Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Beattie, Boyle and McVeigh.

            The minutes of the meeting of 26th September were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 7th October, subject to the decision under the heading “Regeneration and Housing Bill” being amended to provide for the addition of the following sentence, “The Shadow Council is eager to receive these regeneration powers and calls upon the Executive to progress the Legislative Bill to the floor of the Assembly without delay.”

            Councillor Jones declared an interest in respect of Item 3b in so far as he was the Chairman of the National Association of Councillors (Northern Ireland Region).

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had, at its meeting on 17th October, considered reports in respect of an Area Working Update and the Capital Programme and had agreed the following:

            Area Working Update

            The Committee had noted the contents of the report and considered a proposal which had been put forward by the South Belfast Area Working Group that the 50% match funding requirement for Belfast Investment Fund projects be reviewed.  It was agreed that that could be reviewed on an interim basis while the outcome of the Regeneration and Housing Bill was awaited, the status of Department for Social Development funding for projects was confirmed and as the emerging Community and Area Planning framework became clearer. 

            Capital Programme

            The Committee was advised that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had agreed the following:

·        Proposed Movements – Capital Programme: Roselawn Section Z2-Z4, that the proposed Roselawn project be progressed from Stage 2 – Uncommitted to Stage 3 – Committed and that the project be advanced to the invitation of tenders, to be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tenders received with a full commitment to deliver.  The Committee had noted that the Director of Finance and Resources had recommended that £1.55 million be the maximum amount made available for the project.

·        Project Updates: Waterfront Exhibition and Conference facility – Venue Management System (IT system): to the procurement of a new integrated Venue Event Management System for the Belfast Waterfront Hall and that the project be advanced to the invitation of tenders, to be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tenders received and with a full commitment to deliver.  The Committee had noted that the cost for the project would be covered by the £450,000 which had been agreed by the Committee in August for ICT projects related to the Waterfront Hall.

·        EU Projects Update – Giant’s Park Environmental Resource Park – noted that a Letter of Offer for up to £6 million of European Regional Development Fund funding, managed via Invest NI, had been received for that project and that, in accordance with the Letter of Offer, the official title for the project was now the Giant’s Park Environmental Resource Park, to which the Council was contributing £2 million.

·        Multi-use Games Area Programme – noted the update on the Multi-use Games Area Programme and agreed with proposed refurbishments to the areas at Dr. Pitt Park, Springfield Park, Canmore Street, Stewart Street and North Queen Street as part of Phase 2a of the Programme.  Approval was also granted to initiate the necessary procurement processes (including the invitation of tenders and/or the use of appropriate “framework” arrangements) with contracts awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tenders received, with a full commitment to deliver.  The Committee had noted that a maximum budget of £400,000 had been agreed for those refurbishments which would be funded out of non-recurrent underspend.  The refurbishments would be due to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of report

1.1    To update Members on the proposed programme for the development of the Council’s new Physical Programme for 2015/16 and beyond.

2.0    Relevant Background Information

2.1    Members will be aware that the Council’s overall physical programme is a key element of the Investment Programme and includes capital projects which are delivered under a range of funding streams including - 

2.2    Members will however be aware that the Council’s new Physical Programme from 15/16 onwards will have to reflect both the Council’s enhanced boundaries which will see an additional 53,000 households joining the Belfast council area together with new and enhanced roles and responsibilities. The SP&R Committee has already agreed to reconsider BIF and LIF in the context of the changing role of the Council.  There will also be a need to reconsider the Maintenance Programme in terms of transferring assets and the leisure transformation programme. 

2.3    It is recommended that Members read this paper in conjunction with the ‘Area Working Update’ paper which is also on the Committee’s agenda for discussion as the papers are closely linked.

3.0    KEY ISSUES

3.1    Members will appreciate that the Council has limited financial resources and these will be stretched even further over the coming years in terms of the increased boundaries and roles and responsibilities and the Council is under increasing pressure to deliver more with less.

3.2    The SP&R Committee, as the Council’s investment decision maker, has a responsibility to focus on delivering the projects which can have maximum benefits and investment return for the city and local areas. For the interim period in terms of the new Physical Programme this will be the responsibility of the Shadow SP&R Committee.

3.3    Members therefore need to properly consider the opportunity costs of approving one project over another project. This will raise a number of key issues and hard decisions for Members in terms project prioritisation. It is therefore key that investment decisions are not taken in isolation and it is important the links and inter-dependencies between projects are taken into consideration.

3.4    Members will therefore be aware that there are a number of key inter-dependencies in relation to the development of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16b

            (Mr. A. Hassard, Director of Parks and Leisure, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0    Relevant background information

1.1    At its meeting in August, the SP&R Committee were updated on the contractual arrangements being put in place in relation to the Leisure Transformation Programme, in accordance with Committee’s direction and legal advice.

         Members will be aware that following consideration of expenditure control the Shadow Council gave its consent to the award of a contract for the leisure trust at its meeting in July 2014. 

2.0    Key issues

2.1    SP&R Committee at its meeting on 17 October 2014, considered a lengthy report on the mobilisation plans for the transfer of leisure services.

         Committee noted the work ongoing to prepare a set of agreements which will give effect to the Council’s strategic direction.  Expert legal and business advisors continue to support Council officers in ensuring that the agreements and funding mechanisms are in line with relevant legal frameworks; maximise VAT efficiency; and reflect industry good practice. 

         Committee also considered a number of important elements in relation to the implementation of its decisions in April 2014.

2.2    Finance and funding mechanism

         The Director of Finance and Resources has now finalised the financial figures.  The Council’s budget would have been £8,855,101 but the payment to the Operating Partner will be £6,851,325 which demonstrates cash savings to the Council of £2,003,776. 

         Therefore, for 2016/17, the contract value will be £6,851,325 which includes the 3 transferring centres and assures Committee that the contract will guarantee cash savings of £2,003,776 by April 2016.  This is in line with the capital financing strategy agreed by Committee at its meeting in June 2013.  

2.3    Recommendations

         Committee agreed the following recommendations:

1.     Approved the overall direction outlined including the proposed pricing principles, property maintenance framework, branding proposition, pensions arrangements and staff interest issues for integration into the contractual agreements;

2.     Recommended that the agreements are advanced and awarded on the basis of the guaranteed £2million savings and the most economically advantageous arrangements for the Council, with full commitment to deliver against the social objectives agreed previously agreed by Committee;

3.     In line with the strategic principles agreed by Committee in April 2014, authorised the Deputy Chief Executive and the Town Solicitor to give effect to the that direction and finalise the necessary documents, negotiating in the interests of the Council with Active Belfast Limited and GLL;

4.     Approved the Council’s accountability and governance framework for the scrutiny of performance reports and annual plans from Active Belfast Limited

5.     Noted the continuing engagement with the Belfast Trade Unions Group, including formal consultation on the transfer of staff as legally required

6.     In consultation with the leisure Strategic Operating Partner, authorised officers to seek an ESCo contractor for the replacement of the Council’s Combined Heat and Power units and to agree that this project is advanced to the invitation of tenders, to be awarded on the basis of most economically advantageous tenders received  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16c

            The Committee was reminded that the Shadow Council, as its meeting on 7th October had, in accordance with Standing Orders referred the undernoted Notice of Motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Long, to the Committee for consideration:

      “In order to increase openness and transparency, so far as is reasonably practicable, this Council will make an audio and potentially video recording of so much of any Committee meeting of the Council as is open to the public and the recordings will be made available to the public at City Hall and published on the Council website.”

            After discussion, the Committee agreed that a report on potential options, costs and proposed venues for such meetings be submitted in due course.

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the National Association of Councillors (Northern Ireland Region) to make a presentation to the Committee on the important role of the National Association of Councillors in representing Members’ interests, in particular, in relation to the formation of the new Councils in April, 2015.

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request and to receive a presentation at an appropriate meeting.

            (Mr. J. McGrillen, Director of Development, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1       Relevant Background Information

1.1    Members will be aware that the overall strategic aim of the European Social Fund (ESF) is to help reduce economic inactivity and increase workforce skills by promoting access to employment, social inclusion and skills for growth. 

1.2    In Northern Ireland, the programme is administered by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). Funding is allocated by means of an open call for projects.  Successful projects attract funding of up to 65% of the total project cost and project promoters are expected to find the remaining 35% funding from other sources.  Currently, Belfast City Council provides match funding for five projects and supports its own programme (HARTE) – which is delivered by a partnership of local training providers. 

1.3    At the September Development Committee meeting, members were advised of the upcoming call for projects and noted that there was a potential that the council would be significantly over-subscribed for match-funding requests.  The committee agreed to ten guiding principles proposed to steer future council decisions concerning support for employability and skills development activities.  These were:

1.      Need for a citywide approach

2.      Need to consider targeted interventions and differentiated approaches

3.      Partnership between Belfast City Council, DEL and others

4.      Support is needed for older males, lone parents, persons with disabilities and minority ethnic communities

5.      The role of the private sector is critical

6.      Need to avoid duplication/local competition

7.      Need to improve data sources and information sharing

8.      Need to focus on outcomes and tracking progress

9.      Employability and skills cannot be considered as stand-alone interventions

10.    Need for transparency in decision-making around funding.

1.4    It was resolved by members that a report would be tabled to October Development Committee to help agree priority areas for council intervention in advance of ESF opening for applications in November 2014. It was also noted that there was an opportunity for the council to make its own submission for funding and, if successful in drawing down resources, we would then commission service delivery to address the key challenges highlighted in the research report presented to members at the September committee meeting. This report for consideration today was also presented to the Development Committee on 21 October 2014.

1.5    Members acknowledged that, to date, the council has had limited resources to support employability initiatives.  However successive reports have shown that economic inactivity is one of the most significant challenges for the city.  As a result it is critical that the council gives consideration to how it can make a difference in this field. 

1.6    The previous report suggested that the council resources could be substantially enhanced by accessing funding available as part of the transfer to council of responsibility for community development and regeneration powers from the Department of Social Development (DSD).  At present, DSD provides match funding of around £700,000 to ESF projects in Belfast.  At the August Transition Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18a

            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 eleven 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 may 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 casual contracts:

(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 may 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 the full Council.

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

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.

            (Mr. T. Walker, Head of Waste Management, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Purpose of Report

1.1       To recommend an approach for the provision of a kerbside glass collection service in the blue bin and Local Government Reform (LGR) areas, following discussions arising from the revenue estimate challenge process.

2          Background

2.1       The EU Waste Framework Directive places a statutory obligation on the UK to achieve a 50% recycling rate by 2020.  The NI Waste Management Strategy ‘Delivering Resource Efficiency’ re-iterates this target locally and references the prospective requirement to reach a 60% recycling rate for Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste (LACMW) by 2020. 

2.2       In addition to the arc21 Waste Plan, the Council has developed the ‘Towards Zero Waste’ Action Plan 2012-15 (ZWAP) aimed at delivering these targets during this term of Council.

2.3       One of the initiatives contained within the Action Plan is the collection of glass from households in the blue bin area and, at the time of drafting this Plan, it was anticipated that once fully introduced this initiative would contribute an additional 2.5% to the Council’s recycling rate.       

2.4       Given delays in the original plans for a glass collection service procured by arc21 in 2012/13, Members from the Health & Environmental Services Committee had previously agreed to a pilot scheme, currently comprising 22,000 households.  When the arc21 tender process was terminated due to affordability issues, Members agreed at the January 2014 Committee meeting that the Council should commence a procurement exercise to deliver this service specifically for Belfast.

2.5       As a result of this approval, Waste Management had liaised with Corporate Procurement Services and developed a timetable for the delivery of this exercise.  The Service has also successfully applied for and been granted Department of the Environment (DOE) Rethink Waste capital grant funding of £276,000 with the proviso that this money must be spent in the 2014/15 financial year.

2.6       As part of the 2015/16 revenue estimates setting process and to determine the likely costs arising from Local Government Reform (LGR), the Service has been involved in a number of Challenge panels.  At the latest Challenge panel in September the glass project was identified as a potential area for savings. In order to meet the project timetable and demands of the DOE grant funding process, the tender notification needs to twin track the council’s governance procedures and should approval be declined the tender shall not be awarded.  

3          Key Issues

3.1       This report examines the implications of a cancellation or delay of the kerbside glass collection scheme.

3.2       Cancellation – The introduction of kerbside glass collection scheme within the blue bin and LGR areas will be key to the Council achieving the 50% household recycling rate by 2020.  This proposal has been projected to provide an additional 2.5% to the recycling rate and is the last of the ‘easy wins’ in terms of generating tonnage for the Council.  As such, the cancellation of this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18c

            The Committee noted the minutes of the meeting of the Budget Transformation Panel of 9th October.

            (Mr. J. McGrillen, Director of Development, and Mr. G. Copeland, City Events Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Director of Development presented a paper to the Committee regarding the potential of attracting a major event to Belfast in late 2015 to be broadcast on mainstream television. He explained that the event would bring significant economic benefit to the city due to the number “out of state” visitors which would be likely to attend and the associated spend in accommodation and hospitality. It would also attract a significant television viewership which in turn would provide an opportunity to present a positive image of the city to a very large audience.

The cost of securing the event to the Council would be £140k, of which £100k would be made available from a re-alignment of the existing events budget. It was recommended that the additional £40k be found from in-year underspends in the 2015/16 budget so as not to add any burden on the rate.

Following discussion the Committee agreed to allocate £140k towards staging the event, with £100k coming from the Events Budget and £40k from in-year underspend.  

            (Mr. A. Hassard, Director of Parks and Leisure, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that the Belfast City 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 that process had been submitted to the Council’s Parks and Leisure Committee for consideration.

            The Director explained 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, hydrogeology and location.  Currently, the only site that was under consideration was one at Dundrod which had been identified through an expression of interest exercise which the Council had initiated. 

            That site had been put forward by an agent acting on behalf of a company who hold an option on this site.  Officers from the Parks and Leisure Department, Legal Services and 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 landowners were but, at this point, had no direct dealings with them.

            The Director indicated that a number of studies had been undertaken in relation to the site at Dundrod and that those had identified a number of potential issues with it.  To allow the Members to take a decision on the site, the Council had commissioned URS, who had undertaken previous assessments for the Council in relation to a search for a new cemetery site, to undertake an analysis of all the findings of the previous four studies around the viability of the site and to provide a concise view on the issues and constraints to developing the site.

            He explained that a report outlining the findings of that piece of work had been submitted to the meeting of the Parks and Leisure Committee on 11th September, 2014, after which, that Committee had agreed that:

(i)      negotiations continue with the site owner or agent to ascertain whether or not a smaller portion of the site at Dundrod could be utilised for burial lands;

(ii)     a workshop be held early in the new year, at which all the information previously submitted to the Committee in relation to burial sites be submitted to enable the Members to review the current burial policy and the provision of crematoria; and

(iii)    an updated report be submitted to this Committee.

            The Director pointed out also that, in relation to the actions which had been agreed by the Parks and Leisure Committee, there were potential procurement issues around undertaking negotiations regarding the purchase of a smaller portion of the Dundrod site.

            After discussion, the Committee noted the information which had been provided and the decisions of the Parks and Leisure Committee endorsed at the Committee’s recommendation regarding the holding of the workshop in the New Year and agreed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

            The purpose of this report is to update Members on work to ensure the organisation is fit for purpose for its new roles and responsibilities. In particular, the report outlines the processes and timeframes for the previously agreed Peer Review and Decision Making and Accountability processes and highlights the immediate organisational development considerations.

2          Key Issues

2.1       Approach to organisation development and design

            As Members are aware, alongside consideration of the Council’s strategy and priorities consideration is being given to the redesign of the organisation, to ensure it has the capacity to deliver those priorities and ambitions. 

2.2       Members previously agreed that the Local Government Association (LGA) would help with two key strands of this work over the next few months, that is, the corporate peer challenge process and a detailed analysis of the number of layers of management that the organisation needs (and the units within it) to achieve our purposes most effectively and the decision-making authority that managers in different layers require. 

            More detail on each of these processes is set out below

2.3       Corporate Peer Challenge

            The peer challenge is an opportunity to ‘sense check’ evolving thinking about how the new organisation needs to operate post April 2015. A team of external peers will draw on their experience of local government to provide observations and feedback on our plans and proposals for the future, and in essence be a ‘sounding board’ of critical friends with whom the Council can engage to test and stretch thinking further.

            All LGA corporate peer challenges consider five core components/high level questions, and these will be used as an overall framework for the peer challenge at Belfast:

1.     Understanding of local context and priority setting: Does the council understand its local context and has it established a clear set of priorities?

2.     Financial planning and viability: Does the council have a financial plan in place to ensure long term viability and is there evidence that it is being implemented successfully?

3.     Political and managerial leadership: Does the council have effective political and managerial leadership and is it a constructive partnership?

4.     Governance and decision-making: Are effective governance and decision-making arrangements in place to respond to key challenges and manage change, transformation and disinvestment?

5.     Organisational capacity: Are organisational capacity and resources focused in the right areas in order to deliver the agreed priorities?

            These are the areas that are fundamental to councils’ performance and improvement. Exploring them will help provide reassurance and an indication about the organisation’s ability and capacity to deliver on its plans, proposals and ambitions. The LGA however can work with the Council to develop and agree further specific questions and areas to explore within this framework.

2.4       Dates of the peer challenge

            It is proposed that the peer challenge team will be onsite at Belfast City Council for a block of four consecutive days during either w/c 19th or 26th January 2015 (with peer availability helping to determine  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    On 23 June 2014, the Council’s Shadow Policy and Resources Committee agreed a number of priority measures relating to organisation development and design, including a review of the resource requirements and staffing arrangements of the Council’s Audit, Governance and Risk Services (AGRS)   The main purpose of this review was to ensure the Council was in a position to meet its statutory requirements and provide adequate assurances on the local government reform programme.

1.2    A key element of this review was the review of the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services to ensure it reflects professional guidance and meets the Council’s needs.    The purpose of this paper therefore is to seek the approval of the Committee to recruit the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services on a permanent basis.  The decision to recruit this post on a permanent basis and the proposed process for this (also set out in this paper) were discussed and verbally agreed with the Audit Panel at its meeting of 21 October 2014.

2       Key Issues

                     Review of Job Description

2.1    The post of Head of Internal Audit is one that is prescribed in authoritative guidance published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in its publication ‘The role of the Head of Internal Audit in public sector organisations’ and also in the Public Sector Internal Audit Standards (PSIAS) as prescribed by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors and adopted across all of the UK public sector.  The job description for the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services has therefore been updated to reflect these requirements as well as BCC needs.

         Trawling of Post

2.2    In order to mitigate against potential redundancies within the local government sector, the post of Head of Audit, Governance and Risk Services will be trawled in the first instance for recruitment across all the NI councils (as set out in the agreed LGR Vacancy Control Procedure).  If there is no suitable appointee within this pool, the post will be publicly advertised. 

         Selection Panel

2.3    In accordance with the Local Government Staff Commission procedures for recruiting head of service posts, the selection panel for the post should comprise the chair of the controlling panel, two other elected members from political parties not represented by the chair and two directors.  Given the direct reporting line from the Head of AGRS post to the Audit Panel (and the fact that professional guidance from CIPFA indicates that an Audit Committee / Panel should have a role in appointing the Head of Internal Audit) it is proposed that the selection panel is comprised as follows:

·        Chair of Shadow SP&R Committee (Alderman Stalford)

·        Chair of Audit Panel (Alderman Rodgers)

·        A third elected member from Shadow SP&R to provide a balance in terms of gender and community background

·        Director of Finance and Resources and Deputy CX

·        Director of Organisational Development

2.4    In all circumstances,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20b

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the Joint Chairs of the Belfast Strategic Partnership for the Committee to receive a briefing on the work of the partnership and the key strategic health issues facing the City.

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request and that it be included on the agenda for the meeting on 28th November.

            The Committee agreed that a special meeting, to which all Members of the Shadow Council would be invited, be held at 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday, 3rd December to receive a presentation from Mr. Joe Burridge, Urban Strategies, on the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Framework.