Kildare County Council have published a “Draft Area Action Plan for Newbridge Town Centre” In response to a request for submissions from the public Newbridge Tidy Towns Association have submitted the following submission for consideration by the Council.

Our Submission was delivered to:
Senior Executive Officer,
Forward Planning Section,
Kildare County Council,
Áras Chill Dara,
Devoy Place,
Naas, Co. Kildare.

Dated: 24th April 2007.


Introduction:

Newbridge Tidy Towns Association welcomes the publication of the Draft Newbridge Town Centre Action Plan 2007, which we believe when implemented will totally transform the town’s urban centre. In particular, it is most gratifying to note the emphasis which the plan places on achieving the highest standards in relation to quality of innovative urban and architectural design. It is seldom that a Local Authority has the such a unique opportunity to redesign and rebuild a town centre in a town the size of Newbridge, design decisions made on this development will have far reaching consequences for the future of our town.

We note the totality of the area encompassed by the plan is approximately 14 ha. stretching from the Cutlery Road to the Liffey and from Main Street / Edward Street to the Athgarvan & Military Roads (please note the “Inner Relief Road” has been re-named Military Road). Our Association are delighted to take this opportunity to make the following submission to Kildare County Council during the period of public consultation in regard to the copy of the Draft Plan as lodged in the County Library Headquarters, Athgarvan Road, Droichead Nua.

We welcome the aspiration listed in Page 2 of the plan to “develop a modern, attractive, strategically located town centre appropriate for an emerging urban centre of regional importance”. This is what was expected and that is what the Tidy Towns Association has strived towards for some years now.

On a point of information, the tidy town’s reports have on numerous occasions noted that the Main Street / Edward Street had a lopsided look, with most of the buildings and development on the north-western side of the town. The buildings on the other side of Main Street / Edward Street (Town Hall side) were more scattered, and gaps have built up along this side of the street. This was of course due to the existence of the former British Army Cavalry Barracks, which prohibited buildings within the vicinity of the Barracks walls. We welcome the suggestion that this area would benefit from some “infill development” to consolidate the town centre area. The Council must ensure that these streets retain the existing pedestrian footpath on both sides of the Main Street / Edward Street areas as a minimum.

Local Authority Staff have often commented that their shelves are packed with good LAP's, and AAP's but because of budgetary constraints and lack of personnel some plans are never implemented. The 1996 Anthony O Neill: “Newbridge Town Improvement Plan” unfortunately fell into this category. With this in mind, we wish to propose that consideration be given by Kildare County Council to the establishment of a project team to act as a ‘driving force ‘to oversee the implementation of this plan.

This setting up of such a project team and having the benefit of “lessons learnt” (hindsight) from similar project such as the mid 90’s Newbridge Town Centre Urban Renewal scheme (which resulted in a series of side street apartments and the Eyre Powell “hotel”) would, we believe go a long way towards ensuring the plans success.

Our vision is quite simple, this area once developed must provide a mix of retail, service, residential and leisure / recreational uses, and it is the duty Kildare County Council (the Planning Authority) to ensure that this area of 14ha is developed in a controlled, planned manner to ensure that it becomes a vibrant, pedestrian friendly town centre area which will be enjoyed by future generations.

AAP Site / Town Centre:

Current uses in this area vary from retail, service, industrial, and civic buildings such as the County Library, Riverbank Arts Centre, Garda Station and of course the Town Hall (Garrison Church) which the Town Council proposed to develop as a new County Library, and civic office.

This site is referred to as the Town Centre throughout the document, however in reality the town centre has “moved” over the years, twenty years ago the “Commercial” Town Centre was the Edward Street / Main Street area, it then “moved” up to the area now occupied by Dunne’s & Tosco’s, and in the last two years the “Commercial” Town Centre has begun to move back towards the Whitewater Development. We welcome the proposal to bring the Town Centre back to its “roots”, and look forward to a vibrant area developed with people’s needs in mind.

Action Area Plan Aim & Objectives:

The success of any plan depends on how well the plan is implemented, and ultimately depends largely on ensuring that aims and objectives of plans are strictly adhered to. While we accept that realising the vision of this AAP will involve the inclusion of the landowners in consultation with the planning authorities and that there must be a degree of flexibility, its objectives however, must remain constant and unambiguous. Therefore we propose that the sentence in paragraph 1.4 Action Area Plan Aim and Objectives “With this in mind, the following objectives should be considered:” must be strengthened and replaced with a phrase such as:

“Any development within the scope of this plan will have to strictly adhere to the following objectives:”

In this plan it falls on the County Council to make sure that the final AAP is a people / community friendly plan with the interests of Newbridge people into the future taken into account.

We are particularly pleased that the plan objective includes reference to “creating streets and facilitating pedestrian, cycling”, and “protecting and enhancing the existing townscape” we would ask that the following be added as formal objectives:

That pedestrianisation & cycle lanes be adopted as a core value for this area.

While mentioned elsewhere in the Draft Plan, we would feel that the overall objectives would benefit from some specific strong references to enhanced sustainability, particularly in relation to energy conservation with a strong emphasis on solar and non-fossil fuel sources of energy in the development.

ALL services must be under grounded, including ESB, Phone / Telecoms, Cable TV etc.

The term “appropriate” mix of uses could benefit from a more detailed definition. Development of the area must be very well defined, and perhaps some exclusions should be included in the draft plan – we refer to amusement arcades, fast food restaurants (litter generators), and developments which are negative to the environment generally.

That Public Sculpture / Art be formally incorporated into the plan and included on the maps. We note that the written plan states that “Public Art will be encouraged in identified areas within the AAP – (see Map Ref 2)”, please note that the maps provided in the Library make no reference to possible locations for public art in this scheme, which is a surprising omission given the written script. We feel that with such a large area more than one piece of public art is required – (We have included a copy of the published maps as lodged in the Library which DO NOT make reference to ANY Public Art locations).

Public art must be included as a Condition / Objective, the phrase “encouraged” is not strong enough in the context of this plan. We would propose that some element of public art needs to be positioned in EACH open / civic area within the development. Both Private / semi-private and public civic spaces require an element of public art to be incorporated into their design.

Given the current uses of the AAP, art pieces should reflect local features / industry etc, such as “Bog Oak” or a water feature which would serve to link the AAP to the Liffey.

That issues regarding people with Disabilities will be a core element of any development within the AAP. The need to cater for persons with disabilities has no doubt been taken into consideration. We assume therefore that pedestrian areas will be ramped at a suitable gradient, with minimum use of steps. Suitable “markers” should be set into footpath verges to facilitate those with visual disabilities. Access issues relating to all buildings and civic areas must be clearly defined. The use of colour is also important in this regard, particularly in areas where the pedestrian areas cross vehicular routes. All planning proposals relating to the AAP site must be tested against the most up to date requirements for access and the needs of people with disability.

One significant omission in the stated objectives (in our opinion) is the lack of detailed plans for the Main Street / Edward Street frontage, and plans to enhance and develop these streets as part of the Draft Plan. (These streets are mentioned in passing, however we are strongly of the opinion that very specific proposals are needed on how these streets will be addressed (outside the building line) to include landscaping / removal of clutter and provision of public on-street civic open spaces).

Architectural Features:

Previous Local Area Plans have suggested that Newbridge was not noted for the architectural value of its buildings and in this regard we are pleased to note that a number of the town’s historical building and structures are protected. While we agree that the built heritage of the town is an important element in the character of our town, there is little left of the original Military Barracks (other than the Garrison Church, the three Arches on the Ryston side) and the walls in the vicinity of Bord Na Mona and to a lesser extent on the Cutlery Road.

The Barracks Arches:
In relation to the remaining Barracks Arches the Draft Plan suggested that these “should be retained”, we feel that phrase needs to be strengthened by the use of the words “must be retained”, we are fearful that if this issue remains an aspiration (use of the word should) that an unscrupulous developer could take the easy way out and bulldoze the lot, for expediency. The protection of designated structures must be strengthened……once they are “accidentally” demolished they are never going to be reinstated.

We would strongly endorse the proposal to retain the arches however it is possible these need to be rebuilt, as some of them appear to be somewhat unstable. The proposal to open up the Arches at the Ryston Corner, and to develop a small civic space here we believe is an excellent one. Opening views and prospects by opening the Arches in the old walls, is welcomed. These gates represent a historical link with the site’s former use as a Cavalry Barracks.

In order to continue this theme we would like to propose that a similar design concept in keeping with this feature be used in other areas of the site, especially in relation to the provision of pedestrian links to Main Street / Edward Street etc. Some years ago Arches similar to the surviving Arches were removed from their Main Street location by Kildare County Council. The Arches was placed in the council yard in Newbridge for safe keeping, as they were historically important to Newbridge. We would therefore also wish to propose that the Arch(es) be recovered and that a suitable site be found on the AAP site where they could be re-erected “as a feature” of the proposed development.

The Barracks Walls:
We would propose that the barrack walls be retained in as much as is possible. However we recognise that the requirement to open up a vista on the Liffey may require partial opening of the old walls. We would hope that this would be done in a sensitive manner, and that any materials removed from the walls be reused “as small features” within the development site.

The Water Tower:
We are at a loss to understand how the Water Tower became a protected structure; this building has been an eyesore for a considerable time. It has not been maintained, painted nor has it functioned as a water tower for many years. Its only function in a modern world appears to be a location for the Telecom Antennae which sprout up from its depths. We are of the opinion that there are far more worthy structures in the town deserving of protection, and the Water Tower is certainly not one of these.

The Bord Na Mona Building:
We are delighted to see that the plan acknowledges the attractiveness of the Bord Na Mona Headquarters buildings and we welcome the proposal to protect and enhance this feature. Unfortunately, these premises and adjoining gardens cannot be seen from the Main Street and therefore the town does not gain the maximum benefit from this wonderful vista. We believe that the opening up of this vista would be a tremendous asset to Newbridge as it would facilitate the creation of a most attractive civic space, right in the heart of the town easily accessible from the Main Street and Edward Street.

Townspeople and visitors approaching the AAP (urban centre) from the Railway Station via Charlotte Street would also be presented with a beautiful view. This proposal we believe would complement the AAP objective to use the new buildings along Cutlery Road and the proposed new Bord Na Mona Road to frame these historical premises.

We are also firmly of the opinion that opening up a vista of these important town buildings from the Main Street - fronting on to a civic space would do for the town centre what the opening of St Conleth’s Bridge did for the river Liffey and its environs.

We fully acknowledge that this project would involve the acquisition and demolition of the Post Office building and the acquisition of a section of Penny’s car park. A possible alternative location for Post Office’s “front of house business” could be provided for in one of the new commercial premises planned for the proposed “Bord Na Mona Street” adjoining this site. In conclusion, we believe that this is a very worthwhile project and entirely within the scope of the AAP. We therefore wish to propose that the AAP would incorporate a feasibility study in relation to this proposal.

The Garrison Church / Town Hall:
As far as we are aware the Garrison Church is the only substantially intact building remaining from the original Barracks (other than the houses in Liffey View / Liffey Terrace areas which were part of the Barracks accommodation provision & The Arches / Walls which we have addressed above).

The front area of the Town Hall / Garrison Church leading through the pedestrianised Georges Street through to the Market Square / former Courthouse site would be an ideal area for a civic space / hub for the town.

We would hope that when the Courthouse site is sold and developed that the Planning Authority will insist on the developer creating a building which will provide some “balance” along this corridor from Market Square to the rejuvenated Garrison Church / Library Headquarters.

General:

In regard to heritage buildings, we would recommend that Kildare County Councils Heritage Officer be consulted on any proposals made regarding the Heritage / Architectural Features within the AAP.


Civic Spaces:

Both Kildare County Council (in their Local Area Plans) and the Tidy Towns Adjudicators have consistently highlighted the problem of the lop-sidedness of the Main Street. Reference has also been made to the lack of town centre square-civic spaces in Tidy Towns Adjudication Reports. We are strongly of the opinion that this is an issue which must be addressed in a significant manner to ensure that the “new” Newbridge town centre will have a very attractive working and living environment.

While the establishment of a clear hierarchy of public spaces in the form of a major public square and a series of smaller public squares at strategic locations is most welcome. A boulevard effect could be created on Main Street / Edward Street, if some of the recreational areas / public squares were brought out to the front of the developments, rather all hidden behind the buildings fronting onto these streets.

In this regard we therefore propose that the “building line” be further set back in order to facilitate the widening of footpaths and creation of hard & soft landscaped civic spaces fronting onto Main Street / Edward Street.

Additionally there is an existing Green Area / Civic Space located between Liffey View (residential area facing the Liffey) and the River Liffey. Plans should be incorporated into the AAP to ensure that there is a clear objective to protect and enhance this small green area for the benefit of the community, and prohibit any development on this green.

In addition to the public spaces proposed for the centre of the development we are strongly of the view that consideration of other Civic Spaces must be made in regard to the two sites listed previously in this submission i.e. the Bord Na Mona area & the Town Hall / Georges Street area.

The Liffey Linkage / Views & Prospects

The remodelling of the Liffey Bridge, the removal of the old walls, and provision of a boardwalk has improved the vista of the Liffey in both directions to an amazing extent. We welcome the Councils continuing commitment to protect and enhance these views and prospects, and look forward to these being further improved as the Linear Park becomes a reality from the Dominican College to the Motorway.

The proposal to provide “linkages” to the Liffey Linear Park is commendable; however we feel that the AAP must ensure that at no future date this aspiration to provide linkages to the Liffeyside Park could be used to reduce the need for green areas / recreational areas within the Town Centre Area defined by the current GAA / Bord Na Mona complex, or indeed to reduce or otherwise compromise with the small Green Area at Liffey View..

While we were delighted to see the strong emphasis which the plan placed on the linkage with the town’s liner park along the Liffey, one issue which will need to be addressed is a potentially serious problem in relation to apparent slippage of the river bank at the Athgarvan Road, and the weakening of retaining wall (the walls are crumbling in some areas).

This apparent slippage is a particular problem at the entrance to the park along the section of the bank known locally as the “Watering Gates” down towards the “Strand”. This slippage prevented the construction of a pedestrian linkage in this area from the footpath which terminates just past the gate to Ryston Sports & Social Club, which Kildare County Council had intended to undertake in conjunction with Whitewater road improvements as part of safe route to school proposal.

In order to avoid any further slippage which would close off the entrance to the park we propose that the necessary remedial work and pedestrian linkage is undertaking before any development is allowed on AAP site, particularly in Zone D. Technical details in relation to this matter may be obtained from Ms Ronnie Lyons who was Kildare County Council’s project engineer for the Newbridge inner relief road improvement works.

Views & Prospects – General:
As this Town Centre site is located on a hill rising from the Riverside to its maximum height at the Whitewater Development, consideration must be given to the appearance of four and five story buildings from the Naas side of the town. We are concerned at the proposed heights of the development, as if these heights are permitted the current apparent lop-sidedness of Main Street / Edward Street would be simply reversed, with three, four and possibly five story buildings on the southern (or Town Hall) side of these streets, dwarfing the existing retail / residential buildings opposite.

As it currently stands, when approaching Newbridge from the Great Connell / Baroda direction or indeed the Cornelscourt / Milltown direction the view of Newbridge is largely of a series of car parks rising into the horizon.

Great care must be taken when planning and designing this development that further “unsightly” skylines are prevented. (The Wyeth building on the other hand although rising to the equivalent of four stories does not have an unpleasant visual impact – possibly due to the colour used by the Company against the skyline which appears to “reduce” the height to the human eye).

Consider creating a pedestrian “through route” leading from Charlotte Street, across Edward Street into the AAP lands. A pedestrian crossing route exists currently from Charlotte Street to the Post Office, and “map 2” appears to have a through route between the proposed buildings, however this route needs to be wide enough to facilitate retail trade at ground level, not an “alley” which will lead to unsocial behaviour.

Henry Street is somewhat further up the town, and would not have a “natural” linkage to the AAP Lands, however this street does have a “linkage” to the Whitewater Development, we feel that an opportunity was lost here to re-vitalise Henry Street when the Whitewater Development was being built.


Ecology & Biodiversity

Water Quality / River Liffey:
We are somewhat concerned that surface water which currently drains off into the substantial green area comprising the GAA pitch and Bord Na Mona green areas will cause harm to the Liffey when the site has been developed. We understand that when developing a brown field site that there is not generally a requirement to construct an attenuation tank to retain surface water, and regulate its flow to the Liffey. (The Whitewater Development which was a brown field site, permits surface / storm water accesses the Liffey directly (at Ryston) through a substantial series of concrete pipes).

The Draft Area Plan should impose a condition on the future developers that an attenuation tank be included in the design to regulate water flow to the Liffey.

Suggestions regarding water conservation such as harvesting of rainwater could be used to create a “water feature” in the AAP, with water supplied from the suggested attenuation tank.

We welcome the statement by Kildare County Council in the Draft Plan that “it is essential that the riparian zone and the associated wetland habitats along the River Liffey are left intact, as they are an important wildlife corridor for biodiversity.” To ensure that this is realised we would recommend that when considering any planning applications for this area that the “Project Team” (referred to in our introduction) must have the expertise to test any proposed developments to ensure that NO DAMAGE is caused to the Liffey Valley by the proposed development.

Ecology & Biodiversity General Comments:

We welcome the recommendation that “Passive Solar Design” resulting in the availability of natural sunlight being optimised must be part of architectural design within the AAP.

Lighting along ground level set into the footpath, in both the AAP area and on surrounding streets (Main Street / Edward Street / Cutlery Road) would be an attractive feature, and should be incorporated as an objective of the AAP (could these be solar powered or partially solar powered?). This lighting could vary in colour from area to area.

Recycling bays / facilities must be provided for each residential / business sub-area within the AAP and residents / businesses encouraged to use these facilities.

We commend the AAP’s suggestion that building & landscaping designs incorporate access to nesting / roosting sites for birds and bats, and in this regard we expect that mature trees will be positioned in appropriate locations within the AAP. Existing trees should where possible be retained. We look forward to the AAP making specific recommendations on how “design features” will incorporate “wild areas” within the AAP site thus creating the opportunity for further biodiversity options.

Envisaged Uses / Character

We welcome the proposals that the area would be reserved for uses such as retailing, cafes, bars & restaurants, leisure, small scale office suites and gallery spaces. However we would not welcome “fast food” type restaurants or “amusement arcades” as part of this development.

Shuttering / Signage / Neon type signage
Despite the prohibition of such advertising signage and shuttering in the Newbridge LAP 2003, there has been an abject failure on the part of the Council to enforce these provisions of the Newbridge LAP 2003. Indeed there is a proliferation of such signs protruding from almost every business premises on Main Street / Edward Street including the “officially” banned neon type signage.

As regard street “directional” type signage these must be kept to a minimum and where necessary to a standard design. Street “nameplates” must be per the design adopted by the Town Council, samples of which can be seen on Main Street / Edward Street and adjoining streets. Therefore we believe only by having an outright prohibition on such items in the Action Area Plan and that prohibition included as a condition of planning for all developments, will the visual character of this new development be protected.

External shuttering if permitted would give a “closed” appearance to an area whereas the plan states the area needs to be “vibrant”, and have usages into the evening after “normal business hours”. Attractive window displays are not visible through the Alcatraz style shuttering currently being used on some retail premises in Newbridge. Businesses occupying this area should also be encouraged to retain some element of night lighting, to enhance safety of pedestrians particularly at night.

When setting the standards for the design of ground floor facades, the draft plan should specifically prohibit external shuttering, neon signage, protruding advertising signage, non-standard finger (directional) signage, satellite dishes etc.

Transportation

We welcome the emphasis on the development being designed to ensure that “the car shall not dominate this area”, we would suggest that all developments should have clear pedestrian linkages to public transport (which will need to be upgraded somewhat).

The major public transport facilities currently include a “limited” CIE bus service, a “local bus” service linking various areas of the town and also linking to nearby towns, the Railway which is poised to become a bigger element of transportation as Newbridge becomes increasingly residential. There is a perceived need for a Taxi rank, which would reduce the need for car-ownership, are there plans to incorporate a Taxi rank on the extremities of the AAP area?

Density & Residential Mix

We welcome the aspiration to create a vibrant & sustainable town centre while allowing for a high quality of lifestyle. We are however somewhat concerned at the proposed heights of the development which will be located on a hill rising from the Liffey to the Whitewater Development, and question if there is indeed the need for such a high density of residential requirement in the town of Newbridge.

We welcome the condition that the development will include a social mix, and specifically ensure that social and affordable housing is a condition which will be applied to all developments, please note that this must be included as a condition of planning for the AAP.

People First

As the area encompassing the AAP will have a varied social mix, the element of residential building within the AAP is substantial, notwithstanding the requirement for a business base for the area. In keeping with the objective to make this area a vibrant “living area” we feel that it is essential that facilities are provided for all age groups.

This would include facilities for pre-school children, the provision of crèches, play-grounds etc must be in integral part of the AAP.

The possibility of a school / educational use building being incorporated into the proposed development should also be considered – there is currently a major problem with school places in Newbridge, and as the population increases this problem is becoming more acute, and we feel will continue to be an issue for Newbridge.

While the overall character of the area will include “leisure” space, we feel that residential units should also incorporate leisure / communal areas where communities can “get together” for social occasions.

Street Furniture

Generally we would like to see a significant upgrading of street furniture in the town, and we feel that the development of the lands included in the AAP will provide the Council with an opportunity to consider this issue. There is an urgent need for the following:

Public seating

Attractive Public light standards (not the standard ESB poles).
Public Drinking fountains

Street trees are required throughout the AAP site and on adjoining streets; these should be “standard” native trees minimum diameter of 20 mm. These trees need to be properly planted and with footpath grating etc. This would have the effect of creating a “boulevard effect” in the AAP and along the Main Street / Edward Street / Cutlery Road, and in the corridor / access to the Liffeyside Park.

Facilities for secure parking of bicycles.

Lighting set into the footpaths (underfoot) would be an attractive feature.

Up lighting of civic buildings such as the Town Hall, Riverbank Arts Centre etc.


The Current Building Line

We have noted previously that there does not appear to be much detail in the plan regarding the surrounding streets and roads, there is an opportunity here to open up Main Street / Edward Street and the Cutlery Road. Our streets should be used for more than “getting from A to B”, we would be strongly of the opinion that the streets of Newbridge should not be used for one use only but rather be used as shared social spaces, not primarily car or traffic spaces.

Therefore we are proposing that the current “building line” be set back from its current location.

The setting back of the current “building line” could help achieve the following:

Cutlery Road, currently a “one way” street needs to be returned to a two way street to relieve the traffic from the Main Street / Edward Street areas. We feel that one way streets are inclined to promote an element of speeding, and prolong journey times somewhat. One way or the other a cycle lane is a necessity on Cutlery Road.

The buildings opposite the Whitewater Development along Cutlery Road must have a contrasting design to Whitewater and be “setback” somewhat further from the road. We very much welcome the AAP proposal to widen the footpaths opposite the Whitewater Development along Cutlery Road. This street is rather narrow and there is no room for pavement activity along the footpaths here at present. We are concerned that the erection of high rise buildings along Cutlery Road opposite the existing Whitewater Development will have the effect of creating a wind tunnel; in addition there is a real possibility that pavement activity may be curtailed due to lack of sunlight. In this regard we therefore propose that the “building line” be further set back in order to facilitate the widening of footpaths and increase light allowing for on street floral displays etc.

Setting back the “building line” on Main Street / Edward Street will allow for civic spaces to be “street side” rather than completely hidden behind the (minimum) 3 storey structures proposed facing out on these two streets.

Landscaping

It is essential that any Landscaping Plans / Proposals being suggested by Developers be vetted in the first instance by the Councils Parks Superintendent, in addition all landscaping plans must be included as a condition of planning, and the Council must ensure that they are implemented in full. There should be an emphasis on the use of Native Species of trees, shrubs and plants within the AAP, and use of imported “feature” trees and plants should be avoided.

The provision of landscaped open spaces, with an outright ban on clutter is welcomed. However we would suggest that public seating, lighting and other street furniture be of the highest design and low maintenance. To ensure a clutter free environment there needs to be an outright ban on protruding signage.

High buildings have a tendency to attract antennae (telecoms / broadcasting etc); if these are to be permitted antennae must be positioned to ensure that they are not visible from the ground or surrounding buildings.