Volume II - Kildare.ie

9.20 VILLAGE STREETSCAPES
N7 Naas Road Widening & Interchanges Scheme
Anthony M. O’ Neill, a multidisciplinary private practise consulting in Architecture,
Landscape Architecture and Planning examined the proposed scheme in relation to the
impact it will have on the existing streetscapes of Kill and Johnstown. The purpose of
their study was to outline the necessary works required for upgrading the road space
and adjacent pedestrian areas in the centre of the existing villages, as a result of the
new traffic flow pattern which will result in a different set of priorities for traffic
movement within the villages.
9.20.1 EXISTING CHARACTER
Prior to the construction of the N7 dual-carriageway, both Kill and Johnstown villages
shared the same road that formed their main streets, extended their connection to Naas
and Dublin and also formed a route for national traffic. The construction of the dual-
carriageway isolated the villages so that they have become separate urban centres and
divorced them from their previous connection. This situation has been reinforced
through their individual connection to the N7.
There have been positive outcomes through the introduction of the N7, such as the
removal of national traffic from the village centres and reduction of ribbon development
so that the villages have remained intact as distinct urban entities. Though the
character of the villages has been preserved, the pressure of recent external
development is placing severe demand on the future character of these two centres.
The isolation between the villages has meant that local and community issues would
seem to be different for each village, however, both villages share the most significant
impact arising from connection to the N7, this is the hazardous traffic junctions that
allow the communities to connect with the surrounding towns.
The original village clusters present very small settlements with little development
beyond the scope of the T-junctions. It is only with recent residential development
where the villages have gained any scale and this has occurred for the most part away
from the T-junctions. Johnstown has the more established streetscape of an older
village while Kill presents a newer development pattern of small estates bordering the
main street and lands to the rear of the village. Both villages have developed the full
extent of the main street.
Environmental Impact Statement 182
June 2001
Volume 2