CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT February 2021 €400 million investment across three sites Contract awarded after Minister gives go ahead for Coonagh to Knockalisheen Distributor Road 1,000+ entries from public to name five road vehicles Consultants appointed to develop Blue Green Infrastructure Strategy CONTENTS: Economic Development Directorate Service Operations Directorate 1. Trade and Investment 2 1. Housing Support Services 19 2. Strategic and Forward Planning 2 2. Planning & Environmental Services 23 3. Innovate Limerick 2 3. Veterinary Services 23 4. Urban Innovation 2 4. Cemeteries 23 5. Marketing and Communications 3 5. Municipal District Offices 24 Physical Development Directorate Capital Investment Directorate 1. Mid-West National Road Design Office 5 1. Design & Delivery 26 2. Environment Strategy 5 3. Water Services 6 National and Regional Shared Services Directorate Community Development Directorate 1. HAP SSC 28 1. Tourism, Culture and Arts 7 2. Fire and Emergency Services 28 2. Property and Community Facilities 9 3. Digital Services & EU Programmes 30 3. Urban & Rural Community Development 10 4. Libraries, Gallery and Museum 12 Support Services Directorate Housing Development Directorate 1. Finance Services 31 2. Corporate Services, Governance & Customer Services 33 1. Strategic Housing Development 15 3. Schedule of Meetings 34 2. Regeneration Strategy Implementation 16 4. Access to Information 35 5. Business Improvement 36 1 of 36 February 2021 /2 of 36 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT Economic Development Directorate 1. Trade and Investment 3. Innovate Limerick • Limerick City and County Council announced a Film in Limerick major transformational development proposal across three key housing sites in Thomondgate, • The ENGINE Short Film Scheme, a film training Hyde Road Park and Coonagh, in an investment of and production programme run by Innovate €400m. The proposed development will include Limerick through Film in Limerick, received 133 a new hospital to be built in association with the submissions from film talent throughout the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre. It is Region. The shortlisting panel has now selected a estimated that there will be 200 construction jobs shortlist of projects and teams that will receive across the sites. script development and production training in the coming months. Teams will then pitch to an • SL Controls, a Software Integration firm based in industry panel and up to six teams will be awarded Castletroy, announced plans to expand its production funding of €12,500 each to produce a business, creating 50 new jobs over the next 18 short film locally. months (10 of these jobs will be at its Limerick base). The jobs will be in software development • Innovate Limerick, Film in Limerick, Local and project management. Enterprise Office Limerick and the Digital Collaboration Centre are sponsoring ten local film • The Global Limerick Diaspora Project hosted three and ten local tech sector representatives to attend online gatherings for the Ryan, Fitzgerald and this year’s virtual SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. Collins family tribes on 27 February. Contributions Delegates will have the opportunity to attend were received from the Mayor of the City and keynote and conference sessions, technology County of Limerick, Councillor Michael Collins, the showcases, film screenings and be able to take Chief Executive, Dr. Pat Daly, Laura Ryan, Marketing part in a variety of networking events with and Communications and Rory Corbett, Trade creatives across interactive, film and music and Investment. The event was an opportunity industries. to showcase Limerick, and each of the clans’ connections to Limerick, to the Global Diaspora • Writer’s Factory: Introduction to Screenwriting Network. An invitation was extended to each of programme, a 22-week course run by Film in the family clans to visit Limerick for a physical Limerick and supported by Limerick and Clare gathering during summer 2022. In total, the three Education and Training Board, held webinar events have been viewed over 127,000 times. sessions with Limerick author, Kevin Barry, and OSCAR-nominated Director, Vincent Lambe, to talk about their film projects. 2. Strategic and Forward Planning • The Material Alterations to the Draft Southern 4. Urban Innovation Environs Local Area Plan 2021-2027 were placed on public display for four weeks. Submissions are +CityxChange welcome on the Material Alterations during the public display period which runs until 8 March • Open Call 2 – Take Control of Your Energy 2021. This new Open Call “Take Control of Your Energy” was launched this month. The goal of this +CityxChange project, through the Open Innovation Calls, is to find a way for members of the public to join the work of the project, by 2 of 36 February 2021 /3 of 36 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT demonstrating ideas, pilot projects and prototypes • More than 1,000 entries were received. Following that can be tested in real-life settings in Limerick. review, eight entries were selected for the shortlist An Online Information/ Matchmaking session for which will be put to a public vote in March. interested parties was held on 24 February. Limerick St. Patrick’s Festival • Georgian Neighbourhood Energy Survey – The Georgian Neighbourhood Energy Survey was • New brand created for the Limerick St. Patrick’s launched on MyPoint this month. The purpose of Festival and the Limerick International Band this survey is to better understand from residents, Championship, reflecting the ‘Limerick - Atlantic businesses and property owners in the Georgian Edge European Embrace’ brand identity. neighbourhood how energy is being used. This will allow for identification of the best areas to • Creation of digital and social marketing assets, target for energy-related interventions. It is hoped video content, photography and adverts underway to work with the residents and owners in the area ahead of the campaign launch on 1 March. to install renewable energy sources (solar panels, as one example) and connect these sources to collectively harness the energy they generate. Brand Limerick Persons wishing to complete the survey can do so here. • Created a Brand Limerick video highlighting the brand’s campaigns and achievements realised in Living Georgian City Programme the year since launch. Promoted across social media. • An order of magnitude costings, draft viability work and a draft Stage 1 Report were produced • Entered the brand launch campaign for 'Limerick: for the Housing Demonstration Projects at 58 Atlantic Edge, European Embrace' in the All Ireland O’Connell Street and 33/34 Thomas Street. Marketing Awards (AIM) which are organised by The Marketing Institute of Ireland. • Site investigation works were procured and further design development took place for the Laneways • Continued collaboration with Fáilte Ireland and Demonstration project in preparation for the Limerick Gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way upcoming public engagement in March. group regarding the rollout of the Gateway brand alongside Brand Limerick. 5. Marketing and Communications • Continued collaboration with Limerick City and County Council’s Tourism Department Marketing on the incorporation of Brand Limerick across the Limerick City Wayfinding Strategy and the Vehicle Naming Competition #ReadySpreadyGo Limerick Greenway plans. • Launched a public social and digital media • Branded face coverings gone into production for competition to name five specialised roads all staff and Elected Members. Collaborated with vehicles. Entries were invited to name the newest Business Improvement, Corporate Services and additions to Limerick City and County Council’s Health and Safety in the production of same. fleet – three velocity patchers used to repair potholes and two road gritters used to spread rock salt onto Limerick’s roads. 3 of 36 February 2021 /4 of 36 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT Other Marketing Activities • Continued collaboration with Irish Language Working Group to establish requirements for • Supported the national Ireland Reads initiative providing Irish translations for ‘static’ content on by posting a series of videos to Limerick City and Limerick.ie/council. County Council’s Twitter. • User acceptability testing carried out on new • Created and issued six Limerick.ie e-newsletters. photo galleries functionality on Limerick.ie. • Created and issued the first quarterly Limerick.ie The most popular pages on Limerick.ie in February Business Bulletin of 2021. 2021 were: 1. www.limerick.ie/council/services/planning-and- Social Media property/apply-or-search-planning-application/ search-planning • Continued to monitor, schedule and update social 2. www.limerick.ie media channels with creative content to utilise 3. www.limerick.ie/council engagement with the public and put Limerick in 4. www.limerick.ie/council/services/housing/social- people’s minds. housing/housing-assistance-payment-hap 5. www.limerick.ie/council/your-council/jobs • Posted 23 times on Limerick.ie’s Facebook, with followers now 30,753. Posts reached 153,163 users, with 18,839 engagements. Communications • Tweeted 37 times on Limerick.ie’s Twitter, @ • Issued 12 news releases from the Marketing and limerick_ie, with total followers now 19,402. The Communications Department and wrote four tweets earned 176,200 impressions (no. of times speeches for the Office of the Mayor. users saw tweet). • Supported Local Enterprise Office Limerick with • Posted eight times on Limerick.ie’s Instagram and content for their promotion of Local Enterprise