Devoy Barracks, Naas

Residential Development Proposal

October 2020 Contents

Introduction 3 Site Location 4 Site Context 5 Planning Context 6 New Links 7 New Urban Quarter 8 New Open Space 9 3D Sketch Layout Plans 10 Housing Mix 11

Existing site view from John Devoy roundabout

2 Introduction

The development site, known locally as the Devoy Barracks site, is located south west of Naas Town, and accessed directly from the John Devoy Road. The development of these lands provides a unique opportunity to provide sustainable and affordable housing within the Naas town centre area, that seamlessly connects to surrounding residential neighbourhoods, both new and mature. The Devoy Barracks site borders the Kildare County Council offices, where the new MERITS office accommodation will connect with the proposed development via a new public realm green link.

3 Site Location

Naas is the county town of County Kildare, located within 2 km of the M7 motorway c. 38 km from Dublin. The M7 motorway connects the town to other strategic centres in the south of Ireland and directly to Dublin city. The town is served by Sallins & Naas railway station on the Dublin to Cork/Limerick rail line, which is just over 3km from the town centre.

The Devoy Barracks site is located approximately 750m south west of Naas Main Street and Town Centre, where a full range of retail, employment, leisure, and health services are located.

Naas Environs Site Location

4 Site Context

The Devoy Barracks site is bounded to the north-west by the rear gardens of the existing residential properties at Devoy Terrace.

The Kildare County Council offices are located to the east of the site and adjoining the boundary is the new MERITS Building which is currently under construction. The Kildare Civil Defence Building is located to the south-east.

Arconagh, a low-density estate of large detached houses, lies to the west. The Arconagh open space abuts the western boundary, and rear gardens back onto the south-west boundary.

The site is accessed from an existing roundabout on the John Devoy Road, which connects to Newbridge Road to the north and to the Naas Orbital Road which runs along the south-west of the town.

Existing site view from John Devoy roundabout Immediately Surrounding Context

5 Planning Context

The Kildare County Development Plan 2017-2023 and the Naas Town Development Plan 2011-2017 KEY A: Town Centre (extended) are the relevant development plans for B: Existing Infill Residential the Devoy Barracks site. C: New Residential E: Community & Education The vast majority of the subject site is zoned: ‘C New F: Open Space & Amenity G: Urban Village Residential’ with a small area of the site, along the H: Industry & Warehousing I: Agricultural eastern boundary, zoned ‘A Town Centre’. J: Transport & Utilities K: Commercial/ Residential The objective for zoning ‘C New Residential’ is L: Leisure & Amenity M: Future Park/ Green Belt ‘to provide for new residential development’. N: Neighbourhood Centre Q: Enterprise & Employment Uses permitted in principle under this objective R: Retail/ Commercial include housing as the primary use but also U: Utilities / Services W: White Land recreation, education, creche / playschool, community Lands subject to future Local Area Plan New Roads Objective (Indicative Only) buildings and sheltered housing. Limited local Pedestrian/ Cycletrack Objective (Indicative Only) shopping facilitates are open for consideration to Approximate Line of Setback of Development for M7 500m Intervals From Town Centre serve local needs only. Canal/Lakes/ Ponds Northwest Quadrant Masterplan Lands The objective for zoning ‘A Town Centre’ is ‘to Naas Quadrant Masterplans Lands Naas Town Council Boundary provide for the development and improvement District Centre of appropriate town centre uses including retail,

Naas Town Development Plan 2011-2017 (extended) residential, commercial and civic uses’.

6 New Links

The objective of the proposed development at Devoy Barracks, Naas, is to provide an attractive and desirable residential development, well connected to the surrounding community and the commercial core of the town, with its own character and sense of place within a strong public realm threaded through the site. The development will be responsive to its natural environment, making the most of ecological amenities, such as the existing trees along the boundary with Arconagh and Yeomanstown stream along the southern boundary.

A new linear open space along the eastern boundary will provide the main north-south connection through the site. The linear park provides a direct link to the town centre via St Patrick’s Terrace to the north, and connects to the Elsmore housing development to south, which was recently completed.

A new east-west pedestrian and cycle pathway provides for connectivity from the Arconagh housing estate development to the west, through the civic space to the east. Site Permeability

7 New Urban Quarter

john devoy roundabout A new urban quarter formed by: 5 3 1.1 Strong urban edge to the new north south linear open space, with 7 1 4 4 housing of 3 to 4 storey

2.2 Forming connectivity through open spaces on the east west route 2 7 3.3 2 storey housing to back onto north and south boundaries to 2 protect and secure the adjacent housing rear gardens 4 6 4.4 Central housing zones to enclose communal gardens and form 1 7 strong street edges, stepping in height between the 2 and 4 storey

5.5 Landmarking the site entrance and linear open space with a prominent gateway building 3 6.6 Creating a pedestrian and cycle prioritised streetscape, with generous tree planting and creation of home zones for amenity st. patrick's terrace and personal interaction, with traffic movement and parking as secondary

7.7 Multi layered, functional and interlinked public amenity space Linear public space - parade

8 New Open Space

The urban design creates a variety of landscape characters:

Civic Space – the north south linear park / parade provides a pedestrian / cycle route linking to St Patricks Terrace, the MERITS building and the Kildare County Offices. Playful landscapes Public Open Space – centrally located between the housing zones and extended amenity space to the Gateway building at the John Devoy roundabout Arconagh housing estate.

Residential Open Space – semi-public open space amenity for the residents enclosed and overlooked by the central housing blocks Well planted amenity open space Residential Home Zones – create living strees and avoid dominance of carparking

Children’s play opportunities are provided throughout the site.

The planting to be used will be focused on providing for

Multi layered homezones with pedestrian / cycle priority Low maintenance street planting an improved and more diverse ecology.

9 3D Sketch Layout Plans

potential future development The massing and composition of houses and merits building (under construction) duplexes, stepping from 2 storey at the outside of the site to 4 storey residential buildings st. patrick's terrace towards the centre of the site, to form public and semi-public amenity spaces and clearly defined streetscapes. Also included is suggested massing of the MERITS building under construction and the potential future MERITS buildings, which will form the eastern edge of the proposed linear park / parade. The public open spaces connect the east west pedestrian / cycle route.

arconagh housing estate

Connecting public open spaces Homezone streetscape

10 Housing Mix

The proposed development provides for 203 homes, in a range of 1, 2 and 3 bed homes, across a mix of terrace houses, duplexes and apartments, achieving an approximate density of 51 homes per hectare. A variety of new homes will meet a variety of occupant needs and provide visual diversity and richness.

The layouts of all homes will be generous and exceed the minimal spatial standards. The housing design 2 storey houses has been developed so that they are comfortable, adaptable to changing needs and economical to manage and maintain. The design aims to facilitate future adaptability, and is accessible for older people, the very young and people with disabilities. HOUSING TYPES AND MIX The anticipated housing mix is indicated in the 1 Bed Homes 53 no. 26% illustrated table. 2 Bed Homes 99 no. 49% 3 storey duplexes 3 Bed Homes 51 no. 25%

Housing mix

11 Devoy Barracks A sustainable new housing quarter, connected seamlessly to the neighbourhood with new landscaped open spaces.

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