Agenda and decisions

It was agreed to note the financial position and:

·         to freeze rental payments for businesses who operate out of the Council’s industrial estates, to be supported through the general reserves, in the first instance.

·         for any organisation who has booked and paid for the use of a council facility, to offer a refund, even if the Terms and Conditions may indicate no refund is available.

·         to continue to invoice for services provided, but that the chasing of debt is put on hold for an initial three month period

Agreed to note the Mini Stern report and actions as next steps.   

Agreed that the report be deferred until a future date.

Approved the request for support of £20k to Compass Counselling.

Approved the 2020 – 2024 Corporate Plan.

a)    Approved the Council’s ‘Commitment to Inclusive Growth’ attached at Appendix 1.

b)    Agreed to communicate via Citizenspace – the You Said, We listened aspect of the consultation findings;

c)     Noted the recruitment of the dedicated staff team will commence to support implementation of the published commitments and to shape Council’s future ambitions. 

d)    Noted the creation of the officer group and the intention to report on progress at paragraphs 3.30 and 3.31 (although this may take time in the current circumstances).

e)    Agree that initial priorities will be proactive support for those suffering as the result of COVID 19.

f)      Agreed to undertake a post summer review of position with the economy an impacted sector.

Noted the update on the draft BOSS consultation process and agreed the proposed changes and actions set out at Appendix 1 and the production of the final Strategy document.

-      Noted the additional information presented in the report and the recommendations for capacity building for section 75 groups as set out in the cultural strategy implementation plans.

-      Approved the specific recommendation of capacity building for PUL communities, including allocation of £80,000 budget from 2020-21 departmental budgets.

-      Advised the Council that Covid-19 would obviously have an impact on the events planned in the next number of months, with some going ahead and some being postponed; and that officers were currently working through all of the implications, including the need to support core costs relating to jobs etc.  Where it was possible to make cost savings that would be done and factored into the overall cashflow procedures

 •          Noted the analysis of the public consultation via the Council’s website

•           Noted the analysis of the public consultation at Belfast venues

•           Noted the Equality Screening decision to screen out with mitigating actions (minor impacts). 

Approved Belfast City’s response to the Call for Evidence, and to note that continued detailed engagement with the Department on the development of the strategy will continue.

Agreed that the report be deferred until a future date.

Agreed to add the Shared Youth and Community Facility Inner East as a Stage 1 Emerging project on to the Capital Programme to options to be developed with the Education Authority.

1. Beechvale Farm – Options

- Agreed to defer consideration of the options until a future date.

2. Fullerton Park Pavilion – Licence Agreement to Dunmurry Community Association

- Agreed to approve the renewal of the existing Licence Agreement for a period of 3 years from 31^st September 2018.

3. Half Moon Lake – Acquisition of land from Northern Ireland Housing Executive –

- Agreed to approve the acquisition of 0.168 acres of land from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive at Gweedore Crescent, adjacent to the Council owned Half Moon Lake site.

4. Gloucester Street office - Licence Agreement

- Agreed to approve a Licence Agreement to Heron Bros to occupy the car park at Gloucester Street for a period of one year from 1st April 2020 to allow them to use the site as a compound for the construction of new office accommodation nearby on behalf of a private developer.

• Approved the public advertisement of tenders as per Standing Order 37a detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 1).
• Approved the award of STAs in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions as detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 2).
• To approved the switch to purchase of green electricity under the new electricity contract.

• Noted the contents of the report and the prudential and treasury management indicators included within the appendices to the report.
• Agreed the Authorised Borrowing Limit for the Council of £167m for 2020/21
• Agreed the Treasury Management Strategy for 2020/21, which has been included as Appendix B to this report.

Agreed that the report be deferred until a future date.

Noted the contents of the report.

Approved a request for the installation of a permanent plaque in City Hall main marble to commemorate the role of Nurses in WW1.

Approved the minutes and recommendations of the Shared City Partnership meeting of 9^th March, 2020.

Approved the recommendations made in respect of applications received up to 6 March 2020 as set out in the attached appendix, subject to measures that may need to be taken in the current circumstances.

Approved and adopt the minutes of the Audit and Risk Panel of 10th March, 2020.

Approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of 13^th March, 2020.