Accessibility & Framework Report
10 Minute Towns
C a r l o w E n n i s T r a l e e
J u l y 2 0 2 0
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
Contents
1 2 3
Introduction Policy Context Methodology
Page 5
Page 9
Page 14
3.1
Data Collection
3.2
Data Validation
3.3
Walking and Cycling Network Data
3.4
Catchment Analysis
4
Baseline Conditions Page 20 4.1 Carlow 4.2 Ennis 4.3 Tralee 4.4 Wider Public Transport Connectivity
5
Accessibility Assessment and Recommendations
Page 61
5.1
Carlow
5.2
Ennis
5.3
Tralee
6
Recommended Improvements Catchment Analysis
Page 70
6.1
Carlow
6.2
Ennis
6.3
Tralee
7
10-Minute Town Framework
Page 78
7.1
Methodology
7.2
Geographic Information System (GIS)
7.3
Incorporation of Good Practices
7.4
Common Trend in Constraints
8
Conclusion
Page 87
Appendices Are available in a separate document.
3
SECTION 1 Introduction
10 Minute Towns Accessibility Report C a r l o w E n n i s T r a l e e
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
1 Introduction
Arup has been commissioned by the Southern Regional Assembly (SRA) to undertake a “10 Minute Town” concept which will form part of the Regional Action Plan for Interreg Europe MATCH-UP project.
The key objective is to map and identify infrastructural requirements to support ‘10 minute’ towns within the region. The “10 Minute Town” concept is about creating connected communities – understanding how our neighbourhoods work and to map out how a more compact and permeable urban form can provide high quality and safe links to public transport, shops, services, green spaces and to other neighbourhoods, which will reduce the need to travel and therefore reduce carbon emissions. The overall aim of the study is to create a framework for and/or good practice guidance for mapping the ‘10 Minute Town’ concept, which can be used by other towns to adapt the same concept. It should be noted that this report is not a policy or land use document and relevant Local Authorities can, at their discretion, use the finding of this work to inform any policy documents, land use plans and transportation studies.
This report has developed an implementation tool to assist Local Authorities to undertake a “10 Minute Town” assessment. For the purposes of developing the tool, we assessed three towns - Carlow, Tralee and Ennis. This report has identified different infrastructural measures which will improve the uptake of sustainable mobility in towns and villages across the Southern Region. The analysis framework also provides an evidence base which will be a resource to Local Authority plans in support of greater access to community facilities by sustainable travel modes and create improved “10 Minute Towns”. Our report presents the methodology and assumptions adopted in the implementation tool as part of the study and will act as a framework for future studies in the region. We have then highlighted our findings from the assessment and these findings are discussed further in this report. It should be noted that the opportunities cited in this report will be subject to further evaluation in mobility plans and/or land use plans of the relevant Local Authorities.
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
The typical suburban development pattern seen in recent decades in many Irish towns has consisted of individual housing areas delivered by independent land owners. This has often led to poor connectivity between these residential areas and key community facilities such as schools, shops, leisure, and healthcare facilities. In addition, the transport networks associated with this development pattern have been centred on private vehicles, with little attention paid to pedestrian and cycle accessibility, or access to the public transport network. This has fostered car dependency and has tended to undermine the viability and attractiveness of more sustainable modes of travel in towns and villages across the country. “This has often led to poor connectivity between these residential areas and key community facilities”
Recent developments in planning policy, led by the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES) and including the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets, have sought to address the issues associated with the previous development pattern. There has been much more focus on core policy objectives for compact growth and sustainable mobility and for support of improved permeability and the quality of the environment for pedestrians and cyclists in newer developments. However, there remains a challenge to retrofit our existing towns and villages to provide a coherent transport network focused on sustainable mobility, in particular facilitating convenient access to community facilities by walking and cycling. The emphasis on compact growth in the NPF and RSES for the delivery of new housing, employment, and community facilities will result in shorter distance trips. These will naturally promote access on foot or by bike, as they are more convenient for these modes compared to the longer distance trips that are generated by less dense suburban areas.
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SECTION 2 Policy Context
10 Minute Towns Accessibility Report C a r l o w E n n i s T r a l e e
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
2 Policy Context
Project Ireland 2040 is the long-term overarching government strategy that seeks to focus public spending on infrastructure in areas that will improve life in Ireland for all its people.
Project Ireland 2040 aims to accommodate an additional population of one million people by 2040. Under this strategy, the framework to guide development and investment on a national level is the NPF. The framework aims to define common goals on a national level, so that more detailed policies adopted at regional and local levels are complimentary and avoid conflicting policies as has often occurred in the past. The NPF aims to establish ‘regional parity’ between the different regions of Ireland, with targeted growth in the Southern, Northern and Western regions to address the ‘regional dominance’ of the Eastern and Midland Region. Without this, the pressure on Dublin and its environs will continue to increase and overall national development will suffer. In the Southern Region, it is intended that the population will increase by 340,000-380,000 to around 2 million people, with the number in employment increasing by 225,000 to around 880,000 from 2016 to 2040. All Regional Assemblies have now adopted an RSES to give effect to the NPF at regional level. All Local Authorities are now required to ensure alignment of Development Plans and Local Area Plans with the RSES to ensure the achievement of national and regional policy objectives.
The physical form of urban development is identified as one of the most important challenges to solve for regional potential to be unlocked. It is noted that infrastructure and amenities have tended to play catch-up with new housing and employment, which has led to car dependence and difficulty in providing sufficient public transport. The trend towards suburban development has hollowed out urban centres and created sprawl, which has in turn reduced the attractiveness of towns and villages as places to live and work, increased Ireland’s carbon footprint relative to our European neighbours, and negatively impacted on the nation’s quality of life. “All Regional Assemblies have now adopted an RSES to give effect to the NPF at regional level”
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RSES Strategy Statement No. 8 - Safeguarding and enhancing our environment through sustainable development, prioritising action on climate change across the region, and driving the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society. The National Development Plan (NDP) 2018- 2027 is a €116 billion investment package to deliver the National Strategic Outcomes laid out in the NPF. €91 billion of this is to come from the exchequer, and the remainder from commercial State-Owned Enterprises. A total of €14.5 billion has been earmarked to deliver housing and sustainable urban development. Much of this is aimed at delivering new housing in brownfield sites within pre-existing urban centres, rather than on greenfield sites in suburban locations as has often happened in recent years. This will densify urban centres, helping to revitalise them and improve their economic fortunes. It will encourage greater numbers of walking and cycling trips and assist in the provision of public transport, services, and amenities, which will improve quality of life. Development patterns in recent decades have been radically different to the past, with newer suburban development tending to undermine existing urban cores. Regeneration of towns and villages can help to overcome the issues that have resulted and create more cohesive towns and villages. The NDP allocates €3 billion to regeneration projects, of which €2 billion is aimed at cities and large urban areas and €1 billion at rural towns and villages. This funding will help to deliver the regeneration of brownfield development, public realm improvements, addressing infrastructure deficits, enhancements to amenity and public realm, and tourism and heritage initiatives.
The NPF proposes ten key National Strategic Outcomes, and three of these are especially relevant to creating sustainable towns and villages. These are: Compact growth managing growth in cities, towns, and villages to create places that are attractive for people to live and work, with access to all amenities and services; Sustainable the environmental impact of transport through transition to sustainable travel modes; and mobility reducing Enhanced amenities and heritage creating attractive cities, towns, and villages with a good quality of life. This will be achieved by investing in well-designed public realm, extensive amenities and recreational infrastructure, and integration with our built, cultural, and natural heritage. To advance these objectives at regional level, the RSES implements these key National Strategic Outcomes through the following Strategy Statements: RSES Strategy Statement No. 1 - Strengthening and growing our cities and metropolitan areas; harnessing the combined strength of our three cities, as a counterbalance to the Greater Dublin Area, though quality development, regeneration and compact growth; building on the strong network of towns and supporting our villages and rural areas; RSES Strategy Statement No. 4 - Transforming our transport systems towards well-functioning, sustainable integrated public transport, walking and cycling, and electric vehicles; RSES Strategy Statement No. 7 - Strengthening and protecting our region’s diversity, language and culture, our recreational assets, our natural and built heritage; and
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
While the €8.6 billion allocation for sustainable mobility in the NDP is focused on public transport schemes in the main cities, investment in improved infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists is also proposed and this will aid the uptake of active travel in towns and villages as well as cities. The €1.4 billion for Enhanced Amenity and Heritage in the NDP includes investment in areas such as public spaces, streets, built heritage, natural, cultural, and sporting amenities, and sustainable transport network. Together, these will further assist in enhancing the liveability of towns and villages nationwide. The RSES for the Southern Region outlines objectives within Part 6, section 2, ‘The Regional Transport Strategy’, such as: • To provide for the integrated development of sustainable transport infrastructure, including walking, cycling (including emerging e-modes) and public transport to accommodate the necessary switch from the private car, for the travel needs of all individuals in the region, in line with the stated government transport policy; • To support improved strategic and local connectivity; • To cater for the demands of longer-term population and employment growth, in a sustainable manner; • Supporting compact and smart growth through the achievement of mutual consistency between land use and transport planning, investment, and service provision.
A key objective of the NDP is the realisation of compact urban growth supported by sustainable mobility to create attractive urban centres. The Interreg EuropeMATCH-UP project will establish an analysis framework to ensure accessibility to key community facilities (i.e. education, health, and leisure) by walking and cycling is set at convenient levels to establish “10 Minute Towns”. While no policy position is made in this analysis the findings of the analysis of case study towns is used to inform a general framework for good practice implementation of RPO 176 “10-minute city and town concepts” which will be prepared to assist the MATCH-UP Regional Action Plan (a key deliverable under Interreg Europe), assist RSES implementation of sustainable mobility objectives and as a tool/ resource for Local Authorities. The RSES also discusses the “10 Minute Town” concept in RPO 176. RPO 176 states, “It is an objective to attain sustainable compact settlements with the “10-minute” city and town concepts, whereby, a range of community facilities and services are accessible in short walking and cycle timeframes from homes or are accessible by high quality public transport services by connecting people to larger scaled settlements delivering these services. Local authorities should ensure that decision making in relation to new infrastructure for improved connectivity is informed by an appropriate level of environmental assessment.”
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SECTION 3 Methodology
10 Minute Towns Accessibility Report C a r l o w E n n i s T r a l e e
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
3 Methodology
The methodology is divided into two main strands: establishment of baseline conditions; and accessibility and infrastructural requirements.
The overall methodology of the implementation tool is illustrated in Figure 1 below.
Data Collection: Street Network
Data Collection: Community Facilities
(through OpenStreetMap and government data for location of services)
(e.g. supermarkets, dentists, schools)
Building End-to-End Network
(establishment of where it is possible for pedestrians and cyclists to travel through representation of the street network)
RunningAnalysis
(establishment of walking and cycling catchment to determine which areas can be accessed from one or more facilities within 5-10 minutes)
Identification of Constraints and Opportunities
(e.g. potential new greenway, pedestrian connection)
Figure 1 - 10 Minute Towns Implementation Tool
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
3.1 Data Collection To undertake the analysis, the locations of amenities and services was first collected to understand the existing distribution of community facilities in the three towns. The categories of facilities were as follows:
Healthcare: • Dentists; • General practices; • Health Centres; • Hospitals; • Nursing homes; and • Pharmacies.
Education:
Retail:
• Third level institutions; • Secondary schools; • Primary schools; and • Special needs schools.
• Supermarket; • Shopping centres; and • Corner shops.
Leisure:
Public Transport:
• Theatres; • Cinemas; • Libraries; • Museums; and • Sports and Recreation Facilities.
• Bus stops; and • Rail stations.
3.2 Data Validation The preliminary data was validated with both Local Authority contacts and report team colleagues who are residents in the three towns to verify accuracy and ensure that community facilities not included in the source datasets were added. Additional information about the towns and proposals for future developments and facilities that may be relevant to the study were also requested from the Local Authority contacts.
Geographic data for many community facilities, such as education and healthcare, is available from the official government open data portal data.gov.ie. For other facilities, such as retail and leisure, as well as for the street network, OpenStreetMap (OSM) data is a valuable resource. OSM is an open-source collaborative online mapping project, and its data can be freely used with attribution. There are many online portals for downloading data from OSM into GIS-compatible formats. It should be noted that facilities may be taken from source data as polygon features, in which case they should be converted to point features before proceeding with the analysis in a Geographical Information System (GIS) package ArcGIS.
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3.3 Walking and Cycling Network Data
It is also possible to include public transport accessibility in the routable network using timetable information in General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) format, which is useful for locations with frequent public transport services. 3.3.2 Proposed Improvement Network The proposed network was derived using the baseline catchment analysis undertaken in ArcGIS (as discussed in Section 3.4.2); where potential walking and/or cycling connection could be placed. These potential links were added to the existing street network to represent the proposed network in order to undertake the proposed catchment analysis. It should be noted that the proposed improvement networks are for the purposes of a high-level analysis of the three towns only. These improvement schemes are subject to further detailed analysis to understand their feasibility and viability.
3.3.1 Baseline (Existing Network) The street network utilised in the analysis was derived from Open Street Map data and imported into ArcGIS as a polyline feature. A high-level review of the existing walking and cycling network was undertaken on Google Maps and Google Streetview to verify the accuracy of the street network, as this would impact the catchment analysis for the study. Any missing walking and cycling links were then added to the street network prior to the catchment analysis. It should be noted that owing to the national Covid-19 travel restrictions in place in 2020, verification was only possible using online resources, although in addition Local Authority personnel reviewed the accuracy of the network. To conduct the analysis, an ‘end to end’ routable network must be created in a GIS package from the polylines forming the street network. The package used in this study was the Network Analyst extension within the Esri ArcGIS package. The routable network defines where it is possible to travel (indicated by the polylines representing streets), where it is possible to move between streets (indicated by the nodes where streets intersect), and how fast it is possible to move through the network (by defining an average speed for walking and cycling). Once these parameters are defined, the GIS package will be able to determine both the range that can be traversed and the time taken to do so within the extent of the network. Given that this is a pedestrian and cycle study, it is important to remove roads on which pedestrians and cyclists are not permitted (such as motorways) before creating the routable network.
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
3.4 Catchment Analysis
3.4.1 Baseline (Existing Network) Upon verification of the street network and the facilities dataset, a catchment analysis for each of the three towns was undertaken using ArcGIS. The areas of each town within the 5 and 10 minutes walking and cycling catchments from each type of facility was determined, according to the categories outlined in Section 3.1. Once the routable (i.e. end-to-end) network has been created, the catchment analysis of facilities in the given town can be conducted. The points representing the facilities of interest are defined, and then the parameters for the catchment analysis are specified, such as the time intervals (5 and 10 minutes in this case) and the modes (walking and cycling). The analysis is then run, determining which areas can be accessed from one or more facilities within the given time interval by the given mode, and polygons representing the catchment are produced. These can then be inserted into maps for visualisation or used to calculate the number of people resident or employed within the catchment. The latter is conducted by using the catchment areas to clip 2016 Census data for Small Areas and Workplace Zones, available from the Central Statistics Office. 3.4.2 Proposed Improvement Network A similar approach using the baseline street network, facilities dataset and the proposed improvement links for the purposes of a catchment in ArcGIS. These were compared against the baseline catchment analysis to understand if the proposed improvement links would result in wider walking and cycling catchments within 5 to 10 mins from each type of facility.
Presentation College
Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach
å
å
ent
0
0.125
0.25
©
19
SECTION 4 Baseline Conditions
10 Minute Towns Accessibility Report C a r l o w E n n i s T r a l e e
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
4 Baseline Conditions
4.1 Carlow
Healthcare Figure 2 to Figure 4 show all the healthcare services (i.e. hospitals, health centres, GPs, dentists, pharmacies and nursing homes) in Carlow. Healthcare services are predominantly locatedwithin the towncentre,withdentists,GPs and pharmacies on Tullow Street. Immediately north of Tullow Street there are healthcare services on College Street, Dublin Street, Dublin Road and Athy Road, whereas there are also pharmacies to the south of Kennedy Avenue. The northern part of Carlow has three hospitals: Carlow District Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital, and St Dympna’s Hospital, which is accessible via Dublin Road and Athy Road. There are also nursing homes in Carlow, with two located within the town and another to the east of the town on Tullow Road. “The population of Carlow at the time of the 2016 census was 24,272, which marked a 5.4% increase between 2011 and 2016”
4.1.1 Demographics Preliminary demographic analysis was undertaken to understand the current population statistics in Carlow. The population of Carlow at the time of the 2016 census was 24,272, which marked a 5.4% increase between 2011 and 2016. Residential car ownership statistics were also extracted from CSO to understand if there is a trend in car ownership, which may have an adverse effect on the ’10 Minute Town’ concept. Car ownership in 2016 has increased slightly in Carlow in comparison to 2011, with 81% of households owning one or more cars in 2016, compared to 80% in 2011. 4.1.2 Location of services It is important to understand the location of services (i.e. healthcare, education, leisure and public transport) to establish if there is a general trend. As mentioned in Section 3, the locations of services were identified through desktop analysis and were verified by Local Authority contacts as well as colleagues who are resident in Carlow.
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Kelly's Pharmacy
" G
Chemco Pharmacy
" G
Corless Pharmacy
Tullow Street Pharmacy
Unicare Pharmacy
" G
DocMorris Pharmacy
" G
" G
Askea Pharmacy
" G " G Sam McCauley Chemists " G " G
" G
" G
Lloyds Pharmacy
Morriseys Medical Hall Limited
" G
Kelly's Pharmacy
" G
" G
Kevin Kelly Chemists Limited
Sam McCauley Chemists
Sam McCauley Chemists
Legend " G
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
Pharmacies
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 2: Pharmacies in Carlow
²
Doctor Jonathon Jacob, The Tyndall Clinic
Tyndall Clinic
" G
Sacred Heart Hospital
! ^
Dr. Regina O'Kelly
Doctor McDermott/Gallagher
Centric Health The Primary Care Centre
" G
St. Lazerian's House
" G
! ^ Dolmen Family Medical Practice
" G
Face Works (The Brenner Clinic)
St. Fiacc's House
" G
Hillview Nursing Home
" G
Dr Gerard Moran
! ^
Clayton Medical Group, Clayton Hall Medical Centre
Carlow Institute Of Technology
" G
Legend " G
General Practices
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
! ^ Nursing Homes
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 3: General Practices and Nursing Homes in Carlow
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Sacred Heart Catholic hospital
ÆP St Dympna's Hospital
Carlow Dental Clinic
Dental Practice
ÆP
Dental Practice
" D
Graigue
Carlow Dental Care
" D
" D
" G
Clinical Dental Technician
" D
" D
Absolute Dental Care
HSE Primary Health Centre
Dental Practice
" D " D
Pembroke Dental Surgery
Dental Practice
" G Dental Practice
" D
" D
Dental Practice
" D
Castle Orthodontics
" D
Legend " D
Dental Practices Health Centres
" G
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
Hospitals
ÆP
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 4: Dentists, Health Centres and Hospitals in Carlow
Education Figure 5 shows all the education services (i.e. special needs, primary, secondary and colleges) in Carlow. There is one school for students with special needs located in the northern part of Carlow, which is St Laserians Special School on Dublin Road. The majority of primary schools are located on the northern side of Carlow with four schools, with three schools immediately east of the town. Residents on the southern and western parts of Carlow have access to three primary schools in total. Secondary schools are located on the northern, eastern and southern part of Carlow. There are two third level educational institutions in Carlow, which are Institute of Technology on Kilkenny Road and Carlow College on College Street. There is also a further education facility in the town called Carlow Vocational School.
Therefore, there is a trend that primary and secondary schools are predominantly located in the northern half of the town i.e. north of Tullow Street, while third level institutes are located in the town centre and in the south of the town. Residential areas in the north east of the town are somewhat further from schools and colleges, and generally fall outside their 10 minutes walking catchment. Retail Figure 6 show that retail services are generally spread throughout the town. Popular chain shops and supermarkets such as Dunnes, Tesco, SuperValu, Aldi, and Lidl are located in Carlow, with smaller shops and convenience stores such as Centra, Spar, and Moldova serving other parts of the town. Other shops such as Dealz and HomeSavers are also located in the town centre. Some residential areas do not have retail services conveniently located nearby, particularly in the southern and north-eastern parts of Carlow.
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Carlow Educate Together Ns
4
Holy Angels Day Care Centre
4
ST LASERIANS SPECIAL SC
4
St Mary's Academy CBS
St. Leo's College
å
4
Saplings Carlow Special School
Bishop Foley Memorial School
å
4
4
S.N. Naomh Fhiach
Presentation College
! B Scoil Nais Iosef Naofa
Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach
S N Muire Gan Smal
4
4
å
å
St. Patricks Carlow College (College Street)
Holy Family Girls N S
4
Holy Family B N S
4
Bennekerry National School
Gaelscoil Eoghain Uí Thuairisc
4
4
S N Ceatharlach
4
Legend ! B Third Level Education å Secondary School 4 Primary School 4 Special School
Carlow Institute of Further Education
Institute of Technology Carlow
Tyndall College
å
! B
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 5: Education in Carlow
²
Dunnes Stores
Oakview Food Store
c 5
c 5
Apple Green
SuperValu
Aldi
c 5
Londis (Raths)
Circle K
Homesavers Penny Lane
Polonez
Londis
Fitzpatricks Maxol XL
c 5
c 5
c 5 Staplestown Road Post Office
Centra Maxol
c 5
c 5
Moldova
c 5 Tesco
Gala (Hegartys)
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5 c 5
Centra
c 5 c 5
Top Service Shop
Gala
c 5
Applegreen
c 5
Circle K (Tullow Road)
Dealz
c 5
Iceland Carlow
c 5
c 5
Mr.Price Carlow
c 5
Lidl
Munnelly's
c 5
Legend c 5 Supermarket/Mall c 5 Corner Shop
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 6: Retail in Carlow
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Oak Park/Forest Park
Carlow Rugby Club
Carlow Golf Club
Carlow Town Hurling Club
Netwatch Cullen Park
Tintean Coille Community Centre
O'Hanrahan's GFC
Graiguecullen GAA
Playground
Carlow all weather Pitches
Presentation Sports Grounds
St. Patricks Boy's A.F.C
An Gairdín Beo
Carlow Sports/ Social Club (College Street)
Visual Art Centre
Carlow Town Park Playground
St Laurence O Toole AC
Carlow County Museum
Carlow Rowing Club
Graiguecullen Swimming Pool
Carlow Omniplex
Carlow County Library
Rancho Reilly
Legend
IMC Cinema
Cinema Community centre Library Museum Pitch Playground Sports centre Sports field
New Oak FC
Palatine GAA Club
Éire Óg CLG
Carlow I.T. All Weather Pitches
Stadium Theatre Track
Carlow I. T Sports Campus
Quinagh house, Par 3 Golf course
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 7: Leisure in Carlow
Public Transport Figure 8 shows the public transport services available in Carlow. Carlow Railway Station is located north-east of the town via St Joseph’s Road. The station is located on the Dublin-Waterford line, and services from the station are detailed in Section 4.4.1.1. Several bus routes serve Carlow, and details of these are discussed in Section 4.4.1.2. Bus stops in the town are primarily located along the north-south corridor through the town, with stops at Green Lane, Barrack Street, Carlow Coach Park, and Kilkenny Road. It should be noted that there are two local bus services within the town currently being considered by Carlow County Council.
Leisure Figure 7 illustrates the leisure services (such as theatres, cinemas, museums, and sports and recreation facilities) available to residents and visitors in Carlow. Theatres, cinemas, and museums are generally clustered within the town centre and therefore residents and visitors would generally need to travel to access these services. Sports and recreation facilities, such as sports fields, are located throughout Carlow.
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Green Lane Green Lane
JaJa
Carlow
I2
Carlow, Carlow College
Ja
Carlow, Barrack Street Carlow
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Ja
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Ja Ja Ja Ja JaJaJa
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Carlow, Institute of Technology Carlow
Carlow, Institute of Technology Carlow
Ja Ja Ja Ja
Ja Ja Ja
Carlow IT (Opp Main Entrance)
Carlow IT (Opp Main Entrance)
Kernanstown
Ja
Legend I2
Rail Station
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
Bus Stop
Ja
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 8: Public Transport in Carlow
4.1.3 Current travel patterns Analysis was undertaken to understand the means of travel for those working or studying in Carlow. The current means of travel to work to Carlow is shown in Figure 9.
The majority of people travelling to Carlow for work or education purposes do so by car, accounting for almost 65% of the total. This is followed by walking (17%) and by bus (6%). Only 1% of people commute by bike.
Figure 9 - Means of Travel – Carlow
17%
On Foot Bicycle
1%
ON FOOT
6% 1% 0% 41%
Bus, Minibus or Coach Train, DART or LUAS Motorcycle or scooter Car Driver Car Passenger Van Other (incl. lorry or working at home, school or college Not stated or not at work, school or college
CAR PASSENGER
23%
CAR
3%
1%
6%
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
4.1.4 Catchment Analysis Following the methodology outlined above, maps were produced to understand the current accessibility conditions for walking and cycling within Carlow. These catchment maps and our analysis for each service can be found within Appendix A. Overall, the catchment analysis for cycling showed that all services in Carlow are within a 10-minute cycle catchment area and therefore comply with the 10-minute service objective. This section primarily discusses the walking catchments.
Healthcare Healthcare services, such as GPs (shown in Figure 10) are predominantly located within the centre of Carlow and therefore residential areas on the outskirts of the town are generally outside the 10-minute walking catchment. Adding additional pedestrian links and connections will do little to materially change the accessibility of the healthcare services. The areas of Pollerton, TullowRoad (south), Poachers Gate, and Bullock Park do not currently have 10 minute accessibility by walking to healthcare services. Hospitals have a regional function and the majority of patients, staff and visitors will access this facility by car or public transport. The hospitals in Carlow are located within a 10-minute walk of public transport services, which opens them to a wider catchment.
²
Doctor Jonathon Jacob, The Tyndall Clinic
Tyndall Clinic
" G
CareDoc, Late hours Only
" G
Doctor McDermott/Gallagher
Centric Health The Primary Care Centre
" G
" G Dolmen Family Medical Practice
Dr. Regina O'Kelly
" G
Face Works (The Brenner Clinic)
" G
" G
Dr Gerard Moran
Clayton Medical Group, Clayton Hall Medical Centre
Walking catchment 5 mins 10 mins
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 10: Carlow Walking Catchment – GPs
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10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
Education There are residential areas in Carlow that are not located within a 10-minute walking catchment to primary schools, particularly the eastern and southern suburbs of the town. Secondary schools are generally located immediately north, east and south of the town centre, and therefore most of the residential areas on the outskirts of the town are outside their walking catchments. As shown in Figure 11, although Presentation College is located immediately west of residential estates in Browneshill, there is no direct link between them. Therefore, the catchment analysis showed that these areas are not within a 10-minute walk to Presentation College.
There is a special school located to the north of Carlow and therefore the majority of residential areas are outside their walking catchment. Only a small percentage of the population requires access to special schools, and unlike primary and secondary schools, these facilities tend to be limited in provision across a town. Carlow College is located in the town centre; however, Institute Technology of Carlow is located in the south of the town on the Kilkenny Road and is therefore outside a 10-minute walking distance from most of the town. On- road cycleways and bus stops are provided along Kilkenny Road which helps counteract their limited walking catchment.
²
St Mary's Academy CBS
St. Leo's College
å
å
Gaelcholáiste Cheatharlach
Presentation College
å
å
Carlow Institute of Further Education
å
Walking catchment 5 mins 10 mins
Tyndall College
å
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 11 – Carlow Walking Catchment – Secondary Schools
29
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
Retail Figure 12 shows that the majority of Carlow is within a 10-minute walking distance of retail services (i.e. supermarkets and corner shops), with the exception of the northeast and southern area of the town. Residents in areas where they are not within a walking distance to retail services would be more likely to drive to supermarkets or walk longer distances than 10 minutes.
Additional retail facilities at these locations may not be feasible (or desirable from a retail planning perspective) as the population densities are too low for the business to survive. Residents on the outskirts would typically drive to retail facilities as parking is conveniently available (e.g. SuperValu in Sandhills SC, Tesco Superstore at Fair Green SC, and Dunnes Stores on Sleaty Rod/N80).
²
Dunnes Stores
Oakview Food Store
c 5
c 5
Apple Green
SuperValu
Aldi
c 5
Londis (Raths)
Circle K
Homesavers Penny Lane
Polonez
Londis
Fitzpatricks Maxol XL
c 5
c 5
c 5 Staplestown Road Post Office
Centra Maxol
c 5
c 5
Moldova
c 5 Tesco
Gala (Hegartys)
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5 c 5
Centra
c 5 5
Top Service Shop
Gala
c 5
Applegreen
c 5
Circle K (Tullow Road)
Dealz
c 5
Iceland Carlow
c 5
c 5
Mr.Price Carlow
c 5
Lidl
Munnelly's
c 5
Walking catchment 5 mins 10 mins
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 12 - Carlow Catchment Analysis - Retail
30
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
Leisure Figure 13 shows that leisure services such as theatres, museums and libraries are generally within the centre of Carlow and therefore residents and visitors would typically travel to them by different modes of transport.
Sports and recreational facilities are scattered throughout Carlow. Although the walking catchment maps indicate that majority of residents are within 10 minutes’ walk of these facilities, sports fields would generally cater for groups of people with interests in specific sports or clubs. Therefore, people who use these facilities may travel longer distances and across town despite a local facility being available.
²
Oak Park/Forest Park
Carlow Rugby Club
Carlow Golf Club
Carlow Town Hurling Club
Netwatch Cullen Park
Tintean Coille Community Centre
O'Hanrahan's GFC
Graiguecullen GAA
Playground
Carlow all weather Pitches
Presentation Sports Grounds
St. Patricks Boy's A.F.C
An Gairdín Beo
Carlow Sports/ Social Club (College Street)
Visual Art Centre
Carlow Town Park Playground
St Laurence O Toole AC
Carlow County Museum
Carlow Rowing Club
Graiguecullen Swimming Pool
Carlow Omniplex
Carlow County Library
Rancho Reilly
IMC Cinema
New Oak FC
Palatine GAA Club
Éire Óg CLG
Carlow I.T. All Weather Pitches
Walking catchment 5 mins 10 mins
Carlow I. T Sports Campus
Quinagh house, Par 3 Golf course
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 13 - Carlow Catchment Analysis - Leisure
31
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
Public Transport Figure 14 show that bus stops are primarily located north-east and south of Carlow along Green Lane, Barrack Street and Kilkenny Road. Existing bus services link Carlow with regional destinations as well as smaller towns and villages in its hinterland, as detailed in Section 4.4.1.2. Most routes are infrequent and would rarely be availed of by the majority of the town’s population. The 10-minute service principle applied to bus services would be more applicable to local bus services, which may for instance link suburban residential areas with the town centre. The walking catchment of bus stops is only along a north-south corridor through the town and therefore the outskirts of Carlow, particularly the eastern and western areas, do not have access to public transport.
Carlow Railway Station is within a 5-10-minute walking catchment of the town centre; however, the majority of the town falls outside of this catchment area. Its catchment would be improved somewhat by adding additional pedestrian links in its vicinity. Services on this railway line are regional, and therefore it would not be desirable to add additional stations within Carlow due to their impact on journey times. There may be potential for local bus services to connecting suburban areas to the railway station and the town centre. The principle of a 10-minute walking catchment can be utilised to identify suitable locations for the placement of bus stops.
²
Green Lane Green Lane
JaJa
Carlow
I2
Carlow, Carlow College
Ja
Carlow, Barrack Street Carlow
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Ja
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Ja Ja Ja Ja JaJaJa
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Carlow, Carlow Coach Park
Carlow, Institute of Technology Carlow
Carlow, Institute of Technology Carlow
Ja Ja Ja Ja
Ja Ja Ja
Carlow IT (Opp Main Entrance)
Carlow IT (Opp Main Entrance)
Kernanstown
Ja
Walking catchment 5 mins 10 mins
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 14 - Carlow Catchment Analysis - Public Transport
32
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
4.2 Ennis
Healthcare Figure 15 to Figure 17 show that healthcare services are predominantly located within the town centre along a north-south axis, with dentists, GPs and pharmacies surrounding the area of O’Connell Street. On the north end of Gort Road there is Ennis General Hospital and St Joseph’s Hospital, which also has a nursing home department. On Harmony Row in the town centre there is a health centre. Pharmacies are located mostly in the town centre with one in the north-east and another in the south-west. There are three nursing homes in Ennis, with a nursing home in St. Joseph’s and two located to the south of the town. “The population of Ennis at the time of the 2016 census was 25,276, which marked a slightly decline of 0.3% be- tween 2011 and 2016”
4.2.1 Demographics Preliminary demographic analysis was undertaken to understand the current population statistics in Ennis. The population of Ennis at the time of the 2016 census was 25,276, which marked a slightly decline of 0.3% between 2011 and 2016. Residential car ownership statistics were also extracted from CSO to understand if there is a trend in car ownership, which may have an adverse effect on the ’10 Minute Town’ concept. Car ownership in 2016 has slightly increased in Ennis in comparison to 2011, with 85% of households owning one or more cars in 2016, compared to 84% in 2011. 4.2.2 Location of services It is important to understand the location of services (i.e. healthcare, education, leisure and public transport) to establish if there is a general trend. As mentioned in Section 3, the locations of services were identified through desktop analysis and were verified by Local Authority contacts as well as colleagues who are resident in Ennis.
33
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Murphy's Pharmacy
" G
Flynn's Life Pharmacy
Pharmacy Department, St. Joseph's Hospital Ennis
" G
Pharmacy Department, Ennis General Hospital
" G
" G
Rochford's Pharmacy
Duffy's Pharmacy
" G
" G
Rochford's Pharmacy
Holly's Pharmacy
" G
" G
" G " G
" G
Boots Cassidy's Pharmacy
Fennell's Pharmacy
" G
" G
Normoyle's Allcare Pharmacy
McLoughlin's Pharmacy
Rochford's Pharmacy
" G
Legend " G
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
Pharmacies
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 15: Pharmacies in Ennis
²
Roslevan Medical Practice
" G
Cappahard Nursing Home
! ^
Elm Medical Centre
" G
Ennis Family Medical Centre
St. Joseph's Hospital
" G
! ^
Ennis Family Medical Centre
Doctor R.A. Feore
Fergus Medical Centre
" G
" G
Francis Street Medical Centre
O'Connell's Medical Hall
" G " G Parnell Medical Centre
" G
Doctor Colum Gavin
Ardlea Medical Practice Buglers
" G
" G
Medical Practice
" G
Ennis Nursing Home
! ^
Cahercalla Community Hospital
The Abbey Medical Centre
! ^
" G
Legend " G
General Practices
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
! ^ Nursing Homes
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 16: General Practices and Nursing Homes in Ennis
34
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Health Centre, former Our Lady's Hospital
" G
Dental Surgery
" D
Saint Joseoh's hospital
Ennis Hospital
ÆP ÆP
The Dental Surgery
" D
Ennis
" G
Dental Practice
Burren Dental Practice
" D " D " D " D " D " D
Dental Practice
Dental Practice
" D Dental Practice
Orthodontic Practice
Dental Practice
Ennis Orthodontics and Periodontology
" D
Legend " D
Dental Practices Health Centres
" G
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
Hospitals
ÆP
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 17: Dentists, Health Centres and Hospitals in Ennis
Education As shown in Figure 18, the majority of primary schools are located to the north of Station Road/Carmody Street. Secondary schools are concentrated in the centre of Ennis, with the exception of St. Flannan’s College to the south. There are two schools for students with special needs located in the northern part of Ennis, namely St Clare’s Special School on Gort Road and St. Anne’s Special School on St Stenan’s Road. There are currently no third level education institutes in Ennis. Therefore, there is a trend that educational services are predominantly located in the northern part of Ennis, with few to the east and west. Residents in eastern and western parts of Ennis are generally outside a 10 minute walking catchment of schools.
Retail Figure 19 shows that retail services are generally spread throughout the town. Popular chain shops and supermarkets such as Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Aldi, and Lidl are located in Ennis, with smaller shops and convenience stores such as Centra and Spar serving various parts of the town. There is generally good provision of retail services within Ennis, with only a small part of the southwest not containing a retail facility.
35
10 Minute Towns |Access i b i l i t y & Framework Repor t
²
Ennis Educate Together Ns
4
ST CLARES SPECIAL SCH
St Clares Special Sch
4
Gael Sc Mhichil Chiosog
4
S N Cnoc An Ein
4
4
ST ANNES S S
St Annes S S
Bunscoil Na Mbraithre
Ennis Community College
Chriost Ri
4
å
4
Rice College
å å
Coláiste Mhuire
! B LIT Ennis Campus
Ennis Convent Inf N S
Holy Family Snr
4
4
St Flannan's College
å
Legend ! B Third Level Education å Secondary School 4 Primary School 4 Special School
Ennis N S
4
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
Figure 18: Education in Ennis
²
Lidl
c 5
Centra - Roslevan Stores
Centra loughville
Roslevan Shopping Centre
Hogan's Supermarket
c 5
c 5
Tierneys Costcutter
c 5 5
Centra
c 5
Kavanagh's Spar
c 5 c 5
Mace
c 5
Lyons
c 5
c 5
c 5
Tesco
Aldi
Liddys SPAR
c 5 c 5
c 5
Dunnes Stores
c 5
Asiatic Manila
c 5
c 5
c 5
c 5
AppleGreen
c 5
c 5
c 5
Circle K
c 5 O'Sullivan & Hansbury
c 5
c 5
Legend c 5 Supermarket/Mall c 5 Corner Shop
Maxol
0
0.475
0.95
1.9
Kilometres
© OpenStreetMap (and) contributors, CC-BY-SA
c 5
Figure 19: Retail in Ennis
36
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