Leitrim County Development Plan 2015 – 2021 Retail Strategy LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2015 - 2021 VOLUME I Leitrim County Retail Strategy 2015 -2021 LEITRIM COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2015 - 2021 RETAIL STRATEGY LEITRIM COUNTY RETAIL STRATEGY 2015-2021 ................................................................................................. 1 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1.1 REVIEW OF THE RETAIL STRATEGY 2009-15 .................................................................................................................. 1.2 STUDY APPROACH ................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 PREPARATION OF THE REPORT ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ................................................................................................................................................. 2 2. RETAIL POLICY............................................................................................................................... ............................................... 3 2.1 POLICY CONTEXT .................................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 National Policy Context .............................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.2 Regional Policy Context ............................................................................................................................................ ..94 2.1.3 Local Policy Context ................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 CONSIDERATION OF RETAIL POLICY ................................................................................................................................. 1 3. AIM OF THE RETAIL STRATEGY ............................................................................................................................................... 1 3.1 METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................................... 13 3.1.1 Unit Survey ..................................................................................................................................................................... 154 3.1.2 Consultation .................................................................................................................................................................. 165 4. RETAIL CONTEXT & TRENDS ............................................................................................................................................ ...... 1 4.1 NATIONAL CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................................................... 4.1.1 ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE .................................................................................................................................................. 7 4.1.2 Retail Performance ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 4.2 REGIONAL CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 4.3 COUNTY PROFILE ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 4.3.1 Age Profile ......................................................................................................................................................................18 21 4.3.2 Distribution of the Population ............................................................................................................................... 220 4.3.3 Economic Status........................................................................................................................................................... 24 4.3.4 Occupation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24 4.3.5 Education Attainment ............................................................................................................................................... 25 4.3.6 Broadband Access ....................................................................................................................................................... 26 4.3.7 Population Projections .............................................................................................................................................. 28 4.3.8 Income & Disposable Levels .................................................................................................................................... 29 4.4 RETAIL SECTOR TRENDS & CHALLENGES ........................................................................................................................ 3 4.4.1 The Global Marketplace ............................................................................................................................................ 32 4.4.2 Casual Trading and Car Parking ...........................................................................................................................331 4.4.3 The Legacy Issue & the Dilution of Local Services .......................................................................................... 34 4.4.4 Case Study – Post Offices Closures in County Leitrim .................................................................................... 34 4.5 CONSIDERATION OF RETAIL CONTEXT & TRENDS ......................................................................................................... 5. RETAIL ACTIVITY IN THE COUNTY .......................................................................................................................................... 5.1 RETAIL EXPENDITURE ......................................................................................................................................................... 36 5.2 EXPENDITURE ON DIFFERENT COMMODITY TYPES ....................................................................................................... 37 5.3 EXISTING ACTIVITY IN RETAIL ........................................................................................................................................... 37 5.3.1 Rateable Properties .................................................................................................................................................... 3837 5.3.2 Planning Register ........................................................................................................................................................ 3839 5.4 RETAIL SURVEY .................................................................................................................................................................... 4 5.4.1 Existing Convenience Shopping Provision ......................................................................................................... 41 5.4.2 Case Study - Discount Foodstores in Leitrim .................................................................................................... 410 5.4.3 Existing Comparison Shopping Provision .......................................................................................................... 42 5.4.4 Existing Bulky Goods Shopping Provision.......................................................................................................... 43 5.4.5 Existing Retail Services Provision ......................................................................................................................... 43 5.4.6 Vacancy & Occupancy Rates ................................................................................................................................... 44 5.5 CHANGES IN RETAIL PROVISION ........................................................................................................................................ 4 5.5.1 Changes in Retail Provision 2008-2014 ............................................................................................................. 45 5.5.2 Changes in Retail Occupancy 2008-2014 .......................................................................................................... 475 5.6 FUTURE RETAIL GROWTH POTENTIAL............................................................................................................................. 5.6.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................................................................. 48 5.6.2 Population Estimates ................................................................................................................................................