Kildare County Council publishes Annual Development Plan Monitoring Report 2023

Kildare County Council has published the Annual Development Plan Monitoring Report for 2023, the first report of its kind for County Kildare. The report provides insights into how County Kildare is developing and how it is performing against the targets set out in the Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029.

This Report provides an overview of the planning and development trends that have occurred within the County in 2023. The report focuses on housing and commercial development, together with the delivery of childcare, GP healthcare services and school accommodation. The Census 2022 Kildare Settlement Profile Report, prepared by AIRO, is also contained in the Monitoring Report. Some of the key planning and development trends identified for 2023 include the following:

• Completed Housing: 2,720 new dwellings constructed, 47% of which are in existing urban areas. 7% of newly constructed dwellings are single houses, 75% are scheme houses and 18% are apartments.
• Granted Housing: 1,402 dwellings granted, 80% of which are in the larger towns of the County. 8% of granted dwellings are single rural houses, 41% are scheme houses and 51% are apartments.
• Commercial Building Stock: Kildare had a commercial vacancy rate of 14.4% and a total of 7,168 commercial buildings in 2023.
• Granted Commercial Floorspace: 129,404 sqm of commercial floorspace was granted in 2023. The warehousing and logistics sector accounted for approximately 40% of granted commercial floorspace, the industrial sector accounted for 45% and the hospitality sector accounted for 11%. The retail and office sectors accounted for approximately 2% and 1% of commercial floorspace granted in 2023 respectively.
• Childcare: There were 173 registered childcare facilities in the County, accommodating a total of 8,424 children in January 2024. Planning permission was granted for 6 additional facilities in Kildare in 2023.
• Schools: There are 101 primary schools and 29 secondary schools in the County with a combined enrolment of 51,167 pupils for the 2023-2024 academic year. As of April 2024, 21 major projects and 35 additional accommodation projects are being progressed under the School Building Programme.
• Health Services (general practice): There are a total of 65 GP practices in the County, with 4 additional practices granted planning permission in 2023.

The development patterns and trends in Kildare in 2023 are heavily focused on the continuing consolidation and growth of the larger settlements of the County, particularly the larger towns, such as Naas, Newbridge, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Kildare and Athy.

The Annual Development Plan Monitoring Report 2023 is available to view online – https://kildarecoco.ie/AllServices/Planning/DevelopmentPlans/AnnualMonitoringReports/

Proximity and accessibility to Dublin, the national road network and other transport connections continue to be one of the key factors influencing growth patterns in Kildare.