Kildare County Council refuses permission for 168-home scheme at Kildare Town, Co. Kildare

In context

It is one of 100 housing scheme applications Kildare County Council has received in the past twelve months, against 1,638 nationally. Of the 3,067 such applications decided by councils in the past three years, 78% were granted.

What happens next

The applicant, or anyone who made a submission on the application, can appeal the decision to An Coimisiún Pleanála within four weeks of 12 October 2023. If no appeal is lodged, the council’s decision stands and a final grant issues.

The development description, as lodged

Verbatim from the Kildare County Council register. This is the source for every figure in the story above.

a Large Scale Residential Development (LRD) scheme on a site of approximately 5.057ha. bounded generally by Southgreen Road, Old Road, the Southern Link Road, and the Dublin to Cork Railway line. The proposed development (38.00 units/ha) will consist of the construction of a new residential development of 168 no. units (24 no. 1 bed units; 52 no. 2 bed units; 77 no. 3 bed units; and 15 no. 4 bed units) in a mixture of houses, apartments and duplex units ranging in height from 2 to 3 storeys together with a childcare facility of approx. 343.91sqm. The residential element of the scheme will consist of; 108 no. Houses (30 no. Semi-Detached Houses and 78 No. Terraced Houses) in a range of house types (all 2 storeys in height); and 36 no. Duplex Units and 24 no. Apartment Units across Block A (3 storeys); Block B (3 storeys) Block C (2 storeys); and Block D (3 storeys). A separate building (2 storeys) will accommodate a Childcare Facility of approx. 343.91sqm with associated outdoor play area space of approx 91.5sqm, fully accessible from all locations within and adjacent to the scheme. Each residential unit will be afforded with private open space in the form of a balcony in the case of the apartment & duplex units and a rear garden in the case of the housing units. Public open space is proposed in the form of large central play areas, outdoor seating and planting. A total of 203 no. car parking spaces (183 no. for residents, 11 no. for visitors and 9 no. for creche staff and creche set down/drop off) are provided at surface level, including 3 no. Accessible spaces. 2 no. Bicycle/Bin Storage Buildings (both single storey/2.5m in height) are proposed to accommodate (a) 165 no. bicycle spaces (128 no. for residents, 24 no. for visitors and 13 no. for creche staff and children) in the form of 3 no. bicycle storage areas (approx. 66.3sqm); and (b) 2 no. Bin storage areas (approx. 17.9sqm). The development shall be served via a new vehicular access point from the Southgreen Road. New pedestrian and cyclist access points will be provided on to Southgreen Road, Old Road and the Southern Link Road from the site. A double-lane cycle track and footpath are also proposed along Southgreen Road adjacent to the proposed scheme. The associated site and infrastructural works include provision for water services; foul and surface water drainage and connections; attenuation proposals; permeable paving; all landscaping works; boundary treatment; internal roads and f