Development plan · Kilkenny County Council
Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021–2027 — Volume 2
A further volume of the council's development plan.
Kilkenny County Council · 2021–2027 · 135 pages
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- Heritage Strategy Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 2 48 Kilkenny County Council commissioned a survey of mature trees in the City worthy of preservation31. This report, along with other relevant information, will inform future additions to the list of Tree Preservation Orders, see Appendix E. A Tree Survey of St. Canice’s Campus has been undertaken as part of the background work for the masterplanning of the area (See Section 2.4.1 St. Canice’s). 4.3 Built Heritage of Kilkenny City The character of the city comes from its unique setting and layout incorporating a number of distinctive elements. Firstly, the dominant position of its great buildings – St. Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny Castle, St. Mary’s Cathedral, the Tholsel, St. Francis Abbey and St. Canice’s Hospital – are linked by streets of different character and type, many of which are joined together by the narrow laneways (slips). Secondly, there are buildings of different uses, architectural quality and historic backgrounds, including the historically important Shee Alms House, Rothe House, Bishops Palace, Black Abbey, Court House (Graces Castle), Talbot’s Tower, but also many examples of traditional shopfronts and of domestic housing. The urban grain of the city is still visible, while the network of streets and laneways is complemented by the River Nore, which with its tree-lined banks and adjacent open spaces, provides an important natural element in the overall townscape character of the city. The Castle Park is a significant open space in the centre of the city used widely for recreational activities. By preserving characteristic features of the City, the Council seeks to maintain and nurture our environment and cultural heritage as part of our identity. Archaeological Heritage Archaeological heritage is comprehensively dealt with in Volume 1, Chapter 9. The City itself is rich in archaeology. Zones of Notification of Recorded Monuments in Kilkenny City are illustrated in Figures HS3 and HS4 respectively32. 31 Fennell, A. 2007. A Survey of Mature Trees in Kilkenny City and Environs (An unpublished report for Kilkenny County Council.) 32 See https://www.archaeology.ie/archaeological-survey-database for the most up to date information Objective C4C To undertake an update of the Survey of Mature Trees in the City worthy of preservation. See Volume 1 Section 9.2.5 Woodlands, Trees and Hedgerows
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- Heritage Strategy Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 2 49 An archaeological assessment of a site or a building in the City may be required before carrying out works. It is advisable to arrange a pre-planning consultation with the Council before embarking on such works in this regard. See Volume 1 Section 9.3 for detailed Development Management Requirements on archaeology. Walled Town The Kilkenny City walls, built during the medieval period, would have historically formed a defensive line around the medieval town. Today, the walls are part-standing and part-buried. Town defences are considered to be monuments for the purposes of the National Monuments Acts, 1930-2004. The Council will support the National Policy on Town Defences104 which sets out national policy for the protection, preservation and conservation of the defences of towns and cities. Conservation Plans Conservation Plans are important documents in ensuring the necessary strategies for managing significant archeological and architectural sites is undertaken. Kilkenny County Council has been a key partner for the compilation of the conservation plans for the Kilkenny City Walls33, Rothe House34, St. Mary’s Church and Graveyard35 in the City over the years. A conservation plan is currently being compiled for St. Francis’ Abbey, Evan’s Turret, and sections of Kilkenny City walls which are located on the Abbey Quarter site. Development Management Requirement • To adhere to recommendations in Conservation plans when assessing development proposals for these sites 33 Oxford Archaeology and Heritage Council, Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan, 2005 34 Ozmin, E, Sharma, B., Wait, G and Heritage Council, Rothe House, Parliament Street, County Kilkenny Conservation Plan, 2002 35 Heritage Council, The Integrated Conservation Group, St. Mary’s Church and Graveyard Conservation Plan, 2005. See Volume 1 Section 9.3.1 Archaeological Heritage Objective C4D To facilitate and support the implementation of existing (and any further) conservation plans, as resources allow.
- Heritage Strategy Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 2 50 Historic Graveyards The historic graveyards of Kilkenny are an important part of the heritage of the City. They contain a wealth of architectural and archaeological features and are refuges for many species of plant and animal. Most historic graveyards are afforded legal protection through the National Monuments (Amendment) Acts or the Planning and Development Acts. There are 12 historic graveyards in the City & Environs as follows: 1. St. Canice’s Cathedral 2. St. Francis Abbey 3. St. Mauls 4. St. Canice’s 5. Black Abbey 6. St. Mary’s Cathedral 7. St. Mary’s (Church of Ireland) 8. Capuchin Friary 9. St. Rioch’s 10. St. John’s (Church of Ireland) 11. St. John’s 12. St. Patricks 4.4 Urban Structure Kilkenny, often referred to as the medieval capital of Ireland, offers an abundance of fascinating historical sites. The historic urban centre of Kilkenny City retains much of its medieval fabric. Prominent buildings such as the Shee Almshouse, Rothe House and the imposing Kilkenny Castle are some of the better-known secular buildings about the streetscape, while numerous medieval religious buildings, such as St Canice’s Cathedral, the Dominican Black Abbey and St Francis’s Abbey, also survive. Buildings such as these, and other less well-known later medieval structures hidden behind Georgian and Victorian façades, are a feature of the surviving medieval streetscape. In principle, it will be the policy of the Council to retain and enhance the essential character of the historic city, whilst assisting in its continued but controlled development, enhancement and maintenance. The character of Kilkenny is the result of a combination of the natural features of river and topography, the street spaces, the built fabric and the numerous landmark buildings and structures of historical and archaeological value. The opposing poles of the central area are formed by Kilkenny Castle and St. Canice’s Cathedral. The enclaves of these two buildings and the spaces which link them – High Street, Parliament Street and Irishtown - form the spine of the central area. The main spine tends to run parallel to the contours while minor streets and lanes run across the contours, often forming “short cuts”. These narrow lanes, or “slips” as they are locally known, are a
- Heritage Strategy Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 2 51 particular feature of Kilkenny’s townscape. Some are just pedestrian ways, which form short cuts across the width of particularly long city blocks and do not have frontage development. Others act as narrow streets with buildings fronting onto them. Within the central area, the streets are typically narrow space channels enclosed on both sides by 18th and 19th century structures. Generally, the facades are vertically proportioned and narrow fronted. The terraces of vernacular structures are occasionally interrupted by something more ornate or large scaled, often the façade of a bank or other public institutions. Buildings of great public importance such as the Castle, Tholsel and Courthouse, not only differ in scale and material from the vernacular structures, but are either set back or brought forward in respect of the general building line. The historic centre has been the subject of much change with the redevelopment of some large sites within the city centre such as The Market Yard (Dunnes Stores), the Presentation School (the Market Cross Shopping Complex), the River Court Hotel off John Street and the multi-storey car park, hotel and apartments off Patrick Street, and the current Abbey Quarter site. These large developments were generally on large extensive sites in backland areas where existing uses had become redundant. Although these are large developments, the essential townscape character of the city centre as described above is still clearly evident. Under the Living City Initiative, the Council will continue to engage with interested owners of buildings located within the designated areas of Kilkenny City, the main focus of which is the continued use of city centre buildings by way of refurbishment and conversions of pre-1915 building. The current Initiative runs until 31st December 202236. Public Realm The architectural character of a city is determined not only by the importance of individual buildings and groups of buildings but also by the quality of the spaces formed by the buildings – i.e. the footpaths, streets, squares, parks, views and vistas are all of importance, and are an integral part of the urban structure. Public realm can be best described as the form and use of outdoor areas and spaces that are accessible to the public. This includes many familiar types of place such as streets, squares, parks, car parks, as well as the physical and visual connections between them, and with buildings. The public realm in Kilkenny is varied, from the grand civic space at the Parade to the many smaller and incidental spaces and the numerous streets and slipways of the medieval city. The effects of proposed developments on the quality of the adjacent public spaces and the possibilities of creating new spaces will be an important factor in assessing planning applications. Pedestrians will be afforded priority in the use of the public realm throughout the historic city. A number of improvements to the 36 More information: https://www.kilkennycoco.ie/eng/Services/Planning/The-Living-City-Initiative/ https://www.revenue.ie/en/property/living-city-initiative/index.aspx
- Heritage Strategy Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 2 52 public realm are proposed in this Plan, see Section 2.9.18 Public Realm Improvements. These will endeavour to reimagine public spaces to be multi-functional. 4.5 Kilkenny City ACA’s There are nine areas within the Kilkenny City and Environs which are designated as ACAs, see Figure HS5. A general set of policies for all ACAs within the County and City has been included in Volume 1, Section 9.3.3, Architectural Conservation Areas. Table 4.1: Architectural Conservation Areas in Kilkenny City City Centre Kilkenny Castle Saint Canice’s John Street Patrick Street Michael Street and Wolfe Tone Street Saint Mary’s Lacken Talbots Inch City Centre ACA Description and historical background The City Centre ACA encompasses the medieval core of Kilkenny, the boundaries of which follow the line of the city wall to the west and north, the river to the east and Rose Inn Street to the south (see Figure HS6). This area is defined by the central spine of the city running along High Street and Parliament Street with the medieval slips running to the east between High Street and Kieran Street and the surviving burgage plots to the rear of properties on High Street and Parliament Street. This part of the City contains some of the city’s most architecturally and historically significant structures including St. Francis Abbey, The Black Abbey, St. Mary’s Church, Rothe House, Shee Alms House, and the Hightown Circuit of the city walls, visual reminders of the city’s prosperity in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The Tholsel and the Courthouse (Graces Castle) are also within this area representing major contributions from the 18th century. Apart from these landmark buildings and structures (of which there is a high proportion in such a small area) the external built fabric of these streets dates to the 18th and 19th centuries. Even within this however, there are small reminders of the medieval past incorporated into many of the city’s structures, particularly on High Street, and it is highly likely that there is further medieval fabric hidden from view. The urban vernacular of much of the City Centre is characterised by rendered and painted facades with classically proportioned wall to window ratios and the survival of the timber sash as the most common window type. This presentation is typical of the commercial centres of most Irish towns. One departure from this type is the east side of Parliament Street which is home to a number of redbrick four-storey over basement Georgian houses. Adjacent to these is an important reminder of
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