Agenda and minutes

            No apologies were reported.

            No declarations of interest were reported.

            The information contained in the report associated with the following item 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 this item as, due to the nature of the item, 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 was reminded that, at its meeting on 18th May, it had agreed to fund the following summer diversionary events and education programmes:

·        Féile an Phobail (Festival) -  £100,000;

·        Twaddell Woodvale Residents’ Association (Woodvale Festival) - £100,000

·        NI Alternatives (East Belfast Community Festival) - £50,000;

·        New Lodge Arts (New Lodge Festival) - £40,000;

·        Markets Development Association (Diversionary Activities) - £10,000;

·        Belfast South Community Resources - £26,521; and

·        Ulster-Scotch Heirskip Cooncil/Ulster-Scots Community Network – community education programme, community visualisation programme and 3 year strategic planning process for new festival) - £80,000.

            It had been agreed also that:

·        the funding applications be subject to due diligence, appropriate legal agreements and to evaluations being undertaken;

·        To ensure transparency in future years, to establish an open call diversionary programme with an agreed budget; and

·        That Council officers engage with the groups that were not allocated support to discuss alternative funding opportunities.

            It was reported, given the tight timescales in relation to a number of the projects, officers had been working closely with the groups to develop their project proposals and work through due diligence and appropriate legal agreements as agreed by the Members.  That had involved officers from a number of Services within the Council.

            To date, two of the proposals had reached a stage of due diligence where funding agreements could be prepared.  Those were Féile An Phobail and Twaddell/Woodvale Residents’ Association.

            It was pointed out that both organisations had made representations indicating that a higher proportion of funding was needed to be paid up front to ensure successful delivery of the events.

After discussion, it was

Moved by Councillor Reynolds,

Seconded by Councillor Beattie,

      That the Committee agrees to authorise the release of Funding Agreements to Feile An Phobail and Twaddell/ Woodvale Residents’ Association for summer diversionary events in the sum of £100,000 for each of the organisations, with 90% of the funding to be paid up front and the remaining 10% to paid following satisfactory completion of monitoring and evaluation returns.

            On a recorded vote, thirteen Members voted for the proposal and five against and it was declared carried.

Call-in

Moved by Councillor Beattie,

Seconded by Councillor Reynolds,

      That the Committee agrees further, in accordance with Standing Order 47(a) 2(a), that the decision is not subject to call-in on the basis that an unreasonable delay could be prejudicial to the council’s or the public’s interest.

            On a recorded vote thirteen Members voted for the proposal and five against and it was declared carried.