Case Studies

Avenir Homes, Residential

TEAM

Infrastructure

Sector

Residential

Related Services

Infrastructure Design and Transportation Reporting

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Overview of service

The Irish Government introduced Strategic Housing Development (SHD) to expedite the planning application process for a category of housing developments. They include well-designed, 100+ housing schemes on appropriately zoned sites. SHD applications are submitted directly to An Bord Pleanála.

Avenir Homes Ltd. appointed ORS to provide infrastructure services as part of a planning application for the proposed Green Quarter Strategic Housing Development (SHD) at Cartrontroy, Kilnafaddoge and Lissywollen, Ardnaglug (townlands), Athlone, Co. Westmeath. Infrastructure was fundamental to the success of the application.

The substantial development involves the construction of a mixed-use residential development of:

122 residential units with an ancillary creche
46 student apartments consisting of 283-bed spaces
60 dwelling houses comprising 2 to 3 storey townhouses, semi-detached and detached 2 – 3 storey
62 apartments/duplexes across multiple blocks ranging from 3 to 7 storeys

The ORS Infrastructure Team was involved in all associated site development works regarding the foul, storm, watermain and roads design and all associated transportation reporting such as Traffic Impact Assessment, Mobility Management Plans and Road Safety Auditing.

Project challenges

Managing Traffic Impact

The main challenge of the development plan was to ensure that the traffic impacts associated with the day-to-day activity of the development were minimised. Managing that impact will result in a wide range of benefits to its daily operation and the wider community.

Traffic profiles likely to be generated by the entire site, including the residential units and the student accommodation, were obtained and split through the surrounding junctions in proportion to the existing traffic flows.

Analysing the access route also included mitigation measures to improve the overall capacity and reduce existing delays. The development also incorporated a significant neighbouring development which added to the complexity of the analysis carried out.

Due to the large scale of the development, the ORS Infrastructure Team proposed to establish a phasing approach to meet these challenges.

There were existing main foul and storm sewer lines that needed to be diverted across the site to facilitate the new development. This brought challenges that were overcome by ensuring correct gradients on pipe networks and obtaining statutory consent and approval to divert these lines.