14.4 The Role of Settlements in Kildare
Regarding the point made in 14.4.3 Town Centres: Challenges and Opportunities that several towns "struggle with the consequences of out-of-town retail developments or retail leakage to other towns, while all continue to be affected by the fallout from the relentless rise of online shopping and e-commerce, and the resulting changes in retail needs and shopping habits.", it should not be assumed that online shopping will continue to rise or even remain at pandemic levels. Brexit and the COVID pandemic have imapcted the availability of goods both online and in physical shops. The concept of sustainability and 10-minute towns is to enable citizens to meet their needs locally. An analysis of what people travel out of town for is needed and initiatives should be taken based on any identified gaps to promote provision of these goods and services. For example, given the number of children in Celbridge, it is unbelievable that there are no shops selling clothing or shoes for children other than Tesco and a sports shop.
Objective UD O3 to "Support and promote the '10-minute settlement' concept across all towns and villages in the county and require that all Local Area Plans incorporate policies and objectives that will assist in its implementation" should reference the Town Centre First Policy.
Perhaps it could be reworded to
"Support and promote the '10-minute settlement' concept across all towns and villages in the county through implementation of the specific actions for local authorities outlined in the Town Centre First Policy and through requiring that all Local Area Plans incorporate policies and objectives that will assist in its implementation"