Kildare County Council adopts Variation No. 3 of the Kildare County Development Plan
Supporting accelerated housing delivery and delivering essential social infrastructure
Kildare County Council has formally adopted Variation No. 3 of the Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 (as varied) which provides for the delivery of approximately 40,000 new housing units by 2040.
Following the publication of the Section 28 Guidelines on National Planning Framework Implementation, Local Authorities were tasked with planning for the delivery of up to 83,000 new homes annually across Ireland to 2040 through the preparation and publication of variations to the County Development Plan to increase housing supply and ensure continuity in pipeline. The Ministerial Guidelines call for a significant increase in housing delivery nationwide, and Kildare County Council embraced this challenge, having already made strong progress under the Kildare County Development Plan 2023–2029 (as varied).
Kildare is one of the fastest growing counties in the state and the adoption of Variation No. 3 reflects Kildare County Council’s continued focus on responding to the scale and urgency of housing need across the county, while ensuring that new residential development is supported by the appropriate social infrastructure.
The Variation introduces enhanced policy clarity and strengthens objectives to facilitate the delivery of housing across a variety of tenures, including social, affordable and private housing, in a manner that is compact, sustainable and aligned with national and regional planning policy It reinforces the principle that housing delivery must ensure that new and existing residents have access to high‑quality services and amenities.
Speaking on the adoption of Variation No 3, the Cathaoirleach of the County of Kildare Cllr Carmel Kelly, said: “Variation No. 3 is a clear statement of intent by the Elected Members to prioritise housing delivery in County Kildare while recognising that homes cannot be delivered in isolation. This Variation strengthens our ability to ensure that commensurate social infrastructure is planned and delivered alongside new housing, creating sustainable and liveable communities.”
Sonya Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Kildare County Council added: “Kildare is experiencing significant population growth and development pressure. The adoption of Variation No. 3 strengthens the County Development Plan as a delivery-focused framework that supports increased housing supply while ensuring that the necessary social infrastructure is planned for in a coordinated and timely manner. This is essential to maintaining quality of life and supporting balanced growth across the county.”
Variation No. 3 provides greater certainty for infrastructure providers, development partners and local communities by reinforcing the link between zoning, infrastructure capacity and phased development. It supports a plan‑led approach to growth, enabling the Council to work proactively with Government departments and agencies to secure investment in education, health, transport and community infrastructure.
To read Variation No.3 please see here: https://kildarecoco.ie/AllServices/Planning/DevelopmentPlans/KildareCountyDevelopmentPlan2023-2029/VariationNo3Section28Guidelines/
