Tipperary County Development Plan 2022–2028

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 122 7 - 2 Promote a diversity of uses in town centres, and where new development would result in an over-concentration of uses that would detract from the function and visual quality of town centres, to encourage such development to locate away from the central area. 7 - 3 Require the inclusion of urban greening/landscaping as a fundamental element of design, incorporating features and design solutions such as biodiversity friendly landscaping, nature-based solutions to SUDS and providing attractive routes and facilities for the pedestrian and cyclist. 7 - 4 In line with the Retail Hierarchy, to promote a competitive and healthy environment for retailing, providing for consumer choice and maintaining the vitality and vibrancy of town centres in line with the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Retail Planning, (DECLG 2012) and any amendment thereof. The following key considerations will apply: a) New retail development will be encouraged to locate within/adjoining the primary retail areas and/or on lands identified for town centre/village centre purposes, and in existing vacant retail units in the central area. Retail proposals outside of these locations will be required to comply with the ‘sequential approach’ and to demonstrate that the proposal will not adversely impact on the vitality and viability of the town centre. b) New small-scale retail development outside of settlement boundaries will be facilitated in exceptional circumstances only, where it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that it is ancillary to a tourism or recreational use, is ancillary to an on-farm diversification business, or where it is retailing a product produced on site and directly to the public. c) New retail warehouse floor space shall generally be located in or adjacent to town centre areas and within easy walking distance of the primary retail area. Proposals for new retail floorspace in other locations must demonstrate compliance with the ‘sequential approach’ and demonstrate to the satisfaction of the planning authority that there is a need for retail warehouse floorspace in accordance with Retail Planning Guidelines for Planning Authorities, (DECLG 2012) or any amendment thereof. 7.5 Planning Objectives It is the objective of the Council to: 7 - A Support the ‘Town Centre First’ approach, through the following: (a) Support and deliver on the ‘Town Centre First’ policy approach for Irish Towns to enable the development and coordination of regeneration and revitalisation of towns.

2. Page 132

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 123 (b) Work with stakeholders to stimulate regeneration and competitive bidding having consideration to the ‘Investment Priorities’ of the NPF and other funding opportunities as they may arise, and having consideration to the strategic regeneration potential of each town as set out in Section 4.2. (c) Actively enable urban infill/brownfield development and the practical implementation of objectives for compact growth and regeneration, through land activation measures, and by working on a collaborative basis with stakeholders to activate public land banks. (d) Identify ‘Regeneration Areas/Opportunity Sites’, including public lands for regeneration and development, underused key sites for housing delivery, and to drive strategic land assembly. (e) Promoting heritage-led regeneration and the reuse and conservation of corebuilt heritage and archaeological sites within urban centres, as an integral part of place-making. (f) Encourage residential uses in town/village centres, such as at ground floor in certain instances or locations, and in living over the shop arrangements, through the flexible application of parking, amenity space and internal space standards where these standards cannot be practicably met on-site. (g) Identify ‘Settlement Consolidation Sites’ within built-up areas of the Key Towns and District Towns (where appropriate), with the potential to deliver significant housing provision or commercial, employment and/or mixed-use development and to generate wider regeneration of the existing built-up area and in particular the core town centre area. 7 - B To take a collaborate approach with private landowners, to support them in activating land through pre-planning advice and design services, as appropriate, and through interventions, on a case-by-case basis such as site assembly, demolition and clearance and the provision of facilitating infrastructure. 7 - C Support and facilitate the development of town centre strategies / public realm strategies, where appropriate, liaising closely with local community groups and representatives, agencies for example Fáilte Ireland, businesses and other relevant stakeholders. 7 - D (a) In line with the ‘Town Centre First’ Policy, and a new integrated National Health Check, undertake Town Centre Health Checks of the Key Towns, District Towns and Local Towns on an annual basis. (b) Identify vacancy reduction targets in LAPs, and support the provisions of the ‘Town Centre First’ policy approach in the active reuse of vacant properties in town centres.

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 124 7 - E (a) Engage in activation measures, including through the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, the Finance Act 2021 and initiatives identified in ‘Housing for All’ to address dereliction and vacancy. (b) Reduce the number of derelict sites and dangerous structures through the Derelict Sites Act 1990 and the Local Government Sanitary Services Act 1964 (or any amendment thereof), and to seek ways, to promote the reuse of vacant floorspace in town centre areas.

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 125 8.0 Enterprise and Rural Development 8.1 Introduction This chapter sets out planning policies and objectives to support sustainable and diverse enterprise, employment in Tipperary. It also seeks to inform and guide at a strategic level, local economic strategies and plans by agencies involved in enterprise and economic development. Tipperary’s small and medium size enterprises are a key in the county’s indigenous economy, along with food production and a reputation for artisan foods. The Tipperary Food Producers Network is one of the strongest artisan food networks in the country, and an excellent example of enterprise clustering and smart specialisation. Tipperary is famous as a specialist region for the equine sector, being home to many well-known breeding and training yards. This Plan seeks to support a diverse economy in Tipperary, and to use innovation to drive growth and build on our locational distinctiveness, with placemaking strategies that will attract investment for example, access to skills, talent, higher education and a combination of factors, such as innovation capacity, infrastructure investments, services and amenities, property and housing solutions, quality of life, access to trade and markets etc. Table 8.1 Key Employment Sectors (2016 Commuting and Jobs profile) Key Employment Sectors Tipperary State Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 10.7% 4.5% Manufacturing 15.3% 11.5% Construction 5.2% 5.1% Wholesale, Retail, Transport etc 21.9% 23.3% IT, Professional Services etc 10.6% 18.6% Public Admin and Defence 5.5% 5.3% Education, Social and Health 20.3% 20% Tipperary has an innovative and diverse economy based on its strong network of towns, diverse rural areas, vibrant community and rich culture and landscape. Tipperary has established traditions and strengths in a range of sectors, including the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture and food production. Over the past few decades, the county has seen the development of new and emerging sectors, including in sustainable energy innovation, food production, tourism, the digital economy, financial services and the bio-economy.

5. Page 135

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 126 8.2 National and Regional Policy There are a broad range of national and regional economic policy documents which support and influence the Plan including; • National Planning Framework 2018 • National Development Plan 2018-2027 • Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Southern Region (SRA, 2020) • Mid-West and South-East Action Plans for Jobs (DJEI, 2015) (and any review thereof). • Powering the Regions, Regional Plan (Enterprise Ireland 2019) • The Mid-West and South-East Regional Enterprise Plans (DETE, 2022) • IDA Ireland ‘Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021-2024’ • Southern Regional Assembly Regional Co-Working Analysis 2020 • Food Wise 2025 (DAFM, 2020) • Enterprise 2025 Renewed (DBEI, 2018) • Future Jobs Ireland 2019 (Government of Ireland, 20190 • Our Rural Future: Rural Development Policy (DRCD, 2021) • Tipperary County Digital Strategy 2018-2023 • Tipperary Climate Action Plan 2019 The NFP and the RSES provides a spatial strategy for the achievement of balanced regional development with a framework for investment in economic infrastructure, connectivity and placemaking. They will enable resilient growth, while acknowledging risks associated with Brexit, the Covid-19 Pandemic and other global issues. The RSES strategy is based on five key principles, and requires employment development to follow the settlement hierarchy and to deliver alignment between population and jobs growth. The strategy also addresses the importance of the green economy and digital and transport connectivity. The five principles, on which the economic strategy of the RSES is focused, are outlined below: ‘Smart Specialisation’ as a place-based approach to identify strategic economic sectors based on the strengths and potential of our economy and wide stakeholder involvement, supported by collaborative platforms such as the Regional Enterprise Plans and LECPs. ‘Clustering’ enables a favourable business ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship supporting the development of new economic value chains and sectors.

6. Page 136

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 127 ‘Place-making’ as a tool in attracting enterprise, and investment in the attributes that will attract employers to an area and deliver efficiencies, economies of scale and wider societal benefits. ‘Knowledge Diffusion’ underpins economic growth by supporting community and education providers to support skill development, while the presence of high profile foreign and indigenous companies, and highly skilled workers can also spread knowledge and skills. ‘Capacity Building’ enables effective implementation, adaptation and response to challenges and is an important part of building economic resilience. The recently published ‘Our Rural Future’: Rural Development Policy (DRCD, 2021) also has a strong economic focus seeking to support opportunities post COVID-19, by attracting remote workers to rural communities, revitalising town centres, and developing jobs in sustainable tourism and the green economy. Tipperary is a rural county with unique assets and strengths and this Plan seeks to support employment across our rural settlements and areas in line with the national vision, including: • Optimising the opportunities for rural communities from high speed broadband. • Supporting improved quality employment and career opportunities in rural areas. • Assisting the regeneration, repopulation and development of rural towns and villages. • Enhancing the participation, leadership and resilience of rural communities. • Enhancing public services in rural areas • Supporting a ‘Just Transition’ to a climate neutral economy. • Supporting the sustainability of agriculture, the marine and forestry. • Nurturing our culture and heritage. 8.2.1 National Recovery and Resilience Plan The Governments National Recovery and Resilience Plan (GoI, 2021) is part of the post-COVID response and will inform Irelands response to the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. The EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility lies at the heart of the Union’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to mitigate the economic and social impact of the pandemic and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for challenges and opportunities. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be important in setting out how funding received, will support recovery and economic responses in Ireland, responsive to the emerging economic sectors arising from green and digital transformation. The Council understands that building a resilient economy requires support for diverse economic base, innovation and support for

7. Page 137

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 128 entrepreneurship and will seek to align this Plan with the objectives of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. In considering new economic opportunities in Tipperary, the Council will encourage and support those arising from digital connectivity and recognise the ability of Tipperary to deliver the green transition, through a focus on the bioeconomy, sustainable energy and research and development in green technologies. 8.3 Our Economic Strategy 8.3.1 A Sectoral Strategy for Employment New enterprise development in Tipperary will be supported and informed by enterprise plans for both the Mid-West and South-East regions. In this respect, the Council participated in the development of a new South-East Regional Enterprise Plan published in 2022 which sets out an enterprise framework for enterprise, innovation and job opportunities in the context of the south-east. The Council also actively engaged in the development of the Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan 2022, which considers the emerging economic sectors and job opportunities for the region, as well as concepts such as smart specialisation and clustering to build on regional and local economic strengths. This Plan provides a framework that will be responsive to emerging priorities in the midwest, including the proposal to develop a ‘Green Digital Basin’ to create Digital Tech and Innovation jobs as part of a new renewable energy approach in the Region. The RSES, as outlined above, promotes both a spatial and sectoral approach to economic development based on the county’s land-use strengths and contribution at a regional level. The Plan will seek to continue to support our traditional economic sectors and clustering of activities, such as pharmaceutical and medical devices within the county. Tipperary is very well placed in terms of its track record and talent of the workforce and infrastructure, to make a major contribution to emerging enterprise and innovation across both sub-regions. 8.3.2 Spatial Strategy for Employment The Council is committed to the strengthening of its settlement structure, creating centres where jobs are close to where people live, and where services and amenities can be provided. In line with the County Settlement Hierarchy, new strategic economic development will be focused on the Key Towns of Clonmel, Nenagh and Thurles primarily, on the District Towns of Roscrea, Carrick on Suir, Tipperary Town, Cashel, Cahir and Templemore, and on the Local Towns of Ballina, Newport and Fethard, in line with the characteristics and strengths of each settlement. As opportunities arise, appropriately scaled, local employment facilities will be supported in the smaller settlements of the

8. Page 138

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 129 county on lands zoned for enterprise and employment use in the District Centres, and on a case by case basis in smaller settlements. Strategic Employment Locations As set out in Chapter 4, Tipperary’s Key Towns, and in particular Clonmel, have been identified as regional economic drivers, and are targeted for significant population growth. The Council has, and will continue to work with national and regional economic stakeholders, to identify strategic employment locations, to provide opportunities for investment in new businesses and to support emerging sectors of the economy, examples of ‘Strategic Employment’ locations include: • Ballingarrane Park - Strategic Business, Science and Technology Campus, Clonmel. This is a 121ha Council owned landbank, prepared as a ready-to-go, strategic employment location though master-planning and on-site infrastructure. • Stereame Business Park, Limerick Road, Nenagh. This is 15ha mixed-use landbank located on the Limerick Road and planned as a key employment site for the town. The Council will continue to work in partnership with, and to seek, identify, masterplan and promote the development of business parks for economic development, building on the strengths and specialties of each town and their adjoining areas as set out in Chapter 4, Section 4.3 and 4.4 as opportunities arise, and through the LAP process. The Plan will also support, and facilitate the expansion of established business and industrial parks around the county, such as the Archerstown Business Park in Thurles, and the Ardgeeha Business Park in Clonmel. The Council also acknowledges that some employment generating uses, of a unique or a strategic scale, may have specific land-use requirements that require them to be located away from towns, these are, for example, often related to renewable energy, the bioeconomy, the digital economy or tourism, for example the National Bioeconomy Campus at Lisheen. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis in line with the relevant polices of this Plan and having consideration to regional plans and strategies, including the Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan 2022 and South-East Regional Enterprise Plan 2022 (and any further review thereof). Proposals for strategic development on un-zoned lands must be to the satisfaction of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and ensure that they would not compromise the capacity of strategic road corridors, and water and energy supplies

9. Page 139

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   TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 130 in the area. Such developments will be encouraged to make provision for auto-production of renewable energy supplies, and best practice in terms of water use and waste heat capture. The Council will continue to work in partnership with economic stakeholders, including the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and third level Institutions to attract strategic investment in line with the spatial planning framework set out in this Plan, including identifying opportunity for economic clusters of activity in the county. 8.3.3 Limerick – Waterford Transport and Economic Network The Core Strategy acknowledges the strategic role of the ‘Limerick – Waterford Transport and Economic Network’. In this respect, the Council, in collaboration with the SRA, and Limerick and Waterford County Councils, will seek to build on the multi-modal connectivity and economic strengths of Clonmel, Carrick on Suir, Tipperary Town, Cahir and Limerick Junction and their synergies with Limerick and Waterford. Figure 8.1: Limerick – Waterford Transport and Economic Network Key infrastructural improvements and collaborative place-making investment will be sought in the towns along the network to enable them to support regional growth collectively, and to focus on their strengths including the rail line, regional transport interchange at Limerick Junction, east-west interconnectivity and access to ports and airports, and emerging economic specialties such as the Suir Blueway Tipperary, Norman Heritage and Munster Vales. The upgrade of the road network is considered a priority and important to the vitality and amenity of the towns located on the Network. It is the vision of the Council that the existing transport linkages of this corridor are upgraded to cater for sustainable east-west population and freight movement, and that the Tipperary towns gain from

10. Page 140

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    TIPPERARY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028 VOLUME 1 131 ease of movement in the region, new employment opportunities and enhanced accessibility for tourism. In particular, the Council will seek to support the objectives of the Rail Freight 2040 Strategy (Irish Rail 2021) noting the objective to develop a ‘Strategic Freight Terminal and Transport Hub’ at Limerick Junction to facilitate intermodal traffic, a hub for distribution activity and support for businesses across the wider region. 8.3.4 Local Economic and Community Plan The preparation of an LECP by the LCDC is provided for in the statutory Local Government Reform Act 2014. The current LECP for Tipperary was adopted in 2015, and is currently under review. The new LECP will set out a collaborative six-year plan, with goals, objectives and actions to promote and support local economic and community development within the county. The LECP must incorporate local economic considerations and local community considerations reflecting the statutory functions of the LCDC, for example, the management of the ‘LEADER’ rural development programme, the ‘Social Inclusion Community and Activation Programme’ etc. In particular, the LECP and the Core Strategy of this Plan will be prepared on a co-operative basis to ensure that they are consistent with one another; the preparation of the LECP is addressed in Chapter 6 Supporting Sustainable Communities. 8.3.5 Remote Working The COVID pandemic radically changed how we live and work, and some of these changes including the ability to work remotely, have brought wider benefits, including more family time, less commuting and fewer transport emissions. The National Remote Work Strategy (DETE, 2021) and the Our Rural Future – Rural Development Plan 2021-2025 (DRCD, 2021) both acknowledge the opportunity that remote working can bring to rural areas. In addition, the SRA has produced a Regional Co-Working Analysis (SRA, 2020) to support a co-ordinated approach to remote working in the region. Tipperary’s central location, excellent connectivity and quality of life makes it an ideal location to work remotely, and this Plan will facilitate and support new job opportunities on a remote basis. The Council is currently developing ‘Digital Hubs’ around the county, and will continue to work in partnership with economic and community stakeholders in seeking further development opportunities. Remote working and co-working spaces will be facilitated in settlement centres across the county supporting broader regeneration benefits. The reuse of vacant properties will be particularly encouraged. Digital connectivity is further addressed in detail in Chapter 6 Supporting Sustainable Communities.

Source Tipperary County Council: Tipperary County Development Plan 2022–2028 (2022–2028) · 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.