Re: Pierce Healy and his large building/property at Sites 27-35 Hebron Business Park, Leggetsrath West, Kilkenny.
Submission Regarding Draft Kilkenny County & Kilkenny City & Environs Development Plan 2014-2020:
Dear Sir/Madam,
We confirm that we are fully qualified independent consulting engineers with professional indemnity insurance. In relation to your above Draft Development Plan 2014-2020 currently on display, we act on behalf of Mr. Pierce Healy, the owner of the large building/property at Sites 27-35 Hebron Business Park, Leggetsrath West, Kilkenny. We now are making a submission on behalf of and on the instructions of our client.
Details of Submission:
Our submission relates to the Zoning Objectives for the Hebron Business Park area in Kilkenny as set out at Section 3.4.5 and in Figure 3.3 of the Draft Plan. The location of our client’s property is in the Hebron Business Park, which is proposed to continue to be zoned as ‘Industrial/Warehousing’. It must be noted that this area, most notably the more recently developed Hebron Business Park area, has many varying operations presently going on varying from commercial/industrial warehousing to retail, office use, sports/leisure facilities and children’s activity centres.
It appears that this area is becoming more and more attractive and financially viable for these operations due to the large space available and the relatively lesser costs involved with regards to rental/lease compared to city centre properties. It must be noted that many of the activities or operations being carried out in this Business Park cannot be facilitated elsewhere and the large spacious buildings available in Hebron Business Park are just not available elsewhere in the city.
Our client, Mr. Pierce Healy, has purchased the large property on Site No.s 27-35 Hebron Business Park. It was previously known as Curleys Furniture store or warehouse. Being a world respected martial artist and coach, he wishes to change the use from the existing warehouse/light industrial use to sport and leisure use for facilitating many different sporting groups and organisations that are finding it difficult to find suitably laid out facilities and at a suitable cost to their members. We attach drawings of the existing property and the proposed change of use to a Martial Arts and Sports Rehabilitation Centre. /sites/default/files/files/D17%20Healy%20drawings.pdf
Our request is that the zoning of this area, most notably the rear Hebron Business Park area, is looked at again by your office with regards to permitting sport and leisure developments (such as proposed by Mr. Healy) to be acceptable in this particular area. We understand that the proposal for the building shall still be the subject of a normal planning process, but we request that this type of development sport and leisure facility) is acceptable in principle in this zone.
The site is located in an area zoned Industrial/Warehousing, the objective for which is ‘to provide for industrial employment and related uses’. Recreational buildings/Sports clubs are not listed as ‘permitted’ or ‘open for consideration’ in the Draft Development Plan. However, the adjoining front Hebron Road area is zoned Mixed Use, which allows recreational use/buildings open for consideration. We understand the reason for this zoning being introduced in order to stimulate re-development along one of the main entrance points to the city. It must also be noted that the lands across the ring road, where one must go through the Hebron Industrial Estate to access, are zoned Business Park. Again, recreational use/buildings are open for consideration in this nearby location. We ask why the Hebron Business Park, and we emphasise the name Business Park, cannot also allow recreational use/sports and leisure buildings to be open for consideration in this current Draft Plan.
It is a widely known statistic or fact that more people, both adults and children are now participating in sport and fitness than ever before. One only needs to observe the great use being made of our Ring Road by walkers, runners, and cyclists to see the huge numbers involved in the city alone. There is greater emphasis on getting children involved in sport to avoid obesity, ill health etc. With this ever increasing participation of children and adults in sport, there is an increasing demand on sporting facilities. If one examines the Draft Plan, there really is not any emphasis, with regards to the zoning objectives, on areas to provide future indoor facilities for sport clubs, sport centres etc. Admittedly, there are areas zoned Recreation, Amenity and Open Space that allow for sports clubs under the Draft Plan. However, if one examines them carefully these are green areas such as the Castle Park, Kilkenny Golf Club, James’ Park and various other parks and pitches, where obviously large spacious indoor sports facility buildings are certainly not present and, in all probability, there shall not be an allowance for the future construction of such buildings on these grounds.
We ask Kilkenny Planning Authority to examine what is currently available in the city and it’s environs with regard to providing large indoor space for various sports clubs, fitness groups etc to carry out their activities and to have local and national events. There really only is The Watershed and this cannot facilitate all the numerous sporting groups and associations in the city.
Our client is proposing to provide a large scale facility (3,000 sqm) for sports clubs in the city and county and would just like to have the current zoning in the Hebron Park area revised to provide for such developments in the future. As stated previously, there are currently many sports and leisure activities and facilities being provided in the Hebron Industrial Estate and Hebron Park areas and most likely there shall be more due to the lack of suitable large buildings elsewhere and due to the greater expense elsewhere if even a facility can be located. The large open plan warehouse/industrial type buildings are very suitable for sports, dance, hobby clubs to accommodate larger group numbers and fit in large/heavy equipment, gear etc.
In our opinion, the Planning Authority need to take note of the importance of providing zoned areas for indoor sport, leisure, health facilities in Kilkenny. There is a huge demand at present and it is only going to get greater.
With regards to our clients proposals for his property in Hebron Business, we detail below some reasons why his proposed Martial Arts and Sports Rehabilitation Centre shall be beneficial to Kilkenny city and county along with the surrounding counties:
Ø It is proposed to be the single largest facility catering for martial arts in Ireland, promoted as “Centre of Excellence for Martial Arts”
Ø Martial artists from all codes shall be facilitated in this premises, another unique selling point and not done anywhere else in Ireland.
Ø It shall facilitate Ireland’s only Japanese Kyu Ju Jitsu Archery ranges with Kilkenny’s Shihan, Larry McEnroe, holding exclusive teaching rights from the World Kyu Ju Jitsu Association. Also provision for an indoor archery range shall be provided for Kilkenny’s local archers.
Ø There shall be provision to develop further World Class Martial Artists following in the footsteps of Vinnie Di Rusico, current ISKA World Professional Kickboxing Champion, Connor Doyle, European Junior Kickboxing Champion, Five nations Champion, Undisputed Irish Champion, Aaron Comerford, Irish Champion, Danny Quinn, Undisputed Irish Heavyweight Champion, Helen Meagher, Undisputed Irish Champion, Sean Maher Irish Champion. These all follow a long line of great martial artists promoting Kilkenny across the globe including Brian Goldie Bourke, David Bourke, Ruairi Burke, John Paul Soames and Pierce Healy all winning World Titles over the last three decades and many others claiming Irish and European titles.
Ø There shall be an agreement in place between the Irish Muaythai Council, ISKA, Word Kickboxing Association and the Irish Ju Jitsu Association to use this premises as their centres of excellence and squad training there by promoting Kilkenny further as the number one location for martial arts in Ireland.
Ø Sports and Rehabilitation shall be combined under the one roof with Cryo Chamber( only two others in Ireland) and Hydro Therapy baths, none of which exist in Tipperary, Laois, Carlow, Waterford, Offaly or Kilkenny at present. Currently, Kilkenny’s top athletes have to travel to Wexford to avail of the Cryo treatment. This facility would again attract top names and provide additional promotion and exposure of Kilkenny in the wider sporting arena. The above therapy treatments are used mostly by Soccer, GAA and Rugby Clubs.
Ø Ju Jitsu Ireland holds the “Gathering of the Clans” on an annual basis, attracting 300 of the top Ju Jitsu Practitioners from across Europe to Kilkenny. This event alone adds €225,000 to the local economy over its four days based on an average spend of €750 per person. It is proposed to add a further three dates annually on provision of securing a purpose built premises fitted out and suitable for martial arts and to comfortably hold this number of people. This one club would add €900,000 annually to the local economy alone. Not only would these premises be promoting Kilkenny on the domestic stage, but on the European stage too.
Ø The other martial clubs would follow suit with weekend Seminars and “Gatherings” with the possibility of injecting €4,000,000 to €6,000,000 to businesses in Kilkenny over the year.
Ø Kilkenny has always been known as the best hurling county in the country with the best hurler of all time in Henry Shefflin. We now have the opportunity to have martial artists from all codes speak of Kilkenny in the same light with Vinnie Di Rusico leading the way at present (The Borough Council held a civic reception for him in 2012 following his World Title win). The proposed venue is only a stone’s throw from Nowlan Park.
Ø The Hypoxic Chamber proposed for this facility will be a first for the south east with the only other facility being at The Dome in Limerick. Athletes, cyclists, rowers and tri-athletes shall be the main beneficiaries of this facility and this would add further attraction to Kilkenny which has seen a large uptake in these sports over the last five years (with the Cuddihy sisters competing on the World and Olympic Stage). This facility would generate endless column inches and massive interest on the social media, the evidence of which is there to be seen with The Dome in Limerick.
Ø In the world of boxing, Kilkenny has the likes of Olympian Darren O’ Neill and there is a large number of boxers following in his footsteps with Keith Flavin, Hannah Carty, Clare Grace and Ross Keogh all winning Irish titles and competing on the world stage. These boxers have flourished through the IABA High Performance Program based in Dublin. There is not any reason Kilkenny cannot compete for some of this business with this facility proposing to be of a higher standard than the high performance unit at the National Boxing Stadium.
Ø This facility shall generate employment for ten to fifteen people in an economy that badly needs it and also cater for an area of town which is lacking in sports facilities and social outlets for both the youth and adults of the locality. At present Mr. Healy operates his premises, like many other sporting and leisure clubs, in the industrial estate adjacent to the proposed premises location, which is not fit for purpose and is too small.
Ø By utilising these current premises we are not adding to our carbon footprint. Provision shall be made for solar voltaic panels, wind and other green energies to reduce our heating and energy costs and try to achieve zero emissions.
Our client, Mr. Pierce Healy, has no doubts that this facility will be an asset to Kilkenny City and County, attracting people from all over Ireland and Europe to enjoy a venue that will be the biggest of its kind in Ireland. He has been involved in martial arts for thirty four years and travelled throughout the country. He is confident that Kilkenny has the opportunity to be the leader in martial arts and become a pioneer for it’s centre of excellence with this facility, attracting much needed revenue into the local economy and promoting the city on the national and international stage. There is not any reason that people involved in martial arts all over Ireland will not speak of Kilkenny in the same way that we are spoken of in hurling terms with regards to our standards and facilities.
Martial Arts Clubs in the Kilkenny area have never been offered the chance to have a purpose built venue. As stated previously, most are operating at present in sub standard premises without adequate heating, shower/toilet facilities and they are not up to current Fire Safety and Disability Accessibility Regulations. They appear to be just setting up in the cheapest location without entering the planning process whatsoever. Some of these premises are accidents waiting to happen. This facility will provide what these clubs have always wanted and at the same time without any cost to the taxpayer. It shall prove to be a definite win win for the Local Authority, politicians and, most importantly, the end users.
In conclusion, and taking the above submitted information into account, we respectfully ask that the zoning proposed for the Hebron Business Park area of Kilkenny City is revised to take into account and facilitate development proposals such as the above proposed by our client. We ask that you consider this submission in the context of the City and County Development Plan review process which is currently underway and we look forward to publication of the Manager’s Report on all public submissions received.
If you have any further queries in connection with the above, and if you require any further assistance or information please do not hesitate to contact us.
Yours sincerely,
Denis Brennan B.E., M.I.E.I,
D. Brennan & Associates,
Engineers, Surveyors, Architects
