4.2.1 Promoting Compact Growth
4.2.1 Promoting Compact Growth
One of the key Strategic Outcomes of the NPF is the achievement of Compact Growth. Compact and sustainable growth focuses on reusing previously developed “brownfield sites” and building up infill sites which may not have been built on before, particularly in well serviced urban locations served by good transport links and in close proximity to employment opportunities.
Compact Growth should be achieved in these areas without compromising the existing residential amenity or residential character of the area, either by “Increased Height”, “infill” or by “sub-division”. Densification will lead to the improved utilisation of existing infrastructure and help reduce the need for greenfield developments. In order to achieve this objective, the Council will promote infill and more intensive development brownfield and/or underutilised sites and on opportunity sites interspersed throughout the existing residential fabric of the city and towns.
Active Land Management
The Council will use its powers under the Derelict Sites and Vacant Sites legislation (see Section 6.6 Vacant Site Levy) in order to tackle the issues of dereliction and vacancy. Where possible, the Council will facilitate the regeneration and reuse of derelict buildings in appropriate locations for town centre uses.
The Council has served Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) on four derelict or vacant homes within the County area and another six in the City in 2020.The Council will continue to avail of its powers under the Derelict sites Act and the Vacant Sites levy and other statutory powers to actively manage land supply within the City and County.
Objectives:
4A To accommodate future population growth for County Kilkenny in accordance with projections contained in the Implementation Roadmap for the NPF and Appendix 1 of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy of the Southern Region.
4B To ensure growth is achieved in a compact form, with:
- 40% of the projected growth of the County to be delivered in Kilkenny City and the towns and villages within the county
- 30% of the new housing earmarked for the City and towns to be catered for within their built-up footprints[1]
- 50% new housing earmarked for the Waterford MASP area catered for within the built-up footprint of the Waterford area, including that part within County Kilkenny
4C To actively promote the redevelopment and renewal of areas in need of regeneration whether urban or rural through appropriate active land management measures during the period of the Plan.
4D To monitor the delivery of residential developments throughout the City and County in order to ensure alignment with the NPF, RSES and the Core Strategy and to adjust the approach as necessary where Core Strategy objectives are not being met
[1] This means within the existing built-up footprint, as defined by the CSO in line with UN criteria i.e. having a minimum of 50 occupied dwellings, with a maximum distance between any dwelling and the building closest to it of 100 metres, and where there is evidence of an urban centre (shop, school etc.).