2020 Vision for Athy - Entire Document - Kildare.ie

planning applications will be completed by 2006. Overall the table indicates that the required growth rate for the
town is already being met in the short term.
Table 6.2 Study Area Population Growth Rates
IFPLUT Potential Population Growth
2002 2016 Increase % Growth Average Growth Per Annum
Urban 6,058 16,700 10,642 176% 760
Rural 2,754 3,300 546 20% 39
Current Population Growth Taking Cognisance of Granted Planning Applications
2002 2006 Increase % Growth Average Growth Per Annum
Urban 6,058 9,019 2,961 49% 740
Population Growth Taking Cognisance of Pending Residential Planning Applications
2002 2006 Increase % Growth Average Growth Per Annum
Urban 6,058 9,954 3,896 64% 974
Section 3.4 has shown that granted and pending planning applications provide for approximately 1,450 residential
units. At a household size of 2.7 the planning applications provide for 3,850 people. Thus, a further 6,800 people
have to be provided for in the urban area until 2016.
Demographic Profile
In order to forecast the future age group profile, the projections in the CSO Regional Population Projections 2001-
2031 for the Mid-East Region were employed. The following table 6.3 illustrates the age groups for the Study
Area for 2006, 2011 and 2016, as well as 2002, which is included for comparative purposes (see Table 3.2).
Table 6.3 Demographic Profile in 2002, 2006, 2011and 2016
2002 (DED Level) 2006 2011 2016
Actual % Actual % Actual % Actual %
0-14 2,250 21.76 3,501 20.71 3,722 20.12 3,794 18.97
15-24 1,586 15.34 2,246 13.29 2,088 11.29 2,195 10.97
25-44 2,995 28.97 4,983 29.49 5,425 29.33 5,614 28.07
45-64 2,300 22.24 4,146 24.53 4,809 26.00 5,349 26.74
65+ 1,209 11.69 2,024 11.95 2,452 13.25 3,049 15.24
Total 10,340 100.0 16,900 100.0 18,500 100.0 20,000 100.0
Households and Household Sizes
National and international trends indicate that household sizes in Ireland are likely to further decrease in size in the
future. The Society of Chartered Surveyors 1 predicts for 2006 a household size of 2.72. The NSS indicates a
convergence to the EU average of 2.63 in 2011. Table 6.4 illustrates the various household sizes and the resulting
number of households in the Study Area.
Table 6.4 Number of Households and Household Sizes, 1996-2011
Persons in Private
Households Households Household Size
1996 (DED Level) 8,991 2,822 3.19
2002 (DED Level) 9,953 3,363 2.96
2006 (Study Area) 16,900 6,213 2.72
2011 (Study Area) 18,500 7,034 2.63
Note however that a more conservative household size of 2.7 for the Study Area was applied to 2016, as the
smaller household size predicted in the NSS is a national average, and therefore includes large urban areas, which
tend to have small average household sizes.
1 Society of Chartered Surveyors, Housing Supply and Urban Development Issues in the GDA, Oct. 2002.
Athy IFPLUT Study 52 Final Report December 2004