Agenda and minutes

            No apologies were reported.

            The minutes of the meeting of 16th February were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 5th March.

            Alderman Rodgers declared an interest in respect of items 6a Capital Programme Update and 6b Area Working Group Update insofar as they related to the King George V Playing Fields in that he was a shareholder with Glentoran Football Club.  As these items did not become subject of debate Alderman Rodgers remained in the meeting.

In pursuance of the Committee’s decision of 15th December, to receive a presentation from Mr. Alan Walmsley, Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Community Protection, NIFRS, to discuss their capacity to enforce the Fire Services.

            In pursuance of the Committees decision of 15th December, it was reported that Mr Alan Walmsley, Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Director of Community and Protection, accompanied by Mr Bobby Anderson, Stage Commander, Protection Department, NIFRS, was in attendance to discuss the Service’s capacity to enforce the Fire Services Order. 

            Mr Walmsley provided the committee with and overview regarding the Service’s fire safety duties; fire safety audits; the protection and fire service delivery model; enforcement performance and capacity; and overview of the Service’s actions post-Grenville.

            The Assistant Chief Fire Officer then answered a number of questions from the Members, following which the Chairperson thanked him for his presentation and he retired from the meeting.

Noted.

            The information contained in the following four reports is restricted in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

      Resolved – That the Committee agrees to exclude the members of the Press and public from the Committee meeting during discussion of these items as, due to the nature of the items, there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42(4) and Section 6 of the Local Government Act (NI) 2014.

            The Committee noted the contents of a report which provided an update on the City Centre Investment Fund in terms of applications proceeding to the next stage, being held in reserve and being declined.

            The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the current situation regarding the Community Development Grants Programme (CDGP) 2018/19 and which offered a range of options for consideration to mitigate against any delay and/or a reduction in the Council’s Department for Communities income allocation.

            The Committee agreed to adopt Option 3: Business Continuity - to extend the current contract to all groups until 30th June, 2018; and proceed to the allocation, in advance of notification of the Department for Communities income, against the current budget of £231,689 for Summer Scheme and Projects based on assessment recommendations.

            The Committee considered a report which provided information on pending developments in relation to support for generalist advice services and Welfare Reform.

            The Committee:

1.     noted the contents of the report in advance of pending formal correspondence from the Department of Communities regarding the Council’s 2018/19 funding contract;

2.     agreed to a further report outlining detailed proposals in April 2018 and to include an update on the Eileen Evason report; and

3.     pending receipt of a letter of variance to the Council’s Community Support Programme 2017/18 contract, agreed to accept further additional in-year funds for 2017/18, which would facilitate an extension of the Citywide Tribunal Service into 2018/19 through the existing Council commitment.

            The Committee deferred consideration of the report to enable Party briefings to be held.

            The Committee noted that this item had been withdrawn from the agenda and would be considered at the special meeting to be held on 27th March.

            The Committee deferred consideration of the matter to enable further information to be obtained and to enable the views of the external representatives on the Audit and Risk Panel and the Shared City Partnership to be obtained also.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 1st February, in accordance with Standing Order 13 (f), had referred the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Boyle and seconded by Councillor Mullan, to the Committee for consideration:

"This Council believes that Belfast should be a place where everyone feels welcome and safe, where they are treated fairly and with respect in a shared City that values diversity and encourages civic participation.

Accordingly, the Council agrees to provide in the City Hall a quiet room/room of reflection which can be used by persons of all faiths and none to facilitate those citizens of Belfast and further afield who wish to have a private time out of the hustle and bustle of City life.”

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

            The Committee was advised that, at the meeting of the Council on 1st February, the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Armitage and seconded by Councillor Lyons, in accordance with Standing Order 13 (f), had been referred to the Committee for consideration:

“This Council recognises the long history of all faiths in Belfast.  The Council also appreciates the positive investment that each faith has placed in the City and celebrates the diverse cultural heritage that has been produced by all faiths and acknowledges the role of social justice that has enhanced Belfast.

As a City, we are keen to recognise the equality of all faiths, as well as those who describe themselves as atheists or agnostic.

It saddens this Council to see recent anti-religious actions, especially against the Jewish Faith and the Islamic Faith, and so we would like to honour the work of all faiths by inviting them to attend a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor.”

            The Committee agreed that a civic reception, as set out in the motion, be held.

            The Committee was advised that, at the meeting of the Council of 5th March, the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Reynolds and Seconded by Councillor Kyle, had been referred to the Committee for consideration in accordance with Standing Order 13 (f):

"This Council will review and revise its Code of Practice on Smoking at Work on the use of e-cigarettes, in light of the new research published by Public Health England."

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting on the Council’s Code of Practice on Smoking at Work and the use of e-cigarettes.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To consider a Notice of Motion on the establishment of a Brexit Standing Committee which, in accordance with Standing Orders, was referred to the Committee by the Council at its meeting on 5th March.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is requested to consider the motion and to take such action thereon as may be determined.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

3.1.1    At the meeting of the Council on 5thMarch, the following motion was proposed by Councillor Canavan and seconded by Councillor McDonough-Brown:

            ‘The referendum result to leave the European Union presents unprecedented political, social and economic challenges for our city, for the North of Ireland and indeed the entire island.

            Belfast, as a city, as demonstrated in motions adopted by this Council, supported remaining within the EU whilst also supporting the provision of special status for the North and remaining in the ‘single market’.

            As one of the world’s one-hundred resilient cities, with economic resilience being a key focus, it is imperative that we understand the full implications that Brexit could bring.

            To enable this, the Council will immediately establish a formal Brexit Standing Committee, made up of Elected Members, with appropriate officer support, to undertake all necessary work required to bring forward a report with recommendations to explore the impact of Brexit on Belfast and its citizens.’

3.1.2    In accordance with Standing Order 13(f), the motion was referred to the Committee for consideration.

3.1.3    The establishment of Committees in a Traditional Committee-Style Governance system is dealt with in Schedule 2 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.  The Council has previously agreed that the quota greatest remainder system will be used for the purpose of identifying the Party(s) entitled to nominate Members to a Standing Committee.

3.1.4    The Council already has 6 Standing Committees.  All of those Committees have a membership of 20, with the exception of the Planning and Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall Ltd. Shareholders’ Committees, which have a membership of 14.

3.1.5    The Committee is requested to consider the motion.  If it agrees to adopt the motion, then the Committee is requested to indicate how any Members should be appointed to the Committee.  For information, the following political breakdown would apply to a Committee with a membership of 14 or 20:

            14 Members

            SF – 4

            DUP – 3

            ALL – 2

            SDLP – 2

            UUP – 2

            PUP – 1

            20 Members

            SF - 7

            DUP – 5

            ALL – 3

            SDLP – 2

            UUP – 2

            PUP – 1

3.1.6    If the motion is supported, then a further report will be presented to Committee covering the following issues:

1.     The allocation of positions of responsibility for the Committee

2.     The re-allocation of the Special Responsibility Allowances to accommodate a new Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson

3.     The revision of Standing Orders to accommodate the establishment of a new Standing Committee

4.     The revision of the Scheme  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4e

            The Committee noted the contents of the report and agreed that it be deferred to enable Party briefings to be held followed by a Workshop for all Members.

            The Committee was reminded that the Corporate Plan was a key governance document, cited in the Council’s constitution, as the means by which the Committee set the strategic direction of the Council.  It set out what the Council wished to achieve for the City and the key priority actions to make that happen.

            A four-year Corporate Plan (2017-21) had been approved by the Committee on 23rd June, 2017, with the agreement that it would be updated annually.

            The Chief Executive reported that the Year 2 updates to the draft Corporate Plan reflected a range of organisational and city-wide planning led by the Members over the last year and built upon the four-year plan already agreed.  Since the original four-year plan was published, the Belfast Agenda had been finalised and many of the changes reflected the published version of the Belfast Agenda.  A number of the programmes of work had progressed over the last year and the Year 2 update reflected these developments.

            In addition, The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 had introduced a duty on councils to make arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions.  The Council, therefore, had a statutory obligation to publish an Improvement Plan setting out the Council’s Improvement Objectives.  The Northern Ireland Audit Office was responsible for overseeing the implementation of that duty and would undertake an examination of the planning process the Council used to derive its improvement objectives and its progress against them.

            The Corporate Plan therefore incorporated the Council’s improvement plan, which set out explicitly the Council’s improvement objectives.  Those improvement objectives cascaded from the Council’s priorities as informed by a wide body of evidence, including a far reaching consultation process which informed the development of the Belfast Agenda and Corporate Plan.

            It was pointed out that the performance measures and associated targets, a key component of the improvement plan, were currently under year-end review and therefore not contained within the draft improvement plan.  Following the year-end review, those would be inserted in the final draft which would be submitted to the Committee in June for approval.

            The Chief Executive reported also that, as part of the aforementioned Act, the Council was required to consult on its improvement objectives every year before publishing a final improvement plan by June.  In order to meet that timeframe, it was necessary to commence an eight-week consultation period on the six improvement objectives contained within the Corporate Plan for 2018/19.  Any changes to the improvement objectives, following the consultation, would be submitted to the Committee for approval.

            The Committee:

·        granted approval to commence a public consultation exercise on the draft Improvement Objectives for 2018/19;

·        granted approval for the draft Corporate Plan to be published alongside the consultation of the Improvement Objectives for understanding and context; and

·        noted that the final Year 2 Update of the Corporate Plan would be submitted to the Committee in June for final sign-off.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To update Committee on recent progress, emerging infrastructure proposals within the Belfast City Council area and next steps on the development of a Belfast Region City Deal.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to note;

·        the update on progress and the emerging infrastructure proposals

·        the next steps in the development of the Belfast City Region Proposition

3.0       Main report

            Background

3.1       Members will be aware that a major programme to enable the development of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD), in accordance with the requirements of the Department for Communities and Local Government, is now in full operation. There are now approximately 10 active workstreams working towards fulfilment of the requirements for the next major milestone in the City Deal process. This will involve, before the end of April 2018, the production of a further proposition paper providing detailed analysis of the region, its economy, emerging growth sectors and the case for investment in emerging projects.

3.2       The programme is being developed to fulfil the agreed objective for the BRCD of ‘more and better jobs; inclusive growth; improved skills and and growth of domestic business and FDI’.   Development of the programme based on the agreed pillars of infrastructure, innovation and skills is overseen by a Board comprising the Chief Executives of the six Councils in the Belfast Region and Ronan Cregan, Deputy Chief Executive, has been appointed as the SRO for the programme.  The Joint Engagement Forum, comprising Councillors from each of the BRCD partners met on 12 February and were updated on progress in developing the City Deal proposition. Councillors also had the opportunity to discuss the lessons learned during the Glasgow City Deal with Gordon Matheson the leader of Glasgow City Council when their City Deal was agreed. 

            Programme Update

3.4       In the past month key areas of progress include:

·        Production of the first draft of an industrial strategic framework;

·        Future City Catapult commencing work to develop a vision for digital infrastructure for the region and a series of costed digital infrastructure proposals that complement the wider City Region Deal bid;

·        Appointment of consultants to create a business case for investment in infrastructure for the Belfast Region;

·        Production of a specification for the development of Tourism Product Framework for the Region;

·        Qualitative assessment of potential infrastructure projects by KPMG;

·        Development of outline proposals by Queens University and Ulster University for innovation projects for potential inclusion in BRCD;

·        Development by Further Education Colleges and Council Partners of an outline proposition on an integrated programme for employability and skills;

·        In addition, to the work on the development of the BRCD proposition, Council Chief Executives and members of the Programme Team have continued to engage regularly with key partners, including officials from DCLG, the NIO, DfE, DoF and DfI to continue to build support for the Deal and to ensure that the proposition is developed in accordance with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5c

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       Following its successful twelve-month development phase, Members agreed in November 2017 to embed the Smart Belfast programme within the mainstream work of the Council. The programme is designed to support the outcomes of the Belfast Agenda by fostering collaborative innovation amongst city partners and by encouraging greater innovation within the Council itself. Members have already approved a budget for this programme and this paper now identifies the Innovation team resource required to deliver the programme going forward.

1.2       During its first year Smart Belfast ran a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition to develop new tools to help better identify sources of Business Rates income. Following the successful completion of this competition. Members are now asked to approve a procurement exercise to purchase an innovative Business Rates tool.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

1.     To note progress on a number of key projects in the Smart Belfast programme

2.     To agree to the procurement of a Business Rates maximisation tool.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Smart Belfast aims to bring collaborative innovation to bear on urban challenges and public service transformation. The emerging programme will operate at three levels:

(1)   City and regional: Working with partners to inform the City Deal and the Belfast Agenda; supporting foreign direct investment, local entrepreneurs and high growth sectors, etc.

(2)   Organisational transformation: informing Council service transformation by supporting the adoption of agile, user-centric design; innovative procurement; and the application of data science and technologies.

(3)   Building the core foundations: working with partners to build capability by setting in place the long term foundations (including a city data platform, skills programmes, delivery mechanisms, etc).

3.2       As Members will be aware, delivery of the framework is driven by a ‘pipeline’ of projects specifically chosen because they are able to demonstrate their contribution to the Belfast Agenda and the Smart City foundations. Given the collaborative nature of such work, a number of these projects are identified in-year and, as such, a successful Smart Belfast programme will be dependent on the agility and responsiveness of the team to such opportunities.

            Members are asked to note a number of current and planned pipeline projects:

3.3       Business Rates Maximisation project

            The Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition to find innovative methods to identify sources of Business Rates income supported two SMEs to develop proto-types which together during an initial pilot phase were successful in identifying year-on-year Business Rates revenue of £589,000 for the city.

3.4       In addition to this increased Rates income, the project allowed both companies to develop new products, hire new staff, and promote their work both nationally and internationally. The project was also highlighted as a best practice example in the UK Industrial Growth strategy and both companies have been invited on UK international trade missions.

3.5       The project has also provided substantial learning beyond the scope of the initial competition. The data techniques  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The Spring Statement 2018 allocated the first wave of funding from the Department of Culture Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) Programme, providing over £95 million for 13 areas across the UK. Belfast City Council has been awarded £11.5 million subject to due diligence tests.

1.2       The Council understands that the future of telecommunications infrastructure in Belfast is vital to our economic growth, and full fibre connectivity is the key to ensuring high-speed connectivity for current and future generations. This award will allow Belfast City Council to future proof its network connectivity requirements for the next 20 to 25 years through the ‘Belfast LFFN Programme’. Our LFFN programme will result in the installation of an extensive fibre network connecting the entire Belfast City Council estate, and covering areas of the city where intensive local regeneration plans have been prepared.

1.3       The aim of the programme is to maximise the availability and benefit of gigabit capable broadband services to public sector, business and residential users, and support Belfast’s Smart Cities ambitions and growth in 5G.

1.4       This report provides a summary of our successful bid and outlines next steps in the delivery of the Belfast Local Full Fibre Network Programme.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

            Note the contents of the report.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Whilst 95% of UK premises can now get superfast broadband, only 3% have access to gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure. With the need for faster connectivity expected to increase dramatically over the coming years, the LFFN programme aims to leverage local and commercial investment in full fibre across the UK. It will do this through funding a series of projects that seek to stimulate the market by making the deployment of gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure more commercially viable.

3.2       The delivery of the Belfast LFFN Programme has the potential to:

·        Increase innovation and productivity in business,

·        Open new markets for business, by exploiting full fibre infrastructure,

·        Provide better access to public services,

·        Improve infrastructure to support Smart Cities initiatives and 5G rollout.

3.3       A summary of the Belfast LFFN award is outlined below.

3.4       A BCC ‘Dark fibre’ network provides us with:

·        Additional control to manage our network in the way we determine is best to meet our business requirements,

·        A more secure purpose built point-to-point network,

·        Almost unlimited bandwidth potential of optical fibre.

3.5       In addition, the successful supplier has the potential to maximise the availability and benefit of gigabit capable broadband services to public sector, business and residential users using any spare capacity they build into the network. The geographical coverage of the proposed public building fibre network is provided in Appendix 1.

3.6       DCMS has now indicated that awards for the Gigabit Voucher Scheme will not be provided to individual projects, but will be managed centrally by DCMS. The impact of this decision will need to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5e

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 16th February, it had agreed to refer back to the East Area Working Group the proposal to replace the 3G pitch project at the King George V Playing Fields on the Capital Programme by a 3G pitch at the Blanchflower Playing Fields to enable representatives of the Glentoran Football Club and NI Water to attend the next meeting of that group.

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that, following discussion at the East Area Working Group on 8th March, the Members had recommended to the Committee that the King George V proposal be replaced on the Capital Programme by a 3G pitch at the Blanchflower Playing Fields and that that project be moved to Stage 3 -Committed on the Capital Programme. 

            Also, in keeping with the agreement last month on the Ulidia Playing Fields proposal, it was recommended also that that project be held at Tier 0 – Schemes at Risk pending the final tender return price.

            The Committee adopted the recommendations of the East Area Working Group and agreed also that officers undertake research into the provision of suitable and convenient pitch facilities for the Glentoran Football Club, including its youth academy and a report thereon be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To seek Members approval of the minutes of the most recent round of AWGs. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Approve the most recent round of Area Working Group (AWG) Minutes (West – 22nd February; South – 26th February; North – 27th February and East – 8th March) as attached at Appendix 1.  

            Local Investment Fund

·        West AWG - approve the recommendations from the West AWG as laid out at 3.2 below in respect of LIF

            Belfast Investment Fund

·        East AWG - approve the recommendations from the East AWG as laid out at 3.3 below in respect of the ringfenced BIF allocation for Outer East

            Social Innovation Challenge Fund 

·        South AWG - approve the recommendations from the East AWG as laid out at 3.4 below in respect of the ringfenced Social Innovation challenge Fund which has been established to support projects under the Locality Planning pilots 

3.0       Main report

            KEY ISSUES

            AREA WORKING GROUP UPDATES

3.1       Members agreed in June 2016 that the Area Working Group minutes would be taken into the SP&R Committee for approval going forward in line with the Council’s commitment to openness and transparency and to ensure a consistent approach with other Member-led Working Groups. Members are asked to approve the most recent round of AWG Minutes (West – 22nd February; South – 26th February; North – 27th February and East – 8th March) as attached at Appendix 1. 

            WEST AWG

3.2       Local Investment Fund - The West AWG, at its meeting on 22nd February, made the following recommendation for the consideration of the SP&R Committee in relation to their LIF allocation

            EAST AWG

3.3       Belfast Investment Fund - The East AWG, at its meeting on 8th March, made the following recommendations for the consideration of the SP&R Committee in relation to the ring-fenced BIF allocation of £2m for projects in Outer East. These projects are all at Stage 2 – Uncommitted so it is recommended that they are progressed to Stage 3 - Committed. It should be noted that all are on the basis of a maximum budget allocation, going through the Council’s due-diligence processes and are subject to the return of satisfactory tenders.

            The Directors of Property and Projects and City and Neighbourhood Services submitted for the Committee’s consideration the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       This report updates Members on the development and implementation of the £105m leisure assets capital programme

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to note the contents of this report and

·        note the programme level update in respect of the new facilities under the leisure programme as outlined at 3.1-3.3

·        note the feedback from the Stage 2 consultations for Templemore and Avoniel as attached at Appendix 1 (see 3.4)

·        in light of the professional advice from the Council’s Integrated Designs Teams (as outlined at 3.5 and 3.6) agree the sequencing of the builds at Templemore and Avoniel with both facilities to close following the opening of the new Robinson in 2019 – this will enable the opening of the new Avoniel in 2020 with Templemore following in 2021. In agreeing this Members are asked to note that the Council is already working on business continuity plans, similar to those developed for Robinson, Andersonstown and Olympia, to ensure continued provision for all users of both Avoniel and Templemore and officers are confident that all users can be accommodated in other centres including the new Robinson

·        note the revisions to the proposed facilities mix at Templemore following the consultation feedback to allow for a greater focus on heritage/interpretation space and a consequent reduction in the size of the spa facilities – this proposal has been endorsed by the East AWG at its meeting on 8th March and by the HLF

·        note that an options appraisal in respect of the future management arrangements for Templemore is currently underway following legal advice which has been received that the Council cannot directly award a contract for the running of the new facility to the Templemore Users Trust (TUT).  Members are asked to note that this must be considered by Committee in April in order to ensure that the Council can meet the strict HLF funding deadline which requires the application to be submitted by October.

3.0       Main report

            Programme level

3.1       Members will recall that they have agreed the design cost limits and the citywide USP strategy for the Council’s £105m leisure programme which will ensure that the city has a unique offering in terms of its leisure provision and minimises any duplication of provision ensuring both balanced investment and value for money.  A high level summary of the current status of all the projects is outlined below –

            The Committee:

·        approved the public advertisement and acceptance of tenders as listed in Appendix 1, Table 1through the Council’s electronic procurement system; and

·        granted delegated authority to the appropriate Director, using pre-agreed criteria, to award the most economically advantageous tender and allow month by month extensions where contracts were under review:

Appendix 1 - Schedule of tenders for consideration

Table 1 – New tenders

Table 2 – Contracts for extension of contract period

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011 and the supporting Prudential and Treasury Codes produced by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), require the council to consider the affordability and sustainability of capital expenditure decisions through the reporting of prudential and treasury management indicators.

1.2       This report provides information for Members on the prudential indicators for Belfast City Council for the period 2018/19 to 2020/21 and the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2018/19.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to note and agree:

·        The contents of this report and the prudential and treasury management indicators included within the appendices to the report.

·        The Authorised Borrowing Limit for the Council of £192m.

·        The Treasury Management Strategy for 2018/19, which has been included as Appendix 2 to this report.

3.0       Main report

3.1       The Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011 requires the Council to adopt the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities.  In doing so, the Council is required to agree a minimum revenue provision policy annually and set and monitor a series of Prudential Indicators, the key objectives of which are to ensure that, within a clear framework, the capital investment plans of the council are affordable, prudent and sustainable.

3.2At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 9 December 2011, Members approved the Council’s Treasury Management Policy which is based on the CIPFA Treasury Management Code of Practice.  The Treasury Management Policy requires that a Treasury Management Strategy be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on an annual basis and that it is supported by a mid-year and year end treasury management reports.

3.3       The prudential indicators are included as Appendix 1, while the treasury management strategy and treasury management indicators have been included as Appendix 2.

3.4       The comparison of ‘Gross Borrowing’ to ‘Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) is the main indicator of prudence when considering the proposed capital investment plans of the Council.  Estimated gross borrowing should not exceed the CFR for the current year plus two years.  The Council’s estimated gross borrowing position, illustrated in Table 3, Appendix 1, is comfortably within the CFR in the medium term.  The Director of Finance and Resources therefore considers the estimated levels of gross borrowing as being prudent.

3.5       Table 4 and 5 (Appendix 1) shows the estimated financing costs for capital expenditure as a percentage of the estimated net revenue stream for the Council, based on the medium financial plan, and the incremental impact on the rates of the Investment Programme.  These illustrate that in the medium term, capital financing costs will represent 14.01% of the Council’s net running costs.  On this basis the Director of Finance and Resources is satisfied that the level of capital expenditure is affordable.

3.6       The Finance Act requires the Council to set an affordable borrowing limit, relating to gross debt.  The Prudential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7b

            The Committee considered a report in relation to a proposed increase in the basic allowance and asking it to consider whether it wished to apply a revised allocation of the special responsibility allowances.

            The Committee agreed not to increase the basic allowance nor to apply the revised allocation of the special responsibility allowances.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Shared City Partnership of 5th March, 2018 and agreed to the following recommendations:

·        That a letter is forwarded on behalf of the Shared City Partnership to the Department for Justice Permanent Secretary endorsing the Community Attitudes to Peace Walls Survey findings and requesting an update in respect of what provision has been made to support action plans which would assist the target of removing barriers by 2023;

·        To note the update on PEACE IV and approve that delegated authority be assigned to the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services in respect of PEACE IV contracts;

·        To agree the recommendations in relation to the Review of the Shared City Partnership as outlined in the minutes;

·        That approval be granted for the provision of up to £1,500 to the Corrymeela Community to support its ‘Inspire Peace’ at the City Hall on Friday, 9th November;

·        That the Council provide up to £100 towards the cost of hospitality for up to 40 people at an event in the Reception Hall on the day of the ‘Abandoned, Not Forgotten’ exhibition; and

·        That approval be granted for officers to commence the procurement exercise for the provision of beacons for use in 2018, at an approximate cost of £50,000 - £60,000 and agreement that this exercise could be halted should a subsequent decision be taken not to deliver any beacons in 2018.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services submitted for the Committee’s consideration the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       Members will be aware that Belfast City Council is engaged in a partnership with the Department for Communities (DfC) and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) in the delivery of the Affordable Warmth Scheme (AWS). The scheme aims to address fuel poverty for the most vulnerable households in the city. 

1.2       The purpose of this report is to update members of the Strategic Policy and Resources committee on the current position of the Scheme following the proposal from People and Communities committee that the issue of providing additional resourcing of the council Affordable Warmth (AW) team be considered by the SP&R committee.

            Performance in relation to current target levels

1.3       Each year the DfC set a target number of referrals to be provided by councils to NIHE and provide a set amount of funding based upon a unit cost per referral, which is used to resource the AW team within the Building Control Service.

1.4       The team has been unable to transfer the targeted number of referrals to NIHE in 2017-2018. 

            This is due to:

·        the reduction of funding from DfC, resulting in the loss of staff with the team now having 1.5 members of staff

·        the additional duties taken on from the NIHE where we now carry out financial checks which can involve considerable time to take householders through the process

·        the significant volume of self-referrals being made to the scheme.

1.5       This is also despite reallocating internal business support resources (circa 1 FTE) within the Building Control Service as a stop gap measure to help manage the number of phone calls being received.  At present the service is covering the costs of these business support staff, management, HR and finance costs and the range of overhead costs for the team, in the region of £40,000.

1.6       Therefore it has been put to the DfC that additional funding is required to recruit additional staff to meet the current target with the assumption that the target for next year will be similar. The increase in unit cost per referrals required was provided to DfC at a recent manager meeting. (an increase from £181 to £290 to cover the costs outlined above)

1.7       Potential to tackle waiting list

            The Business support staff have been reallocated to deal with the significant number of calls being received regarding the scheme, where people are self-referring or being referred by health professionals or elected members. These self-referrals are reviewed based on need, with many being without heating or with heating systems in poor repair, with these being prioritised. There are currently in the region of 600 people  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9a

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

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       Members will be aware that requests for the use of the City Hall grounds are normally dealt with under the authority delegated by the Committee to the Director of Property & Projects, using criteria agreed for this purpose. Occasionally however, it is necessary to place such requests directly before the Committee, and the requests set out below fall into this category.

1.2       Several requests have been received for events which have previously been approved by the Committee and have run successfully and without incident. In previous years due to the relatively small scale and nature of these events, delegated authority has been used for granting use of the City Hall grounds. However due to the success of the events and the increased scale of the proposed activities this year it is deemed necessary to seek Committee approval.

1.3       As these are likely to be annual requests the Committee is also invited to consider the granting of approval for a 3-year period as has been done with other similar events (e.g. Orangefest). The events in question are as follows:-

1.     A ‘Family Fun Day’ organised under the auspices of the Belfast Pride Festival which takes place in the city from 28th July to 6th August 2018. This proposed event would take place on 28th July 2018;

2.     A music event requested by Feile an Phobail in respect of their annual ‘City Hall Rocks Back’ event which is part of the Feile calendar of events, proposed to be held in the grounds of the City Hall on the 4th August 2018; and

3.     A family event as part of the Culture Night programme of events which will include a number of food stalls and family friendly work- shops and performances which takes place in venues all over the city on 21st September 2018.

1.4       In each case, the organisers would be providing all stewarding/marshalling staff & first aiders and would of course have to comply with the usual conditions including indemnities for damage and submission of a formal event-management plan etc. The organisers may need access to electricity and water supplies and if either is required the cost of providing these services will be passed on.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is recommended to:

·        Approve the requests as outlined above by the various event organisers in respect of the proposed events in the grounds of the City Hall in July, August & September 2018.

            It is further recommended:

·        That approval is also given for similar events in 2019 & 2020.

3.0       Main report

            The key issue is whether the Committee is minded to grant approval for the events listed herein to take place on the scheduled dates during 2018.

3.2       As the various events have already successfully taken place in previous years and are likely to involve repeat requests each year, the Committee may also wish to grant approval for any requests  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9b

            The Committee was reminded that requests for the use of the City Hall grounds were normally dealt with under the delegated authority of the Director of Property and Projects, using the criteria agreed for that purpose.  Occasionally, however, it was necessary to place such requests directly before the Committee and the following fell into that category.

            The Director reported that a request had recently been received from the organiser of the Belfast Photo Festival (BPF) to have a photographic exhibition in the grounds of the City Hall between 1st and the 24th June 2018.  The BPF was the visual arts festival of Northern Ireland and one of the leading photography festivals in the UK.  It had been launched in 2011 and the festival attracted 85,000 visitors across 24 city venues and was one of the city’s major art events.

            The Committee approved the request to hold a photographic exhibition in the City Hall grounds between 1st and 24th June 2018.

            The Committee approved the recommendations made in respect of applications received up to February, 2018 as set out in appendix 1 below:

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Audit and Risk Panel of 6th March.

The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Budget and Transformation Panel of 8th March.

            The Committee noted the minutes of the meeting of the Active Belfast Limited Board of 15th March.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to make Members aware of the Safeguarding Board for NI's consultation on their Strategic plan (2018-2022) and to seek Members’ approval of the Council’s draft response.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1      The Committee is asked to;

·        Consider the draft response and approve its submission to SBNI subject to any comments or amendment noting that the response is subject to full Council approval at its meeting in April 2018.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Background

            The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland are currently consulting on their Strategic Plan for 2018-2022. The closing date for response was 6th March 2018 and officers have submitted comments in draft noting this was in advance of committee consideration and subject to amendment.

            Members are also advised that officers have been approached by the National Children’s Bureau acting on behalf of the Safeguarding Board to facilitate an engagement with members of the Belfast Youth Forum to obtain their views on the Strategic plan. This consultation will be facilitated before the end of March 2018.

3.2       Summary of draft SBNI Strategic plan 2018-2022

            The Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) was established in 2012 following the publication of the Safeguarding Board Act (2011) and replaced the Regional Child Protection Committee (RCPC) with an extended role to include the wider remit of safeguarding as well as statutory child protection. The aim of the SBNI is to support organisations to work in a more coordinated and effective way to better protect children and keep them safe from risk and harm.

            The SBNI is made up of key partner organisations from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors and the representatives on the Board aim to work together to improve learning in child protection across all agencies, enhance practice and ensure that children’s voices are at the centre of all that is done by the organisations and systems that make up the child protection system. Councils are represented on the SBNI by the Chief Executives of Mid & East Antrim Council and Newry, Mourne & Down District Council.

            The draft SBNI strategic plan sets out the strategic direction and context of the work of the Safeguarding Board over the next four years to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in Northern Ireland.

3.3       Draft Response

            A copy of the draft response to the consultation is attached as Appendix 1 and a summary of the key issues are outlined below.  As noted the closing date for responses was prior to Council meeting and, as such, this draft response was submitted to SBNI with the caveat that that it is still subject to amendment pending committee consideration and ratification at the full Council meeting.

3.4       The response notes that Council welcomes the strategy and agrees with its proposed aim, key principles and the new structures that will oversee its delivery.  Officers noted that this approach fits closely with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9h

To recognise the historic achievement of securing the Six Nations  Grand Slam on St Patrick's Day 2018. Belfast City Council will host a civic lunch for Rory Best, Ireland Captain, and the other members of the Ireland team.  That this lunch should take place before the conclusion of the current Rugby Football season.

            In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Craig proposed the following:

“To recognise the historic achievement of securing the Six Nations Grand Slam on St Patrick's Day 2018, Belfast City Council will host a civic lunch for Rory Best, Ireland Captain, and the other members of the Ireland team.  This lunch should take place before the conclusion of the current Rugby Football season.”

            The Committee agreed to the proposal.

In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Long requested that a report be submitted to the next monthly meeting of the Committee in relation to allegations made in respect of the Hillview Market.

            The Committee agreed to this course of action.