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boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council

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PART II: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR <strong>2012</strong> – <strong>2018</strong> & BEYOND Chapter 7: Economic Development & Employment<br />

7.2.6 Home-based Economic Activity<br />

Applications for small-scale home-based economic<br />

activity in rural <strong>area</strong>s, such as Boyle, where the<br />

occupants of an existing dwelling are employed at<br />

home will be positively considered where the proposal<br />

does not generate significant new traffic movements.<br />

Home-based businesses, which wish to expand beyond<br />

employing the household on site, may be required to<br />

locate in the village or to another <strong>area</strong> more suitable to<br />

the proposed use. The Planning Authority shall consider<br />

expansion to a full business within the rural <strong>area</strong> on a<br />

case-by-case basis.<br />

Home-based economic activity should if possible be<br />

sited either in converted existing farm buildings located<br />

adjacent to the main dwelling house or within the house<br />

where the use is compatible with and ancillary to the<br />

use of the dwelling as a home. Again, the Planning<br />

Authority shall judge each case on its own merits.<br />

The development strategy for rural enterprises in Boyle<br />

aims to:<br />

• Promote and support a wide range of new job<br />

creating opportunities, support the <strong>local</strong> economic<br />

base, and encourage diversification within<br />

employment and industry.<br />

• Develop the <strong>local</strong> economy such that it can sustain<br />

activities proportionate with the needs and scale of<br />

the expanding town.<br />

• Work with all strategic partners and <strong>local</strong><br />

stakeholders in the delivery of this goal and the<br />

enhancement of the <strong>local</strong> economy.<br />

7.3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT &<br />

EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY<br />

In general, there are three different strategies to<br />

promote economic activity within towns and villages<br />

and these include; attracting new companies;<br />

retaining/growing existing companies; and starting<br />

new companies. Attracting new companies usually<br />

takes the form of attracting Foreign Direct Investment<br />

(FDI) by means of offering tax incentives or making<br />

development sites available. The policy of attracting<br />

this type of investment to peripheral or declining<br />

regions in terms of long term economic growth may be<br />

questionable. The availability of land with appropriate<br />

infrastructure, availability of skilled labor, amenities<br />

and quality of life are critical location factors. More<br />

often than not these criteria are difficult to fulfill all at<br />

once.<br />

It has also become much more difficult to attract such<br />

investment due to increased international competition<br />

and the enlargement of the EU which has opened up<br />

cheaper labour markets. Furthermore, other towns in<br />

Ireland are also competing aggressively for FDI with<br />

the majority of projects located in urban <strong>area</strong>s. In<br />

response, economic development efforts have had to<br />

re-focus on new strategies aimed at increasing the size<br />

of home-grown businesses. Entrepreneurial<br />

development, therefore, forms a key part of this new<br />

perspective. Given the nature of the rural economy and<br />

the lack of a national approach to rural enterprise,<br />

devolved funding and other supports available through<br />

LEADER, the <strong>County</strong> Enterprise Board and the<br />

Western Development Commission, are especially<br />

relevant to rural enterprises. It is essential that these<br />

combined supports under the new NDP are<br />

coordinated effectively and are targeted at rural<br />

entrepreneurs and in providing rural business<br />

infrastructure.<br />

The development of infrastructure in smaller or more<br />

remote <strong>area</strong>s, such as Boyle, is a key factor in<br />

attracting people and especially small enterprise<br />

projects. These include; Broadband<br />

telecommunications, office accommodation and home<br />

office facilities, work/life balance opportunities, good<br />

road links and access to public transport, and<br />

marketing of these opportunities.<br />

Having regard to the size, scale, and nature of the town,<br />

the strategy for economic development in Boyle must<br />

focus on the attainable delivery of <strong>local</strong> services and<br />

potential employment generation. As outlined above, the<br />

zoning of appropriate sites in the town centre to<br />

accommodate mixed use development can aid the<br />

development of small-scale services which can enlarge in<br />

time if required.<br />

Boyle Local Area Plan <strong>2012</strong>-<strong>2018</strong> Page 96

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