Agenda and minutes

The Chief Executive submitted the summons convening the meeting.

            Apologies were reported on behalf of Councillors Bower and Howard.

            The following Members declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the People and Communities Committee of 11th October, under the heading “Community Provision Funding- Capacity Building Grant and Revenue Grant for Community Buildings 2023-2026 Update”, in that they worked for or were associated with the organisations listed:

·        The Lord Mayor (Councillor Black) - Grosvenor Community Centre;

·        Councillor Beattie - Blackie River Community Group;

·        Councillor Bunting - Belvoir Area Residents Group

·        Councillor Canavan - Blackie River Community Group;

·        Councillor Carson - Upper Springfield Development Trust;

·        Councillor Corr - Falls Community Council;

·        Councillor Donnelly - Upper Springfield Development Trust;

·        Councillor Duffy – West Belfast Partnership Board;

·        Councillor Garrett - West Belfast Partnership Board

·        Councillor Gormley - Lower Ormeau Residents’ Action Group

·        Councillor Hanvey – Rosario Football Club

·        Councillor Hutchinson -  Mount Vernon Community Development Forum

·        Councillor Kyle – Lagan Valley Community Association

·        Councillor McCabe - Féile an Phobail;

·        Councillor McCullough – Greater Shankill Partnership;

·        Councillor McLaughlin – West Belfast Partnership Board

·        Councillor Verner – Greater Shankill Partnership.

·       Councillor Walsh – Fáilte Feirste Thiar

The Members left the meeting when the item was being discussed.

            Councillors McKeown and Smyth declared an interest in the minute of the meeting of the People and Communities Committee of 11th October, under the heading “Community Asset Management Framework – Pilot Community Benefit Sites” in that they were associated with Rosario Football Club who were based at Ulidia Playing Fields.

            Councillors Pankhurst and Whyte declared an interest in the minute of the meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee of 12th October, under the heading “Artemis Technologies”, in that they were employed by Queen’s University which was discussed under the item,  and left the room while the discussion took place.

Moved by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Black),

Seconded by Councillor Beattie and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the monthly meeting of the Council of 3rd October, be taken as read and signed as correct.

Condolences

            The Lord Mayor, together with a number of Members, paid tribute to Baroness May Blood and expressed their condolences to her family.  The Council gave thanks for her community activism, advocation for workers, and her valuable work towards building peace.

            The Lord Mayor also expressed condolences to the family of Frankie Wilson, Irish League Manager and GAA player.

            The Lord Mayor, together with a number of Members, paid tribute to Bobby Morrow, a dedicated staff Member within the Council’s East Belfast Cleansing Unit with over 42 years' service, and extended condolences to his family.

Congratulations

            The Lord Mayor, on behalf of the Council, extended her congratulations to Councillors Maghie, on the recent birth of her daughter, Annie, and Councillor McDonough Brown on the recent birth of his son, Oscar.

            At the request of Alderman Rodgers, the Lord Mayor agreed to write a letter of best wishes to the Belfast Youth Orchestra who had been invited to play in the Royal Albert Hall.

            At the request of Councillor Maghie, the Lord Mayor agreed to write a letter of congratulations to the CIYMS Rugby Club on its 100-year anniversary.

            Councillor McKeown congratulated St. Brigid’s Gaelic Football Team on winning the Antrim GAA Minor Championship in October.

            Councillor Magee congratulated Pearse’s GAC in its victory in the Antrim Junior Football Championship.        

            Alderman Sandford congratulated Alderman Rodgers on his Long Service Award from the National Association of Councillors.

Re-opening of the Primark Building

            The Lord Mayor expressed thanks to the staff of Primark on the pride and hard work that had gone into the reopening of the Primark Buildings. She praised the restoration of the building and noted it was a destination for retail.

Homophobic Attack

            The Lord Mayor, together with several Members, condemned the recent homophobic attack on Councillor Murray on Great Victoria Street and highlighted the importance of reporting hate crime.

            Moved by Councillor McDonough-Brown

            Seconded by Councillor McLaughlin

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 21st October, 2022, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Amendment

Sustain Exchange Climate Business

Conference Funding Agreement

Moved by Councillor Ferguson,

Seconded by Councillor McLaughlin,

      That the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 21st October, under the heading “ Sustain Exchange Climate Business Conference Funding Agreement”, to approve a funding agreement between the Council and the event organiser to the value of £10,000 be rejected and accordingly, the Council agrees, in light of the significant cost involved and the limited level of participation/recognition to be afforded to the Council, not to sponsor the Sustain Exchange Climate Business Conference.  

            On a vote, twenty-nine Members voted for the proposal and twenty-seven against and it was declared carried.

Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund

            At the request of Councillor Heading, the Council agreed in relation to the £400 fuel poverty payments by the Treasury to each household and the timeline of its payments, to write to the Department of Health and the Department for Communities to request it collects data on the impact of fuel poverty in relation to the volume of hospital related visits, in particular of children and older people.

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing amendments, the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 21st October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor McMullan,

Seconded by Councillor Bunting and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 11th October be approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Murphy,

Seconded by Councillor McLaughlin,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee of 12th October be approved and adopted.

Blue and Green Infrastructure Funding

            At the request of Councillor Spratt, the Council agreed to engage with DFI to investigate the replacement of Browns Bridge in Lagan Valley Regional Park, which was an unadopted asset, through the Blue/Green Infrastructure Funding.   

            At the request of Councillor Beattie, the Council agreed that, in relation to unadopted alleyways across the City and the impact on residents, an external legal opinion is sought on how the adoption of alleyways might be actioned.

Artemis Technologies

            In relation to the presentation from Queen’s University, at the meeting of the Special Committee, to discuss the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on both its staff and students, at the request of Councillor Heading, and with the Chairperson’s agreement, the Council agreed to write to Queen’s University to clarify if all staff would be in receipt of the Cost-of-living assistance payment outlined at the Committee, together with data on the number of international and local student admissions and the impact of funding cuts might have on future admissions.

Housing Led Regeneration Programme Update

            The minute for this item has been restricted due to commercial sensitivity. The restriction will be lifted in due course.

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing amendments and additions, the minutes of the proceedings of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee of 12th October, were approved and adopted.

            Moved by Councillor Whyte,

            Seconded by Councillor Carson,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Planning Committee of 18th October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Update on Improvement of the Regional Planning System

            At the request of Councillor Garrett, the Council agreed that the Department for Infrastructure be invited to the Planning Committee to discuss the Regional Planning System and the delay in the approval of the Infrastructure Policy within the Council’s Local Development Plan.

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing addition, the minutes of the proceedings of the Planning Committee of 18th October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Matt Collins,

Seconded by Councillor McLaughlin

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Licensing Committee of 19th October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

            Moved by Councillor Walsh,

            Seconded by Councillor Long

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Climate and City Resilience Committee of 13th October, 2022 be approved and adopted.

            Moved by Councillor Hanvey,

            Seconded by Councillor Beattie

      Resolved - That the Minutes of the proceedings of the Standards and Business Committee of 25th October, 2022, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

The Council noted that the Motion had been withdrawn from the agenda.