KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
PLANNING POLICY GUIDANCE (PPG)
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1.0 Introduction
The provision of services and facilities can create an environment within which
members of the community interact. Essential for health, well-being and social
development, the provision of community, leisure and cultural facilities and a good
quality environment make places attractive to live in.
Over the last decade particularly, residential and economic development has
facilitated the provision of a range of community and recreational facilities. In some
areas of the County however, particularly in the towns and villages, this provision has
not kept pace with the growth of residential development and the level of community,
recreational and cultural facilities remains inadequate to serve the needs and
expectations of the local community. Where residential development is located away
from necessary facilities, there is a greater dependency on private modes of transport.
This situation can be remedied where facilities, necessary for everyday living are
located within walking distance of residential development.
It is essential to strike a balance between the residential mix and the associated social,
economic and recreational facilities provided in order to achieve more balanced and
largely self-sufficient communities.
The opportunity exists for a range of suitable proposals and land uses to be considered
in conjunction with the existing built fabric and established pattern of development.
1.1 The Purpose of a Social Infrastructure Assessment (SIA):
The overarching purpose of a SIA is:
 To give a broad overview of existing social infrastructure (services/facilities)
currently provided within the vicinity of a proposed development site
 To determine what measures could be proposed as part of a development
scheme in order to provide for social infrastructure (services/facilities) which
are considered by the Planning Authority to be deficient in the area.
This SIA is intended to assist and guide developers in the preparation of SIA’s for
residential development schemes in Co. Kildare.
1.2 In what instances shall a SIA be required?
1. Residential development of five units or greater in the Rural Settlements
(unzoned lands) as identified in Chapter 6 of the CDP 2005-2011.
2. Residential development of 50 units or greater on all other areas (zoned lands)
In certain cases however, residential development under these thresholds may, at the
discretion of the Planning Authority, require the submission of a SIA.
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1.3 Legal requirement for SIA:
The requirement for the submission of a SIA arises from Policy CPS 5 of the Kildare
County Development Plan 2005-2011, which reads as follows:
‘Applicants for significant developments will be required to submit a social
infrastructure assessment, which demonstrates the facilities available to adequately
service their development. This should include details regarding the following
essential facilities: education, childcare, health and others such as shops, banks, post
offices and recreational facilities’.
While the above policy has a specific requirement for the submission of a SIA, other
relevant policies of the CDP 2005-2011 which identify the need to provide for
balanced mixed use development include policies CPS 4 and RS 6, as follows:
CPS 4 (Chapter 4): ‘It is the policy of the Council to work with the County
Development Board to devise a model ‘community impact statement’ that assesses the
positive and negative impacts on communities of proposed development and which
will facilitate the process of assessing applications’.
RS6 (Chapter 6): ‘When substantial development is proposed for a settlement, this
shall be considered having regard to the availability of, or proposals for, the
provision of any recreational, community, or other facilities required in the area as
identified by the Council’.
1.4 Preparation of a SIA
As part of the SIA, developers will be required to conduct a survey of the broad range
of services/facilities currently provided in the vicinity of the development site.
The result of the survey should serve to assist developers in identifying appropriate
measures to put in place within development schemes in order to provide for social
infrastructure that is found to be deficient in the area.
Planning Applications should be accompanied with the following document entitled
“Social Infrastructure Assessment” and additional pages as necessary. This
document should be accompanied by high resolution map(s) at A3 size or larger.
These maps shall be to scale and have an identifiable Legend. Each Map should have
the planning application site clearly marked and outlined in red. Supplementary
material such as photographs, appendices and so on may also be appropriate and
should be submitted if considered appropriate. Regard should also be had to other
proposals for Residential Development in the vicinity of the development site and the
provision of Social Infrastructure proposed within them and details of same should be
submitted as part of the SIA in both text and map form.
As with all planning applications, development proposals will be considered on their
own merits and in particular, housing applications or mixed applications with a
housing element should address the deficiency of social infrastructure provision in the
area.
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Annexure A:
SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT
CHECKLIST
KILDARE COUNTY COUNCIL
May 2007
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For Administration purposes only:
Planning File number allocated: ________________________________________
Note to the applicant:
Below please find a checklist of information to be contained in your submission
outlining the availability of Social Infrastructure in the vicinity of any proposed
developments.
Please note that this checklist has to be submitted together with additional
information requested below ie. maps and text where issues are to be
elaborated on. Please ensure that additional information provided on
separate sheets have the correct reference to the corresponding sections in
this document. Please ensure that all the issues are comprehensively
addressed as omissions may delay progress on the application.
Applicant: ___________________________________________________________
Development Description: ______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Location: ____________________________________________________________
1. EDUCATION
To include - Primary School
- Secondary School
- Other School (please specify)
- Third Level
Identify on a Map and elaborate on each School in the area by:
 The type of School – Primary, Secondary, Third Level, Other…..
 Distance from edge of development site (in metres)
 Assessment of Capacity – i.e. The numbers of students enrolled in the
current academic year vis a vis the maximum numbers capable of being
accommodated – contact with School/ Dept of Education will be required.
 If enrolment is close to or exceeding capacity, please state identify if the
School has any plans to overcome capacity issues – Planning permission for
New School, Extension, Temporary Accommodation (pre-fabs etc), Other
and identify stage of planning application process for each.
 It is advisable to liase with the relevant Schools in the area to identify issues
of relevance.
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
If there is no school in the vicinity, identify the location of the nearest
school(s) and indicate if there is a school transport system in place for
students from the area in which it is proposed to build.
Following advise from the Department of Education you are requested to calculate the
number of additional school places required as a result of the proposed development,
as follows:
Multiply the total number of units proposed by 3 (to give the approximate total
persons in the proposed housing scheme). It is estimated that 11.3% and 8.5% of this
figure will be of primary school and secondary school going age respectively.
Having calculated the school requirements resulting from the development
scheme, is it considered that the existing education facilities are capable of
adequately accommodating the projected need?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If no, do you propose to address the deficiency identified?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If so, please provide details of how you propose to address this deficiency.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. CHILDCARE
- To include Creches and Pre-schools
(In this regard you are advised to refer to the Department of the Environment,
Heritage and Local Government Childcare Facilities,Guidelines for Planning
Authorities 2001)
Identify on a map and elaborate on each Creche/Playschool in the area by:
- The type of Childcare service provided – full day care, sessional, after school care,
other (please specify)
- Distance from edge of development site (in metres)
- The number of children accommodated in each aspect of the service – full day,
sessional, after school etc
- Assessment of capacity– i.e. current numbers vis a vis maximum permissible under
Regulations and if there are plans to extend/relocate to accommodate additional
numbers
- Identify if there are new Creches/Playschools recently permitted or proposed and
their locations – if located within a residential scheme, please specify the precise
location of the development and number of houses within the scheme.
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Having regard to the development proposal, is it considered that there are
adequate childcare facilities to accommodate the projected growth?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If no, do you propose to address the deficiency in this sector?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If so, provide details of how you propose to address this deficiency
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. HEALTH
To include - GP – Medical Centre/Surgery
- Dentist
- District Nurse / Health Clinic
- Pharmacy
- Day Care Centre for Elderly
- Other please specify (Physiotherapy, Acupuncture, other etc)
Identify on a map the location and number of Healthcare service providers in the
area as per the above list. If there are other services/facilities not listed above,
please specify and provide details.
Having regard to the above, has a deficiency been identified for health facilities
in the area that would serve the proposed development scheme?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, is it proposed to address the deficiency as part of the proposed
development?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, please provide details of how this deficiency may be addressed
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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4. COMMUNITY
To include - Garda Station
- Fire Service
- Hospital
- Places of Worship
- Library
- Community Centre/Town Hall
- Other Civic/Community Facilities
- Tourist Information / Attractions
Identify on a map the location of the nearest Community Service/Facility
identified above. If there is no such facility, identify the location of the nearest
such facility and the distance (in miles/km) from the subject site.
Having regard to the above, has a deficiency been identified for community
facilities in the area that would serve the proposed development scheme?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, is it proposed to address the deficiency as part of the proposed
development?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, please provide details of how this deficiency may be addressed
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. OTHER SERVICES
To include - Local Shops / Neighbourhood Centre
- Bank / Building Society/ Credit Union
- ATM
- Post Office
- Recycling Facilities
- Other, please specify
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Please identify on a map, the location and state the hours of operation of the
above services/facilities.
Having regard to the above, has a deficiency been identified for other services/
facilities (such as those outlined above) in the area that would serve the proposed
development scheme?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, is it proposed to address the deficiency as part of the proposed
development?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, please provide details of how this deficiency may be addressed
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. LOCAL AMENITIES / RECREATION
To include - Park / Playground
- Play Centres
- Public Open Spaces
- Playing Pitches – GAA, Soccer, Rugby….
- Other recreational facilities – Golf, Pitch and Putt, Tennis, Swimming,
Leisure Club etc….
Please identify on a map, the location and state the hours of operation of the
above services/facilities
Having regard to the above, has a deficiency been identified for other local
amenities / recreation in the area that would serve the proposed development
scheme?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, is it proposed to address the deficiency as part of the proposed
development?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, please provide details of how this deficiency may be addressed
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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7. TRANSPORTATION
To include - Railway Station and/or feeder links to other areas
- Bus Station / Bus Stop and/or feeder links to other areas
- Local Bus Service
- Park and Ride Facilities
- Taxi Services
- Cycle Lanes
- Footpaths
- Pedestrian Lights
- Pedestrian Crossing
- Traffic Calming Measures
Please identify on a map, the location of the above services/facilities and the
areas they serve.
Having regard to the above, is there a need for an improvement of one or more
of the items listed having regard to the requirements of the proposed
development scheme?
Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, how shall the proposed development address these requirements ?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8. VISUAL AMENITIES
To include - Street Furniture / Public Lighting
- Hard and Soft Landscaping
- Public Art
- Other (please specify)
Please identify on a map, the location of the above facilities.
Having regard to the above, is there a need for an improvement of one or more
of the items listed having regard to the requirements of the proposed
development scheme?
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Yes
_________
No
_________
If yes, how shall the proposed development address these requirements ?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
9. OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)
Please list and provide details of any other service or facility not falling within any of
the above categories, which are found to be lacking in the area and which shall be
addressed as part of the proposed development scheme.
10. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED
Please ensure that the SIA:
 includes all social infrastructure that has already been provided as part of other
residential schemes/mixed residential schemes in the vicinity of the
development site. Please ensure that such information is represented in both
the text of the SIA and in map form.
 provides details of discussions or agreements relating to other developments
(either permitted and not yet commenced or awaiting a planning decision)
where the provision of social infrastructure has either been made or offered.
 please note that any proposed new buildings/structures should be included as
part of a planning application and should be referred to in public notices.
Plans, Sections and Elevations should also be submitted in accordance with
the Planning and Development Regulations (2001).
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