Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Boyle, D. Browne, Haire and Long.

            Councillor B. Groves declared an interest in respect of Item 5d “Transfer of Assets and Liabilities from Castlereagh Borough Council and Lisburn City Council in so far as she was on the Management Committee of the Sally Gardens Project; and Councillor Carson declared an interest in respect of item 4a “Request for Financial Assistance/Approved Funds” in so far as he was employed by one of the organisations which had submitted an application; and 5d in so far as he was on the Management Committee of the Sally Gardens Project.

            The Committee was reminded that the Shadow Council, at its meeting on 9th February, had considered the following Motion which had been moved by Councillor Convery and seconded by Councillor Jones:

      “Belfast District Council believes that Belfast’s senior citizens are valued members of society and that it is our collective responsibility to ensure they live safely and with dignity.

      Abuse of older people is a tragedy inflicted on vulnerable seniors and an ever-increasing problem in today’s society that crosses all socio-economic boundaries.  Combating abuse of older people will help improve the quality of life for all seniors and will allow them to continue to live as independently as possible and contribute to the life and vibrancy of Belfast.  Belfast’s seniors are guaranteed that they will be treated with respect and dignity to enable them to continue to serve as leaders, mentors, volunteers and important and active members of this community.

      We are all responsible for building safer communities for Belfast’s seniors.  The well-being of Belfast’s seniors is in the interest of all and further adds to the well-being of Belfast’s communities.  Accordingly, this Council requests that the Lord Mayor proclaims Monday, 15th June, 2015 as ‘Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ and encourages all Belfast’s residents to recognise and celebrate the accomplishments of our seniors.”

            The Committee was advised that, in accordance with Standing Order 16.1 of the Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014, the matter had been referred to the Committee for consideration.

            The Committee agreed that a report in the matter be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

            The Committee was advised that, in accordance with Standing Order 16.1, the undernoted Motion which had been moved by Councillor Attwood and seconded by Councillor Kingston, had been referred to the Committee for consideration:

      “Belfast District Council notes that the RSA City Growth Commission recognises that major city regions, including Belfast, are the main drivers of economic growth and notes that the British Government has undertaken ‘City Deals’ with 28 cities outside London, including Glasgow, to boost infrastructure investment, promote economic growth and create jobs.

      Accordingly, the District Council will consider how the recommendations of the City Growth Commission could be promoted to enhance Belfast’s position as a City Region and agrees to develop an action plan to seek to secure a ‘City Deal’ for Belfast. This ‘City Deal’ will support our ambitious plans, enhance the rate-base, boost investment, promote economic growth, create jobs and ensure that the benefits of economic growth reach disadvantaged communities.”

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee and that officers investigate the possibility of the Council being admitted to the Core Cities Group.

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting in relation to the undernoted Motion which had been moved by Councillor Spence and seconded by Councillor Convery at the Shadow Council meeting on 9th February and referred to the Committee in accordance with Standing Order 16.1 for consideration:

      “Belfast District Council recognises that 2015 marks the 70th Anniversary of the ending of the Second World War and notes the sacrifice made by many citizens of Belfast and beyond as part of the Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and the Merchant Navy.  Accordingly, the District Council agrees to host a civic event in honour of the remaining veterans who live in Belfast.”

            The Committee was reminded that the Shadow Council, at its meeting on 9th February, had referred the following Notice of Motion, in accordance with Standing Order 16.1 to the Committee for consideration.  The Motion had been moved by Councillor R. Brown and seconded by Councillor Hanna:

      “Belfast District Council notes that nappy waste is the largest identifiable category of waste, accounting for 3-4% of total household waste, resulting in the disposal of 8 million nappies per day in the UK.  It recognises the enormous environmental impact and cost to the Council associated with disposable nappies and further notes that making use of real cloth nappies rather than disposable nappies can save parents around £600 by the time a child is 2 years old.

      The District Council therefore requests that a report be submitted to the appropriate Committee which would outline the feasibility of the Council introducing a ‘Real Nappy Voucher Scheme’ which could offer parents a one-off payment towards the cost of purchasing real cloth nappies or a trial from a cloth nappy library.

      In addition, the District Council calls on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust to take action to ensure that real cloth nappies are promoted in maternity wards.”

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

            The Committee was advised that the Shadow Council, at its meeting on 9th February, had considered the following Notice of Motion, which had been moved by Councillor McVeigh and seconded by Councillor Beattie:

      “Belfast District Council recognises the significant potential to grow the co-operative sector across Belfast and will consider establishing a ‘Co-operative Development Hub’ that would encourage and support the development of new co-operative enterprises and would support cross community participation in them.  It recognises that this would provide practical support, such as co-operative business planning and development, mentoring and coaching for start-up co-operative enterprises, training, information events and seminars, financial management and advice and democratic governance.

      It is accepted that this initiative should be led by the Council and will involve establishing and securing of finance for the Hub, initially for a fixed period of three-years, which would enable the employment of two co-operative development officers; the total cost is likely to be in the region of £300,000. Accordingly, the Council will explore with the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Investment, as well as Europe, the potential for joint funding for this initiative.”

            In accordance with Standing Order 16.1, the Motion had been referred without discussion to the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for consideration.

            The Committee agreed that a report in the matter be submitted in due course.

            The Committee agreed that a report in relation to the following Notice of Motion, which had been moved by Councillor Carson and seconded by Councillor Hutchinson at the meeting of the Shadow Council on 9th February and referred to the Committee in accordance with Standing Order 16.1, be submitted to a future meeting:

      “Belfast District Council agrees to establish a pilot programme to extend the super-connected scheme to include domestic-use properties, so as to address issues associated with pensioner poverty.

      The Council, during this pilot programme, will engage with our community, statutory and corporate partners to maximise the potential advantages of the extension of the super-connected scheme and thereby reduce social isolation and improve the economic situation of our most vulnerable older people across the City.”

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

1.1       This paper outlines for Members the programme of work for establishing the city’s first community plan, the ‘Belfast Agenda’ including the proposed approach to strategic design and stakeholder inclusion. The paper outlines the likely engagement processes and interim governance structures that are required to meet the legislative requirements and to ensure formal endorsement of the Agenda by Members and our community planning partners by the end of 2015. (The Council’s response to the Department’s statutory guidance on community planning is also being presented to this Committee.)

1.2       The Belfast Agenda will set out the vision for our city in 2030 while also establishing a number of associated ‘quality of life outcomes’ for our citizens. The Agenda will identify medium term priorities for achieving these outcomes and set out a series of agreed actions for both the Council and our partners that will address these priorities over the next four years.

1.3       There already is a substantial body of evidence, including the feedback from Members and partner workshops, about what such outcomes and priorities might be. For example, initial work is beginning to identify areas of importance around the city’s role as the regional magnet for inward investment; the need to secure long term economic growth; the importance of our city centre not only for the city but for the entire region; the issue of skills and employability; the need to continue to build on the potential of tourism; and the need to build a shared community.

1.4       A key aim of the strategic design process will be to turn such emerging consensus into a series of firm commitments by government departments, agencies, and other relevant stakeholders as a basis for ongoing accountability.

1.5       As Members will be aware during 2015 the NI Executive and its departments will be working to establish the next Programme for Government. This is an important time for the Council to make the case for Belfast and to ensure that there is closer alignment between neighbourhood, city and regional priorities. The Belfast Agenda needs to articulate the challenges and opportunities facing the city and demonstrate the consensus amongst the city’s stakeholders about what Belfast’s priorities should be.

2          Key Issues

2.1       In order to quickly initiate the strategic planning process for the Agenda, Bernard Marr of Advanced Performance Institute was commissioned to create a Belfast ‘Plan on a Page’. This work was undertaken based on the recognition that, as a city, we are not starting our planning process from a ‘blank page’.  A number of our partners, including the Council itself, have already undertaken (or are in the process of developing) significant strategic planning work that can inform the Belfast Agenda and give direction to its outcomes, priorities and actions.

2.2       Bernard Marr carried out a series of in-depth meetings with Members and a broad range of partners in the city. His emerging findings were re-drafted following workshops with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

1.1       The Local Government Act (NI) 2014 requires councils to make arrangements for community planning in their areas with effect from 1st April 2015. The Act introduces the new duty of community planning and sets out a high level framework for its operation within Northern Ireland. It defines community planning as ‘a process by which the council and its community planning partners identify long-term objectives [and agreed actions] for improving the social, economic and environmental well-being of the district’.

1.2       The Act makes provision for the Department to publish guidance for community planning following a formal consultation process and requires Councils and their community partners to have regard for any guidance issued by the Department.  DoE is now consulting on this draft guidance. This report presents an outline of the DoE consultation and seeks endorsement of a draft Council response.

1.3       Members will recall that Council recently responded to a separate DoE consultation on the draft Community Planning Partners Order (specifies the bodies or persons which are to be community planning partners) with suggested additions to the list of organisations to be designated as  community planning partners and comments as to how the Order could be improved. The final Order which will designate the Community Planning Partners is expected in March 2015.

1.4       Members should note that this paper has been prepared while taking into account the Council’s previous response to the consultation on the Community Planning partners legislation, and the fact that the final Community Planning Partners Order has not yet been published.

1.5       The draft guidance provides information on the following:

·        Roles and responsibilities (Duties of Councils, Community planning partners and Gov Departments, role of the community and support partners)

·        Partnership structures and governance

·        The Partnership Panel

·        The Community Planning process (including community involvement, identifying vision, outcomes and actions, evidence base

·        Key issues to be addressed (including equality, good relations and social inclusion)

·        Sustainable Development

·        Links to Spatial Planning

·        Collaborative working across boundaries

·        Production and Publication; and

·        Monitoring Review and Reporting (including performance improvement)

1.6       Specifically, the DoE have asked the following questions about their draft guidance:

1.     Is the Guidance clear, specific and proportionate?

2.     Do you feel the guidance will help you implement community planning?

3.     Do you feel one year is a sufficient time frame to develop a community plan and if not what alternative format would you suggest?

4.     What would you define as a reasonable degree of consensus reached to enable decision making?

5.     Is the guidance clear in respect of equality and good relations duties?

6.     Does the guidance sufficiently define partner roles and responsibilities?

1.7       DoE is also hosting four public consultation events to discuss the draft guidance on the following dates:

Monday 23rd February 2015, 9.30am Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre

Monday 23rd February 2015, 4.00pm The Mill, Newtownabbey Council Offices

Tuesday 24th February 2015, 10.00am, Strule Arts Centre, Omagh

Tuesday 3rdMarch 2015, 10.00am, Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2b

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

“1.0    Purpose of Paper – Consultation Response

1.1    This paper provides an overview of the Council’s response (attached at Appendix A) to the DoE’s  onsultation on the draft Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015.  In order to meet the response deadline of March 2nd the attached response will be forwarded to the DoE, following approval by this Committee, with an understanding that full Council ratification is pending. 

1.0    Background

1.1    Part 12 of the Local Government Act 2014, to take effect from the 1st April, imposes a new duty on the Council to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions and to set improvement objectives for each financial year.

1.2    As a Council we will be required to gather information to assess service improvements and to produce an annual report on performance.  This is not a new concept for Belfast as we have had a performance management framework in operation for a number of years.  This has involved developing a range of performance indicators to help services see how they are performing over time and in comparison to other places.  It is our intention to continue with this process and to incorporate the new duty within our framework.

1.3    However the Act also includes a provision (paragraph 89) for the DoE to specify additional statutory performance indicators and to set targets for Councils. Councils have now been invited to consider an initial suite of seven performance indicators, with targets, proposed by the Department for the 2015-16 period in the -  draft Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015.  The restriction to one year will allow for new indicators to be developed in line with any new Programme for Government that might emerge. The first year will also allow services to establish some baseline information from which to agree future targets.

1.4    The indicators proposed for the 2015-16 financial year cover the functions of: one economic development indicator; three planning indicators; and three waste management indicators. The attached response combines the feedback received from the services that will be responsible for carrying out these functions.

2.0    Content of the draft Order

2.1    The proposed indicators for 2015-16 are:

(i)      Number of jobs promoted through business start-up activity

(ii)     Number of major planning applications processed

(iii)    Number of local planning applications processed

(iv)    Progress of enforcement cases

(v)     % of household waste collected by district councils that is sent for recycling (including waste prepared for re-use)

(vi)    Amount (tonnage) of biodegradable Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste that is landfilled

(viii)  Amount (tonnage) of Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste arisings

         The Committee should note that in addition to the three Planning PIs above the Council is engaging with the DoE over a number of additional indicators of a more operational nature.  Members will of course be notified about these, and indeed any other  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2c

            (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 January, the Committee agreed the resourcing and proposed composition of the Active Belfast Limited board of Directors.  Committee requested a further paper for its consideration on the recruitment criteria for the board of Directors, as well as ongoing community engagement mechanisms. 

2.0    Key issues

2.1    Criteria for recruitment

         There are 5 places to be filled via public advertisement and interview, not including the independent chairperson.  Volunteer Now recommend that for an open recruitment exercise, organisations should consider inviting individuals to submit their CV, to be measured against pre-defined criteria.  Applicants would demonstrate how their skills and qualities meet the demands of the role.  The suggested criteria are:

         Essential

1.     Knowledge and experience of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector

2.     In a position to make a voluntary time commitment of up to 10 days per annum

Desirable

3.     Knowledge and experience of strategy development and implementation

4.     Applied knowledge of leisure, health and well-being current practice, challenges and opportunities

5.     Previous experience of working as a Director at a board level of a voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation

6.     Specialist expertise in legal/accounting/governance issues.

         The Board will reserve two of the publicly advertised places: one, for an education stakeholder; and two, from a stakeholder from the disability sector.

         According to the registered Articles of Association, applicants cannot be regarded as having an interest or a conflict of loyalties as an officer, employee or elected member of the Council.

         The term of office is for up to 3 years.  A Director can be re-appointed to the Board for one term only.  While not applicable in this inaugural year, previous committee members cannot be reappointed within 3 years. 

         During the first year of operation, the Board will need to agree a succession plan to enable it to anticipate and manage turnover when members resign or reach the end of their term of office.  This will include rotation of political Members, to be agreed by SP&R Committee.  This will help to ensure openness and accountability, underpinned by effective planning to secure sufficient continuity. 

         Commitment expected

         On average the time commitment expected is no more than 10 days per annum. The Board will meet approximately 6 times per annum with meetings generally lasting 2-3 hours.  The position of Director is unpaid, with reimbursement for out of pocket expenses incurred by Directors in carrying out their role.

         Assurance

         Advice on the recruitment and training for the new Board will be sought from Pinsent Masons, as well as the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and voluntary sector specialists such as Volunteer Now.

2.2  User and Community Engagement

         As part of its partnership agreement with the Council, GLL is required to regularly engage with centre users and report on customer and community satisfaction with the services and programmes provided.  Their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2d

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 16th January, it had agreed that a letter be forwarded to the Minister for the Environment, Mr. Mark Durkan, MLA, outlining the Council’s concern at the anticipated costs which would be incurred in overseeing the transfer of the planning function from the Department of the Environment to the Council.

            The letter to the Minister, which had been copied to the Finance Minister for information, had outlined also the Council’s concerns in respect of the possible costs which would be incurred in replacing the planning portal post-2019.  Accordingly, the Council had requested that clarity be provided on the longer-term options for the portal, particularly in respect of its future governance and funding arrangements.  Finally, the Council had sought assurances on the extent of the Industrial De-rating grant which would be made to the Council as a result of Local Government Reform.

            The Chief Executive reported that the Minister’s response had indicated that the extent of the budget to be allocated to the Council had been clarified within the Department of the Environment’s document entitled “Transfer of Planning Functions to Local Government – Position Paper on Transfer of Resources” which had been issued in January.  It had been suggested by the Minister that the budget to be provided to the Council, coupled with the additional income generated through the planning function, would enable the Council to deliver and manage the planning function in an efficient manner following Local Government Reform.

            With regard to the planning portal, the Minister had confirmed that the responsibility for its replacement and upkeep would transfer to local Councils in 2019.  However, it was intended that a “Planning Portal Board” would be established early in the 2015/16 financial year to examine the requirements for the portal post-2019.  That Board would consist of representatives of the eleven new Councils, together with officers from the Department of the Environment.  Despite that step, the Minister suggested that the development, governance and costs associated with the new portal would fall within the remit of local government.  Given that the “Planning Portal Board” had yet to be established, the Minister felt that a meeting between himself and a Council deputation would not be beneficial at this stage.

            In relation to the Industrial De-rating grant to be paid to the Council, the Minister had confirmed that the Council would be in receipt of the full grant for 2015/2016.

            After further discussion, the Committee agreed that a further letter be forwarded to the Minister reiterating its request that he meet and with an All-Party deputation from the Council as there were a number of important issues in relation to planning and reform that still had to be addressed.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    In March 2014 Council agreed to a programme of work that would prepare the organisation, and the city, for the introduction of community planning from April 2015. The aim of community planning is to ensure that by working together with the Council public bodies can deliver better services that have maximum impact of the lives of our residents.

1.2    The Council’s programme has a number of inter-connected strands of work. The initial focus of the programme has been at the city level, with Members and senior officers working with key partners to establish a long term vision and outcomes for the city, while at the same time beginning to identify medium term priorities for actions. The further development of this work (which is required under community planning legislation) is the subject of a second paper before Committee today.

1.3    Alongside the ‘city level’ strand, Members were also keen to develop the Council’s approach to community planning at the local level by addressing such questions as:

·        How to establish local outcomes that are reflective of local priorities and that also align with city outcomes?

·        How can we work better with local partners to improve service delivery at a local level?

·        How can we identify, manage, and maximise the impact of local interventions?

·        What are the most effective geographies for local community planning?

1.4    Members agreed that their Area Working Groups would provide an important channel through which to explore these issues in a practical manner. These Groups were established to assist Members in identifying local needs and priorities and opportunities for action. Members have been enthusiastic about this way of working and have suggested that they continue as building blocks for the Council’s emerging approaches to local area working.

1.5    However, Members will be aware that the boundaries for the existing five Area Working Groups are based on District Electoral Areas (DEAs) which will change from 1 April 2015 (as a result of Local Government Reform). Thus in order for the Area Working Groups to continue to meet from April, new boundaries will need to be established that reflect Members’ electoral constituencies and which can form the basis for future thinking on local community planning.

1.6    To address this, Transformation Committee agreed in June 2014 to commission expert support for Members to establish a new pragmatic geographical model for the Area Working Groups as part of wider preparations for future local community planning. Following a procurement process Deloitte were appointed to engage closely with Members and officers to develop pragmatic options for approval. This paper presents these options.

2       Key Issues

2.1    Deloitte were commissioned in November 2014 to engage with Members on the issues associated with area working and to develop proposals for new geographies. Deloitte were asked to draw upon current practice in Council and the approaches of other cities as a basis on which to develop criterion-based options for consideration by Members.

2.2    As part of this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report

“1        Relevant Background Information

1.1       The Council is required, under Part 3 of the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, to establish the Belfast PCSP and the four DPCSPs.  The Council must, under this legislation, make the appointments, so far as is practicable, to reflect the strength of the Parties on the Council.

1.2       Furthermore, Part 3, Section 6 (1) (f) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 makes provision for the filling of positions of responsibility.  Under this legislation, Political Members appointed to the PCSP and the four DPCSPs are considered positions of responsibility.

1.3       The Committee, at its meeting on 30th January, deferred consideration of this report until its meeting in February.

2          Key Issues

2.1       Appointment of Political Members to the Principal PCSP

            Members are reminded that, in 2012 the Council decided to appoint a 19 Member Policing and Community Safety Partnership which comprised 10 elected Members appointed by the Council and 9 Independent Members appointed by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.  There were also representatives from 7 statutory bodies and the voluntary and community sector, however there is no formal appointments process for these members.

2.2       The Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 provides that the Council may decide to appoint either 8, 9 or 10 Political Members to the PCSP. The number of Independent Members is to be set at one less than the number of Political Members. The decision which the Committee must make on the number of Political Members to appoint needs to factor in both the size of the partnership, but also its political make up.

2.3       Appendix 1, Part A, sets out the allocation of places to the political parties on the Council based upon a PCSP (the citywide partnership) comprising 19 Members, 17 Members and 15 Members (numbers include both Political and Independent Members).  This is based on several proportionality methods, namely the quota greatest remainder, the droop quota, D’hondt and Sainte Lague formulas.  The Council, in the past, has favoured the use of the quota greatest remainder method for sharing out of Committee posts.  This formula works on party strengths and is aimed at providing proportionate representation reflecting party strengths in the Council.

2.4       This is further complicated as the legislation also provides that the Political Members of the PCSP shall include the persons who hold the Office of Chair of each of the DPCSPs.  This means that 4 of the Political appointments to the PCSP each year will be reserved for the Chairs of the 4 DPCSPs.

2.5       In addition, for any particular DPCSP there is a requirement that, so far as is practicable, the Chair will be held in turn by the 4 largest Parties on the Council during the 4-year term (although there is a slight difficulty with this as discussed below in 2.8).  Accordingly, when considering the political nominations to the PCSP, it needs to be remembered that some Parties will already have obtained places through the Chairs of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3b

            The Committee was reminded that the Shadow Council, at its first meeting on 11th June, 2014, had adopted the Department of the Environment’s Model Standing Orders for the regulation of business at Shadow Council and Shadow Committee meetings.  That was always seen as a stop-gap measure until such times as the Shadow Council had developed its own set of Standing Orders.

            The Democratic Services Manager reported that the new Standing Orders could not be fully developed until the Assembly had passed the Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (Northern Ireland).  At present those were expected to be presented to the Assembly later in the month for agreement by affirmative resolution.  Those Regulations would include elements which would be mandatory for inclusion in the Council’s own Standing Orders.  The consultation on the Regulations had identified those issues as:

·        Qualified Majority Voting

·        Call-In Process

·        Positions of Responsibility – Time Limits

·        Appointment of more than one Committee

            He explained that, in the meantime, officers had drawn together a draft of what the new Standing Orders might look like.  Officers had tried to make use of plain English where possible and to make the Standing Orders more easily understood and applied.  The draft Standing Orders had been split into sections.  Section 1 dealt with the transaction of business at a full Council meeting, Section 2 provided for the transaction of business at Standing Committees and Section 3 included some miscellaneous Standing Orders.  Appended also to the draft Standing Orders was the current operating protocols for the Licensing and Planning Committees, although those might also be amended by the controlling Committees over the next couple of months.

            The Democratic Services Manager indicated that it was hoped that the Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (Northern Ireland) would be made by the Assembly in time for a further report on the Standing Orders to be presented to the Committee at its meeting in March.

            During discussion, several Members made some suggestions as to possible amendments to the Standing Orders and noted that those would be incorporated in any revised report which would be submitted to the Committee in March.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1           Relevant Background Information

1.1         Section 41 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 provides that a Council’s Standing Orders must make provision requiring reconsideration of a Committee decision (Call In) if 15% (9 Members) present to the Chief Executive a requisition on either of the following grounds:

1.     That the decision was not arrived at after a proper consideration of the relevant facts and issues (Procedural Grounds); or

2.     That the decision would disproportionately affect adversely any section of the inhabitants of the district (Community Impact).

2             Key Issues

2.1          The Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 are expected to be passed by the Assembly later this month.  These Regulations will provide detail of how the Call In procedure should be followed and what mandatory provision will have to be included in the Council’s own Standing Orders to facilitate this.  It is expected that the Regulations will be accompanied by guidance on a number of matters, including the operation of Call-In.  To date, neither the Regulations nor the guidance have been sent to the Council and, therefore, the issues raised in this report and the suggested adoption of a Call-In requisition form may need to be revisited if the Regulations say something which is different from what we expect

2.2          These Model Standing Orders provide that all decisions taken by a Committee under a Traditional Committee system, whether under delegated powers or ones which require Council ratification, will be subject to Call In except if the decision is one:

1.     Of a regulatory or quasi-judicial nature which is subject to a separate appeal mechanism (such as decisions of the new Planning Committee and new Licensing Committee from April 2014 onwards but this category will not apply during the Shadow Year);

2.     Where an unreasonable delay could be prejudicial to the Council’s or the public’s interests

2.2          In order to provide the Committees with the information which they require when taking decisions, each summary report will include a section which highlights if the decision is subject to Call In (the default position) or if it is not, or if it is recommended that the Committee decide that it should not be, then the reason should be stated in the summary report.

2.3          Either a set of draft minutes of the Committee meeting or a register of decisions taken at the meeting will be required to be published by Democratic Services no later than 2 working days after the meeting.  This publication will commence the period for requests for Call In to be submitted by Members.

2.4          Requests for Call In on Procedural Grounds

2.4.1       If at 10.00am on the fifth working day following the publication of the draft minutes or decision register at least 9 Members have requested a decision which is subject to Call In to be reconsidered (on procedural grounds) and have stated on their request the reasons why this should be the case, the Chief Executive shall at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3d

(Councillor Carson left the room whilst this item was under consideration.)

            The Committee agreed to defer consideration of a report in relation to Requests for Financial Assistance/Support Fund to enable further information to be obtained in relation to what the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister were doing to support the specific organisations in question (originally funded through PEACE III), to ascertain whether there would be support, what form that would take and how it would inter-relate with any interim support.

(Councillor McAteer, Deputy Chairman, in the Chair.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

1.1       The purpose of this report is to:

1.2

·        To update members on the progress of the Community Development Grant Programme 2015/16 and outline challenges due to the delay in the Executive budget decision and a reduced budget allocation from DSD.

·        To seek approval to update the area allocation model for our Advice grants to reflect the latest demographic and deprivation data (as instructed by the Development Committee Feb 2012)

·        To consider any revision to the funding bands for the Capacity Building and Revenue funds. 

            Community Development Grant Progress

            At the Statutory Transition Committee (April 2014), members agreed to progress to an open call process for the Community Development Grant Programme 2015-2017 which is managed by Community Services.

1.3

§  Generalist Advice: currently funded through the 5 advice consortia across Belfast for the provision of generalist advice services. Support was provided to ensure that the programme encompassed the advice support models currently administered in Castlereagh and Lisburn.

§  Capacity Building Grants: funding leadership within the community development sector to build the capacity of local groups to meet needs.

§  Revenue Grants for Community Buildings: provide running costs for community buildings to enable groups to meet community needs.

1.4       Council has traditionally invested approximately £2.6m annually in support of local Community Development activity of which £1.568 million comes directly from the Department for Social Development (DSD) via their regional Community Support Programme.

1.5       In planning for the 15/16 CDGP, application has been made via our Service Convergence budgets to expand the programme to cover the extended council boundary as part of LGR.  Current grant aid and community development support in the Lisburn and Castlereagh areas differs from the historical Belfast Community Support Programme.  Committee have therefore approved this additional fund (£405,523) to extend our grant aid programme and community development support to address needs in the incoming areas.

1.6       The CDGP was to be aligned to the transfer of Urban Regeneration and Community Development functions and budget from DSD to Council however this transfer has been deferred to April 2016.  Given the delay, DSD will continue to manage the regional CSP however the allocation model has been reviewed to reflect the new geographies across the 11 Councils and will be revised in line with any agreed cuts in the DSD budget.  We have not yet received formal confirmation of the level of CSP grant to council for 2015/16.

            Process

1.7

·        The large grant process to date is summarised below:

·        3rd June 2014: Launch and open call for 3 large grants (Advice, Capacity Building & Community Buildings Revenue).

·        June/July 2014:  Workshops and support provided to potential applicant groups

·        11th July 2014:  Application process closed

·        August to November:  grants assessed, scored and ranked

·        December: Assessment process verified by panel.

            Small Grant Programme: This includes Summer Scheme Grants and Community Development Project Grants.  The BCC small grant programme was opened to application in November 2014 with a closing date of 21st January 2015.  A total  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4b

            The Committee was advised that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 13th February, had considered a report in relation to the Belfast Investment Fund and had agreed to recommend to the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for approval to advance the Lagan Gateway Project, that is, the phases including the lock, the bridge and the footway, at less than 50% match funding, but stressed also that to new criteria needed to be developed for the Belfast Investment Fund.  The Committee had recommended also that approval be granted for the acquisition of the ex-Finlay factory side at Blackmountain in the sum of £250,000 for a freehold interest in the site.

            The Committee endorsed the recommendations of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

            The Director of Property and Projects submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1.0    Relevant Background Information 

1.1    Members are aware that the Area Working Groups (AWGs) were established in 2012 as a means of connecting Members to local areas in preparation for their role in community planning under the Reform of Local Government. In governance terms, the AWGs were established to have an advisory role, informing the implementation of the Investment Programme. Since this time, the AWGs have played an integral role in recommending investment decisions for their areas in terms of the Local Investment Fund (LIF); the Belfast Investment Fund (BIF); the Feasibility Fund and Local Interventions Funds to the SP&R Committee.

         However there a number of major opportunities and challenges facing both the Council and the city currently including

·     the reform of local government and the enhanced roles and responsibilities in addition to the extended boundaries including the

-   transfer of statutory planning powers from DoE

-   emerging statutory community planning duty which will be at a city, thematic and area level

-   transfer of regeneration powers and associated assets and projects from DSD (April 16)

·     the emerging Social Investment Fund (SIF) projects

·     a range of strategic projects being delivered across the city by partner organisations including the Rapid Transit system, the new University of Ulster, the emerging thinking around Urban Villages

·     the emerging Leisure Transformation Programme (LTP)

         Together with the continued implementation of the Council’s Physical Programme, all of the above provide a great opportunity for Members to make a real difference to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Belfast, particularly in terms of physical investment decisions.  Given this changing context and the need to ensure that the Council has to deploy increasingly stretched resources as effectively as possible which places a greater emphasis on Area Planning.

2.0    Area Working Group Updates

         LIF was established under the Investment Programme as a £5million fixed fund designed to support the delivery of local regeneration projects in neighbourhoods and to help connect Members to local areas. LIF was financed through a financed through re-allocation of existing resources. A fixed fund means that this is a ‘one-off’ pot of money and that there are no budget allocations for this beyond the current commitments.

         Current status of LIF as of 9 February 2015

·     £5million total allocation (April 2012) - £1,127,500 for North/South/East and West and £490k Shankill

·     Designed to fund neighbourhood regeneration projects between £15,000 and £250,000

·     62 projects worth £4,702,596 have been allocated in principle funding of which

o   20 projects completed worth - value - £998,573

o   9 currently on the ground - value - £907,596

o   28 at tender preparation stage- value - £2,334,427

o   5 not yet through due-diligence - value - £462,000

·     £1.23m for projects has been paid out to date (projects completed and currently on ground) so far with £3.47m to be paid out

·     There is a £297,404 remaining allocation under LIF (currently all in North)

            The Committee was reminded that, the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting of on 19th June 2014, had endorsed the commencement of a public procurement exercise to procure new build office accommodation in the City centre and had delegated authority to the Director of Property and Projects to award the tender with a further report to be submitted providing an update.

            Subsequently, at the meeting of the Shadow Strategic policy and Resources Committee on 16th January, 2015, the Members had been advised that the procurement process had entered a Competitive Dialogue procedure following the submission of three responses.  In order to ensure value for money, a comparator proposal for the same building design utilising one of the Council’s own City centre sites had also been costed as part of the process.

            Following assessment of the three submissions and the cost of the Council building on its own site, it was recommended that the Committee authorise the Director of Property and Projects to award a tender to McAleer and Rushe for the provision of new build offices for the Council at the Clarendon House site as representing the best value for money solution, subject to the capital financing model which had been proposed.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee noted that there would be a requirement for a staff workplace assessment to be undertaken and for and an occupational standard policy to be developed to complement the accommodation strategy and take account of the Council’s future organisational structure.

            The Committee noted the contents of a report in relation to the transfer of assets to the Council from Castlereagh Borough Council and Lisburn City Council and noted that there was ongoing engagement between those Councils, with a view to getting a resolution on all critical issues prior to the vesting date and that further reports would be submitted to the Committee as appropriate.

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    Members will be aware that as of 1st April 2015 the Council will be responsible for the Department for Regional Development (DRD) off-street car parks including their management and enforcement (excluding Park & Ride and Park & Share car parks).

1.2    Members are reminded that there are currently 30 off-street car parks with approximately 2200 car parking spaces.  17 of these car parks, comprising of 1567 parking spaces, serve the city centre and are charged. The remaining 13 car parks, outside the city centre, are free to use. 7 of the charged car parks are currently leased by DRD from NIHE, DSD, Belfast Harbour Commissioners, BCC and the University of Ulster.

1.3    At the Transition Committee meeting on 9th December, Members gave authority for the Estates Unit to enter into discussions with NIHE, DSD and Belfast Harbour Commissioners to renew the lease/licence terms for the leased/licensed car parks, subject to a subsequent report being brought back to the relevant committee for agreement on the terms of the leases/licences. A verbal update was also given at this meeting regarding renewal of the agreement for the Frederick Street car park, which is currently owned by the University of Ulster and leased to DRD. 

1.4    Members will also recall that DRD were proposing to retain ownership of the car park at Corporation Street for the development of the York Street Interchange.  Initially DRD had proposed to retain a number of car parks required in connection with proposed road schemes but they subsequently changed their position on this and confirmed that they only intend to retain the Corporation St car park. The Transition Committee, at their meeting on 13 October 2014 had agreed that all off-street car parks should transfer on the 1st April 2015. 

1.5    Members had agreed that should any proposed road schemes go ahead in the future then DRD could acquire the car parks by agreement or via compulsory purchase powers.  In both cases the Council should receive a capital premium based on the open market value of the sites which could be used to provide alternative car parking spaces.  Members were advised that if any car parks were to be developed by DRD for the purpose of road schemes then the Council, who will have the statutory responsibility for off street car parking, may potentially have to re provide car parking elsewhere at their expense. 

2       Key Issues

2.1    Transfer Scheme

         A draft Transfer Scheme scheduling the transferring assets has been forwarded by DRD and the detail of this is currently being considered by officers.   It is anticipated that the Transfer Scheme will be brought before Members in March.

2.2    Leases and Licences:

         Revised licence terms have now been agreed by Estates (subject to Committee approval) in respect of the following car parks:

         (i) Station Street: (licence from DSD): Open ended licence to commence 01/04/2015 at £1 pa.

         (ii) Kent Street (licence from DSD): Open ended licence from 01/04/2015 at £1 pa.

         Note: Both of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5e

            (Mr. G. Lennon, Chief Executive, and Ms R. McGuickin, Director of Business Tourism, Visit Belfast, were in attendance for this item.)

            The Director of Development submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

1.1      Members will be aware that St George’s Market currently operates as a market three days per week – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.    On non-market days, the market is available for hire for other events and this ensures that it can generate an income for the council outside of market days. 

1.2       A request has now been received from Visit Belfast to hold an event on four non-market days (i.e. Monday to Thursday, 15-18 June 2015).  However the event set-up and break-down will require access to the market before and after the main event (i.e. Sunday 14 June and Friday 19 June).  This would have the effect of closing St George’s as a market on those two days.

2          Key Issues

2.1       Members will be aware that the Integrated Tourism Strategy places a significant emphasis on the importance of business tourism to the city.  Investment in facilities such as the new Waterfront Conference and Exhibition Centre are intended to support an increase in the volume and value of business tourism, thereby generating knock-on benefits for the local hospitality sector in particular.

2.2       The tourism strategy also focuses on the need to both develop and attract a number of international events that will draw visitors to the city and create a positive image and profile of Belfast.  It suggests that there are opportunities to align these events to the business sectors in which the city has real strength, such as creative industries, software and IT and financial services software.

2.3       The Web Summit is an international business event that has taken place in Dublin each year since 2010.  Growing from an event that attracted 500 people in its first year, the 2014 event attracted 22,000 visitors to the city for a three day event that included a range of side-events all across the city.  The cumulative impact in terms of tourism spend is significant and it is one of the largest events that takes place in Dublin each year. 

2.4       The organisers of the Web Summit also run a number of related events at various locations across the world throughout the year.  These are focused on specific elements of the tech industry.  The organisers are seeking to develop a new event and have identified Belfast as their preferred venue for the event.

2.5       The event is actually comprised of two related events called MoneyConf and EnterConf.  It focuses on the financial services software and enterprise software industries – areas in which Belfast is developing a niche offer, with the presence of a number of both multi-national and indigenous businesses operating on a global scale.  It will run over a period of 4 days and organisers expect to attract 2000 delegates per day over the 4 days.  The event could generate up to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5f

            The Committee noted the contents of a report which provided an update on the Organisational Development work for the new Council and agreed:

(1)     to the holding of a briefing on the Local Government Association Peer Review by Members of the peer team on 5th March, 2015 at 10.30 a.m.;

(2)     to the interim arrangements for the management of the services within the current Parks and Leisure Department and the current Health and Environmental Services Department, pending options for the new organisation structure which would include proposals for a City and Neighbourhood services department.

            The Chief Executive reported that the recruitment exercise for the post of Director of Planning and Place had been completed and that distinct contractual terms were being developed, given the specific nature of the appointment and the potential for further organisational changes.

Noted.

            (Ms. N. Lane, Good Relations Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that the Council submitted an annual Action Plan to the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in order to draw down funding for the Good Relations work of the Council.  Accordingly, the Good Relations Manager submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

1.1    Members may be aware that the Council submits an annual Action Plan to OFMDFM every year in order to draw down funding for the Good Relations work of the Council. Correspondence has been received from OFMDFM advising that Action Plans must be submitted by 27th February 2015 in order to be scored and assessed.

1.2    The purpose of this report is to seek approval for the content within the draft Action Plan for forwarding to OFMDFM for approval as this Action Plan will be delivered under the new Belfast Council after April 1st 2015. The draft Action Plan is attached as appendix 1.

1.3    The Good Relations Partnership endorsed the Action Plan at its meeting on 9th February2015.

2       Key Issues

2.1    District Councils are identified within the Together; Building a United Community strategy as a key delivery agent. This delivery is through the District Council’s Good Relations Programme which is 75% funded by OFMDFM.

2.2    Action Plans are to be based on an audit of Good Relations issues and need within the Council area. To that end, the Good Relations Unit have updated the audit that was carried out in January and February 2014, in order to incorporate those issues that have been identified in those areas coming into Belfast in April. The updated audit is attached as appendix 2.

2.3    Action Plans must be aligned with the Government strategy Together; Building a United Community, under the 4 key priority areas of:

·        Children and Young People

·        Our Shared Community

·        Our Safe Community

·        Our Cultural Expression

2.4    It should be noted that the above themes are also reflected in the EU Peace IV programme. While the attached Action Plan only covers the 15/16 financial year and Peace IV covers 2014-2020, it is anticipated that information regarding the Good Relations audit and action plan will feed into the process of developing the Peace IV Action Plan thus providing complementarity.

2.5    The headline actions contained within the Plan include the Good Relations and St Patrick’s Grant Aid Schemes, work on Decade of Centenaries, Interfaces, support for the Black Minority Ethnic Communities and development of an approach regarding bonfire management.

2.6    The attached Plan has been drawn up in accordance with the Council’s estimates for 15/16. However, given the experience last year when Council was informed late in the year that the budget had been significantly reduced and that OFMDFM have advised that the initial indications of the Department’s 15/16 budget suggest an opening position that is lower than their opening position last year, the Action Plan may have to be prioritised which may particularly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

            The Chairman advised the Members that this would be the last meeting of the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee which would be attended by Mr. Andrew Hassard before his retirement and, on behalf of the Committee, he commended Mr. Hassard for his outstanding service to the Council.