The Economic Development and Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee of Tipperary County Council has set up a Retail Sub-Group. The group has been tasked with examining the issue of vacant commercial premises and how their use could be incentivised. The members of the Sub-Group are Cllrs Marie Murphy, Liam Browne, John Carroll, Siobhan Ambrose and business representatives Adriaan Bartels GM of the Cashel Palace Hotel, Sean Reidy from the Construction sector and Michelle Alyward CEO of the County Tipperary Chamber of Commerce.
The group will consider a review of the current Commercial Vacancy Incentive Scheme which has already been compiled, try to suggest improvement to the scheme and ensure that there is a consultation process relating to the development of the new scheme. The sub group will also work to promote the adoption of the Final Scheme by the Economic Development & Enterprise SPC and Tipperary County Council. The group expects to make a recommendation in the Autumn.
Under the current scheme the Council offers a grant to operators that set up a business in a qualifying vacant retail unit in qualifying areas of towns/villages. The Grant is tied to the rates bill for the unit and payable on a sliding scale for the first three years of occupation – the scheme currently has three categories with varying grant levels from 90% to 40% depending on which strand of the scheme is involved – Prime Retail Zone, Town Centre/Village Zone or County Wide Zone. Details of the current scheme can be found on the council website at this link here.
