Agenda and minutes

            An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor McCabe.

            The minutes of the meeting of 23rd June were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 2nd July.

            Councillor Robinson declared an interest in Item 6a – Belfast City Council Planning for PEACE IV Interreg V, insofar as he was a Special Advisor to the First Minister.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1   The Statutory Transition Committee, at its meeting on 9 April 2014, approved the high level member capacity building plan. Elected members acknowledged the importance of building capacity during the shadow period and the induction programme in particular.

2       Key Issues

2.1    Initial awareness sessions

         Delivery of the initial member induction activities (awareness sessions on Initial Information and Orientation provision; Running the Council and Committees and Media Relations & Public Communications) is complete. Chairing skills training was also provided for the chairs and deputy chairs of committees.

2.2    Code of conduct training

         Training on the mandatory code of conduct has been attended to date by the vast majority of both the existing and shadow councils. A further mop-up session will be delivered in August.

         Feedback on the training has been positive with members indicating they found the details of the GB experience and examples arising from the 14 years of a mandatory code in England, Scotland and Wales, beneficial especially in the absence of the local guidance to the Code. This will be borne in mind when developing the further training in respect of the application of the Code in relation to planning matters to take place once  the guidance is issued from the DOE.

2.3    Next steps

         The key capacity building activities for the remainder of the shadow year will focus on the technical knowledge; skills and leadership and behaviour aspects associated with the role of the council and elected members in preparation for the new Belfast Council:

2.4    Governance arrangements and the decision making process- a session on the council’s decision making processes will be provided for our newly elected members prior to the September meeting of the shadow council. Other members will also be invited to attend.

2.5    The generic skills programme- a series of short sessions will be delivered from September 2014 on key topics including: Delivering the new functions: Planning; Regeneration and Community Planning;  How we manage our finances; How we plan the council’s priorities and measure outcomes; the Capital Programme and Managing Good Relations and Equality.

2.6    Member site visits- Undertaking site visits is a key approach to learning as they help to reinforce learning; provide opportunities to see things in practice and can help to shape future thinking. A programme of site visits will be incorporated within the overall capacity building plan.

         At the 25 June 2014 Transition Committee meeting it was discussed that it would be beneficial for members of the committee to have the opportunity to attend site visits in order to get a better understanding of the areas that will transfer as part of Local Government Reform (LGR).

         To align this to the capacity building plan it is recommended that city wide site visits  are offered to all elected members to cover both the current areas and those that are transferring to BCC in April 2015. This will raise Members’ awareness of work that is currently underway  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0        Relevant background information

1.1           The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and subsequently the Full Shadow Council on a formal Council response to the DoE’s Consultation on the ‘Local Government Standing Order Regulations and Model Standing Orders’.  

1.2           Members will recall that an initial report on Standing Orders had been presented to the inaugural meeting of the Shadow Council on 11 June 2014.  The report indicated that the incoming new Belfast City Council would operate under a new set of standing orders, the content of which would informed by both mandatory provisions enshrined in primary legislation, emerging as part of local government reform, and associated Guidance (i.e. Model Standing Orders) to be issued by the Department for Environment (DoE). 

1.3          At the meeting Members had been informed that the DoE had recently issued a consultation document on the draft Standing Order Regulations (including Model Standing Orders) with responses sought by 15 August 2015.  

1.4          Interim arrangements for Shadow Council

               At the meeting on 11 June 2014, Members agreed that the Shadow Council would operate on the basis of the draft Model Standing Orders as issued by DoE until such time as the consultation had been concluded and the legislation finalised.

1.5          Standing Orders for the New Council

               Upon finalisation of the Standing Order Regulations (and associated Model Standing Orders) the Shadow Council can review and build upon the Model Standing Orders in the lead up to the commencement of the new Council in April 2015.

1.6          This review will be undertaken via a specific programme of engagement with Members over the next few months and it is proposed that a revised and final version of the new Belfast City Council Standing Orders will be submitted for the approval of the Shadow SP&R Committee in the first instance and then to the Shadow Council for ratification.  A further report on the forward work plan around Governance (including taking forward the Standing Orders for the new Council) will be brought to Committee in September. 

2.0          Key Issues

2.1          Members should note that the Council sought from the DoE an extension to the consultation period for the ‘Local Government Standing Order Regulations and Model Standing Orders’ until September to allow Members to consider the detail and allow for the emerging response to be taken through the Committee and Council decision-making processes.  The Department had not agreed to the proposed extension on the grounds that any delay could unnecessarily stall the progress of the legislation through the Assembly.

2.1          Accordingly, as a formal Council response could not be agreed through the established Committee and Council decision-making process before the specified deadline for submission, a series of briefing sessions had been scheduled with Party Groups during the week commencing 11 August. This provided an opportunity to discuss with Members their emerging views on the key proposals set out in the consultation document which informed the development of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2b

            The Committee was advised that the Department of the Environment was seeking comments on its consultation on draft Guidance Papers on Filling Positions of Responsibility and Appointing Councillors to Committees.  The Department had prepared two pieces of guidance to support the operation of the new procedures.  The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 had made provisions in relation to the sharing of positions of responsibility across the political parties represented on the Council and for ensuring that the membership of committees reflected the political balance on the Council.  The draft guidance which had been prepared by the Department had been provided to assist Council officers and Councillors to comply with the requirements of the Act by outlining a practical step-by-step guide to the operation of the provisions, including worked examples.

            The Committee was advised that the consultation did not seek comments on the procedures for filling positions of responsibility or for appointing Councillors to committees as those provisions were already in statute by way of the Local Government Act 2014.  The purpose of the consultation was therefore to seek views of the Council as to the helpfulness of the guidance and to incorporate any suggestions for improvement.  Given the tight timescale for response which had been set by he Department of the Environment, an interim officer response had been submitted with a clear proviso that that response remained subject to formal ratification by the Council’s Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and by the Shadow Council on 9th September, 2014.

            Guidance on Filling Positions of Responsibility

            Schedule 1 to the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 provided that a council might use either the d’Hondt or the Sainte-Lague formula method for the filling of positions of responsibility by nomination or the single transferable vote to fill the positions by election.  Part 1 of the Schedule specified the procedure for the application of the formula methods to ensure a consistent approach across all the councils.  During the consultation on the Local Government Bill (now the 2014 Act), the Council had previously provided comments recommending that the legislation should not require that the positions of responsibility be grouped together into one pool, nor should it specify the period of time of the appointments, but rather it should be left to each individual council to decide how best the application of proportionality should be carried out.  Those comments were not, however, taken on board by the Minister and were now embedded within the legislation.  There was therefore no scope at this juncture to query those aspects of the provisions during the consultation.

            The Council did have access to the draft guidance on filling positions of responsibility in advance of the first Shadow Council meeting on 11th June and that the guidance had been applied at that meeting to fill the designated positions of responsibility for the shadow period (presiding Councillor, Deputy presiding Councillor and the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of each of the four committees).  The Council had no issue with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2c

            (Ms. S. Toland, Head of Environmental Health/Lead Operations Officer, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was advised that the Council was required, under Part 3 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, to establish the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership and the four District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships.  On 1st April 2015, in line with the Local Government Reorganisation, the current Belfast structures for the five partnerships would be reconstituted.

            The Committee was advised that the existing partnership structures would continue to function for the duration of the shadow period, that is, from 22nd May to the reconstitution date on 1st April, 2015.  The current Members would hold office until the day before the reconstitution date.  However, during the shadow period, should a member of any of the partnerships leave office for whatever reason, the Council or the Northern Ireland Policing Board could not fill any vacancies.  As part of the reconstitution process, the Joint Committee (Policing Board and Department of Justice) was required to conduct a recruitment process for the recruitment of independent members to the partnerships which was scheduled to commence in October, 2014.  The Joint Committee recognised that there were many competing pressures for Councils in the run up to 1st April and that it might not be possible to have the Political Members nominated in time for the recruitment process for independent members to commence.  In order to resolve a way forward and having discussed the matter with a number of Chief Executives, the Joint Committee had agreed a procedure that would enable the process of recruiting independent members to begin.  That would enable an appointable pool of candidates, from which Independent Members could be appointed by the Policing Board, once the make-up of the Elected Members of the partnerships was known.

            The proposed process was that in advance of September, 2014, the Shadow Council would appoint a panel comprising at least two, and up to four councillors, one of whom would act as the Chair, who would meet along with an Independent Panel Member appointed by the Policing Board to shortlist and interview the independent candidates.  The Council was required to seek to ensure that the panel was representative in terms of gender and community background.  Furthermore, to ensure consistency and because of the possibility of overlap in membership, it was recommended that the same panel should be involved in selecting independent members for the Partnership and the four District partnerships.  Guidance on the process for appointing independent members, including key milestones, would be issued by the Policing Board, and training would be provided for those Panel Members during September/October, 2014.

      Moved by Councillor Jones,

      Seconded by Councillor Long

      That the Committee agrees to appoint one representative from each of the four largest parties on the Shadow Council, that is, Sinn Fein, DUP, SDLP and Alliance.

Amendment

      Moved by Councillor Robinson,

      Seconded by Councillor Hutchinson

      That the Committee agrees to appoint to seek flexibility from the Joint Committee to appoint  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2d

            The Committee approved the dates of the Committee and Council meetings from August til October, 2014 and agreed that a further report on the schedule of meetings for the remainder of the shadow council term be submitted to the Committee in October.

            The Director of Finance and Resources submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1.0     Relevant Background Information

1.1       This report outlines the draft response to the DFP Consultation on the ‘Review of Public Administration – Managing Convergence of District Rates, May 2014.

1.2       A copy of the consultation document proposing options for the structure of the transitional scheme to manage rates convergence between those council areas coming together as a result of local government reform was presented to the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on the 23 June 2014.

1.3       As the closing date for comments on the consultation document was the 18 August 2014, a draft submission, based on this report, was considered by the Chair and Vice Chair of the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and the Budget and Transformation Panel in early August 2014 and submitted to DFP. The Department were advised that the submission would be considered at the meeting of the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 29 August 2014 and that any issues raised at the meeting would be communicated to DFP following the meeting.

1.4       Rates Convergence Impact on the New Boundary Area

            Domestic and non domestic rate bills are made up of two parts.

·         The District Rate, which is set by the Council and represents 44% of the rates bill.

·         The Regional Rate, which is set by the Executive and represents 56% of the rates bill.

1.5       The local nature of the district rate means that it varies from council to council and ratepayers who transfer to another council area, as the result of the boundary changes arising from local government reform, will see the district element of their rates bills affected.

1.6       This is particularly relevant for those residents who will transfer into the Belfast area from Castlereagh, Lisburn or North Down.

1.7       Table 1 and 2 below illustrates the potential impact on the district rate element of the rates bill for a domestic property with a capital value of £150,000 and a non domestic property with an NAV of £15,000 based on the 2014/15 district rates above and prior to any relief.

Table 1

District Rate Element of Annual Rates Bill

(Domestic Property - Capital Value of £150k)

Table 2

District Rate Element of Annual Rates Bill

(Non Domestic Property - NAV of £15k)

1.8       The Executive has set aside £30m to fund a transitional relief scheme for those ratepayers who incur an increase in the district rate element of their rate bill as a result of local government reform. The transitional relief will be applied directly to the rates bill before any other existing reliefs are applied.

1.9       This paper considers the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            The Committee was reminded that, in May, 2014, the Department of the Environment had issued to all councils, a Departmental Direction and Guidance in relation to the introduction of expenditure controls for the period during which the 11 new councils would operate in shadow form.  The Departmental Direction, which had been made under Section 10 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010, stated that existing councils might not, without the written consent of the new council:

            (a)  make any disposal of land, if consideration for disposal exceeded £100,000;

            (b)  enter into any capital contract where

                        (i) under which the consideration payable exceeded £250,000

                        (ii) which included a term allowing the consideration payable to be varied

            (c)  enter into any non-capital contracts where consideration exceeded      £100,000.  Such contracts might include:

                        (i) employment contracts (for example, individual employment contracts                over £100,000 per annum and fixed-term contracts of employment                   exceeding £100,000 in total over the fixed-term period)

                        (ii) service contracts (for example, asset maintenance contracts);

                        (iii) revenue contracts (for example, accountancy or legal services).

            It was pointed out that similar expenditure controls had been introduced by the Department during the operation of the Statutory Transition period and the release of the guidance did not preclude the necessity to follow Belfast City Council Standing Orders and the associated process for entering into contracts and land disposals requiring approval through the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and full Council.

            Accordingly, the committee was recommended to give its consent to the following non-capital contracts which had already been presented to the Councils Strategic Policy and Resources Committee:

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    As part of the Local Government Reform programme a number of new functions and powers will transfer from central government departments to Belfast City Council in April 2015. This will include operational responsibility for spatial planning, regeneration and community development, off-street car parks, responsibility for the regulation of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) and housing unfitness, as well as an enhanced role in supporting local economic development.

1.2    A report had been submitted to the Committee on 19 June providing an update on the Deloitte due diligence work which had been undertaken at a regional level to assess and quantify the resources (e.g. budget, staffing, assets and liabilities) attached to those functions transferring to local government.

2       Key Issues

2.1    The allocation of functional resources by individual central government departments across the 11 councils will be a decision for each Minister.  Members will be aware that to date, only DSD have brought forward specific proposals regarding the allocation of budgets to councils.  The Council has been actively engaging with DSD in regards to its concerns around the proposals put forward including a recent cross-party meeting with the Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland MLA on 20 August. A verbal update on the discussions with the Minister will be provided at Committee.

2.2    Work is currently underway between DFP and government departments in regards to the more general aspects of the budget allocation proposals for the other transferring functions. DFP, in liaison with DOE,  are also currently assessing and seeking to quantify service (notional) costs which are attached to the delivery of the functions to transfer (e.g. associated ICT, HR and accommodation costs).  The intention would be that such costs are included in the overall budget allocation to transfer to local government.  However agreement on the precise nature of the model used and the figures has not yet been reached.

2.3    It is understood that DFP have requested that final departmental budget allocations to local government are finalised by October 2014.  This will inform the work to be taken forward in relation to the transfer of resource provisions from the Regional to the District rate base.  This timescale is important as the final transfer of functions budget allocations need to be factored into the council’s estimating and rates setting process for 2015/16.

         Whilst the detail around the budget allocations and service costs are still to emerge, council officers have had sight of the early thinking on these matters and would have a number of significant concerns as set out below:-

         Emerging Departmental Budget Allocations

·         Significant variances between the emerging budget allocation proposals and the figures set out in the Deloitte Due Diligence report (submitted to Shadow SP&R in June ’14) – particularly in relation to off-street car parks and planning. 

·         4% efficiency reduction to budgets – still remains on the agenda of some transferring function departments and now needs to be discussed with DFP and NI Executive.

·         Departmental capital maintenance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3c

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Introduction

1.1    The purpose of this report is to present Members with a draft Shadow Council response to the DoE’s Consultation on the Local Government (Disqualifications)(Prescribed Offices and Employments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014.

         The draft Regulations make provisions to:

·         disqualify a council employee from being a councillor on his or her employing council;

·         specify the offices and employments the holding of which would disqualify the holder from being a councillor on any council.

         The deadline for the council response to the consultation is 5 September 2014.  A copy of the consultation document and the draft Regulations has been circulated. 

1.2    Members should note that while the Council seeks to submit a response agreed by this Committee to the DoE in line with the 5 September deadline, this response will remain subject to ratification by the Shadow Council at its meeting on 9 September 2014.

2.0    Background 

2.1    Removal of blanket ban on employee being a councillor

         Section 4(1)(a) of the 1972 Act currently provides a blanket prohibition on an employee of a council being elected or being a councillor.  This means that a person employed by a council, in any capacity, may not stand for election as a councillor or be co-opted to fill a vacancy in the office of elected representative of a council.

         The DoE has determined that this blanket prohibition could give rise to a challenge that it violates Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights and as a result the 2014 Act has amended the 1972 Act to remove the blanket ban.

         The 1972 Act, as amended by the 2014 Act, also provides for the Department to maintain a prohibition in relation to specified offices and employments on a council.  This approach is in line with statutory arrangements in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland in relation to disqualifying specified employees of the council for being elected or being a councillor.

3.0    Key Issues

3.1    Specified offices and employments

         The draft Regulations will make provision in relation to two categories of offices and employments for the purposes of disqualification:

·         those of a geographic nature

·         those related to the nature of the office or employment

3.2    Geographic

         The Department considers that it is not appropriate for an employee of a council, irrespective of the nature of the office or employment held, to be a councillor on his or her employing council. It is therefore proposed that an employee of a council cannot be a councillor on his or her employing council.

3.3    Related to the nature of office or employment

         The Department considers that it would not be appropriate for officers that provide advice to council or its committees on a regular basis; or, who discharge a function on behalf of a council, from being a councillor under any circumstances.

         The Department proposes that this group of officers would include individuals holding the most senior positions in a council’s administrative structure (including  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report and approved the draft responses for submission to the Local Government Reform Joint Forum:

“1.0     Introduction

1.1       The purpose of this report is to present Members with a draft Shadow Council response to the consultations on the Draft Revised Code of Conduct for Local Government Employees and the Draft Local Government Employees and Councillors Protocol.   

1.2       The deadline for the response to these two consultation documents is 5 September 2014.  Members should note that whilst the Council seeks to submit a response agreed by this Committee to the Local Government Reform Joint Forum (LGRJF) in line with the 5 September deadline, this response will remain subject to ratification by the Shadow Council at its meeting on 9 September 2014.

2.0       Background 

2.1       The purpose of the Draft Revised Code of Conduct for Local Government Employees is to set guidelines for council employees which will help maintain and improve standards and protect employees from criticism or misunderstanding.

2.2       The Draft Local Government Employees and Councillors Protocol is intended to provide guidance on all aspects of the working relationship between Councillors and employees of councils and to advise of the steps to be taken to deal with concerns at an early stage to ensure the prompt resolution of any difficulties which may arise.

2.3       Status of the revised Code of Conduct

            Under Article 35(1)(b) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 1992, the functions of the Local Government Staff Commission include, ‘establishing and issuing a code of recommended practice as regards conduct of officers of councils’.  The draft document aims to be a model Code of Conduct for individual councils to adapt to suit their particular requirements, structures and procedures.  The LGRJF has issued a revised model Code of Conduct for consultation with key stakeholders.

2.4       Status of the draft Local Government Employees and Councillors Protocol

            The draft Local Government Employees and Councillors Protocol, prepared by the Department of the Environment (DOE), is intended to complement both the Code of Conduct for Local Government Employees and the Northern Ireland Local Government Code of Conduct for Councillors. It has also been issued by LGRJF for consultation.

3.0       Key Issues

3.1      The LGRJF has invited comments from the Council on both draft documents and the full draft response is attached at Appendix Three.

3.2       Proposals in the draft Code of Conduct which may be of particular interest to the Shadow Council and the relevant draft responses are summarised below:

3.3       In section 4.4 Relationships with Councillors, the draft code states that employees, “should not approach nor attempt to influence councillors out of personal motives…” It is suggested that the wording could be clarified to balance an employee’s democratic right, as a ratepayer, to access their Councillor, while making explicit the need for both council officers and councillors to follow the relevant Council procedures, protocols and processes in relation to an employee’s personal concerns or interests.

3.4       In section 4.4 Relationships with Contractors, Planning Applicants and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4b

            The Committee was advised that the Council, as part of its approach to cemetery and crematorium development, had been engaged in a process to identify a site for development as a new cemetery.  Decisions around the process had been submitted to the Council’s Parks and Leisure Committee for consideration.

            The Director of Parks and Leisure reported that the Council had been undertaking a process to identify a potential cemetery site for a number of years and several sites had been considered and rejected for a variety of reasons, including ground conditions and location.  Currently the only site that was under consideration was a site at Dundrod which had come to the Council through an expression of interest exercise which the Council had initiated.

            The site had been put forward by an agent acting on behalf of a business man who held an option on the site.  A company, Carson Undertakings Ltd., had now been established and had taken over the option.  Officers from the Parks and Leisure Department, Legal Services and the Estates Management Unit had held a number of meetings with the party who held an option on the site along with their agent.  The Council was aware of who the land owners were but at this point had no direct dealings with them.

            The Director explained that Carson Undertakings Ltd. had commissioned a number of pieces of work around the development of the site and the Chairman of the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had received a request from Strategic Planning, on their behalf, requesting the opportunity to make a presentation to the Committee on their proposals for the development of a cemetery on this site.

            He pointed out that the Parks and Leisure Committee would be considering a report on the Dundrod site at its meeting in September and the Committee might wish to wait until that Committee had made any decision before receiving a deputation.

            A Member pointed out that the issue in relation to the future provision of cemetery and crematorium would be a consideration of the new Council, hence the Shadow Council structures need to be considered in any decision making processes.

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request at the appropriate time. 

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Background

1.1    A public consultation on the draft Operational Programme for the PEACE IV and INTERREG V Programme opened on 3rd June with responses sought by 29th July 2014.  Council submitted a response in the first stage consultation exercise conducted by SEUPB in November 2012.  A response to the second consultation on the Draft Operational Programme has been prepared and submitted to SEUPB with the caveat that this is subject to ratification by the Shadow Policy & Resources Committee in August.  A copy of the response as submitted has been circulated.  

2       Key Issues

2.1    The PEACE IV Programme has been approved with a budget of €229 million ERDF plus 15% match funding. The key aims of the Programme are:

·         Promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination;

·         Contribute to the promotion of social and economic stability in the regions concerned, in particular through actions to promote cohesion between communities.

2.2    The main focus will be on Children and Young people with a strong role for local authorities.  Approximately 30% of funding has been ring-fenced for Local Authority led Action Plans (11 NI Councils and 6 Border Region Plans)  building upon the experience of delivery under the PEACE III Programme.  The programme has been designed to fit with Community Planning and LGR and the Together Building a United Community strategy.

2.3    The INTERREG V Programme has been approved with a budget of €240 million ERDF plus 15% match funding. 

         The key aims of the Programme are:

·         To increase cross-border cooperation to address common challenges and opportunities identified jointly in the border regions

·         To bring European citizens closer together to share ideas and assets that can help achieve common goals.

         Timeframe

2.4    The Programmes will be presented to the Northern Ireland Executive, the Irish Government and Scottish Government for approval before being submitted by 22 September 2014 to the European Commission for negotiation and final approval.

2.5    It is estimated that the first call for applications is unlikely to happen before March / April 2015. 

         Themes – PEACE IV

2,6    Key themes and indicative funding allocation in the proposed Peace IV Programme are as follows:

·         Shared Education – €45 million

·         Children & Young People – €50 million ( €20million through Local Action Plans)

·         Shared Spaces & Services – €90 million  ( €20million through Local Action Plans)

·         Civil Society – €30 million through Local Action plans

2.7    The North Belfast Cultural Corridor has already been proposed to SEUPB as a key Council project for PEACE IV.  This would fit as a capital project under the Shared Spaces theme.    PEACE III Projects along similar lines to the PEACE IV themes identified above include the Migrant & Minority Ethnic Project (Good Relations Unit); Youth Engagement Project (Community Safety Unit); Interfaces Project (Good Relations Unit); Growing Respect (Parks & Leisure Department) and Creative Legacies project (Tourism, Culture & Arts Unit) plus various projects run by 3rd sector organisations under the PEACE III Plan. 

         Themes Interreg

2.8    Key Themes and indicative funding allocation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

            The Committee was advised that Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 required public authorities, in carrying out their functions relating to Northern Ireland, to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations across a range of categories outlined in the Act.  Section 49a of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended by the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, stated that public authorities, when carrying out their functions must have due regard to the need to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people and encourage participation by disabled people in public life.

            Public authorities were also required to produce an Equality Scheme and Disability Plan which explained how they intended to fulfil those duties.  In accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998, any designated authority, that is, Belfast District Council, would have six months from their establishment to prepare and submit an Equality Scheme to the Equality Commission. 

            The Equality Commission required that an Equality Scheme and Disability Action Plan for the Shadow Council should be submitted within six months of its establishment.  In order to meet that deadline, a draft Equality Scheme Disability Action Plan had been prepared in accordance with the Commission’s guidance.  Those documents did not differ in substance from the existing Equality Scheme and Disability Action Plan for Belfast City Council.

            The Commission had recommended in its guide that a commitment to develop action plans to support the active implementation of the Council’s Section 75 and Section 49a duties be included in the Equality Scheme and Disability Action Plan.  However, the Commission had acknowledged that action plans might be more usefully developed post-scheme.  In accordance with that, the draft Equality Scheme and Disability Action Plan included a commitment to develop an Action Plan within six months of 1st April, 2015, that is, from the commencement of the new Council undertaking its full functions.

            The Committee approved the draft Equality Scheme and the Draft Disability Action Plan for the Belfast District Council (Shadow) and noted that they would be issued for consultation prior to submission to the Equality Commission by 26th November, 2014.

            The Committee was reminded that, during the shadow period, Belfast was operating under two separate governance structures – the current Belfast City Council which would cease to operate on 1st April 2015 and the Belfast District Council (Shadow) which was responsible for preparing the new organisation and would take full responsibility for the Council on 1st April 2015.  It was important that both structures worked together and therefore the following reports which have been presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on Friday, 26th October, had been circulated for notation:

·         Financial Reporting – Quarter 1

·         Quarter 1 Capital Programme Update

·         Social Investment Fund Update

·         Interim Office Accommodation

·         ERDF Capital Projects – Waterfront Hall Conference and Exhibition Centre and Forthriver Innovation Centre

·         Minutes of the meetings of the Budget and Transformation Panel

·         Council Chamber Seating Arrangements

            The Chief Executive reported that all of the recommendations contained in the reports had been agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.  In respect of the Council Chamber Seating arrangements, the Committee had agreed to support Option C, which was to cancel proposed alterations to seating and agree to use the existing seating.

            Noted.