COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 10, 2017

QUESTION NO.3

QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To ask the Chief Executive to examine how the Council could provide targeted initiatives to support the active re-use of vacant ground floor commercial units, with street frontage, in our county’s Village?

REPLY:

South Dublin County Council has launched the Shopfront Grant Scheme for 2017.  The scheme is intended to improve the appearance of independently owned shops fronting public streets.

Grants up to a maximum of €8,500 are available (50% of the overall cost of works). Example Grant with overall approved costs of €1,200: SDCC pay €600 - you pay €600.

Grants are available for something as simple as painting your shop, replacing signage or even replacing your entire shopfront, certain T&C’s may apply.  Please review our Terms & Condition and Design Guide before submitting application. 

To apply for the scheme please complete online Application Form, alternatively you can send a hard copy including all supporting documentation to our office at County Promotion Unit, South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24 or via email econdev@sdublincoco.ie

In relation to other business supports there are five funds specifically designed to address key issues for businesses in the County. Three of the funds support physical works and are aimed at encouraging occupiers to improve the investment potential of industrial estates or units in which they are resident, in particular those industrial estates experiencing high levels of obsolescence, dereliction, vacancy and abandonment. Two of the funds are specifically aimed at supporting existing small scale businesses and start-up businesses utilising previously vacant units.

There are five types of business support funds available.

Business Support Grant
The Business Support Grant is available through the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin (LEO South Dublin) as an additional measure to sustain small businesses in the South Dublin County Council area. Commercial ratepayers in the area of South Dublin County Council with an annual rates liability of €10,000 or less are eligible to apply for the grant subject to terms and conditions.

Industrial Area Improvement Schemes
This fund applies to groups of businesses that are in a position through a management company or other mechanism to work together to upgrade a wider, larger part of their industrial area.

Individual Unit Supports
For 2016, South Dublin County Council will also support businesses that wish to upgrade their external, public facing property. The Council will support upgrade works such as boundary treatment, wall repair, painting, landscaping, and other works that contribute positively to the appearance of their premises. Applications can be made on an individual basis.

Microenterprise Development Fund
This fund will apply whereby an owner seeks support to upgrade an existing vacant premises for the purposes of enabling new employment, microenterprise or innovation use.

Microenterprise/Start-up Support (Rates)
In order to encourage new micro enterprise the following graduated “rates holiday” for up to two years is available. Where previously vacant enterprise space, is made available to, and occupied by, a new microenterprise, (less than 10 employees

Developing from the above the Dublin Regional Enterprise Strategy was agreed by the Economic, Enterprise and Tourism SPC and approved by Council in December 2016. The local implementation plan was agreed at the March Council. In relation to enterprise space the following action, amongst other related matters, states:

Recommendations

Enterprise Actions

LEO Implementation Actions 2017

Develop a coordinated approach to promoting and supporting models of enterprise space across the Region.

Create an Action Plan to promote, facilitate and incentivise the uptake of vacant and underutilised enterprise space (retail, commercial, industrial, etc.), and to identify and address key infrastructural barriers and increase progression from supported enterprise space.

Continue promotion of business support fund initiatives including:

• Business Support Grant 2017.

• Area Improvement Schemes

• Microenterprise Development Fund & Start-up Supports

• Individual Unit Supports;

Additional Business Support Fund specific actions to be developed in conjunction with SPC.

Pursue RAPJ commitment to develop integrated Dublin-wide offering on enterprise space for start-ups “StartupSpace Dublin”;

Explore potential local application of collaborative models e.g.Belfast Innovation Centre, Boxworks Waterford, The Mill, Drogheda.

An analysis of existing enterprise and innovation space and supports in the County will be undertaken to provide both an existing baseline and guidance for further developments in this regard in the County.