Agenda and minutes

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

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1        The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on the 20 January 2017, considered the proposed 2017/18 revenue budgets and cash limits for the Strategic Policy and Resources, People and Communities, City Growth and Regeneration and Planning Committees.

1.2            The Committee agreed that the revenue budgets and cash limits for the People and Communities Committee, City Growth and Regeneration Committee and the Planning Committee should be referred to special meetings of each Committee on 24 January 2017.

1.3            This report provides recommendations for the Committee Cash Limits and District Rate for 2017/18.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to agree:

·        That this paper should not be subject to call-in (as indicated above) because it would cause an unreasonable delay which would be prejudicial to the Council’s and the public’s interests in striking the district rate by the legislative deadline of 15th February 2017.

·        A cash limit of £42,443,408 for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for 2017/18, including £3,270,000 relating to the Belfast Investment Fund.

·        A cash limit of £76,242,845 for the People and Communities Committee for 2017/18.

·        A cash limit of £15,841,354 for the City Growth and Regeneration Committee for 2017/18.

·        A cash limit of £1,520,440 for the Planning Committee for 2017/18.

·        The capital financing budget of £18,751,901 for 2017/18.

·        That the increase in the district rate for 2017/18 should be 1.89%, based on an estimated penny product of 5,875,174 meaning a non-domestic rate of 26.3481 and a domestic rate of 0.3199 and that the amount to be raised through the district rate in 2017/18 will be £149,511,770.

·        Note the Director of Finance and Resources statement on the adequacy of the Council’s reserves position and the robustness of the revenue estimates as required by the Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011.

·        Note the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Statement (Appendix 5) as required by the Local Government (Capital Finance and Accounting) Regulations (NI) 2011.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Table 1 below summarises the net cost of the Council for 2017/18 and shows that the amount to be raised through the district rate in 2017/18 is £149,511,770. This represents a 1.89% increase in the district rate.

                        Table 1 Cost of Running the Council in 2017/18

            Strategic Policy and Resources Committee Cash Limit

3.2       The recommended cash limit for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed by the Committee at its meeting on the 20 January 2017 is £42,443,408, which includes £3,270,000 relating to the Belfast Investment Fund and the additional £750,000 of funding for the Belfast Agenda Priorities.

3.3       The revenue estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee comprise the revenue budgets for the Chief Executive’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Restricted itemRestricted     The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1        The purpose of this report is seek to approval on the Shared     Space element of the PEACE IV Local Action Plan.

2.0      Recommendations

2.1      The Committee is asked to;

·        Approve the redrafting of the Shared Space element of the PEACE IV Local Action Plan as outlined below.

3.0      Main report

            Background

3.1      The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) invited Local Authorities to prepare Local Action Plans under the themes of Children & Young People, Shared Spaces & Services and Building Positive Relations as part of Objective 3 of the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme.    The bid is for approximately €17 million to be delivered from 2017 to 2021.   Council’s initial bid was approved by the PEACE IV Steering Committee (with an initial score of 72%) and Council submitted a more detailed Stage 2 application on 2nd September.  The indicative financial allocation for the Shared Space theme is a maximum of €5.3 million which can comprise of a mix of capital and revenue funding.   Members are advised that in addition to the development of Local Action Plans there is a separate funding call for large scale capital projects administered by SEUPB on a regional basis.

3.2      The criteria for the Shared Space theme allows for the following indicative activities

·        Activities that contribute to an enhancement of the environment in local communities e.g. the enhancement of existing urban infrastructure or natural spaces. 

·        Dialogue, reconciliation and capacity building between interface communities, leading to the creation of shared vision and conditions where communities feel it is safe and appropriate to proceed with the removal of interface barriers;

·        Developing the shared aspects of existing neighbourhoods, public spaces and buildings;

·        Support for local initiatives with the aim of making public space in cities, towns and villages more inclusive, this will often involve addressing sensitive topics around parades, flags, emblems, graffiti and other issues which serve to intimidate and make some members of society, whether based on religion, race or other factors fell unwelcome in some areas.

3.3      The Local Action Plan proposal was developed in line with these criteria.  It aims to promote positive attitudes towards shared space, address post conflict issues, improve connectivity and build on the city’s wider economic potential.  Funded activities would focus on engagement with local communities on concepts of shared space and explore how this can be practically applied in terms of:

- Community relations

- Physical and social regeneration

- Ensuring a sustainable and liveable city.

3.4      The approach would seek to adopt an asset based community development model and support local communities in placemaking and in the development of a transferable approach to the identification, design, programming and management of shared space in the City, all within the context of improving community relations.

3.5      The proposal as submitted included scope for infrastructure/ capital works as well as programming costs.  The exact locations for the proposed signature civic space and satellite environmental improvement schemes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

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

(With the exception of the Chief Executive and the Senior Democratic Services Officer, all Members of staff left the meeting whilst this item was under consideration)

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report outlining the arrangements to cover the HR and organisation and development needs of the Council following the resignation of the Director of Organisational Development.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to

·        Delegate authority to the Chief Executive to fill the established tier 3 Senior HR post to cover the key areas of HR Services;

·        The Director of Development becoming the SRO for the development work for the Employability Project Belfast Works from the beginning of the next financial year;

·        Delegate authority to the Chief Executive to implement interim arrangements for the other aspects of the Director of Organisational Development’s role; and

·        A report providing further options on the organisation design previously agreed by the Committee being submitted for its consideration at a future meeting.

Standing Order 14

            In accordance with Standing Order 14, the Committee agreed as the meeting had been held later than seven clear days before the meeting of the Council, that the minutes of the meeting be submitted to the Council on 1st February for ratification.