Laois County Development Plan 2021–2027

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 129 | P a g e hand has a lower job workforce ratio 0.435 which implies that more people are leaving the town for places like Kildare, Dublin, Tullamore and Portlaoise for employment. Traditionally factories like Avon and Odlums and the ESB power plant would have created jobs for the resident population. However in recent years investment in both the Enterprise Centre and Business Park has not nearing full capacity and planning permission has been granted for extensions to commercial businesses and new enterprises such as the Garden Shop. Table 6.1: Resident workers, jobs, and jobs ratio in Laois by settlement in 2016 Settlement Name Population 2016 Resident Works Total Jobs Jobs : Resident Workers Co Laois 84,697 33,244 18,505 0.557 Abbeyleix 1,770 645 501 0.777 Mountmellick 4,777 1,571 915 0.582 Mountrath 1,774 586 367 0.626 Portarlington 8,368 3,103 1,349 0.435 Portlaoise 22,050 8,438 8,410 0.997 Source: Appendix 2 NPF 6.3.2 UNEMPLOYMENT According to the 2016 Census, the total labour force ‘Unemployed’ residing in Laois is 5,452 persons and equates to 13.8% of the total labour force within the county. The rate recorded for Laois is higher than the state (12.9%) and neighbouring county Kildare (11.4%) yet lower than Offaly (14.4%) and Carlow (17.0%). Highest rates tend to be strong in and around urban settlements, particularly to the north east of the county. 6.3.4 COMMUTING The 2016 Census reported 35,795 County Laois residents commute to either work (33,245) or thirdlevel study (2550) on a daily basis. Excluding mobile workers, those who work from or at home and those whose place of work, school or college could not be coded, a total of 25,959 County Laois residents regularly commute either to work (91%) or to third-level study (9%). Of those commuting to work, 52% commute to a location within County Laois and 48% leave the County. Dublin (13%) is the most popular destination outside of County Laois, with nearly half of those travelling to Dublin City. Commuters to Kildare (13%) and Carlow (7%) are the next popular destinations. The majority of County Laois commuters drive, accounting for 73% of those who commute to work and 30% of those commuting to third-level study. The next most popular modes of travelfor workers is walking (6%) , and for third level students on foot (23%) and bus (17%) were the next most popular.

2. Page 132

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 130 | P a g e 6.3.3 EMPLOYMENT SECTORS In a similar fashion to the state profile, the most dominant industries of Laois workers is within the ‘Professional Services’ 23% (7,717 persons) and ‘Commerce and Trade’ 22% (7,307 persons). Industrial sectors such as Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 7% (2,431 persons), Building and Construction 6% (1,976 persons) and Public Administration 8% (2,548 persons)are all higher than the equivalent state averages. According to the 2016 Census the number of Laois workers employed in Manufacturing Industries 10% (3,423 persons) and Transport Communications 7% (2,286 persons) is below the state averages. 6.3.5 EDUCATION In contrast to national results from Census 2016, Laois has a higher than average level of attainment in the lowest category of No Formal/Primary Education (13.1%, 6,995 persons).Laois County also scores higher than the national average for other lower tiers of education attainment; Lower Secondary (16.2%, 8,651 persons), Upper Secondary (21%, 11,173 persons) and Technical/Apprenticeship/Certificate (16.5%, 8,774 persons). Laois County attains a relatively young population; possible justification for the higher than average education attainment in the lower tiers. Third level education rates consist of 11.6% (6,195 persons) attaining Lower Third Level education (higher certificate or ordinary bachelor degree) and 14.6% (7,778 persons) attaining Higher Third Level education (honours degree, postgraduate or PhD). Of the total population in Laois County aged 15 years and over 26.2% (13,973 persons) attains third level education, significantly lower than the state average of 33.4%, the 8th lowest in the state. 6.3.6 SUMMARY With employment levels or total labour force at work in Laois at 84.6%, (stats from CSO – census 2016) and the County’s enterprise base significantly after diversifying and growing since the last Census with the development of a large Glanbia Cheese Manufacturing plant at Junction 17, Portlaoise together with other employment generators such as Greenfield Global, Alpha drives and Aubren to name but a few also locating here. The resultant impact of both Brexit and the Covid Pandemic has yet to be measured in terms of job losses throughout the county, however the creation and promotion of remote working hubs has helped sustain a working population within the county. Given most of the working population in Co Laois are involved in the following areas, it professional services and commerce and trade , Manufacturing and the skills being sought by third level students recorded in the 2016 Census relate to: 1. Social sciences , business and law 2. Engineering , manufacturing and construction 3. Health and welfare

3. Page 133

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 131 | P a g e The economic strategy has been structured so as to capitalise on the skill base within the county but also to advance and support new areas should they arise. With the imminent review of the LECP process for the County, a new Census and some post Brexit / Covid Pandemic studies, more definite policy frameworks and further enhanced actions can be developed. 6.4 MANUFACTURING AND SERVICES ENTERPRISES (NATIONALLY INTERNATIONALLY TRADED) Employment in manufacturing in Laois is low relative to the Midlands Region and the state average. However, it remains locally significant despite a long-standing international trend of declining employment levels in manufacturing. A very small number of Laois-based service and manufacturing jobs are agency-supported (IDA, Enterprise Ireland). Laois has a limited share of high-value-added/high-technology manufacturing and service provision. However, a small cluster of clean-technology firms operate in the county including Enva Ireland and LSM Engineering based in Portlaoise. Clean technology is an umbrella term for industries concerned with resource, material or energy efficiency as well as sustainable waste and water management, energy generation/storage and mobility. There may be opportunities to further develop this sector in revenue terms in Laois, having regard to its transport connectivity to domestic and international markets, infrastructural capacity (water, gas, and electricity), labour pool and land availability.

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 132 | P a g e Some of Laois’ manufacturing activities add value to local produce, for example the Dawn Meats factory in Rathdowney, Sheeran’s timber manufacturing plant in Mountrath, Laois Sawmills in Portlaoise and Glanbia’s Oats Mill in Portlaoise all utilise locally-produced commodities. The manufacturing of concrete and stone products, using locally-quarried aggregate and stone, is a feature of the manufacturing sector in Laois. Adding value to locally- produced commodities within the county is a way of increasing the value, sustainability and importance of the commodity sector to the Laois economy. Similarly, but on a smaller scale, the manufacture of niche or specialist food products using local agricultural produce provides for sustainable rural development. Modest growth in employment in the construction sector is anticipated as the economy improves and following the employment collapse in this sector between 2006 and 2011. National and regional policy supports the development of a landbank outside Portlaoise known as Togher for a range of service enterprises including transport, logistics and conferencing. Though policy support has been in place for several years, the envisaged development never materialised. Economic recovery may bring about fresh interest in taking advantage of Portlaoise transport connectivity and the enabling policy support. The economic strategy Vision is “To Promote And Develop Laois’ Economy And Create A Viable And Favourable Economic Environment For Business And Enterprise To Thrive Both In Urban And Rural Areas Whilst Delivering Sustainable Jobs, Employment Opportunity Both Within The County And Beyond”. This will be achieved by aligning with the following principles as identified in the RSES in conjunction with developing areas such as Retail / Town centre development, Tourism and the rural economy of Laois. Smart Specialisation Laois County Council is committed to working in collaboration with local partners and regional partners to boost growth and jobs within the county and Midland region. An example of this within the county is the development of the Cube and the innovative measures being taken to support climate action supported by the REDF . Clustering The Local Authority is supportive of cross industry linkage and the development of clusters across the region and will continue to work with stakeholders to identify and expand enterprise so as to benefit from mutual R&D, strengths and opportunities. Policy objectives within the Plan support such identification and collaboration and this will be further addressed in the LECP. Placemaking A number of policy objectives within the Plan and Local Area Plans identify action supported by policy objectives to invest in the county, its town and villages , improve the quality of life of the citizens of the county and promote better connectivity and active travel Orderly Growth Zoned lands have been aligned to the Core Strategy which correlates with national and regional policy objectives and is further expended in each of the settlements plans for the County. 6.5 ENTREPRENEURSHIP A drop of 20% in the number of private enterprises headquartered in Laois occurred between 2008 and 2012, as well as a 40% reduction in employment in these enterprises (Business Demography 2012). Income levels of self-employed workers in Laois declined by 35% compared to a decline of 12% in employee incomes between 2008 and 2012 (County and Regional Incomes 2012). These figures suggest a strong focus on supporting innovation and entrepreneurship is needed in Laois. Around 80% of businesses operating in Laois are micro in scale (Data Ireland 2012).

5. Page 135

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 133 | P a g e Developing capacity in innovation and entrepreneurship is therefore an important objective for LEO Laois, Laois Partnership Company, Carlow IT as well as Portlaoise and Portarlington Enterprise Centre. 6.6 INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ZONING Laois County Council is proposing industrial and commercial land-use zonings in the Plan. The Council is mindful of the need to ensure that economic development and employment opportunities within the county are maximized so as to cater for the dramatic increase in population that has occurred over the past two decades in particular. The type and quantum of such zonings are as follows and are listed in order of size: Table 6.2: Enterprise and Employment, General Business and Industrial Vacant Sites Zone Type Total Hectares Area Ha Enterprise and Employment 212.28 524.5 General Business 50.52 124.77 Industrial 107.33 265.2 Retail Warehousing 0.85 2.11 Total 370.98 916.58 In addition other zonings which are more generic in name allow for a certain level of economic development. For example the land use light industry is considered as “open for consideration” [without invoking a material contravention procedure] in Town and Village Centre zonings. The Council is also mindful of the economic development opportunities presented as a result of recent large scale road and rail infrastructure projects throughout the county such as the M7and M8 Motorway and various rail upgrades. As expected the bulk of the industrial and associated zonings are located in accordance with the settlement strategy which in turn adheres to advice from the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy RSES as to the optimum siting of population growth and employment generation. Specifically in Portlaoise the following table indicates how much of the land zoned for economic purposes is available at this point in time. Table 6.3: Portlaoise Zoning 2021-2027 Zone Type Total Hectares Area Ha Enterprise and Employment 178.6 441.29 General Business 65.95 163 Industrial & Warehousing 36.91 91.22 Mixed Use 7.13 17.64 Moreover, the Council has allocated economic development and employment generating land use zonings in a number of smaller settlements that benefit from being in close proximity to the improved road and rail transport network. These locations include Borris-in-Ossory, Ballacolla, Ballybrittas and Rathdowney. The aforementioned strategic job creation sites are indicated in Map 6.1.

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 134 | P a g e 6.7 REMOTE WORKING / DIGITAL HUBS ‘Making Remote Work’ - Ireland’s National Remote Work Strategy was published by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the 15th January 2021. The Strategy’s objective is to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits. This strategy is built on 3 pillars 1. Create a conducive Environment 2. Develop and leverage Remote work infrastructure 3. Build a remote working policy and guidance framework The Midlands Network of Co-working Facilities (MNCF), which offer a landing space option and a base for those wishing to work remotely and ‘beat the commute’. The Laois Hubs Collective, made up of six remote working centres, has been launched to highlight the facilities available to accommodate a wide range of employers, workers and start- ups. There are six co-working hubs in the Laois Hubs Collective and they are based in Mountmellick (Webmill), Portlaoise (Portlaoise Enterprise Centre & Vision 85), Rathdowney (Brand Central Digital Hub – formerly Erkina), Mountrath (Bloom HQ) and Portarlington (Portarlington Enterprise Centre Innovation Hub). 6.8 HOME BASED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY County Laois aims to provide enough jobs to support its population. 42% of Laois workers with a fixed place of work commute out of the County for work with Dublin (30%), Kildare (27%), Carlow (15%), Offaly (10%) and Kilkenny (7%) the most popular destinations (2011). Just 20% of Laoisbased jobs are performed by inbound commuters. The net outbound commuting of Laois residents to all surrounding counties (excluding Offaly) for employment indicates the need for the creation of additional jobs in the county in theinterests of a sustainable economy, smarter travel and a good quality of life. Many electoral divisions in east Laois experience out-of-county commuting in the order of 60%. High commuting patterns in eastern parts of the county correlate with higher rates of third-level education suggesting that commuters possess high-end skillsets and an employment profile distinct from in-county workers. The creation of additional higher-skilled employment in the county may provide opportunities for Laois residents to work locally with economic as well as social and environmental benefits accruing as a result. For example, Portarlington has a high % of residents with third-level education and a high % of commuters. Though it has over twice the population of Mountmellick, a similar numbers of jobs are based in Portarlington as Mountmellick. Harnessing the full potential of Laois’ rich pool of skills and talent is important to its future economic development. 6.9 CLIMATE ACTION AND JOBS In response to the Low Carbon Transition for Portlaoise and generally for the County, Laois County Council has been funded under the Regional Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) to develop an Innovation and Collaboration space to create communities of practice will spearhead future Low Carbon initiatives on this island.

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 135 | P a g e The project pivots around a set of recently published Government plans and strategic directions namely: • Project Ireland 2040 • Climate Action Plan to tackle Climate breakdown • Future Jobs Ireland 2019 • Midlands Regional Enterprise Plan 2020 The CUBE at Portlaoise, a Low Carbon Centre of Excellence, will act as a focal point for the development of new business and economic activity and that in turn will support and assist a transition to a low carbon economy. This is a new concept in business development not alone for the Portlaoise area but also in a national and international context and in that regard it is a strategic change project in every respect. Companies located in the Cube and affiliated to the Cube will avail of or provide services through the Cube. These services will be available to the wider region and nationally. The Cube will specialise in bespoke professional services and training programmes tailored to align with the requirements of disparate sectors for which there is currently minimal advice or service available. The project will deliver jobs and enterprise in its own right at the CUBE and at existing outreach landing points in Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountrath and Mountmellick. It will also have a profound transitional impact on job creation in all key Markets including Agribusiness, Renewable Energy, Forestry, Food Production, Transport, Construction, Manufacturing, Retail, Business Services, Education and Urban Design and Planning. It is anticipated that approximately 260 jobs will be created both within the Cube and as a consequence of the impact of the Cube services. By creating links between existing and emerging industries and education the project can ensure Ireland has the technical knowledge and the skills necessary to excel in the changing marketplace. The Cube will provide services on the low carbon agenda for the region through a number of initiatives in partnership with regional enterprise and educational and training experts. The Cube will dedicate space for the incubation of Low Carbon focused start-ups and SME’s and will actively market the building, utilising the unique selling point of an exemplar Low Carbon Facility, with a focus on providing services with a Low Carbon agenda. This will be critical to attracting fledgling companies who fundamentally require key advice on Low Carbon specifics vital to their operations and future development. 6.10 RURAL BUSINESS A key objective of the NPF is to enable all parts of the Country – both urban and rural – to achieve their full potential. The RSES reflects this core objective and aims to strengthen the fabric of rural Ireland, supporting rural towns and communities as well as the open countryside, improving connectivity, and supporting job creation, particularly in a more diverse range of sectors. The rejuvenation of rural towns and villages requires that appropriate job creation can be supported in rural areas. Traditional sectors such as agriculture, tourism, extractive industries and forestry are complemented by diversification in sectors such as food, renewable energy and opportunities provided from improved digital connectivity. The agri-food sector plays a significant role in Ireland’s rural economy and this sector issupported through the implementation of Food Wise 2025. The forestry Sector is another significant contributor to the economy as is tourism and the development of greenways, blueways and peatways to provide an alternative visitor experience. Energy production, including renewable energy in the form of

8. Page 138

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 136 | P a g e wind, solar and biomass have to date largely been provided in rural areas and the location of future renewable energy production is likely to be met in rural areas. See Section 9.6 of Chapter 9 on Rural Laois for specific policy objectives in relation to rural enterprise. 6.11 ECONOMIC STRATEGY FOR COUNTY LAOIS The economic strategy for Co Laois aligns with the LECP for County Laois which aims to develop the following specific goals as they relate to economic development for the following period 2016- 2021 Goal 1: Market Laois to foster inward investment Goal 2: Diversify and strengthen a sustainable County Economy Goal 3: Support innovation and entrepreneurship. Working together with stakeholders such as the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, Laois LEO, Laois Partnership, Laois Chamber of Commerce has already resulted in additional jobs within the county and promoted the county on an national and international level. Local entrepreneurs and local food producers have also had the benefit of exposure on many platforms. The primary place for job creation will be in the Key town of Portlaoise and also in the key town of Graiguecullen/ Carlow where job creation and investment opportunities will be developed in collaboration with the Carlow County Council. The Key Town of Portlaoise has been identified as an FAU and key growth enabler within the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES), however it is also important to note the large towns of Portarlington, Mountrath, Abbeyleix and Mountmellick and Key Town of Graiguecullen provide an important employment function in their own right and are suitable for economic development opportunities. Portlaoise has a strong economic base spread across various sectors including global business, ICT, agri-business. The J17 National Enterprise Park is a 121ha site located to the southwest of Portlaoise town centre bound by the M7 motorway and includes an existing IDA Park. A masterplan has been prepared for the area and has significant potential for the expansion of Portlaoise’s economic base and as an identified in Table 6.5. Since 2017, two new industrial developments have established within the area – Glanbia Cheese EU (food manufacturing/processing plant) and Greenfield Global (ethanol and solvents Processing plant) with other sites going through the planning process. Portlaoise has also undergone significant environmental improvements under the delivery of Portlaoise Regeneration and Development Demonstration Project to become Ireland’s first Low Carbon Town. In this regard there is significant scope to develop Portlaoise and employment opportunities and as a centre of excellence for climate change. The creation of sufficient employment opportunities in Portarlington is fundamental to build a sustainable community and reduce the rate of outward commuting. Portarlington’s unique location on the regional road network, intersection of the national train line and proximity to the Greater Dublin Area, in conjunction with the zoning and servicing of cost effective land and good quality high speed broadband is of major benefit to attracting economic development to the t own. This plan places a firm emphasis on maintaining and expanding existing businesses such as Odlums, Jamestown, Camsaw, Polar Ice etc., small businesses, entrepreneurial development and tourism, rather than a return to reliance on construction and industry as the drivers of the local economy. Additionally, building strong communities, improving the physical environments namely

9. Page 139

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   Chapter 6 Economic Development 137 | P a g e the town centre and developing or marketing a strong identity for the town can do much to attract new businesses and investment. In this respect, the Council will support local enterprise and employment generating opportunities, facilitate the up skilling and training of the labour force and the provision of key hard and soft infrastructure. Opportunity sites in Portarlington have been identified for the purposes of job creation within this plan period. Such measures aim to create an attractive base for employers and more self-sustaining development for the population, while providing an alternative to commuting to the GDA for employment. 6.12 STRATEGIC EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES The following are key strategic employment initiatives that will drive economic activity within the County during the plan period: Table 6.4: Strategic Employment Initiatives KEY STRATEGIC EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES IN COUNTY LAOIS 1 Continue to promote and develop J17 National Enterprise Park in Portlaoise – a Strategic Employment Zone for the County and to support the Regional Growth Centre of Athlone. 2 Support the development and designation of Portlaoise as a “Low Carbon Town” through the implementation of a suite of initiatives/range of technologies deployed that serve as demonstrators for other towns and support the development of The CUBE as a Low Carbon Centre of Excellence in Portlaoise. 3 Facilitate the development of lands in Graiguecullen Key Town for job creation as identified in the Joint Spatial Plan and collaborate with Carlow County Council to identify an economic development strategy for the joint area. 4 Continued employment and enterprise generation support in the Self Sustaining Growth Town of Portarlington at sites such as the SIAC steel site, the former “Avon” site, McMahons builders yards, etc in order to reverse long distance commuting as indicated in the Settlement Hierarchy in Chapter 2 of this Plan. The Council will also investigate the feasibility of providing new enterprise / business opportunities on appropriately zoned lands within the town of Portarlington. 5 Promote and facilitate job creation Opportunity Sites in many settlements in the county as indicated in Chapter 7 – Retail and Town/Village Centre Renewal of this Plan and in Volume 2 Settlement Plans. 6 Potential for relocation of ‘back-office’ facilities from the Dublin Metropolitan Area to Laois to take advantage of cheaper land, high quality life and reduce long distance commuting. 7 Continued support of remote working practices in the Laois Hub Collective (Portlaoise Enterprise Centre / Portarlington Enterprise Centre/ Bloom HQ/ Webmill / Vision 85 , etc ) whereby facilities are made available to workers travelling outside of the county. 8 Provide adequate zoning in towns and villages to facilitate employment, enterpriseand existing initiatives (indicated in Volume 2 Settlement Plans).

10. Page 140

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    Chapter 6 Economic Development 138 | P a g e KEY STRATEGIC EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES IN COUNTY LAOIS 9 Continue to strengthen the attractiveness of Laois as a tourist destination to visit in collaboration with Laois Tourism. 10 Support the development of Laois as National Event Centre to support the concept of “Big Events” that represent niche cultural events hosted in unique settings suchas Emo House, Stradbally Hall, Roundwood House. 11 Continue to promote Portlaoise as a suitable location for Foreign Direct Investment and to work in collaboration with the IDA Ireland to identify appropriately sized land banks and business premises at suitable locations in Portlaoise in order to attract foreign direct investment. Map 6.1 Strategic Job Creation Sites and Strategic Employment Zones The following key strategic sites offer the potential for job creation in the key town of Portlaoise and the Self Sustaining Growth Town of Portarlington. These sites are well connected with regard to proximity to the national motorway network and by sustainable transport options via rail into both locations.

Source Laois County Council: Laois County Development Plan 2021–2027 (2021–2027) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.