Millerstown Kilcock New Development

Take2Sean

Hi All, wondering is anyone here buying or interested in millerstown development. Went to viewing today obviously the showhouses were nice but overall the development seemed nice too. We’re looking at a 4-bed semi. Had previously looked at carton grove in maynooth and weren’t overly impressed.

Price wise it’s probably a bit steep but so is everything I suppose and apart from not being in maynooth it felt like good value in comparison to carton grove.

Have read a few notes about drainage issues in Millerstown wondering is anyone else concerned on this?

The finish and layout of millerstown seemed more family orientated too which suits us. I’m not from the area my girlfriend is so it’s a big move for me. Any thoughts on Kilcock in general? Seems like there’s a good community there.

ixus

You've seen the "New House Kilcock" thread?

Houses are nice, 4/5 beds anyway. Pricing is cray cray. Like, good second hand detached homes in Abbeyfield only achieved 425 (closed September) and 450 (closed June) during the Summer having been on for 8/9 months.

https://m.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/79-abbeyfield-kilcock-co-kildare/3740994

http://www.propertypartners.ie/residential/brochure/3726503

So, the new ones have over 100k premium on the above in the space of a few months? People are mad. Those houses struggled to sell and they have better gardens. Sure, work needed to be done but still. The more i think about....

Cilar

Houses look fine from outside
Location is not that good. Actually if you look at their brochure they are just describing Maynooth, not Kilcock
Maynooth price for kilcock that would bother me...
Developer has bad history from the boom
No ventillation except in wet rooms. Thats going to end up with mould with extra airtightness of new regulation.
At that price would havr expected air to water heatpimp with underfloor heating on the detached ones

Take2Sean

Opted against it in the end. Couldn't justify it...The panic in people on the open day to buy pressured us I think but clear head said forget it! Thanks for the feedback

ixus

Social media talking about a lot of the housing being allocated to social housing. The front houses are not an indication of what the rest of the estate will look like. Nothing against social housing but I have an issue with builders putting up fancy houses at the front for cosmetic purposes and charging a massive premium which is not at all representative of the area or the estate.

greg1981

Any more info or links about social housing at Millerstown ixus ?

marieholmfan

Flood plain that would never have been rezoned if it were actually in Kildare.

marieholmfan

Take2Sean wrote: »

Any thoughts on Kilcock in general? Seems like there’s a good community there.

Very closed clannish place. Polish lad had a heavy stone flowerpot dropped on his head walking home from the pub a couple of months ago. Was in hospital for weeks. There is alot and I mean alot of murder in Kilcock. I saw a car robbed from the petrol station there. There is alot of crime and a very very dangerous element. You have to be able to stand up for yourself.

Rubbish everywhere in Kilcock the riverbank at Millerstown is the once and future street drinking location.

Your kids can't go to school in Kilcock the schools are full.

SQ2

marieholmfan wrote:

Very closed clannish place. Polish lad had a heavy stone flowerpot dropped on his head walking home from the pub a couple of months ago. Was in hospital for weeks. There is alot and I mean alot of murder in Kilcock. I saw a car robbed from the petrol station there. There is alot of crime and a very very dangerous element. You have to be able to stand up for yourself.

Alot of murder? Very dangerous element? I'm looking forward to hearing why I never hear about these things... A local cover up perhaps?

greg1981

Yeah interesting. Have many friends living in kilcock for years, one of them is a cop and never heard of anything like that.

sunshinery

Moved to Kilcock a year ago after renting in various parts of Dublin & Meath & can safely say it’s where we’ll be staying. I don’t know of any murders in Kilcock? Very little crime, nice community. It’s a real up & coming town. Lots of new business opening & a lot of the run down buildings have recently been sold. Traffic is a bit of a nightmare at the moment due to the roads at the new estate but once it’s finishd it should be ok. Went to view those houses out of interest & they’re beautiful but I felt a bit on top of each other. They are selling fast it seems

marieholmfan

SQ2 wrote: »

Alot of murder? Very dangerous element? I'm looking forward to hearing why I never hear about these things... A local cover up perhaps?

It was on the news yesterday!

greg1981

Kind of review we all wanted to hear. Living in maynooth myselft since 2006 and love it but money-wise its too expensive to buy here so kilcock was the option and there we go, we are buying 3bed semi in millerstown. They were meant to be bigger than standard houses in ireland but i dont think they are tbh. Especially the 3rd bedroom in 3 beds houses, very small to say the least.
Traffic was always nightmare there so i guess we will just have to get used to...

Graham

marieholmfan wrote: »

Very closed clannish place. Polish lad had a heavy stone flowerpot dropped on his head walking home from the pub a couple of months ago. Was in hospital for weeks. There is alot and I mean alot of murder in Kilcock. I saw a car robbed from the petrol station there. There is alot of crime and a very very dangerous element. You have to be able to stand up for yourself.

Rubbish everywhere in Kilcock the riverbank at Millerstown is the once and future street drinking location.

Your kids can't go to school in Kilcock the schools are full.

Are you sure you're talking about the same Kilcock because that sounds nothing like the reality.

ixus

Possibly referring to the gangland shooting in Rockford Ave back in 2012? Could happen anywhere though.

Graham

ixus wrote: »

Possibly referring to the gangland shooting in Rockford Ave back in 2012? Could happen anywhere though.

Could be, I'm not entirely sure I'd describe it as 'a lot of murder'

Bristolscale7

I was driving by this estate this morning and the site looked flooded. The estate is 1) between two rivers in addition to the canal and 2) lower than the road. Does anyone know if flooding was addressed or raised as an issue in the planning for this estate?

Graham

Bristolscale7 wrote: »

I was driving by this estate this morning and the site looked flooded. The estate is 1) between two rivers in addition to the canal and 2) lower than the road. Does anyone know if flooding was addressed or raised as an issue in the planning for this estate?

It was part of the planning.

When you say flooding, are you talking about houses underwater or areas that have been designed to take flood waters?

marieholmfan

Graham wrote: »

It was part of the planning.

When you say flooding, are you talking about houses underwater or areas that have been designed to take flood waters?

We aren't the architects.
It is flooded but not as bad as it going to flood when they build the council estate behind.

greg1981

How do you know they are going to build council estate behind? I could not find any info regarding this...

marieholmfan

greg1981 wrote: »

How do you know they are going to build council estate behind? I could not find any info regarding this...

Social housing is in the planning. That'll be social housing for Meath people too so actual Kilcockians won't get a look in; they'll be from hellholes like Trim and Tara and Kells.

Actually no train to Trim - should keep the Dubs away. Might move there myself at this rate.

Graham wrote: »

Could be, I'm not entirely sure I'd describe it as 'a lot of murder'

Any murder is too many. Let's not make light of it.
What about the handbag snatched beside the church a few months ago?

Crime is out of control in Kilcock.

Do you read the Champion?

Bristolscale7

Graham wrote: »

It was part of the planning.

When you say flooding, are you talking about houses underwater or areas that have been designed to take flood waters?

I'm not able to determine whether what I saw was acceptable flooding or 'oh £$"&' flooding.

Graham

marieholmfan wrote: »

Social housing is in the planning. That'll be social housing for Meath people too so actual Kilcockians won't get a look in; they'll be from hellholes like Trim and Tara and Kells.

Actually no train to Trim - should keep the Dubs away. Might move there myself at this rate.



Any murder is too many. Let's not make light of it.
What about the handbag snatched beside the church a few months ago?

Crime is out of control in Kilcock.

Do you read the Champion?

I can only assume you're trolling at this point.

There was apparently one murder almost a decade ago which you described as 'murder and I mean a lot of murder'.

You've identified one other crime so far.

I think it would be fair to say your summation of crime levels is verging on the hysterical.

Graham

Bristolscale7 wrote: »

I'm not able to determine whether what I saw was acceptable flooding or 'oh £$"&' flooding.

Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

There were half a dozen hi-viz vests checking out the ditches around what will become the new R125 junction this morning so it's probably fair to say it's being watched closely.

Dr Turk Turkelton

marieholmfan wrote: »

Social housing is in the planning. That'll be social housing for Meath people too so actual Kilcockians won't get a look in; they'll be from hellholes like Trim and Tara and Kells.

Actually no train to Trim - should keep the Dubs away. Might move there myself at this rate.



Any murder is too many. Let's not make light of it.
What about the handbag snatched beside the church a few months ago?

Crime is out of control in Kilcock.

Do you read the Champion?

In all fairness to marieholmfan I have often heard Kilcock described as the South Central Los Angeles of Kildare.

Graham

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

In all fairness to marieholmfan I have often heard Kilcock described as the South Central Los Angeles of Kildare.

You just wouldn't believe the number of times I've been out shopping, running to Macaris for fish & chips or heading into O'Keefes for a bite to eat and I've stopped and thought to myself, you know what this is just like LA.

It's uncanny :pac:

highdef

Whilst not to the point of putting the current houses that have been built at risk, when further homes are built and more soil becomes concrete/tar, I'd be a bit more concerned.

Having said that, if I'd just bought one of those houses facing the main road, I would be not too happy of these views.

Graham

highdef wrote: »

Having said that, if I'd just bought one of those houses facing the main road, I would be not too happy of these views.

I would have been slightly more cautious before today. I'd actually feel a bit happier now the flood mitigation has been tested.

That said, it's far too early to call it yet and the water flows will almost certainly continue to change as the site develops.

highdef

But still, only finding out now that your little park gets covered in deep flood water with a much deeper river further down is not very nice having paid a large sum for your new home.

I see this flood plain area as being very dangerous. If the river were to flood just a small amount (say after a heavy summer shower), a child could be playing in the shallow water of the park, step forward and then be in a fast moving deep river.

Bristolscale7

Graham wrote: »

I would have been slightly more cautious before today. I'd actually feel a bit happier now the flood mitigation has been tested.

Tested under what conditions? The above photos are shocking. What difference would another two hours of hard rain have made? I doubt insurers would be reassured by those photos.

marieholmfan

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

In all fairness to marieholmfan I have often heard Kilcock described as the South Central Los Angeles of Kildare.

Of North Kildare -- don't forget Athy.

Graham

highdef wrote: »

But still, only finding out now that your little park gets covered in deep flood water with a much deeper river further down is not very nice having paid a large sum for your new home.

I see this flood plain area as being very dangerous. If the river were to flood just a small amount (say after a heavy summer shower), a child could be playing in the shallow water of the park, step forward and then be in a fast moving deep river.

But that's surely the entire point of the little park. It's a sacrificial strip to take the flood water, something it appears to be doing quite well so far.

As for small children being allowed to play in the shallow part of any floodwater, I'd say that's something better handled by social services rather than planning.

Rivers the world over occasionally burst their banks, it's probably a good rule of thumb not to allow children to go and paddle in the floodwater.

Bristolscale7 wrote: »

Tested under what conditions? The above photos are shocking.

Under flooding conditions??

I've no doubt some people will be shocked at the sight of a sacrificial flood strip being flooded. Personally I look at the photos and think 'huh, it worked'.

marieholmfan

Millersdrown

highdef

Graham wrote: »

But that's surely the entire point of the little park. It's a sacrificial strip to take the flood water, something it appears to be doing quite well so far.

As for small children being allowed to play in the shallow part of any floodwater, I'd say that's something better handled by social services rather than planning.

Rivers the world over occasionally burst their banks, it's probably a good rule of thumb not to allow children to go and paddle in the floodwater.



Under flooding conditions??

I've no doubt some people will be shocked at the sight of a sacrificial flood strip being flooded. Personally I look at the photos and think 'huh, it worked'.

I do agree that the strip of land, with its raised areas has worked in this instance. Doesn't look pretty but flooded parks rarely do.

Let's say I'm a kid and it's a nice summers day. I'm playing in the park with my friends, doing what kids do. A thunderstorm hits and the water level rises and breaches the banks. After the rain passes, I go out again to play with friends down in the park area but now there's water coming up into the park. Looks like fun. We play along in the shallow water lapping up into the park area, having great fun because the water is not deep. I take one step too far and end up in the river which is fast flowing and quite deep....it's plausible.

Whilst the river looks very pretty when flowing at normal rates, it floods a lot. Would it have been a better idea to culvert it along the whole front of the development? Or would this have lead to other issues further up/downstream?

highdef

Another thing is house insurance.....these houses (the ones you can see in the photos attached earlier, at the very least) are unarguably located within 100m of a flood plain. It can be difficult to get house insurance if you live less than 200m from a flood plain, never mind 100m or less.

How can the developers get permission to build the houses so close to a flood plain, if it means that buyers are going to run into problems insuring their properties???

Graham

highdef wrote: »

I do agree that the strip of land, with its raised areas has worked in this instance. Doesn't look pretty but flooded parks rarely do.

Let's say I'm a kid and it's a nice summers day. I'm playing in the park with my friends, doing what kids do. A thunderstorm hits and the water level rises and breaches the banks. After the rain passes, I go out again to play with friends down in the park area but now there's water coming up into the park. Looks like fun. We play along in the shallow water lapping up into the park area, having great fun because the water is not deep. I take one step too far and end up in the river which is fast flowing and quite deep....it's plausible.

Whilst the river looks very pretty when flowing at normal rates, it floods a lot. Would it have been a better idea to culvert it along the whole front of the development? Or would this have lead to other issues further up/downstream?

Personally I think the current option was the right choice.

From a purely aesthetic point of view it looks good. From a practical point of view I suspect a culvert would just shift the problems downstream.

Logically we can't put every waterway that runs through a town into a culvert.

As for the child-safety aspect, there's no indication the area flooded in seconds so it's unlikely any small children (or parents) would have been caught off-guard by some tsunami style flooding.

highdef

Graham wrote: »

As for the child-safety aspect, there's no indication the area flooded in seconds so it's unlikely any small children (or parents) would have been caught off-guard by some tsunami style flooding.

I didn't mean that someone is caught up in tsunami style flooding. What I meant is a child returning to play in the park after a heavy summer shower has passed and happening across the suddenly higher level of water lapping into the park. Then playing paddling in this shallow water (whilst still technically in the grassy area of the park), taking one step in the wrong direction and falling into the deep and fast flowing river.

I agree that children "should" be supervised when out playing, especially if younger but older primary school kids may be deemed to be able to play freely outdoors.

I'm simply highlighting a genuine safety risk.

Bristolscale7

Graham wrote: »

I've no doubt some people will be shocked at the sight of a sacrificial flood strip being flooded.

In one of the above photos the road is submerged. I wonder if that is part of sacrificial strip. Insurers think of floods in terms of flood recurrence intervals--a five-year flood, a ten-year flood, and so forth. It would be interesting to find out if what occurred today was an actual 'flood' or a 'normal occurrence' that residences can expect a couple of times every year.

Graham

highdef wrote: »

I'm simply highlighting a genuine safety risk.

Agreed, there's always an element of risk whenever children and a large body of water intersect.

I think it's one of those things we just need to be personally aware of for ourselves and any children. I genuinely don't think culverts and miles of fencing are the answer.

I do get the general concern for this new development, it's an unknown entity and up until now the mitigation efforts have been entirely theoretical.

As a first-test, the outlook is promising but that's not to say it will remain that way.

Graham

Bristolscale7 wrote: »

In one of the above photos the road is submerged.

I don't see any submerged roads, did I miss a photo?

Added:
I do see both ends of the tarmac footpath across the strip that are submerged.

SQ2

marieholmfan wrote: »

It was on the news yesterday!

A horrible incident from 30 years ago... are you for real?

marieholmfan wrote: »

What about the handbag snatched beside the church a few months ago?

Crime is out of control in Kilcock.

Do you read the Champion?

It sounds like they need to move the Garda district HQ from Leixlip to Kilcock to deal with this alone.

There's very little crime in Kilcock, a few teenagers hanging around the train station and it's on the easy escape route that is the M4 which all local towns along the network are susceptible to.
Although with people dropping 500k+ on houses here, it may attract more attention from crims... they'd surely have something worth nicking!

Back on topic, there are some videos of Millerstown Lake here;
https://www.facebook.com/kilcockcommunitynetwork/

Take2Sean

€400k for flooding...with people saying it’s not that bad...the boom is well and truly back. I’m grateful we got cold feet (not from the water) about these houses. I reckon a lot of deposits are being withdrawn this week.

mirrorwall14

Take2Sean wrote: »

€400k for flooding...with people saying it’s not that bad...the boom is well and truly back. I’m grateful we got cold feet (not from the water) about these houses. I reckon a lot of deposits are being withdrawn this week.

I suppose it is a bit of a toss up. Yes the flooding was contained within the flood works but who wants a raging river of that size within your estate. Was down there today and there seems to be some damage to the bank on the house side and a massive ‘pond’ left on the lower levels now that it’s receded within the top of the banks

you2008

WOW this absolutely insane. Was thinking to put deposit today, but not after watching those videos
https://m.facebook.com/kilcockcommunitynetwork/

L1011

Being happy you can find one insurer now is all great until you realise that it's likely you'll get no insurers in future years. They are insulating themselves against legitimate risk. I wouldn't buy here under any circumstances

bigsheepdog

Millerstown is built on a flood plain. Locals like myself were shocked when planning permission was given for the estate. That field has flooded every winter for as long as i can remember. The flooding last week was the result of 24 hours rain.. If we were to get 3 or 4 days of wet weather in the future every house would likely be underwater. You'd be mad to buy a house there in my opinion.

Fire1985

I suppose the 'designated flood storage area ' did its job but the fact the river is there in the first place without fence up alongside it to prevent someone(kids) falling into it is crazy in my opinion... As a parent i could never forgive myself if anything happened to my kids. Basically having looked at this the residents will just have to put up with half the green area flooding every year... The builders say its highly unlikely and that the flooding in november was rare but i live nearby and this place always floods.

But the houses are top class ... top ( the booms back) prices.... & not much different than maynooth prices and the selling of these houses basically promotes maynooth to potential buyers because kilcock is a bit of a dump and about 20 years behind maynooth.. sorry if i offend anyone but thats my opinion.

as far as crime i guess kilcock has the same as any town really... rough element but so does maynooth if you look for it.

Graham

Fire1985 wrote: »

I suppose the 'designated flood storage area ' did its job but the fact the river is there in the first place without fence up alongside it to prevent someone(kids) falling into it is crazy in my opinion.

A very large proportion of the population live within walking distance of unfenced coastline, canals or rivers. For the very most part they manage to survive.

listermint

Graham wrote: »

A very large proportion of the population live within walking distance of unfenced coastline, canals or rivers. For the very most part they manage to survive.

Yeah, i suppose putting in a Park which your advertising as a park and it suddenly floods is different to you know.... the coast or a canal or a river.


But hey thats just me.

Fire1985

Graham wrote: »

A very large proportion of the population live within walking distance of unfenced coastline, canals or rivers. For the very most part they manage to survive.

There’s a huge risk in millerstown as it’s an estate that’s most likely going to have lots of kids. My opinion.

It’s not worth the risk especially at the ridiculous prices .

Also houses are been refused house insurance now. I know this as a fact as my friend has put a deposit down. The estate agents are trying to come to some sort of agreement with certain insurance companies. Expect high premiums.

When a builder has to explain the facts of the floods and why it was a freak it’s just a bad start and plants seeds of doubt in people’s minds.

Anyway I’m finished with this thread now as I won’t be buying there.

Graham

listermint wrote: »

Yeah, i suppose putting in a Park which your advertising as a park and it suddenly floods is different to you know.... the coast or a canal or a river.


But hey thats just me.

We are talking about a relatively small defined area that's only ever likely to flood after/during prolonged periods of abnormally heavy rain right? You know, the sort of weather that's likely to have parents keeping the little tykes snuggled up nice and warm in the house lest they get a bit damp.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, there's no expectation of a tsunami making its way down the Rye unannounced.

You think the coast or other rivers are different