Clare LECP 2016
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Clare County Council Local Economic & Community Plan 2016 - 2021 May 2016 1 | Page Table of Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4 2. Economic Development & Spatial Planning ........................................................................................ 4 2.1 Relevant Programmes, Plans, Policies and Strategies .................................................................. 5 2.1.1 National Context .................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 Mid-West Regional Context ................................................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Local context .......................................................................................................................... 7 3. Local, Community and Sustainable Development .............................................................................. 8 4. EU and National Targets ..................................................................................................................... 9 5. Participative Planning & Outcomes .................................................................................................... 9 6. Socio-Economic Evidence-Base ......................................................................................................... 10 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 10 6.2 Population ................................................................................................................................... 10 6.2.1 Population Change ............................................................................................................... 10 6.2.2 Population Density ............................................................................................................... 11 6.2.3 Population Migration ........................................................................................................... 12 6.2.4 Population Dynamics – Long-term sustainability ................................................................ 12 6.2.5 Population - Key Features .................................................................................................... 13 6.3 Employment and Economy ......................................................................................................... 14 6.3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 14 6.3.2 Employment Rate ................................................................................................................. 14 6.3.3 Educational Profile of the Workforce .................................................................................. 14 6.3.4 Age Profile and Gender Mix of the Workforce .................................................................... 15 6.3.5 Employment Growth ............................................................................................................ 15 6.3.6 Sectoral Employment ........................................................................................................... 16 6.3.7 Location of Employment or Jobs .......................................................................................... 18 6.3.8 Unemployment .................................................................................................................... 19 6.3.9 Employment and Economy – Key Features ......................................................................... 19 6.4 Education .................................................................................................................................... 20 6.4.1 Education and Unemployment ............................................................................................ 20 6.4.2 Educational Achievement by Sex ......................................................................................... 20 6.4.3 Education – Key Features ..................................................................................................... 21 6.5. Poverty Reduction ...................................................................................................................... 21 2 | Page 6.5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 21 6.5.2 People ‘At Risk of Income Poverty’, ‘Deprived’, in ‘Consistent Poverty’ ............................. 22 6.5.3 Income Inequality ................................................................................................................ 22 6.5.4 Community or Spatial Inequality ......................................................................................... 23 6.5.5 Poverty Reduction - Key Features ........................................................................................ 24 6.6 Research, Development and Innovation..................................................................................... 24 6.7. Climate Change and Energy ....................................................................................................... 24 6.8 Summary of Key Socio-economic and Environmental Findings .................................................. 25 6.8.1 Wellbeing and Quality of Life ............................................................................................... 25 6.8.2 Environmental Inheritance .................................................................................................. 26 6.8.3 Enterprise and Employment. ............................................................................................... 27 6.8.4 Research and Development ................................................................................................. 28 6.8.5 Education and Training ........................................................................................................ 28 7. Vision, Themes and High Level Goals ................................................................................................ 28 8. Action Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 30 9. Consistency of LECP and Equality/Diversity Proofing ....................................................................... 52 9.1. Consistency of LECP with Core Strategy of the CDP and RPG .................................................... 52 9.2. Equality and Diversity Proofing .................................................................................................. 63 10. Monitoring, Review and Evaluation ................................................................................................ 72 Appendix I: List of Written Submissions ............................................................................................ 73 Appendix II: Public Consultation Workshop Attendees ..................................................................... 74 Appendix III: Members of the Clare Local Community Development Committee ............................. 76 Appendix IV: Members of the Economic Development & Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee – Clare County Council ......................................................................................................................... 77 3 | Page 1. Introduction The requirement to make a six year Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP) is set out in section 66 of the Local Government Reform Act 2014. The purpose of the plan is to promote economic development and local and community development in the functional area of the Local Authority. The Local Authority, by way of its ‘Economic Development and Enterprise’ Strategic Policy Committee (SPC ) - see Appendix 4 for membership, is responsible for preparing the economic elements of the plan, while the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) - see Appendix 3 for membership, is responsible for preparing the community elements of the plan. Both elements must be integrated and adopted by the Local Authority. The preparation of the LECP followed the five stage process set out in the Departmental guidelines which issued in January 2015. The consultative process has been core to the development of this six- year plan. The Plan includes objectives and actions that are focused on the promotion and support of the economic, local and community development of the County. The role of local government and its partnership with key stakeholders is central to the realisation of the plan which will be delivered through existing programmes. The achievement of EU 2020 and related national targets set the context for many of the benchmarks and targets that are developed for the various objectives in the Plan. In addition, the strategic actions, by means of which the objectives will be achieved, have their own indicators and these indicators will aid the measurement and evaluation of implementation. The plan is structured over nine further sections. Sections two to four set out the Plan’s: economic, spatial and policy context; underlying principles of Local, Community and Sustainable Development; EU and National targets. Section five outlines the consultation process and its outcomes, while section six presents an in- depth socio-economic