Please consider the following submission in respect of the retail strategy
for the County Development Plan.
Policy R20 “To progress the redevelopment / regeneration of town centre
sites and identify appropriate edge of centre locations for the expansion of
Clane’s main food and comparison offer in the recently adopted Clane Local
Area Plan” has the strong potential to undermine the need to consolidation
Clane’s town centre retail activity. It would appear that it was included in
error in the document since there is no corresponding policy in the adopted
2009 Clane Local Area Plan.
The document states the following:
“In addition to Athy and Kildare Town, in recognition of the growth in
Clane’s population and retail floorspace, its further potential and the
strategic spatial deficiency in main centres in the north of the Central Sub
Area of the County, Clane has been designated as Tier 1 Level 3 Sub County
Town Centre in the County and GDA retail hierarchies. Sub County Town
Centres in the Hinterland Area of the County should play an important
strategic role in the shopping patterns of their generally extensive
hinterlands, particularly but not exclusively in respect of main food
shopping. The health check/retail potential assessments of each centre in
the County Retail Strategy have identified deficiencies in the offers of all
three Sub County Town Centres, which is undermining them delivering their
strategic role, importance and potential.”
However, there has been prolonged vacancy of retail space in the town centre
(the former Costcutter/SuperValu unit rear of Jones Bar, various units on
the Prosperous Rd, Celbridge Rd, etc). The existence of edge of town units
such as SuperValu, Tesco and Aldi has influenced a higher car dependence and
donut pattern of retail development around Clane. This has been further
extended by the location of Lidl circa 1km from the town centre on the
Celbridge rd. It is hard to see how these units and their locations will
encourage the development of any additional, complementary, smaller retail
activity around them. Furthermore, the ring road objectives in the Clane LAP
will not be realised in the lifetime of the current plan. This seriously
undermines the ability to accommodate a large retail space on the periphery
of the town
Clane had a 2006 census return of ~5,000 and there is a high hinterland
population that accesses the town. While the competition factor is deemed
important to encouraging lower prices and improved choice, there is also the
potential that Tesco development at Monread will further undermine localised
retail trade linked to footfall in the town centre of Clane. I would like to
see a policy statement that recognises the potential for economic retail
efficiencies to negatively impact the social development linked to retail in
nearby towns. It important that consolidation is used to guard against job
replacement outcomes and increased vehicular dependency. Please consider
the
attached Ghost_Town_Britain_II.pdf and MacCabe_Durney_Rgdata_Report.pdf
which provide professional analyses of the problems that can occur with
retail strategies based on historic approaches. Given that “Retail Planning:
Guidelines for Local Authorities” is shortly due to be reviewed, I see it as
a timely opportunity to consider emerging best practice ideas for retail
strategy in County Kildare.
I believe that it is premature to designate Clane at Tier 1 status until the
road network become a likely possibility.
R 18: To promote and encourage major enhancement and expansion of the retail
offer and town centre functions of Athy, Clane and Kildare Town to sustain
and enhance their importance as Sub County Town Centres within the Central
and South Sub Areas of the County.
R 20: To progress the redevelopment/ regeneration of town centre sites and
identify appropriate edge of centre locations for the expansion of Clane’s
main food and comparison offer in the recently adopted Clane Local Area
Plan.
Given the current infrastructural development in and around Clane, I believe
that Policies R18 and R20 above have the potential to seriously undermine a
consolidated town development.
Best regards,
Pádraig
Member of Kildare County Council - Clane Electoral Area