Agenda and minutes

            The minutes of the meeting of 9th December were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Shadow Council at its meeting on 6th January.

No declarations of interest were reported.

            The Director of Finance and Resources provided the Committee with an update in relation to the establishment of the District Rate for 2015/2016, which would be considered by the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 30th, January.  He reported that the Northern Ireland Executive had committed a sum of £30million towards a rates convergence scheme as part of Local Government Reform and provided examples of how that scheme and the levels of District and Regional rates would affect the ratepayers.

            He explained that, once the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had agreed the District Rate for the 2015/2016, information would be published in the next edition of City Matters, on the Council’s website and in rates bills. In addition, Members would be provided with details on how the rates would impact upon constituents within their electoral areas.

Noted.

            (Mrs. R. Crozier, Assistant Director of Parks and Leisure, attended in connection with this matter.)

            The Committee considered the following report which outlined a proposed scale of charges for the use and hire of Council facilities in 2015/2016:

“2     Key Issues  

2.1    Ratepayers transferring from Lisburn and Castlereagh will face an increase in their rates bill as a result of convergence in 2015/16. It is therefore important that the Council considers the impact of converging prices for comparable services for transferring areas to ensure that where practical no further adverse impact for ratepayers or customers arises from local government reform.

2.2    As part of the service convergence preparations and engagement with Lisburn City Council (LCC), Castlereagh Borough Council (CBC) and North Down (ND), it had become apparent that the scope of services, and associated scale of charges (prices) applied across the councils differ. It was also apparent that whilst each council delivered similar services, they do not deliver them in the same way, and it is therefore difficult to undertake an exact like-for-like comparison.

2.3    Further analysis undertaken by BCC Officers on prices relating to services provided by Belfast, Lisburn, Castlereagh and North Down, indicated that the Belfast level of charge is generally lower than that of the other Councils.  As a general principle, it is therefore proposed to apply Belfast prices to transferring areas which will mean that in the majority of cases transferring users and residents will experience a reduction in service prices.

         The analysis identified that for street trading licences the Belfast service charge is significantly higher than that of the transferring area and in these circumstances it is proposed that a phased approach will be taken to the introduction of the Belfast prices.

         Scope of Fees & Charges

2.4    Members will be aware that the Council currently applies a range of fees and charges for various services as set out below:

·        Many fees are statutory in nature, such as Entertainment Licences and Births, deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnership registration.

·        Other charges are discretionary in nature and are applied to contribute to the cost of service provision, often subsidised in part by the rate. For example outdoor leisure.

·        Some services trade using a commercial model (e.g. commercial waste collection). 

·        Please be aware that Belfast Zoo, Malone House, Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall and Belfast Castle are not included within the scope of this report as there are no comparators in the transferring areas.

         2015/16 Rate Setting Context

2.5    The price comparison information included in this report is based on the 2015/16 pricing assumptions included in the revenue estimates for 2015/16. Any further proposed changes to BCC pricing would be considered as part of the 2016/17 revenue estimates cycle, and in-line with the proposed Pricing Policy due to go to committee in February.

         Service Continuity and Bookings

2.6    In the interest of business continuity, Belfast have agreed to honour any bookings taken by LCC/ CBC that transcend 01 April 2015.  This mainly relates to outdoor leisure arrangements.

         Baseline Assessment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

The Committee considered the following report:

“1     Background

1.1    In December, the Committee received detailed presentations from senior officers from across the Council with responsibility for the delivery of core frontline services. The purpose was to provide Members with assurance on the state of readiness for ensuring service continuity and investment in those areas transferring into the city from Lisburn, Castlereagh and North Down. 

1.2    With only 61 days remaining until the 1 April, the level and pace of work underway across the organisation is gaining greater momentum. This report sets out a high-level overview of some of the preparations being undertaken by the core frontline services as well as some of the investment plans for the transferring areas in terms of assets and facilities.

2       Key Issues

         Asset transfer preparations

2.1   As a result of Local Government Reform (LGR), there are a number of land and property assets due to transfer to the Council on 1 April 2015. These include 55 assets due to transfer from Lisburn City Council, Castlereagh Borough and North Down and 30 no of off street car parks due to transfer from DRD. 

2.2    A detailed due diligence exercise has been ongoing over recent months and detailed asset Packs have been prepared in respect of the transferring assets containing with summary details on title; lease /3rd party agreements; financial information; contracts; condition and compliance surveys; maps and photographs. These Asset Packs continue to be updated as additional information is obtained as part of the ongoing process of engagement.

2.3   There are a number of specific asset related issues currently being worked through with LCC and CBC relating to queries around potential liabilities, title, lease agreements, condition and/or compliance matters. Officers are seeking to bring a resolution to these outstanding issues to enable a detailed report to be brought to Committee in February for Members consideration and direction.  Again, this will be submitted to future meeting of Committee for consideration.

2.4   The actual transfer of assets and liabilities require a legal Transfer Scheme which will be made by a Government Department.  The transfer schemes will be developed by the transferring body (i.e. CBC/LCC/NDBC and DRD) and must be agreed by BCC as the transferee.  The Department of the Environment have indicated that they will act in an adjudication role in the event that there are any issues which remain unresolved in relation to council to council transfer schemes. 

2.5   Individual services are currently putting in place detailed operational plans to ensure day-1 readiness and service continuity for those assets transferring.  

         Investing in the new areas transferring

2.6    Members may be aware that a number ofkey reports had been submitted to the Shadow Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 16 January, setting out initial proposals  in relation to the 2015/16 rates setting process. This included identified funding requirements for both non-recurrent and capital expenditure for those new areas and assets transferring into Belfast. These reports and recommendations are due to be considered  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Committee considered the following report:

“1     Background

1.1    As part of the local government reform programme, departments across the organisation are working to ensure the Council will be able to deliver its services to the extended boundary areas. 

1.2    The organisation is also preparing to deliver new functions, most notably Planning, Off-Street Car Parking; and teams have also been working to ensure the organisation can deliver these services from 1st April 2015.

1.3    As day one comes closer, Members has asked for assurances that everything will be in place to ensure a smooth transfer and continuity of service delivery.  This report sets out at a high level the preparations being undertaken by the Finance and Resources and Chief Executive’s departments.

2       Supporting Transition

2.1    As central support functions the Finance and Resources and Chief Executives departments have primarily focussed on helping the frontline services to prepare for the transfer of services on 1st April. 

2.2    Digital Services has been working to ensure all ICT requirements have been considered including networking and cabling to transferring assets, provision of IT equipment and telephony to transferring staff, data transfer etc.  The service has also developed a training plan for implementation from 1 April for all transferring staff.

2.3    Financial Services has been working with services to develop new budgets for the transferring functions and the extended boundary areas as part of the rate setting process.  It is also working to ensure transferring staff are included on the payroll system, transferring contractors and customers details are captured, systems are configured to ensure additional invoices can be processed and contractors can be paid.

2.4    AGRS has been providing ongoing assurances around key areas of the LGR programme and ongoing work is planned from 1st April to ensure adequate controls and risk management processes are in place across the newly transferred services.  The Health and Safety Unit has been working with departments undertaking inspections of transferring assets, reviewing information and data transfer in relation to health and safety. The service has also prepared plans for the induction and training of transferring staff.

2.5    Corporate Communications is working to ensure ratepayers, existing and new, and staff are kept up to date with developments and progress. City Matters, website, social media, media and video are being used to get across messages and information. Design work on signage is also underway in relation to incoming buildings and assets, while discussions with Planning Service are ongoing on a range of communications issues, notably in relation to advertising which will provide challenging in relation to volume and resources.

2.6    HR has developed the elected member induction and capacity building programmes and developed and implemented the process for the effective and fair transfer of staff from Castlereagh and Lisburn. In addition, a programme of staff engagement and induction has been developed (and is ongoing) that includes site visits, presentations, information packs and videos for transferring staff; HR has also established a joint Castlereagh, Lisburn and Belfast TU forum. Further, the significant  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

            (Mrs. R. Crozier, Assistant Director of Parks and Leisure attended in connection with this matter.)

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.    Relevant Background Information

1.1    Currently BCC has an arrangement with CBC regarding burials for its residents. Castlereagh Borough Council pays one quarterof the difference between the Belfast resident and non Belfast resident charge for burials which is £300. In addition, a £100 per month management / administration fee is also paid to BCC by CBC.  This is a long standing arrangement and relates to the fact that CBC has no burial grounds of its own and Roselawn and Dundonald Cemeteries lie within the CBC boundary.

1.2    In Lisburn City Council (LCC) there is no such arrangement as they have a number of cemeteries within its boundaries.  However the relevant issue is that former CBC residents availing of the arrangement with Belfast are now joining with LCC as part of local government reform.  Also some former LCC residents who would have bought graves in Blaris for example will now fall within BCC boundaries and will have to pay the higher non resident rates charged by LCC for subsequent grave openings.

2.      Key Issues

         Discussions have been ongoing with Lisburn and Castlereagh regarding the impact of the changes on burial charges to residents and non residents.  Both Councils have presented written reports to the Shadow Environmental Services Committee.

         The analysis has highlighted that there are potentially 1041 grave lease at Blaris that will be affected by residents transferring from LCC to BCC.

         A number of options were put forward to the Shadow Environmental Services Committee for LCCDC regarding providing a subsidy for transferring LCC residents to assist with the increase from Resident to non resident rates.

         The option adopted by the committee was a phased subsidy for former LCC residents in line with the 3 year rates convergence period.

         In contrast 26k residents moving into the Belfast City Council area from CBC/LCC will experience a reduction of over 60% in purchasing a grave in comparison to the previous non resident charge they would have paid as LCC/CBC residents.

3.      Resource Implications

         Financial

         The issue relates to subsequent re-openings for LCC residents moving into Belfast – currently their charge is £312 for residents and goes up to £1,150 for non-residents (£838 of a difference)

         In year 1 this differential would be subsidised by 100%, year 2 66.6%, year 3 33.3% and in year 4 the former Lisburn resident with a grave in Blaris would be paying the full non resident rate

         Human Resources

         None

Asset and Other Implications

         None

4.      Equality and good relations implications

         There are no equality implications as the price is applied to all LCC/CBC residents moving into Belfast City Council area.

5.      Recommendation

         To note the content of the report and the option adopted  Lisburn and Castlereagh’s Shadow Environmental Services Committee.”

Concern was expressed by a number of Members in relation to the decision which had been taken by the Shadow Lisburn and Castlereagh District  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Background Information

1.1    Members will be aware that, in working to establish the Council’s new ambition for the future and its governance arrangements, consideration has been given to the Council’s role in delivering key outcomes for people across Belfast, including addressing the enduring health inequalities that exist in the city. This means addressing the wider social determinants of health (i.e. the economy, employment, poverty, urban regeneration, sustainable development, community safety, good relations) and the new Council will continue to actively support healthy people, healthy families and healthy communities.

1.2    Following on from the presentation by Dr Eddie Rooney, Chief Executive of the Public Health Agency (PHA) at the 19th  December meeting, it was acknowledged that Council would continue to work with the Public Health Agency, the Belfast Strategic Partnership and other bodies in the establishment of a common agenda to address health inequalities across Belfast. This report outlines the background to current partnership investment through the Belfast Strategic Partnership and how Belfast City Council could continue to support the health agenda in the medium term. 

1.3    The report acknowledges that, in the year ahead, the on-going approach to tackling inequalities and improving health and wellbeing in Belfast will need to be considered and reviewed in the context of the emerging Belfast Agenda and the governance that will support this. 

2       Key Issues

2.1    The Council’s current Investment Programme for Belfast sets out its commitment to deliver for the city, through a prospectus for partnership, to help its citizens realise their potential and focus on reducing inequalities and tackling disadvantage. Additionally, as part of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge which focused on the issue of persistent deprivation and poverty, the Council committed to create a collaborative environment (and management system) with clear accountability and leadership to implement an evidence-based decision-making model.

2.2    The Investment Programme currently supports joint working arrangements with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT) in the form of a city wide strategic health partnership, Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP). The BSP connects strategic, regional and local joint working to maximise impact and improve health and wellbeing by tackling disadvantage and deprivation across the city. The BSP produced a framework for action for tackling life inequalities (2011-2015). This work was done in conjunction with the Big Lottery community planning pilot for Belfast and includes a number of cross cutting key themes which are still relevant now in shaping city outcomes; in particular

·        Addressing poverty related issues by focusing on:

Ø  employability,

Ø  education and links to poverty,

Ø  fuel poverty

Ø  access to services

·        Releasing community capacity

·        Organisational Development – joining up planning, resourcing and delivery

·        Establishing an Active Belfast Partnership

·        Addressing mental health and emotional resilience

·        Healthy ageing

·        Health and health equity in all local policies.

2.3   BSP has wide representation across the statutory, community and voluntary sectors and to a lesser extent the private sector. It connects a number of thematic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.