Kilbride

Dúnta3 Sam, 2021, 8:59am - 3 Sam, 2021, 9:00am

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1.0 Village Context/Character

Kilbride is located approximately 8km south west of Ashbourne and 7km south east of Ratoath on the border with Dublin. Kilbride is under significant pressure as a result of its location in terms of traffic volumes passing through the village at peak times. Kilbride is located in an attractive rural setting with mature hedgerows and tree lined approach roads and fields in the vicinity. The village will remain a small-scale village settlement in the settlement hierarchy of the Plan. Development in key locations will contribute to creating a more compact and vibrant community with a discernible core.

Development in Kilbride is dispersed and the village core is poorly defined. The building form is predominantly rural in nature and building heights do not exceed two storeys. The River Ward flows to the south of the settlement. The Church of St. Brigid and the Sacred Heart occupies a prominent and elevated site to the north of the village. The approach roads to Kilbride are marked by the presence of mature trees and hedgerows which contribute to the visual qualities of the area.

Position in Settlement Hierarchy

Village

2016 Population

87
(estimate no census data available)

Housing stock 2016

27

Number of units completed 2016-2019

19

Committed units not yet built

0

Population Projection 2027

162

Education Facilities         

Kilbride Primary School

Community Facilities

Kilbride GAA and St.Brigid’s Church

Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs)

None

Protected Structures

Kilbride RC Church

Zone of Archaeological Potential

None

Natura 2000 Sites

The nearest Natura 2000 site is the Malahide Estuary SPA and SAC which is located approximately 12.5km to the east.   

Strategic Flood Risk Assessment

Manage flood risk and development in line with approved policies and objectives as set out in Vol. 1 Chapter 6: Infrastructure.   

The application of a sequential approach and associated detailed FRA is required for any new development within Flood Zone A/B or adjacent to a field drain.

Water Services Infrastructure/Capacity

Water: limited capacity

Waste Water: limited capacity

2.0 Vision

To consolidate and strengthen the commercial and residential village centre of Kilbride, and encourage development which will contribute and strengthen the character and structure of the village core. Also, to enhance the quality of the Village’s built and natural environment while catering for the needs of the local community and to ensure that the village develops in a sustainable manner, as an attractive village in which to live, work, recreate and visit.

3.0 Opportunities

  • There is an excellent opportunity to develop the core of the village through the provision of improved pedestrian facilities and traffic calming to the north of the village adjacent to the church. This will assist in creating a more pleasant and safer environment within the village centre.
  • The provision of a village green/pocket park in tandem with the existing mixed-use zoning at the crossroads will add to the vitality and vibrancy of the village and, in turn, will help to create a more compact pattern of development.
  • To the south, an opportunity exists to improve the area at the school through further traffic calming, improved presentation and tree planting. This will also require improved/additional public lighting, completion/extension of footpaths to and from the crossroads, the school and surrounding residential areas.
  • Improved village presentation with high quality signage, public art and consistent lighting standards in the village core and on approaches to the village would contribute to the sense of place and help to reinforce a village feel and unique identity.

4.0 Land Use Strategy

The land use strategy for Kilbride aims to maintain and promote an attractive built environment within the village. This will be achieved through the sensitive treatment of infill development to promote a compact and vibrant village core to ensure that Kilbride can cater for its current and future population needs and support employment generation in a sustainable manner.

4.1 Settlement and Housing

The settlement has developed in a linear fashion along the roads which converge at the crossroads junction rather than in a consolidated manner, around a defined village core. Residential development is mainly in the form of detached dwellings on individual sites, although a number of residential clusters exist at Cherry Tree Drive and Glenard to the north west and east of the church. Pedestrian connectivity in the village centre is poor at present and requires significant strengthening.

The capacity to accommodate multi house residential development is low because of its limited service capacity, however appropriate small-scale residential development could readily integrate with the existing built form and natural environment though use of appropriate dwelling typologies, which are informed by vernacular architecture, appropriate siting and landscaping, subject to available infrastructure capacity. 

The areas identified to accommodate new residential development are to the east and south of the GAA pitch. Development will be required to integrate with the existing village context and create a more permeable urban environment. A residential development containing 19 no. dwellings is under construction (at the time of writing) to the south of the GAA grounds. 

As part of the development of the area to the east of the GAA pitch a village green open space/pocket park should be developed.

4.2 Economy and Employment (including retail)

Kilbride is identified as a Level 5 retail centre in the County Retail Hierarchy. Commercial facilities in the village consist of a petrol station and associated convenience shop, a public house, and Rennicks sign manufacturers located south of the village. Development in the village has occurred in a dispersed fashion rather than in a compact village form. Due to the size of Kilbride and the close proximity of larger urban settlements, the facilities available are considered to be adequate at present.

4.3 Water Services Infrastructure

Kilbride is served by the following water services infrastructure:

Water: Kilbride is served by the East Meath Water Supply Scheme. It is on the periphery of this scheme and hence network constraints limit spare capacity.

Wastewater: The village of Kilbride is served by the Ashbourne/Ratoath/Kilbride Sewerage Scheme. The pumping station in Kilbride has a primary function of pumping wastewater from both Ashbourne and Ratoath to Mulhuddart. As such this pumping station has very limited capacity to serve Kilbride directly.

4.4 Movement

Kilbride is situated at the junction of the county roads L-1007-30 (Ratoath Road), L-1009-11 (Ashbourne Road) and L-1007-40 (Hollystown Road). The village is proximate to the N2, M3 and R147 (former N3) national routes and motorways and is approximately 5km from the M3 Park and Ride train station. Connectivity of the village to the M3 park and ride train station should be explored. The roads in the village are frequently used by commuters from outside of this area travelling to Dublin. The village therefore experiences significant volumes of through traffic which has implications for the quality of the environment and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

It is important to improve the movement of pedestrians through the area and to manage vehicular traffic passing through the Village. Traffic calming measures, pedestrian crossing(s), augmenting/extending village footpaths, the use of textured surfacing, tactile paving and improved markings for pedestrians and motorised traffic would result in the creation of an improved and safer pleasant village environment.

4.5 Cultural and Natural Heritage

The Church of St. Brigid is an attractive building and occupies a dominant setting in the village. It is an objective to preserve the character and setting of this building which is a Protected Structure.

4.6 Green Infrastructure

The Ward River passes through the southern section of Kilbride. This feature has the potential to act as an amenity space for the village. It is identified in the land use zoning objectives as a walkway and in the future, any development of adjoining lands should incorporate proposals for the walkway.

In Kilbride there are a number of attractive mature trees, both broadleaved copses and rows of pines that contribute much to the natural heritage and character of the area. These are primarily located within the church grounds of St. Brigid Church in the village centre. Retaining and protecting these trees is important and will be provided for in this plan.

4.7 Social Infrastructure

Current community facilities in Kilbride consist of the Church, community hall, GAA grounds and Scoil Bhríde primary school. The Council will support and facilitate the expansion of these facilities as necessary to serve the existing and additional population in the area.

It would be beneficial to improve the social infrastructure of the village, including the provision of a purposeful village green/pocket park in tandem with improving pedestrian linkages. Sufficient lands are available to cater for expanded social/community infrastructure to accommodate both existing and future populations during the lifetime of the Plan. 

4.8 Urban Design and Public Realm

A high standard of building design will be required for all types of future development in Kilbride. The design approach should be representative of Kilbride as a rural village with cues for building form demonstrably taken from the traditional and vernacular built heritage in the area. New building should respond to the individual site context and take due cognisance of adjoining development.

The Village core retains a rural / low density village character although the peripheries of the Village are of a more suburban character.  It would be desirable to see the public realm and streetscape improved to enhance the Village core character, and improve the village aesthetics. The Council will encourage and promote well designed and highly considered architectural solutions to any appropriate development proposals within the Village Centre in order to enhance both the aesthetics and appearance of the village and enhance the character of the area.

5.0 Town/Village Development Objectives

The Policies and Objectives set out below are in addition to those included in the Written Statement in Volume One of the Plan. To avoid repetition, Policies and Objectives have only been restated where they have particular relevance to the settlement. These Policies and Objectives should therefore be read in conjunction with the Policies and Objectives and Development Standards set out within Volume One of the Plan.

Policy

It is the policy of the Council:

KIL POL 1

To consolidate and strengthen the commercial and residential village centre of Kilbride, and encourage development which will enhance the quality of the public realm, the character and structure of the village core and existing streetscape, to engage and connect with the river and riverbank open space and the wider landscape, while catering for the needs of all within the local community and to provide for development that will allow the village to develop in a sustainable manner, as an attractive place to live, work recreate and visit.

Objectives

It is an objective of the Council:

Settlement and Housing

KILB OBJ 1

To secure the implementation of the Core Strategy of the County Development Plan, in so far as is practicable, by ensuring the household allocation for Kilbride as set out in Table 2.12 of the Core Strategy are not exceeded.

KILB OBJ 2

To support and encourage residential development on under-utilised land and/or vacant lands including ‘infill’ and ‘brownfield’ sites, subject to a high standard of design and layout being achieved. New development should respect the scale, massing and character of the village.

KILB OBJ 3

To promote the development of new residential areas to the south and east of the GAA pitch. New development should be developed in accordance with the objectives outlined in the Urban Design Objectives. 

KILB OBJ 4

To promote the provision of a village green/pocket park, to serve the needs of the village.

Economy and Employment

KILB OBJ 5

To facilitate the development of lands zoned for mixed-use opposite Sweeney’s pub and main village junction in order to enhance the village core and create a focal point for the village.

KILB OBJ 6

To protect and enhance village core and promote consolidation of the commercial core around the centre of the village, and reuse of vacant sites and derelict underused buildings for residential, commercial or community uses.

Infrastructure

KILB OBJ 7

To liaise, work with and support Irish Water to endeavour to provide adequate water services to meet the development needs of the Village within the Plan period.

KILB OBJ 8

To manage flood risk and development in line with the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. (see Volume 4 Strategic Environmental Assessment, Appropriate Assessment and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment).

Movement

KILB OBJ 9

To seek to provide improved and extended footpaths and public lighting within the village.

KILB OBJ 10

To seek to provide new pedestrian crossing(s) in key locations and upgrade the existing main village crossroads, improve pedestrian safety within the village, in conjunction with the relevant stakeholders.

KILB OBJ 11

To seek to facilitate the development a linear walkway and amenity area along the banks of the River Ward to increase the accessibility and amenity value of the river and its amenity corridor, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders and subject to environmental assessments.

Cultural and Natural Heritage

KILB OBJ 12

To preserve existing hedgerows, trees and views in the village.

KILB OBJ 13

To enhance the landscape setting of Kilbride through the planting of native trees and hedgerows within and surrounding the village.

KILB OBJ 14

To enhance and protect the special character and setting of the church of St Brigid and the Sacred Heart, Protected Structure, associated buildings and attendant grounds, and to integrate public realm improvements as part of the village enhancement programme.

Green Infrastructure

KILB OBJ 15

To enhance community and recreational uses including support for the development of a village green/pocket park within the village.

Urban Design and Public Realm

KILB OBJ 16

To promote improved presentation along the main village spine and at the village entry points in the form of high-quality signage, public art and village style lighting standards.

KILB OBJ 17

To ensure that new development areas complement and integrate with the proposed amenity walks and village green/pocket park, where possible. 

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