6.16 Health and Well-Being
6.16 Health and well-being
Planning has an important role to play in promoting and facilitating active and healthy living patterns for local communities and in promoting well-being. A range of measures are included in this Plan to promote active and healthier lifestyles including:
- Pedestrians, cyclists and users of other modes of transport that involve physical activity are given the highest priority (See Chapter 12);
- Public open spaces are located and delivered in a way that ensures they are capable of being easily reached on foot or bicycle by routes that are secure and of a high standard and that take biodiversity issues into account in their design (See Chapter 8);
- Any new workplaces are linked to walking and cycling networks (See Chapter 12); and
- Play areas are designed to encourage varied and physically active play (See Chapter 13)
Healthcare and medical facilities are provided by a range of public, private and voluntary agencies within Kilkenny City and County. The Health Service Executive is the primary organisation responsible for the delivery of health care and personal social services to the people of Kilkenny. With the scale of increase in population, and the recent Covid-19 pandemic, it is to be expected that there will be a demand for more healthcare and medical facilities within the city and county to cater for the resident population.
The primary role of the Planning Authority with regard to health care is to ensure that there is an adequate policy framework in place inclusive of the reservation of lands should additional services be required. Future provision should be planned and implemented in concert with residential development, especially where this is undertaken in the context of Local Area Plans. The Planning Authority will reserve sites within appropriate settlements for health care facilities in consultation with the HSE.
The SláinteCare Implementation Strategy[1] presents a ten-year vision to transform Ireland’s health and social care services. The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy is the framework for a system-wide reform programme. It sets out the direction for the next ten years and actions to be taken in the first three years of the Sláintecare implementation process. The focus is on establishing the building blocks for a significant shift in the way in which health and social care services are delivered in Ireland.
Healthcare facilities may include health centres, day centres, community nursing units, family resource centres, nursing homes/convalescent homes, community residences, sheltered workshops, activation centres and residential facilities for children and adolescents. These facilities require locations which are integrated with new and existing communities and which are easily accessible.
There are two existing primary health care centres in County Kilkenny, one in Kilkenny city on the Granges Road and another in Callan. Construction has recently commenced on Primary Care units at Newpark in Kilkenny City, in Thomastown on Lady’s Well Street and another on the Belmont/Ross road in Ferrybank.
[1] Government of Ireland, SláinteCare Implementation Strategy https://assets.gov.ie/9914/3b6c2faf7ba34bb1a0e854cfa3f9b5ea.pdf