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 2007 was as follows:

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

 

DEPUTY MAYOR: Councillor Sean O hArgain (LAB) 14 College Square, College 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 Betty Manning (FG) Castle Road, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Paul Cuddihy (FG) Granges Road, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Martin Brett (FG) Derdimus, Tennypark, Kilkenny

 

Councillor Joe Cody (LABOUR) 11 Noremount, Kilkenny

 

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

Administration:

• County Manager: Mr. Joe Crockett
• Director of Services: Mr. John McCormack.
• Senior Executive Officer: Mr Brian Tyrrell
• Senior Engineer: Mr Kieran Fitzgerald

The Municipal Rate for 2007 was €58.03.

 

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 The Sovereign and Council of Twelve have since been replaced by a Mayor, and Councillors.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 8,625. The Borough and Environs has a population of 23,967 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.

 

Academy of Urbanism Award

Kilkenny was named as the Academy of Urbanism Great Town for 2008, at an awards function held in the Dorchester Hotel, London, on Friday 9th November, 2007. Kilkenny's Mayor Marie Fitzpatrick, accepted the award on behalf of Kilkenny, from the Academy Chairman, Mr. John Thompson. The other nominated towns were St. Andrews, Scotland and Winchester, England.

The judges visited Kilkenny in August and were given a tour of the city, exploring examples or urbanism and the town's evolution in terms of:

• Governance
• Local Character and Distinctiveness
• User Friendliness
• Commercial Success and Viability
• Environmental and Social Sustainability
• Functionality

As part of the awards process the Academy's poet in residence Ian McMillan has penned the following poem about Kilkenny:

In this marble city the fossils sing in the walls.
In the still centre of the comedy festival, a cat smiles.
Why am I happy? Because I missed the last train home!
Wind quintet for four bus queuers and a breeze.
Ancient and modern: baseball cap caught in the river's light.
Hurling is a kind of opera: discuss. Loudly.
Even the rain wants to make you welcome, tapping your hat.
Sunday morning is the echoing footprint of Saturday night.
We float on beer here, not lost but steering.
Capital of everywhere. Why go anywhere else?

 

CAR PARKING

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.

The Borough Council agreed in principle to introduce on street parking charges in Kilkenny. 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 2008.

 

ROADS

Kilkenny Borough Council initiated a new 3 year Roads Programme in 2006. The following is a brief synopsis of the various projects completed in the second year of this programme.

Paving projects undertaken in 2007 were:

• Pennefeather Lane
• Common Hall
• New Building Lane remedial works

Re-Surfacing works undertaken in 2007 were:

• Newpark Lawn
• Lacken Lane
• Old Bennettsbridge Road
• Greenshill Road
• Fr Murphy Square
• Circular Road
• Dean Cavanagh Place
• Ashurst
• Hebron Road
• Upper Walkin St

Extra Parking Bays provided in 2007 at:

• Fr Murphy Square
• Fatima Place
• Assumption Place

 

Pennefeather Lane

Works on Pennefeather Lane involved the provision of ducting for the undergrounding of existing overhead services, upgrading of existing services, drainage improvements and resurfaced with Tegula paving

Common Hall

This entrance was paved with Bergerac paving similar to footpaths on Coach Road.

Housing Estates

Newpark Lawn, Fr Murphy Square, Dean Cavanagh Place and Ashurst were all resurfaced as part of the 2007 programme.

Circular Road

Works here involved planing of the road, laying of meshtrak reinforcing, a stone mastic asphalt overlay and relining.

Upper Walkin St & Greenshill Road

These two roads were resurfaced using stone mastic asphalt. Existing ramps on these roads were replaced with speed ramps in accordance with the Traffic Management Guidelines.

Hebron Road

This road was resurfaced and drainage improved as part of new Development works at McDonagh junction.

Parking Bays

Following consultation with residents, parking bays were provided at Fr Murphy Square, Fatima Place and Assumption Place.

These have helped eradicate illegal parking on green areas in these estates.

 

 

DISABILITY ISSUES

In all completed projects cognisance was taken of disability issues with best practice methods being used.

Public lighting has also been provided on the car road to the rear of Stephen St and the car road linking both sides of Assumption Place.

 

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. Construction of this complex progressed during 2007 and the complex is due to open late 2008.

 

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 Evans 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 2007: 162

Number of applications determined: 122

Granted: 92 (75% of applications)

Refused: 30 (25% of applications)

 

KILKENNY CITY CENTRE LOCAL AREA PLAN

Following the adoption in 2005 of the Kilkenny City Centre Local Area Plan, a full programme of implementation measures was considered in 2007. 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.

 

REVIEW OF KILKENNY CITY AND ENVIRONS DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The statutory process in relation to the review of the Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan continued throughout 2007. The Draft Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan went on public display for a period of 10 weeks. Over 80 submissions were received and further consideration and consultation took place to the end of December 2007 by way of preparation of the Manager's Report which is due to issue in early 2008.

 

HERITAGE

Work continued on two important heritage projects in 2007:

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.