Carnaross

1.0  Village Context and Character

Carnaross is located in the north of County Meath along the R147 regional road which was the former N3 national primary route from Dublin to Cavan.  The village is approximately 5km west of the town of Kells. Carnaross has evolved as a small settlement radiating from the crossroads connecting the town and villages of Kells, Virginia, Moynalty and Crossakiel.  It is characterised by a number of protected structure, social and community facilities, traditional town and farm house typologies.  It has developed into four distinct character areas, separated by open views of the countryside; the River View Residential area, the Village Crossroads, the Carnaross Mart and Lennox Brook / Páirc Naoimh Ciarán.

2.0 Vision

To give coherence to the identity of Carnaross Village; River View Residential area, the Village Crossroads, the Carnaross Mart and Lennox brook / Páirc Naoimh Ciarán, through the consolidation and strengthening of these four distinct character areas within village, to improve pedestrian connection between the character areas and their public realm, and recognising the importance of conserving and enhancing the quality of the village’s-built heritage, to ensure that the village develops in a sustainable manner as an attractive place to live, work, recreate and visit. Only natural/organic residential growth will be encouraged over the lifetime of the Development Plan in line with the Development Plan Core Strategy.   

3.0  Opportunities

• There is potential for consolidation and enhancement of the four-character areas that define the overall village core, through the development of infill sites and public realm improvements.
• There is potential to better define the entry points to the village.
• There is an opportunity to enhance connections between the character areas to better define the identity of the village, and to improve the sustainability of the village.  

4.0 Land Use Strategy

There are a number of key elements to the Land Use Strategy for  Crossakiel to define each of the character areas though public realm improvements in each particular area, including new paving, traffic calming, and street lighting; the  definition of the  the Village Crossroad character area with a new public space adjoining a new village centre development area and school as a focal point  for the village, and facilitation of  the development of pedestrian routes from the village core to connect to the Carnaross Mart and the Lennox Brook / Pairc Naoimh Ciarán character areas.  

4.1 Settlement and Housing

Residential development in the village is dispersed along the R147, in each of the four-character areas, in the form of ribbon development, comprising detached dwellings within large gardens, with a more consolidated built form at the Village Crossroads of single and two storey dwellings, and a traditional suburban estate-built form of detached and semidetached dwelling clustered to the west of the village in the River View Residential character area.

A pedestrian path connects the River View Residential character area with the Village Crossroads character area while there are poor connections between the Village Crossroads, and the character areas to the east.

The Carnaross Mart plays a significant role in the identity of the village, but would benefit from environmental improvement, including landscape screening and enhancement of the boundary, in order to improve the setting and visual amenity of this character area.

The area identified to accommodate future residential development within the life time of the current Plan is located to the north east of the village crossroads (1.16ha site).  

4.2 Economy and Employment

Carnaross is identified as a level 5 retail centre in the County Retail Hierarchy.  It has a small range of retail services, primarily a local convenience shop and hardwater store with a post office and public house.  The Carnaross Mart is a significant driver of the village economy and an important source of local employment. 

The village would benefit from having a greater range and variety of facilities, and there is scope of consolidation of the site to the north east of the Village Crossroads to incorporate appropriately scaled a mixed-use type development of village and residential development.  Also, there is scope to facilitate employment creation with small to medium size enterprises on this site, or on the site to the south of the Mart facility.  The close proximity of the villageto the town to Kells will continue to be a deterrent to attracting facilities other than to serve the immediate needs of the village and rural catchment, notwithstanding that, the creation of local employment will be encouraged.  The improvement of the local bus services to adjoining larger employment centres is also promoted in this development strategy.

4.3 Water Services Infrastructure

The village is currently serviced by  the following water services infrastructure:

Water: There is no public water supply in the village and this is a major constraint to the provision of new housing / commercial development in Carnaross.  Long term development is contingent upon connection to the public water supply from the Kells – Oldcastle supply.

Wastewater: Carnaross is currently serviced by a wastewater treatment plant in the River View housing development. This plant has limited spare capacity and together with the limited network is a constraint to development. 

4.4 Movement

Carnaross developed along the former N3 connecting Dublin to Cavan.  Since the construction of the M3 Motorway  and consequent realignment of the N3, the former N3 traversing the village was redesignated as the R147 regional road.  The completion of the M3 Motorway has significantly reduced the amount of traffic passing through Carnaross.  Access to the N3 is now provided at Derver northwest of the village.

Carnaross would benefit from improved public bus connections to nearby towns.  In recent years, bus services to the village have improved with bus stops being provided outside the Church opposite the National School, adjacent to the cross roads and outside the River View housing development.

Whilst there is an existing footpath and public lighting connecting the River View residential development to the village centre, and from the village to the local cemetery, there is a need generally to further improve pedestrian and cyclist linkages in the village.  The majority of development falls within 800metres of the village crossroads.  Providing pedestrian and cyclist linkages from the village core to the playing fields would significantly enhance pedestrian and cyclist mobility within the village. 

The reduction in through traffic within the village provides the opportunity to address traffic safety issues such as the provision of footpaths and the possibility of cycling paths, which would in turn reduce speeds.

This strategy promotes public realm improvements within each of the character areas to incorporate both improved pedestrian and cyclist facilities, while accommodating appropriate levels of parking provision to the local services. 

4.5 Cultural and Natural Heritage

Carnaross benefits from an historic built heritage in the Village Crossroads cluster that contributes to its sense of place, which include protected structures, and traditional vernacular building forms, also traditional farm buildings and boundaries to the west at River View, and Lennox brook housing, outhouses and curtilage to the east of the village. There are no archaeological monuments in Carnaross recorded on the Record of Monuments and Places, although there are numerous monuments to the south of the village including church ruins, high crosses and an ogham stone, located at St. Ciaráns Well. 

4.6 Green Infrastructure

Although the village and the surrounding environs hold environmental assets, the village does not contain any Natura 2000 sites.  However, the River Boyne and River Blackwater Special Area of Conservation (Site Code: 002299) and the River Boyne and River Blackwater Special Protection Area (Site Code: 004232) is located approximately 420 metres south of the village. 

There are several mature trees which contribute significantly to the landscape setting of the village, to the rear of the Village Crossroads, visible on the approach to the village from the south, and surrounding Lennox brook House to the east of the village core. 

Gaps between the existing development areas are retained in the strategy to maintain links to the rural landscape and in order to ensure that the identity of the four-character areas is maintained.

The protection of the natural environment of Carnaross is fundamental to the success of this Development Strategy as it provides the village with its own unique identity and amenity background.

4.7 Social Infrastructure

The village contains a National School opposite the RC Church and Parish Hall.  Carnaross GAA grounds are located approximately 1.2kn from the village crossroads.  The existing level of civic and community facilities should continue to be monitored to ensure that it caters for the village’s needs having regard to the population now resident.  The village centre lands to the north east of the Village Crossroads have the potential to provide a civic amenity space, and furthermore, lands have been reserved for Community and Social Recreational use to the east of the village to accommodate both existing and proposed future populations. 

4.8 Urban Design and Public Realm

As noted, Carnaross is defined by the four-character areas.  Each character area would benefit from public realm improvements, including urban consolidation, enhancement of boundaries, and the provision of improved pedestrian paths, public lighting and landscaping, to create visual and pedestrian continuity within and between the four-character areas. 

The Village core would also benefit from the provision of a central civic space to consolidate Village Crossroads as the heart of the village adjoining the potential development site to the north east of the village core.  This site holds great potential to significantly contribute to the development of Carnaross, to provide residential, commercial and community facilities.

5.0 Village Development Policies and Objectives

The Policies and Objectives set out below are in addition to those included in the Written Statement in Volume One of the County Development 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 in Volume One of the County Development Plan.

Policy

It is the policy of the Council:

Settlement and Housing

Objectives

It is an objective of the Council:

Settlement and Housing

Economy and Employment

Movement

Cultural and Natural Heritage

Social

Urban Design and Public Realm