guide (DEHLG, 2009), as appropriate. The integration of art into the public domain can contribute positively to the urban form, creating local distinctiveness and enhancing a public space. Where possible and practicable existing stone walls should be retained as part of new developments. 15.2.6 Access to Land Development should be designed in such a fashion that it will not prejudice the provision of vehicular or pedestrian access, or key infrastructural services in adjoining lands. Development should also be designed to ensure ‘ransom strips’ will not inhibit future development.526
- 15.2.7 Universal Access / Design The Council will require that proposed developments, in their layout and design, are accessible, understandable, and usable to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. The design and layout of development schemes, public realm and community infrastructure should incorporate universal design insofar as is feasible, having regard to the provisions of the National Disability Authority ‘Building for Everyone: A Universal Design Approach – Planning and Policy (2012) and Part M of the Building Regulations which sets out standards to ensure buildings are accessible to and usable by everyone. The Technical Guidance Document in relation to Part M provides guidance on the access requirements for public buildings and residential dwellings. Development Proposals should incorporate best practice design including elements set out below (note some areas are regulated by other local authority functions such as Building Control): - Promotion of lifetime housing design. - Incorporation of adaptable home offices to facilitate working from home. - Provision of designated accessible parking and set down points for people with disabilities and parents with children. - Level pedestrian routes with sufficient width. - Use of surfaces suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. - Use of tactile and blister paving. - Use of colour contrast, particularly in the public realm. - Provision of wayfinding / signage at appropriate levels, (N.B. in public realm). - Ensuring level access to buildings from the street that is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. - Provision of automatic doors. 15.3 Design Statements This Plan advocates a collaborative and multi-disciplinary approach to achieving high quality urban design and placemaking outcomes. As such, it is considered that design statements are a vital tool which can assist all parties involved in the development management process in assessing the suitability of proposed design solutions for specific sites. While a design statement can be prepared for all development proposals, the Planning Authority will require one to be submitted alongside applications for the following: • Residential development comprising of 10 or more units. • Commercial, retail, or community developments (including a mix / combination) which total 1,000 square metres or more. • Key or sensitive sites in settlements, as may be identified in a Local Area Plan, a relevant placemaking strategy, or at planning application stage. • Sites within or adjacent to designated Architectural Conservation Areas. • Development proposal affecting Protected Structures. • Sites with a steep and / or varying topography. • ‘Gateway’ sites to towns and villages throughout the county.527
- Furthermore, the Planning Authority has the discretion to require a design statement to be prepared for any proposed development which it considers may have a significant impact on the receiving environment including: • the visual sensitivities of an area • the landscape character, • environmental sensitivities of an area. While the level of detail to be included in a design statement shall be proportionate to the scale and complexity of the development proposed, it should generally be a focused and concise document and should not duplicate information that is already included in the planning application. The following details should be included in a design statement: • A clear explanation of the design process including options considered. • A demonstration of how the development adheres to the relevant provisions of the County Development Plan, including explicit reference to the Urban Design Standards Checklist, as outlined in Table 14.2. • Any relevant Local Area Plan, Masterplan, or other placemaking strategy affecting the site. • Where relevant, the design statement should demonstrate how the development adheres to the guidance and principles set out in the ‘Urban Design Manual’ (DoEHLG, 2009), particularly to show where and how the 12 Criteria (as per the ‘Urban Design Manual – A Best Practice Guide’) have each been considered. • A site and area appraisal including photographs of the site and its surroundings accompanied by illustrations such as photomontages, perspectives, and sketches, along with summaries of relevant studies and details of any recent consultations. • In urban areas, a demonstration of how the development responds to the established urban structure, movement and accessibility, land uses, density, urban grain, visual context and built form. • A demonstration of how existing and new green infrastructure features will be integrated into the scheme. • Detailed proposals for open space illustrating how the provision of such areas have been designed in from the beginning. • A comprehensive high quality open space and landscape design plan including specifications, prepared by suitably qualified professionals. • A statement setting out how energy efficiency and other climate mitigation measures have been incorporated into the proposed development. 15.4 Residential Development Well-designed and integrated housing developments can make a significant contribution to the quality of life and wellbeing of residents and therefore improve the overall long- term sustainability of a settlement as a whole. Accordingly, the Council will require that all new residential development should integrate with its surroundings, incorporate green infrastructure features, maximise the potential for present and future connectivity, maximise opportunities for social interaction, and be of high-quality design constructed with attractive and durable528
- materials that positively contribute to the creation of a sense of place and identity for the area. The Council, in providing advice and in undertaking any assessment of proposed residential development will have regard to the content, policies and objectives of Chapter 3 and Chapter 14, along with relevant Section 28 Ministerial Guidelines, including the Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (Cities, Towns and Villages) Guidelines for Planning Authorities (DEHLG, 2009) and the accompanying Urban Design Manual. 15.4.1 Development Capacity Applications for residential development in urban areas will be required to comply with the principles of compact growth and demonstrate that they will contribute to the overall consolidation of the settlement. The need for new residential development to achieve sustainable densities at appropriate locations, should also be balanced with the following considerations: • The existing and future (planned) capacity of the physical and social infrastructure to appropriately cater for the envisaged population. • Achieving adequate privacy and residential amenities for individual residential units within the proposed development. • Retaining adequate privacy and residential amenities for existing/adjoining residential areas. • Retaining and integrating the existing green infrastructure features & enhanced biodiversity features (for example bird boxes, hedgehog streets etc.) into the layout and design of the open space. • An assessment of the sites ability to appropriately accommodate development having regard to its environmental sensitivities and physical topography. • The safety and appropriateness of the proposed layout and access arrangements to the development. In accordance with the provisions of Section 15.5.1 applications for residential development over 20 units or, 2,000m2 in the case of commercial developments, (including office/industrial developments), will be required to be accompanied by a Social Infrastructure Audit (SIA) in order to demonstrate that the proposed development, in conjunction with other extant permissions for residential development, will not place an unacceptable burden on the existing capacity of social infrastructure in the area. The Council will place particular emphasis on the need to ensure that any required social infrastructure will be developed either in tandem with, or prior to any new residential development. 15.4.2 Development Phasing With regard to section 15.4.1 above, the phasing of a development may be required where constraints are identified relating to the physical or social attributes of the site or the wider area. In such instances the Council will require planning applications for multi-unit residential developments to be accompanied by a phasing schedule detailing the number of dwellings, quantum of public open space and infrastructure529
- which will be developed as part of each phase. It will be necessary for each phase to fully deliver the quantum of public open space along with any proposed landscaping measures, commensurate to the number of dwellings in that particular phase. 15.4.3 Residential Density Indicative density levels for residential development are set out in Table 3.1 of Chapter 3. As per the Section 28 Guidelines on Urban Development and Building Heights (2018) this Plan supports a drive for increased building heights in appropriate locations in order to maximise the efficient use of development land in urban areas. In this regard, Section 14.8 identifies specific locations within the county which have the capacity to suitably accommodate taller buildings, including for residential development. Local Area Plans will also identify density targets for particular sites and specify locations for taller buildings as appropriate. 15.4.4 Housing Mix In accordance with Objective HO O15 a ‘Statement of Housing Mix’ will be required to accompany applications for 10 or more units in order to ensure an appropriate mix of house types and sizes within individual residential development schemes and that they are adaptable, designed to meet the needs of an aging population and cater for people with disabilities. Accordingly, this statement shall set out how the proposed housing mix, including type, size and tenure has been determined, having regard to local supply and demand. A cumulative approach to the assessment of housing mix will be applied. A Housing Mix Statement may be required for sub-threshold application where, when taken in conjunction with another application/development, the above threshold is reached. In determining an appropriate mix, a Housing Mix Statement will be required to consider other applications/previous developments in the same location in its assessment. 15.4.5 Design, Layout and Boundary Treatments The design and layout of new residential development offers the opportunity to establish exceptional standards in terms of placemaking and urban design through the integration of high-quality connectivity, open space and sustainable mobility features from the outset. While the Kildare Rural House Design Guide (Appendix 4) outlines the requirements for layout and boundary treatment for rural dwellings, proposals for residential development in towns and villages will be required to fully address the 12 Criteria for sustainable residential development as outlined in the Urban Design Manual – A Best Practice Guide (DoEHLG, 2009), as well as the guidance set out in Section 14.6 of this Plan. Furthermore, the design and layout of all residential developments must fully comply with the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (2019). This includes the implementation of a fully connected street hierarchy which prioritises sustainable modes of transport over the car, as well as ensuring the optimal size of urban blocks to provide for a high level of permeability.530
- New developments should take full account of the characteristics of the natural and built environment of the site, including the views and vistas into and out of the site. The layout of the open space should be designed in such a way as to be a focal point within the development and shall where present, incorporate existing natural features such as streams, mature trees and established vegetation. Car parking arrangements should be fully integrated into the landscaping scheme so that they do not overly dominate the streetscape or detract from the aesthetics and useability of public open space. Street trees should be designed into new developments, and developments should incorporate a high level of active frontages and passive supervision of all public open space. Built form on corner sites should be dual aspect and have a responsive design appropriately addressing their more prominent location. Boundaries between public open space, semi-private open space and private open space should be clearly delineated. The layout of residential housing should avoid backing onto historic field boundaries which contain mature trees and/or established hedgerow. Furthermore, any development adjacent to a high amenity area (such as the Curragh) will require a soft boundary and/or approval by the Heritage Officer for boundary treatments. Further requirements in relation to soft landscaping features are outlined in Section 15.2.4. The need for boundary treatments such as railings or walls around residential developments should be limited to an absolute minimum. In situations where a design solution cannot mitigate against the presence of such physical boundaries, high railings and walls should be avoided and boundaries should take the form of a low wall (rendered, natural stone or brick), railing, or a planted native hedgerow, to incorporate hedgehog streets, depending on the characteristics and location of the site. Monumental or overbearing entrances to housing developments will not be permitted. Gated developments will not be permitted as they reduce social inclusion and integration within the existing community and generally fail to address the existing streetscape. 15.4.6 House Design In addition to an appropriate layout, a high standard of building design, detailing and specification of materials and a high standard of craftsmanship will be required. While the planning authority welcomes contemporary architecture. New developments should not be incongruous or have an overbearing effect on the established environment. Context remains very important, particularly in the case of the smaller towns and villages in the county.531
Source Kildare County Council: Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 — Chapter 15: Development Management Standards (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.