Chief Executive’s Report May 2020 1 1.Economic Development & Planning: Economic Development Unit Local Enterprise Office The LEO office are currently co-ordinating business supports and information through regular updates on the LEO website, social media, newsletter and business support line to advise the business community impacted by covid 19 in County Wexford. A number of supports have been tailored to assist SME’s impacted by the pandemic as outlined below. Business Continuity Voucher Local Enterprise Office Wexford: The Business Continuity Voucher is a specific LEO Covid 19 support measure which extends the remit of the LEO’s from 10 employees to micro enterprise employing 50 people. To date 162 businesses have applied for support and LEO has 102 approvals with the aim of fast tracking applications within 6 days of application. Micro Finance Ireland Covid 19 Loans Decrease in interest rate The Covid-19 Business Loan from Microfinance Ireland is a Government-funded initiative to support small businesses through the current period of uncertainty, aimed at protecting jobs and allowing businesses to continue to trade. Where applications are with the Local Enterprise office there is a 1% discount on the interest rate which has been reduced by 2.3% from 6.8% to 4.5%. Under Covid 19 the first 6 months are interest free and a moratorium on repayments for 6 months. Expansion of Trading Online Voucher Scheme under Covid 19 From the 7th April the Trading Online Voucher Scheme has been expanded to increase the level of support from 50% funding to 90% funding to a maximum of €2,500. The scheme is supported under the governments digital strategy and LEO is supporting SME’s to look at alternative ways of doing business by applying technology. Funding can be towards eligible costs such as digital marketing strategies, e-commerce websites or app development. In the past 2 weeks 37 applications have been received and 20 businesses approved. Training A number of Online Training Courses for financial planning, HR, working remotely etc have been developed to respond to the current needs of SME’s and to support their recovery plans. There has been an excellent response to the virtual training as business owners utilise the time to upgrade their skills and information on their business with 160 people trained to date over the past month. Training to date includes: How to Start a Podcast 23rd April 2020 Social Media Fiona McGuire join the Dots 28th April 2020 Developing an e-commerce website with trading Online Vouchers Fiona McGuire Join the Dots 28th April 2020 2 How Irish Food and Drink brands can Sell successfully on Amazon with Aidan Duffy DF5 ecommerce 29th April 2020 Lunch and learn series Cashflow Blaise Brosnan30th April Practical Actions Retailers can take with entrepreneur Bobby Kerr 30th April 2020 Developing an e-commerce website with Fiona McGuire Join the Dots 6th May 2020 Further details and bookings available online at www.localenterprise.ie/wexford or Email [email protected]; Phone 053 9196620 LEO social media LEO Wexford as part of our Covid 19 communications strategy implemented a social media campaign and sent out a weekly newsletter updating clients on the latest news and covid 19 business supports. We had 1,596 new users of the website. Wexford LEO Survey The LEO office is currently carrying out a survey of grant aided clients to assess the impact of Covid 19 on their business and to tailor LEO supports to their needs. The survey will be available next week to inform the LEO programme but from the sample to date the following key results for Wexford are. 43% are closed 46% are working in a reduced capacity 60% of those closed expect to begin trading in the future post covid 19 60% of business have changed their work practices 74% have had to lay some staff off 57% have staff working remotely 56% have availed of the wage subsidy scheme 77% listed financial supports as the number 1 assistance they require for recovery 3 Reviving Wexford Wexford County Council is supporting the County Wexford Chamber initiative Reviving Wexford. The aim is to support business with a recovery plan to positon the County for the future and to focus tailored responses to local business needs in a post pandemic environment. The action plan will be published in May and will inform agencies how best to co-ordinate measures to restore economic confidence and get the economy moving. www.revivingwexford.ie PLANNING COVID 19 Response – Planning Department The Planning Department is open and operational. All contact is now managed through post, email or phone. Forward Planning – the FP team are all working remotely. Work continues on the preparation of the Draft County Development Plan. The timeframes have also been paused which will require flexibility in setting up meetings with Council Members and the subsequent public consultations. Development Management – the DM team are working remotely apart from a small team of 3 / 4 people in Admin who continue to validate new applications. No site inspections can take place at the moment. New Planning Applications are being received and validated but the further processing of applications to decision stage is effectively paused until the 9th May as per revised Ministerial Order. The Department continues to receive planning applications and some decisions can still be issued. However the time frames have been paused which will have an impact on processing applications, site notices, newspaper notices, consultation periods, appeal periods etc. The planning list cannot be produced but staff will continue to work in the background to enable a rapid recommencement of the service. Applications will be scanned and available for viewing online and submissions/objections can be received by email. Planners continue to work remotely on applications and when possible, preplanning and condition compliance. New temporary exemptions have now been received relating to public health buildings and hot food takeaways. Building Control continues to operate remotely as the BCMS system is a cloud based platform and access is available on laptop, tablet or phone. Inspections on building sites have ceased until the 9th May. Again, normal timeframes for response on Commencement Notice and Certificates of Completion are paused until the 9th May. The Access Team continues to operate remotely and process any DAC applications pending – any new applications received during this current period will have time extension allowable until the 9th May. Planning Applications Numbers are those received up until the 29th April 2020. No. of valid applications to Planner Stage 74 No. of invalid applications 1 Extension of Duration 4 Exempted Development Declaration 2 4 Forward Planning Wexford County Development Plan 2020-2026: Work on the County Development Plan, including; the Written Statement, Development Management Manual, Energy Strategy, Housing Strategy, Retail Strategy, Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment, is on-going. Adjustments are being made to some of the strategies to reflect the changed circumstances we find ourselves in and in particular revised GDP figures which will affect affordability calculations in the Housing Strategy and spending projections and floorspace requirements in the Retail Strategy. The team have adjusted to the challenges of remote working well and have attended a webinar on Marine Spatial Planning hosted by the Department of the Housing Planning and Local Government and meetings with consultants via Microsoft Teams. Biodiversity and Natural Heritage Natural Wexford Following the launch of The Geological Heritage of County Wexford, a collaboration between the authors the Geological Survey Ireland, Wexford County Council and The Heritage Council, the Forward Planning section are working on a programme to disseminate this information with public information signs at important or well visited sites under the Natural Wexford programme. The first sign has been installed at Camross and desktop and design work is on-going for the next signs at present. In some instances signs will also reflect the special natural heritage associated with the site. 5 Heritage Heritage Grant Schemes The Planning Authority has, at the time of writing has not received confirmation of the award of grant funding for protected structures. Once notified, the Planning Section will undertake to notify all successful applicants as a matter of urgency given the importance of commencing work at the end of the current restrictions. Planning Enforcement The number of planning enforcement cases as at 29/04/2020 is as follows: Enforcement cases opened 62 Enforcement cases closed 25 Active enforcement cases 262 Disability Access Week ending 27/04/2020 Disability Access Certificates (DACs): The number of valid DAC applications for the period from 01/01/2020 up to and including 27/04/2020, totals 37, the breakdown as follows: Applicatio Total for Await Further Grante Refuse ns Districts Asses Info. d d Districts s Enniscorthy 5 0 2 3 0 Gorey 6 0 0 6 0 New Ross 4 0 2 2 0 Wexford 19 1 5 13 0 Rosslare 3 0 0 3 0 2020 37 1 9 27 0 Totals Disability Proofing carried out as part of WCC Access activity Referrals Total LAC /PLAC & General Planning Applications 27 6 2. Special Projects: Min Ryan Park, Wexford: Works are nearing completion on the majority of the site, with some landscaping works requiring dry weather to allow for completion. Tenders have been received for the Skatepark works contract and tender assessment is on- going. Commencement on site has been impacted by the Covid 19 situation, and is planned to commence following completion of the main development works. Covid 19 Update – In accordance with government direction the site was closed on 30/03/2020. At time of closure, there remained approximately three weeks work to completion.