Amendment No. 1 to the Leixlip Local Area Plan 2020 - 2023 (as extended to 2026)

• The only centrally located playing facility in the Confey area being banished to the Meath border is surely a backword step.
• Unwanted pedestrian access to the River Forest and Glendale estates that will no doubt facilitate an increase in antisocial behaviour.
• Lots of kites flown but no commitment to delivery.

 

Figure 15; Existing and Planning transport connections to the Confey Masterplan

2.4 Existing Transport & Mobility

“The existing and proposed transport infrastructure makes the Confey lands ideally located to accommodate a large scale residential development. The land can be linked to existing and planned transportation infrastructure, while capitalising on local transport assets such as the DART station. An active town centre can be developed to reduce the need to travel elsewhere for services with active streets and where shopping, community and educational services are within 10 minutes walking and cycling distance”

 

• Existing infrastructure is inadequate to cope with current traffic volumes with residents and visitors experiencing major delays particularly on most weekdays during the academic year in River Forest accessing their homes and the Captains Hill.
• How can you capitalise on a Dart station that does not exist and with no confirmed timeframe for delivery.
• The suggestion that the new town centre will some how magically make residents want to exist within its confines is ridiculous.
• The solution offered to every transport issue within this plan is get on your bike or walk.
• Admirable aims but totally unrealistic in a country with constantly changing weather and a high level of rain that will inevitably result in residents using their cars to do school runs, local shopping etc. leading to even greater traffic congestion in the Confey area.

 

3.2 Creating a Sustainable Community

“Confey will be a joyful place to live with sociable streets and green spaces; high quality homes connected to local centres accessible by walking and cycling. It will set the agenda for sustainable living. “

• The solution again is get on your bike or walk.

 3.3 Creating a Place for All

“Higher densities are needed to make new communities sustainable and justify high quality public transport and other facilities. Every house will have its own private space suitable for small children, pets and general sitting out. The public open spaces and parklands will be distributed throughout the scheme so that every child will have access to a local play area. Streets will be narrow and designed for very low traffic speeds to priorities pedestrians, promote doorstep play and community togetherness.”

• A link is made with justifying high quality public transport and the need for higher densities in new communities.
• I would suggest that we provide the high quality public transport and then build the appropriate densities to match the transport systems capacity and reflecting residents demands and transport usage requirements and behavioural patterns.
• Promoting doorstep playing presents a grim image and is simply an excuse for putting to many people in a location without adequate private gardens and public spaces.

3.4Land-use

“A new community hub has been identified which will have the capacity for civic/community uses, a primary school, recreational and amenity uses. North of this central hub a site has been identified capable of accommodating a Post Primary school and a site for a potential community leisure centre / swimming pool.”

• The hub is identified and has potential capacity for various uses with no commitment to provide anything.
• Mentions of potential leisure centres and swimming pools without funding are complete pie in the sky and have been promised to Leixlip in various guises for over 40 years.

3.5 Landscape, Green Infrastructure, Open Space Strategy and Public Realm

“Local Parks - Open Spaces 2 & 3

Hosts a variety of amenities. For example potential amenities could include (but are not limited to); a central formal play area, municipal playing pitches, outdoor gym / callisthenics area, skateboard park, adventure playground, outdoor classrooms, community gardens / allotments, Muga’s and expansive grassed open spaces for informal play, picnic and kick-about•Provide community gardens where possible, alongside areas rich in biodiversity and wildlife friendly areas.”

 

• Again references to potential amenities with no commitment to provide or fund same.

 

Privacy Strips and Building Curtilage

“Planted buffer strip to be provided where possible that not only physically divides the public and private areas but it also provides screening and privacy for the apartments.”

• This is in effect a notional attempt to hide gaps in the hard landscape that will be included and then left unmaintained to become eyesores.

3.7 Sports, Passive Recreation, Active Recreation and Play Strategy

“As part of any future permissions within the masterplan lands a play strategy should be included to demonstrate compliance with the objectives set out in the KCC LAP and development plan. Alongside this all play areas and the design of such are to be agreed with KCC Parks where possible prior to submission of planning application. Locations of all play areas should align with the Confey Masterplan open space strategy, section 3.5”

• The play strategy should be part of the plan not a part of future permissions and agreement of KCC parks who are totally underfunded, currently unable to maintain existing parks and have no capacity to take on additional projects.

  3.9 Integration & Connections

“Will i need a car?

You can own a car, but the scheme, its streetscape and pedestrian & cyclist networks are designed so that families can live without a car. The existing great facilities in Confey including San Carlos primary schools, Confey Community College, River forest Shopping Centre, Confey Community Centre and Library, Confey GAA and St Catherine’s Park are all within a short walk of every house.”

• The most outrageous suggestion is that families will operate without the use of cars.
• Totally ignoring the reality of how people live and their commuting requirements.
• The suggestion that these houses are within a short walk of facilities in the Confey area is again totally misleading and factually incorrect.

3.12 Density & Building Heights Strategy

 

“Shall generally provide for 2 to 5 storey buildings.”

• This is an appalling prospect to have 5 storey buildings blighting our green landscape.
• Totally out of character with the area and will set a dangerous precedent for future expansion in the greater Leixlip area.

 

3.14Community Hub

“The northern lands shall be reserved for a new post primary school and;•A site for possible Community Leisure Centre / Pool.”

• More references to potential amenities with no commitment to provide or fund same.

 

In summary this is simply a plan to rack and stack housing with the potential to ruin our town. This should not be progressed without the required infrastructure being provided as phase 1 and the major amendments to reflect the reality of how people live in the 21st century.