MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOROUGH COUNCIL

The Borough Council comprises twelve members, elected for a five year term of office.
The current Borough Council was elected in June 2004 and membership at 31st December 2005 was as follows:

MAYOR: Councillor Marie Fitzpatrick (LABOUR) 64 Bishop Birch Place, Kilkenny

 

DEPUTY MAYOR: Councillor Betty Manning (FG) Castle Road, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Michael Lanigan (FF) 12 Greenfields, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Andrew McGuinness (FF) Brooklawn, Ballyfoyle Road, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Joe Reidy (FF) Parliament House, Parliament St. Kilkenny

 

Councillor John Coonan (FF) 17 Willow Close, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Pat Crotty (FG) 14 Oak Road, Dukesmeadows, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Paul Cuddihy (FG) Granges Road, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Martin Brett (FG) Derdimus, Tennypark, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Sean O hArgain (LABOUR) 14 College Square, College Road, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Joe Cody (LABOUR) 11 Noremount, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Malcolm Noonan (GREEN PARTY) 35 Fr. Murphy Square, Kilkenny

Administration:

• County Manager: Mr. Michael Malone
• Director of Services: Mr. T. Walsh.
• Senior Executive Officer: Mr Brian Tyrrell
• Senior Engineer: Mr Kieran Fitzgerald

The Municipal Rate for 2005 was €53.92

 

ROLE OF THE BOROUGH COUNCIL

It is the role of Kilkenny Borough Council to administer local services with the Borough. Such duties include infrastructure, community and social services and the promotion of Kilkenny as a major tourist centre.

The Borough Council plays a major role in the preservation of Kilkenny's medieval heritage and in the promotion of Kilkenny as a major tourist centre.

Kilkenny Civic Trust augments the work of the Borough Council in these areas.

 

PROFILE OF THE CITY

Kilkenny was constituted as a City by a Royal Charter of James 1 in 1609. The Sovereign and Council of Twelve have since been replaced by a Mayor, and Councillors.

The City has an area of 373.5 hectares (923 acres) and a population estimated at 8,500. The Borough and Environs has a population of 21,000 approx. The medieval character of the city has been maintained, particularly by the preservation of such historic buildings as Kilkenny Castle, St Canice's Cathedral, Rothe House and Shee Alms House.

 

SOME OTHER ACTIVITIES

Fairtrade City

Kilkenny achieved Fairtrade status in 2005. With the support of coffee shops, pubs, hotels, offices, churches, clubs and schools the city has met many of the stipulations set out by Fairtrade Ireland . A range of Fairtrade products from tea and coffee, to honey, cocoa, chocolate and fresh fruit can be purchased in the major supermarkets in Kilkenny. Numerous schools have undertaken project work on the issue of Fairtrade which encompasses human rights issues, child labour and environmental protection.

 

CAR PARKING

Following the commitment given at last year's budget, a barrier car parking system was installed at the Fair Green. It is intended to provide additional surface car parking spaces at this location, funded from Development contributions, by revising the current layout. Proposals in this regard will be put to members in early 2006.

It is also intended to put proposals for on street parking charges to members early in 2006. These proposals will be an essential traffic management tool, and will address the concerns of members in relation to residential parking around the city.

The employment of a Traffic Monitor to monitor compliance in disabled parking bays has attracted considerable positive attention, and it is intended to continue this initiative in 2006.

 

ROADS

Paving projects completed in 2005 were:

• Colliers Lane
• St. Mary's Lane
• Tilbury Place / Evan's Lane (50%)
• John's Quay (resurfacing in 2006)

 

Re-alignment works are underway in:

• O'Loughlin Road
• Thomas' Square

 

Re-Surfacing works are completed in:

• Lacken Drive
• Bishop's Meadows
• Keneally Avenue
• Teresa's Terrace

 

A full road construction project was carried out at St. Mary's Voluntary Housing development, at Haughney's Gardens.

 

DISABILITY ISSUES

In all proposed projects cognisance is taken of disability issues with best practice methods being used. Dishing of footpaths and provision of tactile paving is included as a matter of course and consideration is given to providing handrails and replacing sub-standard railings if necessary.

Footpath restoration was carried out at Stephen Street.

In addition improvement works were completed to two unfinished housing estates Greenfield's Court and College Court and public lighting was provided on Coote's Lane. It is proposed to continue with a similar level of activity in 2006 following the preparation of a new 3 year Roads Programme which will be brought before the Council early in the New Year, following receipt of our Non National Road Grants for 2006.

Consultants have been appointed for the detailed design of the Inner Relief Road and it is anticipated that the Public Consultation Phase will commence in 2006. The extension to Kilkenny Ring Road is under construction with a projected completion date of mid 2007.

The Public Consultation Phase related to the improvement to Ballybought St. was completed in 2005 and it is proposed to invite Tenders for the works early in 2006. Kilkenny County Council proposes to carry out streetscape improvements to Parliament St. / Irishtown and Rose Inn Street early in 2006.

 

JAMES STEPHENS SWIMMING POOL

Kilkenny Borough Council operates the James Stephens Swimming Pool, which caters for all swimmers from learners to life guards. The James Stephens Pool has a comprehensive schools programme and caters for schools from all over the county.

Kilkenny Borough Council also provides children and adult lessons and we provide a facility whereby life-guards can train to upgrade or re-validate qualifications.

The Swimming Pool Manager or members of staff can be contacted at 056-7721380.

Kilkenny Borough Council and Kilkenny County Council have jointly decided to provide a state of the art pool and leisure centre at Scanlon Park , Loughboy. A comprehensive public consultation process was undertaken in 2005 to ensure that best practice would obtain in areas such as access use and wide participation.

 

PARKS & OPEN SPACES

Kilkenny Borough Councils Annual Parks and Open Spaces Programme ensures that Kilkenny consistently scores high in the National Tidy Towns Competition. The Borough Council Nursery at Evan's Lane, Kilkenny is the base from which the Head Gardener directs her staff to enhance the view of Kilkenny for visitors and natives.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

Kilkenny Borough Council provides a refuse service, together with a dry re-cyclable kerbside collection on alternate weeks. In addition Kilkenny Borough Council is heavily committed to street and road cleaning and also provides an efficient litter bin service.

 

DEVELOPMENT CONTROL

Number of application received in 2005: 146
Number of applications determined: 111
Granted: 106 (96% of applications)
Refused: 5 (4% of applications)

 

KILKENNY CITY CENTRE LOCAL AREA PLAN

In 2005 Kilkenny Borough Council adopted the Kilkenny City Centre Local Area Plan. The principal aims of the plan are:-

This Local Area Plan seeks to provide an integrated strategy for the future sustainable development of Kilkenny City Centre in order to ensure its continued vitality and viability, and to strike a balance between preserving its architectural and archaeological heritage and facilitating modern living and enhancing the quality of life for its existing and future residents.

In order to deliver this strategy, the Local Area Plan has a number of principle aims:

• Propose traffic management objectives to improve existing vehicular and pedestrian linkages within the City Centre.
• Propose a framework for existing and future car parking requirements.
• Prepare urban design frameworks and land use strategies for key sites.
• Access the core retail area and propose strategies for its future development.
• Develop a general directional vehicular and pedestrian signage strategy.
• Propose a network of quality open spaces.

 

In conjunction with the Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan 2002, the Kilkenny City Centre Local Area Plan will be the main instrument to guide and control development in the area and thus has major implications on the future growth and development of the City Centre.

 

HERITAGE

Two important Conservation Plans were launched in 2005, with the support of the Heritage Council.

1. The Kilkenny City Walls Heritage Conservation Plan

Background

On behalf of Kilkenny Borough Council, Dúchas (now the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government) and An Taisce, Oxford Archaeology (OA) was commissioned by the Heritage Council to produce a Conservation Plan for the City Walls of Kilkenny. The walls are of great importance both locally and nationally, but their deteriorating condition and the recent partial loss of surviving lengths have been causes of concern.

Objectives

It is anticipated that the Conservation Plan will be of use for:

• Improving local understanding of the walls and their significance.
• Promotion of the recognition and protection of the walls.
• Encouragement of management schemes for effective maintenance
• Guidance for repairs and conservation.
• Protection of the setting from adjacent developments
• Improving access to the walls.

This Conservation Plan consolidates the extensive documentation relating to the City Walls found in local records, historical mapping and national documents.  The data can now be disseminated in a manageable form, from which the policies for protection and preservation can be developed.

 

2. St. Mary's Church and Graveyard, St. Mary's Lane, Kilkenny
The Conservation Plan for St. Mary's Church and Graveyard, Co. Kilkenny is the result of a number of years work and co-operation between the Trustees of St. Mary's, Kilkenny Borough Council, The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, An Taisce, The Kilkenny Archaeological Society, The Garda Síochána, University College Maynooth, Kilkenny Security and the Heritage Council, all of which are delighted to see this Plan brought into the public domain.

The stimulus for this Plan arose from the concern of the people of Kilkenny to ensure the long-term survival of St. Mary's Graveyard and the unique burial monuments it contains. The significance of the Graveyard, as the Plan reveals, is due to its central position and its potential to be an amenity for the whole city as well as the presence of the monuments of many notable historic personages of Kilkenny.

The Plan should be viewed in the context of national heritage legislation and policy, both in its recommendations and process used in its drafting, with consensus as the cornerstone. Government policy, as expressed in the National Heritage Plan, emphasises the role of heritage conservation in maintaining the quality of life and the need to encourage local communities to become involved in heritage protection. This Conservation Plan provides a framework within which government policy can be realised.