Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021–2027

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   Chapter 5 Economic Development Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 68 The local centres within the bounds of Kilkenny include: • Newpark Shopping Centre (19 units); • Loughboy Shopping Centre (12 units); • Waterford Road (11 units); • Lidl on Johnswell Road; • Aldi at Hebron Industrial Estate These local centre locations provide an important convenience goods offer and, in most cases, a limited range of services for local residents and should continue to be supported albeit given limited opportunity to expand.

2. Page 112

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   Chapter 5 Economic Development Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 69 5.6.7 Retail Objectives 5M To ensure that Kilkenny County possesses a clear policy framework that can adequately meet the retail needs of the County’s residents over the plan period 5N To sustain and enhance the vitality and viability of the four District Towns and their retail offer, and to support their continued growth in accordance with the Core Strategy 5O To ensure all new development respect and enhances the historic environment 5P To ensure that the synergies between tourism and retailing are taken advantage of 5Q To improve the accessibility of each of the County’s town centres and promote all sustainable modes of transport 5R To enhance and promote the vitality and viability of Kilkenny City Centre, and to support the centre’s role as the dominant retail destination within the County 5S Promote Kilkenny City Centre as a shopping destination that is competitive with other comparable shopping destinations in the South East and further afield 5T To promote a mix of uses within the County’s centres, and, promote residential development on upper floors 5U To ensure a town centre first approach is adopted for all future retail development across the County, whereby the order of priority for the sequential approach will be City and Town Centre sites first, then edge-of-centre sites, and then out-ofcentre sites 5V To encourage the reduction in vacant floorspace, taking into account suitability, obsolescence, and potential alternative uses that may be appropriate where possible 5W To facilitate the regeneration and reuse of derelict buildings in appropriate locations for town centre uses and support the retention and maintenance of heritage premises and shopfronts 5X To promote investment in Place-Making and high-quality public realm through new development, and the enhancement of existing public realm in the City as well as throughout the County’s centres. The aim is to provide more attractive and vibrant urban centre and village locations, supporting retail activity and the wider commercial economy of our settlements and thereby increase footfall 5Y Promote the adaptive reuse of existing units as a priority ahead of developing sites for additional retail floorspace, unless there is a demonstrated need 5Z A joint Retail Strategy shall be undertaken between Kilkenny County Council and Waterford City and County Council for the area covered by the Waterford Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) in accordance with the retail guidelines and RSES and to carry out the Joint or Multi-Authority Retail Strategy for the Waterford Metropolitan Area within 12 months of the coming into effect of this Plan 5Aa To appropriately manage car parking and accessibility in the short term, whilst also planning for the transition to sustainable modes of transport looking ahead to a future where private vehicle travel may not be the dominant form of transport

3. Page 113

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   Chapter 5 Economic Development Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 70 These retail planning objectives provide an overarching guide for the future of retail and town centre development. In adhering to these objectives, the goal of the Kilkenny City and County Retail Strategy 2021-2027, will be to encourage the growth of healthy, vibrant and resilient city and town centres. 5.6.8 Retail Policies Having regard for the retail objectives outlined above, a set of retail policies have been drafted. In formulating and adhering to these policies, Kilkenny County Council will ensure that the development of all future retail floorspace is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the 2012 Retail Planning Guidelines, the National Planning Framework and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy. Policy 1: Plan-led approach All proposals for retail floorspace and town centre uses, must accord with the relevant requirements of the Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities 2012 and the Kilkenny County Retail Strategy 2021-2027. Policy 2: Retail hierarchy Development in the County’s centres should be of a type, size and scale appropriate to the centre, having due regard for the retail hierarchy and the appropriate level of development at each tier. The appropriate level of development at each tier is defined at Table 5.4. Table 5.4 Summary of Appropriate Level of Retail Development Tier Settlement Category Settlement Appropriate Level of Retail Development 1 Cities None at present Major retail destination within the County, offering a wide variety of convenience and comparison goods along with an extensive offer of retail, financial and business, leisure services including arts and cultural facilities. Provides a range independent and specialist shops. 2 Large towns Kilkenny City Key shopping destination offering a variety of convenience and comparison goods, along with a range of retail and leisure services and some financial and business services. 3 Smaller towns and villages Callan Castlecomer Graiguenaman agh Thomastown Local shopping destination serving the surrounding hinterland with a limited offer of convenience and comparison goods, and retail and leisure services. 4 Smaller settlements and rural areas Various Limited retail offer generally comprising a local convenience store, public house, fuel filling station and post office.

4. Page 114

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   Chapter 5 Economic Development Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 71 Policy 3: Town centre vitality and viability Within the Core Retail Areas in Kilkenny City and the District Towns, development proposals that will contribute to the vitality and viability of the town centre will be permitted. Residential development will be encouraged on the upper floors of town centre properties. Policy 4: City/Town centre first In addition to the sequential approach outlined in the Retail Planning Guidelines, Kilkenny County Council will adopt a City/Town centre first policy. Where the location of a proposed retail development is in an edge-of-centre or out-of-centre location, a sequential test must be applied in line with the Retail Planning Guidelines. The order of priority for the sequential approach is to locate retail development in Kilkenny City Centre CRA, the District Town Centre CRAs and village centres, and only to allow retail development in edge-of-centre or out-of-centre locations where all other options have been exhausted. The sequential test should be strictly applied and applicants will be required to consider altering their formats and considering smaller sites and multi-storey options. In accordance with RPO 151(f) and (g) of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, adequacy of parking provision at non-residential sites will not be considered as a measure for site suitability in sequential tests. Where retail development at an edge-of-centre site is being proposed, permission will only be granted where the applicant can demonstrate that there are no sites or potential sites including vacant units within the city/town/village centres that are (a) suitable (b) available and (c) viable, as defined at Paragraph 4.4.2 of the Retail Planning Guidelines. Where no town centre or edge of centre sites are available, the Planning Authority must not approve development unless it is satisfied that there will be no negative impact on the viability or vitality of the city/town centre. Where retail development at an out-of-centre site is being proposed, the site will only be considered where the applicant can demonstrate that: a) there are no sites or potential sites either within, or on the edge of, Kilkenny City Centre, the District Town Centres and village centres that are (a) suitable (b) available and (c) viable; and b) they would contribute towards and support the achievement of compact growth and revitalisation/rejuvenation of city or town centre as envisaged in objectives 3c, 4 and 6 of the National Planning Framework in order to allow a positive presumption in favour of the application under NPO 11 of the NPF. Policy 5: Retail Impact Assessment A Retail Impact Assessment will be required for development which features: a) Proposals of greater than 1,000 sq. m of net floorspace in Kilkenny city, including extensions to existing units; or b) Proposals of greater than 500 sq. m of net retail floorspace in all other settlements, including extensions to existing units. As described at Paragraph 4.9 and Annexe 5 of the Retail Planning Guidelines, the Retail Impact Assessment shall at a minimum include the following:

5. Page 115

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   Chapter 5 Economic Development Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 72 (i) Identification of catchment or study area; (ii) Estimation of expenditure available within the defined catchment or study area; (iii) Estimation of the turnover of existing centres within the catchment area which is likely to be affected by a new development; (iv) Estimation of the turnover of the new development for which a planning application is being lodged; and (v) Estimation of the quantum of consumer retail spending available in the catchment area which will be diverted from existing centres to the new retail development. In addition to the above, the Retail Impact Assessment shall demonstrate how the development proposal would contribute towards and support the achievement compact growth and revitalisation/rejuvenation of city or town centres as envisaged in objectives 3c, 4 and 6, 11 and 27 of the National Planning Framework. Policy 6: Kilkenny City Centre In order to ensure the retail function, profile and competitiveness of Kilkenny City is retained, applications for retail development and other town centre uses that will make a contribution to retaining Kilkenny’s role as the dominant retail destination within the County will be supported. Retail development and other main town centre uses should be prioritised to be located within Kilkenny’s Core Retail Area to ensure the vitality and viability of the historic core is protected and promoted. Similarly, it is of great importance to ensure that the historic character of the Core Retail Area is protected. An important balance must be struck between creating a dynamic and commercially successful retailing environment and an attractive historic setting. Proposals that incorporate improvements to the City’s laneways will be supported by the Council, particularly where involving creative solutions designed to activate redundant spaces. Policy 7: Town centre accessibility Improvements to the accessibility of each of the centres will be supported. In particular, proposals that include developing a pedestrian and cyclist friendly environment, and/or improve safety and limit traffic congestion will be prioritised. Wherever possible, development that encourages a shift towards sustainable modes of transport will be encouraged. Policy 8: High quality public realm Development proposals that incorporate improvements to public realm within town centres, and particularly within the Core Retail Areas, shall be supported by the Council. Policy 9: Historic environment Development within each of the centres should be designed in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 9 Heritage. Policy 10: Amalgamation of units The Council may accept proposals for the amalgamation of two or more units within a centre where the applicant can demonstrate: a) There is no alternative vacant unit of an appropriate size and location for the proposal; and b) The proposal would not detract from the overall vitality and viability of the centre; and

6. Page 116

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   Chapter 5 Economic Development Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 73 c) Where relevant, the proposal has been designed using appropriate conservation principles and expertise (See Chapter 9 Heritage), thereby retaining the building in use and maintaining the essential character of the streetscape. Policy 11: Traffic and Transport Assessment Applications for retail development proposals for more than 1,000 sq. m net floorspace shall be required to submit a Traffic and Transport Assessment (TTA). As required by the Retail Planning Guidelines, the TTA must examine the transport impacts of a proposed development, incorporating any subsequent measures necessary to ensure roads and junctions and other transport infrastructure, including car parks, in the vicinity of the development are adequate to accommodate the proposed development without causing additional delays or issues to existing and future road based traffic. Most importantly, a TTA will be required to demonstrate how to encourage a shift towards sustainable travel modes by those using the retail development in question. Policy 12: Tourism, Markets and Events Development proposals within the County’s centres that seek to improve the tourism offer will be supported. Tourism proposals should contribute to improving a positive public perception. Proposals that form a link between tourism and the offer of the town centre will be looked upon favourably by the Council. Similarly, markets and public events that are expected to have a positive influence on public perception of a centre will be supported. Within Kilkenny City Centre, proposals that would make a positive contribution to the function of the Medieval Mile will be supported. Policy 13: Retail Parks No further retail parks will be granted permission in and around Kilkenny City and Environs over the period of this City and County Development Plan. Policy 14: Significant Retail Locations In line with the sequential approach to retail developments the first-choice location for significant retail development is the Abbey Quarter and McDonagh Junction. The Mart site can be considered following completion of the masterplan exercise required by Objective C2E. Policy 15: Joint Retail Strategy In co-operation with Waterford City and County Council, develop a mechanism and deliverable timelines to carry out a joint Retail Strategy with Waterford City and County Council for the area covered by the Waterford Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) in accordance with the Retail Guidelines and Waterford MASP policy Objective 19 of the RSES within 12 months of the coming into effect of this Plan.

7. Page 117

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   Chapter 6 Housing and Community Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 74 6 Housing and Community Strategic Aim: To develop and support vibrant sustainable communities in an attractive living and working environment where people can live, work and enjoy a high quality of life, with access to a wide range of community facilities and amenities, while ensuring coordinated investment in infrastructure that will support economic competitiveness. 6.1 Housing Building strong, inclusive communities is a key element in achieving sustainable development objectives. The delivery of housing in the appropriate location and the creation of sustainable communities requires not only economic development, but also provision of and access to education, health and community support services, amenities and leisure services and a good quality-built environment. The availability and supply of housing to meet the required demand is a critical element in maintaining the competitiveness of the County and its attractiveness as a place to live and invest. Placemaking, compact growth, active land management, and addressing the impact of climate change are some of the key themes of both the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES). The Council’s role is to formulate a planning policy for housing, consider planning applications for private housing, ensure that sufficient lands are zoned to meet the projected housing demand and provide houses or facilitate the provision of social and affordable housing for those unable to house themselves. The County Council is both the housing authority and the planning authority. In these roles it has the capacity to influence the supply, location and scale of new housing within its functional area. The Council’s core objective in relation to the provision of housing is to ensure that every household has accommodation suitable to their needs, located in a suitable environment, at a price or rent it can afford. The Settlement Strategy outlined in Chapter 4 has taken cognisance of these themes and will support the implementation of the National and Regional Strategic Outcomes and Policy Objectives for population and settlement growth set out in the NPF and RSES.

8. Page 118

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   Chapter 6 Housing and Community Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 75 6.2 The Making of Place The National Strategic Outcomes in Chapter 1 and the National Policy Objectives in Chapter 2 of the NPF set a Framework to make our cities, towns and villages the places where many more people choose to live, as well as to work and visit, by 20401. It is the policy of the Council to make our city, and the towns and villages within the County more attractive and ‘liveable’ places that will offer a quality of life that more people are willing to choose in the years ahead. There are also critical links between the quality of urban place-making and business investment/job creation. Place-making is identified as a key differentiator in Enterprise 2025, Ireland’s National Enterprise Policy 2015-25. It is a priority of the enterprise strategy to “realise the full potential of our regions through investments in place-making – developing places that are attractive for business investment and for people to live and work”2. An important policy of the Council is to revitalise our towns and villages and spaces through creative and regenerative place-making, to assist in the delivery of compact growth. The Council is embarking on a significant programme of town and village renewal works throughout the County under the Town and Village renewal schemes. These schemes will assist in improving the quality of the public realm and assist in the making of Place. 1 Government of Ireland, National Planning Framework, 2018, page 54 2 Enterprise 2025 Renewed Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation March 2018 page vii Note: Project Ireland 2040, and the National Development Plan 2018-2027, are key instruments to realise the potential of our regions. All Government Departments align their capital expenditure to realise the ambition set out in Project Ireland 2040 and to achieve the desired outcomes over the coming decade Strategic Objectives 6A To ensure the creation of attractive, liveable, well designed, high quality urban places that are home to diverse and integrated communities that enjoy a high quality of life and well-being. 6B To secure, through the application of Development Management Requirements within the Plan, the making of quality urban spaces embodying inclusive and universal access design principles for our building stock, public realm, amenities and transport services. 6Ba To ensure that people are at the centre of all placemaking activities. To ensure that co-design and participatory processes are used to engage people in shaping their built environment, with a particular focus on supporting harder to reach communities to take part in public engagement processes.

9. Page 119

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   Chapter 6 Housing and Community Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 76 6.3 Sustainable Community The creation of sustainable communities is an overarching aim of this plan. The Council seeks to support thriving communities and provide access to a wide range of household types, age groups and tenures with community facilities. Sustainable Communities and place making are key entities in creating attractive places for people to invest, live, work and visit. Where Camphill communities have developed, the Council seeks to support the development of inclusive neighbourhoods, community led housing and social enterprise and promote the integration of a wide range of household types and people with varying degrees of support needs. 6.4 Housing strategy/Housing Needs Demand Assessment As part of the preparation of the Housing Strategy, see Appendix B, a Housing Needs Demand Assessment was undertaken to inform key decisions on housing need and supply. Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 requires that housing strategies be drawn up by planning authorities and integrated into their development plans. The housing strategy shall: a) Include an estimate of, and provision for, the existing need and the likely future need for housing in the area covered by the development plan. The Planning Authority shall ensure that sufficient and suitable land is zoned in its development plan for residential use (or for a mixture of residential and other uses), to meet the requirements of the housing strategy and to ensure that a scarcity of such land does not occur at any time during the period of the development plan. b) Take into account the need to ensure that housing is available for persons who have different levels of income, and for those in need of social or affordable housing in the area. A housing strategy shall therefore provide that as a general policy a specified percentage, not being more than 10% of the land zoned in the development plan for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, shall be reserved for social and/or affordable housing. c) Ensure that a mixture of house types and sizes is developed to reasonably match the requirements of the different categories of households, as may be determined by the Planning Authority, including the special requirements of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. d) Counteract undue segregation in housing between persons of different social backgrounds. The Planning Authority may indicate in respect of any residential area that there is no requirement for social/affordable housing in respect of that area, or that a lower percentage than that specified in the housing strategy may instead be required. The needs of various groups, including the homeless, travellers and the elderly are addressed as part of the Housing Strategy. A Housing Strategy has been prepared for the period 2021 - 2027 for Kilkenny City and County. This Strategy is incorporated into the Development Plan in Appendix B. The principal features to emerge from the analysis presented in this housing strategy are as follows:

10. Page 120

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    Chapter 6 Housing and Community Kilkenny City and County Development Plan Volume 1 77 • Based on the Implementation Roadmap for the National Planning Framework3 and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, for the period 2016 to 2027, housing provision for a total of 4,307 new households will be required to meet the population targets set for County Kilkenny. • The existing local authority waiting list is c.1,9884, a decrease of 888 (30%) from 2010 • The availability of zoned land is not expected to act as a constraint over the course of the Development Plan 2021– 2027 It is the view of the Planning Department that the requirements of Part V of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 in relation to any particular site should be incorporated into any development proposal at an early stage in the development process. The Council will therefore require housing developers to whom the 10% requirement will apply to discuss the likely terms of Part V agreements at pre-planning consultations. Both the Council and the developer would thus have a common understanding of the nature of the likely agreement before detailed designs are prepared for any planning application. Conditions attached to planning permissions for residential development will require developers to enter into an agreement with the Council in relation to the provision of social and affordable housing in accordance with the housing strategy. The Housing Strategy also identified that there will be a requirement for a greater mix of unit types due to an increase in the number of single persons requiring accommodation. The various options for compliance are set down in the Section 96(3) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended. The following preferred options are available to satisfy the requirements of the housing strategy, in descending order of preference of Kilkenny County Council – Option 1 Build and transfer to the ownership of the planning authority, or persons nominated by the authority, of a number of housing units on the site subject to the planning application (section 96(3) paragraph (b)(i)). Provision of units within the proposed development is the preferred Part V solution. Units should be spread throughout the scheme insofar as possible, and delivered in accordance with any proposed phasing of development. Housing Unit types and sizes must be agreed with Kilkenny County Council Housing Section at preplanning stage. Details of social housing need in the relevant areas can be supplied to developers on request. 3 Government of Ireland, Implementation Roadmap for the National Planning Framework, 2018 4 Housing Section, April 2020.

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