Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 — Chapter 15: Development Management Standards

1. Page 31

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   15.5.4.3 Nursing Homes / Assisted Living Accommodation facilities: • Should be in established neighbourhoods / residential areas that are well served by community infrastructure and amenities (e.g., shops, parks, etc.) • Should be near high quality public transport links and provide good footpath links from the facilities to same. • Shall provide at least 20% open space on the overall site area which shall comprise high quality landscaping to include semi mature trees and the creation of native hedgerow linkages with adjacent green infrastructure networks. • Will have regard to potential impact on the residential amenities of adjoining properties, particularly in relation to overlooking and overshadowing. 15.5.4.4 Veterinary Clinics In the case of veterinary surgeries, full details of all services provided on site shall be submitted, including car parking for clients/patients, details of overnight facilities (e.g., kennels/staff accommodation) and out of hours services together with noise mitigation measures, where appropriate. 15.5.5 Community Buildings The location and provision of community facilities is a pre-requisite to the creation and enhancement of viable, sustainable, and successful local communities. Such infrastructure should be available within a 10-minute walk of most residential developments. It is acknowledged that the catchment for rural areas may be wider. A general standard for the provision of a community building is not widely available in Ireland. However, a simplistic standardization which has been employed elsewhere in neighbourhood planning is: 0.30 community facilities per 1,000 population. Neighbourhoods may have different requirements as dual usage of school, sports, and / or childcare facilities may satisfy local needs. Any application for community facilities such as community / parish halls, organizational meeting facilities, sports halls, playing pitches shall have regard to the following: • Overall need in terms of necessity / deficiency • Universal access requirements • Changing places / toilet facilities • Bicycle parking / storage • Potential for dual usage (e.g., childcare, schools, all community groups) • Accessibility to sustainable travel infrastructure (pedestrian links, bicycle lanes, and public transport) • Ensure facilities are accessible to most residential areas within a 10-minute walk • Practicalities of the site in terms of adjoining uses and impacts on local amenities.542

2. Page 32

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   15.6 Open Space The role of Open Space is becoming more important to the residents of Kildare and their quality of life with many settlements developing quickly and at higher densities. The provision of accessible open space is vital for overall community wellbeing and can be provided in various forms e.g., Neighbourhood Parks, Local Parks, Amenity Green Spaces, playing pitches, play areas for children and teenagers, Green Corridors, and Natural / Semi-Natural Green Spaces. Towns in Kildare will be required to provide a minimum of 2.5 hectares of Open Space per 1,000 of population which should include both formal and informal open spaces as follows; - Formal (Active Open Space, Neighbourhood/local park, Play areas) - Informal (Parks and Gardens, Amenity Green Space, Natural and semi-natural) The breakdown and quantum of formal and informal provision will be considered on a place-by-place basis. As outlined in 15.5.1 above Social Infrastructure Audits are required to be submitted for new residential developments at or over 20 units or for commercial developments (including office/industrial developments) over 2,000 square metres. Existing open space provision within a 10-minute walk of the development shall be outlined and assessed against the standards noted above. Open space deficits shall then be highlighted, and the design proposal will be required to assist in addressing any deficits. 15.6.1 Active Open Spaces These are generally playing pitches, courts, and sports grounds. Individual development is needed to deliver some, or all the space required. However, contributions via development levies can also assist in the delivery of such infrastructure for the community. Residents in Kildare towns (as identified in the settlement hierarchy) should have access to active open space facilities such as courts, playing pitches / sports grounds within a 10-minute walk of their home. 15.6.2 Neighbourhood / Local Parks A Neighbourhood Park is generally a large area of parkland of 16 hectares or more located within 800 metres of the target population and managed as a public park to facilitate both passive and active recreation. A Local Park is a small area of parkland of 2 hectares or more located within 400 metres of the target population and managed for passive recreation only. 15.6.3 Amenity Green Spaces Amenity Green Spaces are generally small areas of open space associated with individual housing estates. Requirements are outlined in 15.6.6 below. These spaces shall comprise areas for biodiversity and link (by way of native hedgerows and trees) with any adjacent green infrastructure networks.543

3. Page 33

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   15.6.4 Natural / Semi-Natural Green Space and Green Corridors Natural / Semi-Natural Green Space (e.g., undeveloped, or previously developed land with habitats such as woodland or wetland areas) and Green Corridors (linear green spaces such as canal and river corridors) also provide valuable open space conserving biodiversity and enhancing natural drainage, and carbon storage. 15.6.5 Formal / Informal Play Spaces Formal play spaces are generally designed to facilitate children and teenagers play. They are usually located within an existing public park or amenity that is easily accessible from residential areas (e.g. 5-minute walk/400 metres). Developments shall provide ‘scale appropriate’ children’s play in semi-private or public open spaces through provision of a scale appropriate Natural Play Area. It is the Planning Authority’s preference that an imaginative approach is adopted by developers to delivering play spaces. All play areas shall be natural play spaces with landscaping and natural features e.g. logs, mounding, boulders, and sensory planting, equipment with no moving parts. Play features should be centrally located so that they are accessible and supervised. 15.6.6 Public Open Space for Residential Development The provision of accessible open space is a key part of the provision of high-quality green infrastructure for communities. Public open space must be carefully designed as an integral part of the layout of all residential schemes / mixed schemes from the outset, being addressed at the initial design stages. All applications for residential developments shall include a landscape plan, which shall have regard to the Parks Section ‘Open Space & Landscaping Pre-Planning Guidance for Applicants’ document. It is vital that landscape architects are involved in the early stages of the design process and attend any pre-planning discussions with the Planning Authority. Open space shall be provided within the development site as follows: • On greenfield sites, the minimum area of open space that is acceptable within the site is 15% of the total site area. This may include Natural / Semi-Natural Green Spaces incorporating the planting of native species and pollinator friendly areas which enhance biodiversity up to a maximum of 8%. • On institutional sites a minimum requirement of 20% of the site area may be required. This may include Natural / Semi-Natural Green Spaces incorporating the planting of native species and pollinator friendly areas which enhance biodiversity up to a maximum of 10%. • In all other cases, public open space should be provided at the rate of 15% of the total site area (at a minimum). This may include Natural / Semi-Natural Green Spaces incorporating the planting of native species and pollinator friendly areas which enhance biodiversity up to a maximum of 6%. • A relaxation of these standards may be considered in smaller developments (less than 8 units) for which a minimum of 10% would be required which includes 4% for biodiversity.544

4. Page 34

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   • A relaxation of these standards may also be considered on brownfield and / or regeneration sites where higher residential densities are required. On such sites a minimum of 10% would be required which includes 4% for biodiversity. • In cases where standards have been relaxed or where there is a shortfall in the provision of open space due to the practicalities of the site (e.g., unsuitable due to topography, flooding, gradient, SuDS, overhead powerlines etc.) the council will require an equivalent monetary contribution in lieu of remaining open space provision via the Kildare County Council Development Contribution Scheme. • SuDS are not generally acceptable as a form of public open space provision, except where they contribute in a significant and positive way to the design and quality of open space. Where the Council considers that this is the case, in general a maximum of 10% of the open space provision shall be taken up by SuDS. • Each application shall also have regard to the qualitative standards outlined in Section 4.18 of the Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas, Guidelines for Planning Authorities, DEHLG, (2009). The following should also be taken into consideration in relation to public open space: • Areas of public open space should be generally flat. While some undulation may be incorporated as a design feature, areas with high gradients, containing swales or attenuation ponds, or otherwise impractical to function effectively as amenity / play areas, will not be acceptable as open space. • Narrow tracts of land (less than 10m) or pieces of land ‘left over after planning’ are not acceptable. • Areas of open space less than 500 square metres will not be taken in charge by the council for maintenance purposes. • Underground tanks and storage systems will not be accepted under public open space, as part of a SuDS solution. • Public and semi-private open space in all residential developments will be required to incorporate natural features that promote children’s play. Opportunities for children’s play should be addressed as part of the landscape plan. • Public open space should be innovative in its design approach and functionally accessible to the maximum number of dwellings within the residential area. • Public open space should be overlooked by as many dwellings as possible. • Houses shall not generally be permitted to back onto public open spaces. • Natural features, e.g., trees, hedgerows, and wetland sites, should be retained, protected, and incorporated into public open space areas. • On large sites, areas should be identified for a hierarchy of uses, e.g., more casual ‘pocket parks’ for smaller children to play, informal kick about areas, areas for passive amenity, etc. • Appropriate pedestrian and cycle linkages between open spaces should be clearly indicated on the site layout plan. • Care should be taken during the design process to connect existing and proposed areas of open space, thus providing green linkages for wildlife habitats.545

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   • Care should be taken during the design process to connect proposed open space with existing open spaces and / or proposed open space in other developments to form local parks (e.g., when combined may be greater than 2 hectares) and / or neighbourhood parks (e.g., when combined may be greater than 16 hectares). • Incorporate pieces of public art into the design of open spaces. 15.6.7 Private Open Spaces – Gardens, Terraces, Balconies All houses should have an appropriate and useable area of private open space to the rear of the dwelling. The minimum area of private open space to be provided is set out in Table 15.2. Exceptions may be permissible in relation to the development of inner urban infill where there is a need to protect the established pattern of streets and spaces and the redevelopment of brownfield / regeneration sites. Flexibility will be considered for welldesigned development proposals. • It is expected that private open space provided will exceed these standards whenever possible and such minimum standards will only be acceptable for up to 50% of the units in any development and will be discouraged throughout. • The front garden should be a minimum length of 6 metres. Where dwellings have little or no front gardens a defensible space must be created behind the public footpath, such as a planting strip. • Rear gardens should be a minimum of 11 metres in depth (22 meters back-to-back as a general rule) to protect privacy, sunlight, and avoid undue overlooking. Reductions will be considered for single storey developments and / or innovative schemes where it can be demonstrated that adequate levels of privacy, natural lighting, and sunlight can be achieved. • Narrow strips of incidental open space to the side of houses should not be included in private open space calculations. • In certain development circumstances, the requirements set out above may not be appropriate (e.g., housing requirements for special needs, housing for older persons/ sheltered housing) particularly where the development is within a 10- minute walking distance of a public park or other amenity. • A reduced minimum standard may be accepted for 1 and 2-bedroom houses for older people, where it is demonstrated that the design of the dwelling is specifically designed and safeguarded for older persons. Balconies and terraced areas are the primary form of private open space for apartment and duplex type schemes. Such spaces shall be accessible from the main living area and comprise balconies / terraces.546

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   The minimum private open space standards for Apartments are outlined in Table 15.3: Unit Type Private Open Space Studio 4 m2 One Bedroom 5 m2 Two Bedrooms 6 m2 Three Bedrooms 7 m2 Four Bedrooms or more 9 m2 Table 15.3 - Minimum Private Open Space Requirements for Apartments • It is expected that all private balconies, patios, terraces, or roof gardens comply with or exceed the minimum standards set out in Table 15.3. • All private balconies, patios, terraces, or roof gardens shall be located to optimise solar orientation and designed to minimise overshadowing and overlooking. • All private balconies, patios, terraces, or roof gardens shall be suitably screened in a manner complementing the design of the building to provide an adequate level of privacy and shelter for residents. 15.7 Transport 15.7.1 Walking and Cycling • New pedestrian and cycle paths shall be designed in accordance with the Government’s Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets - 2019 (DMURS), the national Cycle Manual (2011 and any subsequent updates), Draft GDA Cycle Network Plan (NTA, 2021) and Section 5.4.1 of this Plan. • Ensure new development areas are fully permeable for walking and cycling as outlined in Section 5.4.1 of this Plan. 15.7.2 Cycle Parking • The Planning Authority requires the provision of a minimum level of secure cycle parking facilities in association with new development and changes of use. This is consistent with the objectives and policies of the National Sustainable Mobility Policy (2022) and the Draft GDA Cycle Network Plan (NTA, 2021). • New cycle parking shall be designed in accordance with the National Cycle Manual (2011 and any subsequent updates). • Where the provision of cycle parking facilities is intended for use by the staff of a particular development, stands should be covered, well lit and located within the curtilage of developments to ensure security and supervision. • Cycle stands for use by visitors should be located to maximise convenience to the entrance of buildings, and positioned so as to ensure safety, security and supervision. • The cycle parking standards set out in Table 15.4 shall be taken as minimum standards.547

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   Accommodation Apartments 1 space per bedroom + 1 visitor space per 2 apartments Hotel / Guesthouse 1 space per 10 bedrooms + 1 space per 5 staff Nursing Home 1 space per 10 residents + 1 space per 5 staff Student Accommodation 1 space per bedroom + 1 visitor space per 5 bedrooms Retail <100 sqm GFA 1 space per 20 sqm gross floor area or 1 space per car space, whichever is greater > 100 sqm GFA and <500 sqm GFA 1 space per 40 sqm gross floor area or 1 space per 2 car spaces, whichever is greater >500 GFA 1 space per 10 car parking spaces or 1 space per 100 sqm gross floor area, whichever is greater Warehousing / Showrooms 1 space per 250 sqm gross floor area Other Commercial Bank / Financial Institution 1 space per 100 sqm gross floor area Lounge / Bar / Restaurant / Café / Function Room 1 space per 30 sqm dining / public floorspace Enterprise / Employment Industry / Manufacturing 1 space per 100sqm gross floor area Warehousing 1 space per 100sqm gross floor area Office 1 space per 50 sqm gross floor area Education / Childcare Crèche 1 space per 5 staff + 1 space per 10 children Primary School 1 space per 5 staff + 1 space per 5 students Secondary School 1 space per 5 staff + 1 space per 3 students University / College of Higher Education 1 space per 5 staff + 1 space per 2 students Medical548

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   Hospital 1 space per 5 staff + 1 space per 10 beds Clinic / Group Medical Practices 1 space per 5 staff + 0.5 space per consulting room Community / Recreational Theatre, Cinema, Stadium, Place of Worship 1 space per 10 seats Playing Fields 20 spaces per pitch Gymnasium / Recreation Centre 1 space per 50 sqm gross floor area Community Centre / Library 1 space per 10 sqm gross floor area Funeral Home 1 space per 15 sqm gross floor area Table 15.4 - Minimum Cycle Parking Standards Along with cycle parking, sufficient shower and changing facilities should be made available in larger commercial developments/places of employment. The standards set out in Table 15.5 shall apply. Office developments: Non-office development: • 250 m2 - 500 m2: 1 shower • 500 m2 - 1000 m2: 2 showers • 1 shower per additional 1000 m2 thereafter • 1 shower for the first 5 cycle parking spaces. 1 shower per 10 cycle parking spaces thereafter. Table 15.5 - Shower and Changing Facilities Provision* * Unless otherwise agreed with the Planning Authority. • Changing/drying areas, toilets and lockers should be provided in association with shower facilities. • The Planning Authority will allow a degree of flexibility in town and village centre locations, where sites may be constrained. Where cycle parking would be better provided at communal, strategic locations around the town centre, a financial contribution in lieu of cycle parking will be considered, in accordance with the Development Contributions Scheme. • The Council may also request the provision of public cycle parking facilities, where possible at existing transport nodes, public buildings, retail centres and other locations not specified in Table 15.4. 15.7.3 Public Transport • All new development should be designed to maximise permeability and connectivity to public transport networks in accordance with the provisions of the ‘Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets’ (DMURS, 2019). • Roads should generally be designed to include infrastructure for bus services unless otherwise advised by the Road Authority; • New / improved bus stops shall be of a suitable ‘raised’ design in order to assist mobility-impaired passengers in boarding/leaving the vehicle;549

9. Page 39

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   • Bus shelters should be sited and designed taking account of the needs of the bus users and the visual sensitivity of the location of the proposed shelter. All bus shelters shall be designed with the security of the user in mind, including adequate lighting. • In considering applications for bus shelters with associated advertising, the planning authority will have regard to the particular circumstances of each case, such as location, scale and type of advertising proposed and the effect on the amenities of the area and streetscape. 15.7.4 Road and Street Network • The principles, approaches and standards set out in the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (2019) apply to the design of all urban roads and streets (with a speed limit of 60 km/h or less), except national roads and in exceptional circumstances, certain urban roads and streets with the written consent of the relevant Authority. • The standards set out in the TII publication DN-GEO-03031 Rural Road Link Design (2017) applies to Single and Dual Carriageway roads (including Motorways) in rural areas. It also applies to single carriageway Urban Relief Roads and Urban Dual Carriageways and Motorways. • The Council requires the submission of a Traffic and Transport Assessment (TTA) as part of planning applications for larger developments, as outlined in Table 15.6 below, in accordance with the TII publication PE-PDV-02045 Traffic and Transport Assessment Guidelines (2014). These guidelines advise that applicants should consult with the Transportation Department of the Council prior to submission of an application. Traffic to and from the development exceeds 10% of the traffic flow on the adjoining road. Traffic to and from the development exceeds 5% of the traffic flow on the adjoining road where congestion exists or the location is sensitive.* Residential development in excess of 200 dwellings. Retail and leisure development in excess of 1,000m2. Office, education and hospital development in excess of 2,500m2. Industrial development in excess of 5,000m2. Distribution and warehousing in excess of 10,000m2. Table 15.6 - Traffic Management Guidelines Thresholds for Transport * In locations that experience particularly heavy congestion and when traffic flows from a proposed development are less than 5% of the traffic flows on the adjoining road, a Transport Assessment may still be required. When in doubt, the requirement for a Transport Assessment should always be scoped with the relevant local authority.550

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    • The design of development proposals must address the functionality and safety of the road. Two processes specifically address these design concerns: Road Safety Impact Assessment (RSIA) and Road Safety Audit (RSA). A) Road Safety Impact Assessment (RSIA) is described in the EU Directive on Road Infrastructure Safety Management (EU RISM) 2008/96/EC as a strategic comparative analysis of the impact of a new road, or in instances of substantial modifications to an existing road, on the safety and performance of the road network. (Refer to TII standards: PE-PMG-02001 Road Safety Impact Assessment, 2017) B) Road Safety Audit (RSA) involves the evaluation of road schemes during design, construction and early operation to identify potential hazards to all road users. RSA is to be carried out on all new national road infrastructure projects and on any schemes/proposal which results in a permanent change to the layout of a national road. (Refer to TII standard: GE-STY-01024 Road Safety Audit, 2017 and GE-STY-01027 Road Safety Audit Guidelines, 2017). 15.7.5 Stopping Distances and Sightlines • Sightline requirements are determined by the Council on a case-by-case basis. Factors including the type, speed limit and condition of the road are taken into consideration. • Where sightlines are inadequate and would give rise to a traffic hazard, development will not be permitted. • Where the improvement of sightlines requires the removal of hedgerow, developers must retain as much of the existing hedgerow as possible and must provide a clear justification for the extent of removal of any hedgerow which will be considered by the Planning Authority when assessing planning applications. Planning permission may be refused where the Planning Authority concludes that excessive hedgerow is being removed in order to achieve adequate sightlines. Notwithstanding the above, where any hedgerow is being removed, with the consent of the Planning Authority, the applicant shall submit detailed landscape proposals to minimise the impact. • In cases where an access already exists with inadequate sightlines, it is Council policy to recommend the closing-up of this entrance prior to the use of an alternative access with adequate sightlines. • All applications for planning permission must clearly indicate the sightlines available at the proposed access. 15.7.6 Access Requirements • Generally, where the capacity, width, alignment, or surface condition of the road are inadequate, development will not be favoured. • Where new development would adversely impact on road drainage, development will not be permitted unless applicants agree proposals with the Council to improve the road.551

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.