Agenda and minutes

The Chief Executive submitted the summons convening the meeting.

            No apologies were reported.

Councillor T. Brooks declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “Hardship Fund – Emerging Considerations”, in that a family member was employed by Save the Children, one of the partners named within the funding model and in relation to the minute of the meeting of the People and Communities Committee of 10th October, under the heading “Update on Social Supermarkets”, on the basis that she was a Director of a charity which was in receipt of funding. 

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Groogan) and Councillors Beattie, Canavan Doherty and McCusker and declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “Hardship Fund – Emerging Considerations” and the minute of the meeting of the People and Communities Committee of 10th October, under the heading “Update on Social Supermarkets”, in that they were either employed by or on the board of organisations which were in receipt of funding.

Councillor McDonough-Brown declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “Hardship Fund – Emerging Considerations”, in that his partner was employed by Save the Children, one of the partners named within the funding model.

(The Lord Mayor, on the advice of the Chief Executive, informed those Members who had declared an interest in relation to the aforementioned two minutes that they would not be required to leave the Chamber in the event of them being raised, on the basis that they did not involve the allocation of funding to specific organisations at this stage.)

Councillor Ferguson declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “Minutes - Toilet Facilities - Cregagh Wanderers Container”, due to his involvement with Nettlefield and Glentoran Football Clubs, which were part of the same LIF project. As that item did not become the subject of discussion, he was not required to leave the Chamber.

Councillor T. Brooks declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “QUB Civic Commitment to the South Belfast University Area”, in that she was employed by Queen’s University. As that item did not become the subject of discussion, she was not required to leave the Chamber.

            Councillor Whyte declared an interest in relation to the minute of the meeting of the People and Communities Committee of 10th October, under the heading “Invite to 2023 WHO European Healthy Cities Network Annual Business Meeting”, on the basis that a family member was employed by Belfast Healthy Cities. As that item did not become the subject of discussion, he was not required to leave the Chamber.

            Councillor Nic Bhranair declared an interest in relation to the minute of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Moved by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Murphy),

Seconded by Councillor R. McLaughlin and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the monthly meeting of the Council of 4th October be taken as read and signed as correct.

            The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of Mr. Kevin O’Doherty, a member of the Resources and Fleet Service within the City and Neighbourhood Services Department and of Mr. Hugh Russell, award-winning photographer and former boxing champion and, on behalf of the Council, extended his sympathy to their families.

            Councillor Doran pointed out that the Belfast Boys’ Model School had recently attained a National Nurturing Schools Award and congratulated those pupils involved.

            Councillor I. McLaughlin paid tribute to the organisers of the series of events which had been held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Shankill Bomb.

            Councillor S. Douglas congratulated East Belfast woman Ms. Emma-Rosa Dias and her team at Afro-Mic Productions, an award-winning independent television production company, on their success to date.  

            At the request of Councillor R. Brooks, the Lord Mayor undertook to forward a letter of congratulations to the Ledley Hall Boys’ and Girls’ Club to mark the 80th anniversary of its formation.

            Councillor Smyth referred to the serious flooding which had occurred across parts of Northern Ireland recently and expressed solidarity with those householders and businesses who had been affected. 

            In response to Councillor Smyth, the Chief Executive reported that Council staff were providing Newry, Mourne and Down District Council with assistance, as part of a mutual aid protocol in place with the other councils, under the Council’s emergency planning arrangements.

            The Chief Executive reported that notification had been received from the Alliance Party of the following changes to Committees:

·        Councillor Long to replace Councillor Maghie on the Climate and City Resilience Committee; and

·        Councillor Maghie to replace Councillor Long on the Standards and Business Committee.

            The Council noted the changes.

To consider a request for a representative of Equity NI to address the Council in relation to the motion on Arts Cuts.

            The Chief Executive reported that a request had been received from Mr. Stephen Beggs, Chair of Equity's Northern Ireland Committee, to address the Council in relation to the motion on Arts Cuts to be considered later in the meeting.

            The Council approved the request and Mr. Beggs was welcomed by the Lord Mayor.

            Mr. Beggs informed the Council that research by the Creative Industries Federation had found that, in addition to generating considerable added value for the United Kingdom’s economy, creative enterprises drove and unlocked innovation, delivered significant social impact and invested heavily in the regeneration of communities.

            He reported that, in response to an announcement earlier in the year of a 10% cut in the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s funding allocation from the Department for Communities, Equity had immediately initiated a campaign of resistance. He outlined the extent of that campaign and stated that, whilst the cut in funding had eventually been set at 5%, it was, nevertheless, significant and damaging for the arts sector in Northern Ireland, which had already seen a 30% reduction over the past ten years. Per capita spend on the arts in Northern Ireland was, he stressed, significantly lower than in the rest of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

            He went on to explain that, when the 5% cut in funding had been confirmed, Equity had re-launched its successful campaign and welcomed the fact that, should the motion be adopted, the Council would be a co-signatory to the union’s latest open letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities, calling for the cut to be reversed and arts spending to be increased. Mr. Beggs highlighted the fact that many artists had either left or were considering leaving Northern Ireland due to an absence of employment opportunities and the lack of parity in funding and stressed that, if neglected, the arts sector would suffer irreparable damage. He added that the Department for Communities had confirmed in a letter to Equity that the next funding round would be equally difficult for the arts sector and concluded by calling upon the Council to support the motion.

            The Lord Mayor thanked Mr. Beggs for his presentation.

            Moved by Councillor Black,

            Seconded by Councillor McDowell,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Amendment

Issues Raised in Advance by Members

            Illumination of the City Hall

Moved by Councillor Collins,

Seconded by Councillor Flynn,

      That the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “Issues Raised in Advance by Members – Illumination of the City Hall” be amended to provide that the Council agrees also to write to the Irish Government calling for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador.

            On a recorded vote, nine Members voted for the amendment and twenty-eight against, with twenty-three no votes and it was declared lost.

Further Amendment

Moved by Councillor Flynn,

Seconded by Councillor Smyth,

      That the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 20th October, under the heading “Issues Raised in Advance by Members – Illumination of the City Hall” be amended to provide that the Council calls also for an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict.

                  On a recorded vote, forty-three Members voted for the amendment and fifteen against, with two no votes and it was declared carried.

            At the request of Councillor Beattie, the Council agreed:

                               i.          that the illumination of the City Hall should take place at the earliest opportunity, taking into account the call-in period, and that it should be widely publicised on the Council’s media platforms; and

                              ii.          that the Social Policy Working Group review the Ethical Framework element of the Social Value Procurement Framework, in the context of procurement practices relating to any country found to have committed war crimes.

Quarterly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Moved by Councillor Murray,

Seconded by Councillor M. Donnelly,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 10th October, be approved and adopted.

Amendment

Responsible Dog Ownership

Moved by Councillor de Faoite,

Seconded by Councillor McKeown,

      That the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 10th October, under the heading “Responsible Dog Ownership” be rejected and, accordingly, the Council agrees to adopt Option 2, as set out within the Committee report.

            On a recorded vote, nineteen Members voted for the amendment and forty-one against and it was declared lost.

Reference Group on Older People

            At the request of Councillor Ferguson, the Council agreed that a report be submitted to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the protocol on the use of the Lavery and Conor Rooms in the City Hall.

Update on Alleygates

            At the request of Councillor McKeown, the Council agreed that the next report on alleygates being presented to the Committee should examine the potential for proceeding immediately with the installation of alleygates at those locations where there were no issues to be addressed.

Update on Off Street Parking

            At the request of Councillor Black, the Council agreed that stakeholders from the University Area be invited to a future meeting of the Committee in relation to the residents’ parking scheme and that the Department for Instructure also be invited to discuss issues around road safety and parking for local communities.

GLL Annual Schedule of Charges 2024/25

            At the request of Councillor Collins, the Committee agreed that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee on the status and content of the current contract with GLL and, at the request of Councillor de Faoite, agreed that careful consideration be given, in agreeing any future extensions or new contract with GLL or any other provider, to the clause relating to price increases.

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing additions, the minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 10th October were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Nic Bhranair,

Seconded by Councillor McDonough-Brown,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee of 11th October, be approved and adopted.

Update on Major Events

            At the request of Councillor Bunting, the Council agreed that Council officers would investigate the possibility of releasing tickets for the Christmas Switch On event in the evening of 8th November, as well as in the morning, to enable working families to apply. 

Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure

            At the request of Councillor de Faoite, the Council agreed that a letter be forwarded to the Department for Infrastructure expressing disappointment with its response to the motion on a Rosetta Way “Quietway”, with the letter to request the Department to:

                            i.       initiate the actions required for the delivery of the Rosetta Way “Quietway”, as outlined within the motion;

                          ii.      proceed with the implementation of Quiet Streets/Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and other road safety schemes at a local level, rather than await the outcome of the review of such schemes in England, which had been initiated by the Prime Minister; and

                         iii.      provide information on the timeline for the completion of the design and audit of the agreed puffin crossing on the Knockbreda Road and proceed to install the crossing as soon as possible thereafter.

            At the request of Councillor Long, the Council agreed that the aforementioned letter also request the Department to respond to the correspondence which had been forwarded to it following the adoption by the Standards and Business Committee, on 27th June, of his motion on the Standard of Repairs to Roads and Footpaths.

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing additions, the minutes of the proceedings of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee of 11th October were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor McKeown,

Seconded by Councillor Doran and

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

Moved by Councillor Garrett,

Seconded by Councillor Maskey and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Planning Committee of 17th October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor R. M. Donnelly,

Seconded by Councillor M. Donnelly and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Climate and City Resilience Committee of 12th October, be approved and adopted.

            Moved by Councillor McDonough-Brown,

            Seconded by Alderman Rodgers and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Standards and Business Committee of 24th October, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

      In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor de Faoite proposed:

                  “Belfast City Council:

                                      i.          is alarmed at the proposed 5% cut in funding to arts organisations funded by the Department for Communities through the Arts Council NI;

                                    ii.          commends Equity NI, the arts community, its supporters, and the community at large for resisting these proposed cuts, including over 12,500 individuals signing Equity’s petition which asked for more investment in the arts, not less;

                                   iii.          notes that Arts Council NI funding has decreased, in real terms, by 30% over the last decade, despite evidence that investment in the arts has a real terms economic benefit for the City and the North as a whole;

                                   iv.          further notes that the Department for Communities has indicated that it may implement further cuts in arts funding in the financial year 2024/25;

                                    v.          recognises that Stormont Permanent Secretaries are being forced to take, without mandate, difficult decisions that should be taken by locally elected Ministers and a devolved Executive and Assembly;

                                   vi.          further recognises that, too often, the Council is forced to step in and financially support arts and cultural organisations which have lost funding from Stormont Departments, putting pressure on our ability to deliver existing arts and cultural schemes;

                                  vii.          calls for a reversal in cuts to the arts and agrees to join as a signatory to Equity NI’s latest open letter to the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Communities; and

                                viii.          further calls for the restoration of a reformed Executive and Assembly to take decisions which can future-proof the arts sector and protect funding in the future.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Lyons.

After discussion, the motion was put to the Council and passed.

            In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Doherty proposed:

“Belfast City Council:

i.        notes with concern the recent letter from the Chief Executives of the six Health and Social Care Trusts to the Secretary of State to emphasise in the strongest possible terms the need for concrete action on pay awards for HSC staff;

ii.      expresses frustration that a pay offer for HSC staff has not yet been tabled for the financial year 2023/24;

iii.     recognises the toll on HSC staff by severe pressures on services and significant issues with recruitment and retention;

iv.     condemns the refusal by the DUP to participate in the reform and reformation of the Executive, which would allow for local decisions on HSC pay to be taken with haste; and

v.      calls for a fair pay offer for HSC staff to be tabled immediately.”

            The motion was seconded by Councillor de Faoite.

Amendment

Moved by Councillor Lawlor,

Seconded by Councillor Kelly,

      That the wording in point iv. of the motion be replaced with the following:

“notes that His Majesty's Government must ensure that Northern Ireland receives the funding it needs, so that recommendations from the NHS Pay Review Body can be implemented by the Department of Health, as it did in December, 2022.”

            On a recorded vote, fifteen Members voted for the amendment and thirty-one against and it was declared lost.

            The original motion, standing in the name of Councillor Doherty, was thereupon put to the Council.

            On a recorded vote, thirty-one Members voted in favour of the motion and none against, with 15 no votes and it was declared carried.

In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor Smyth proposed:

“This Council notes with concern the rising number of needles being discarded and drug paraphernalia waste in Belfast city centre from intravenous drug use. Since the City has come out of the pandemic, it has seen an increase in the number of vulnerable people suffering from addiction issues in the City centre. With this increase, it has seen that needles and syringes are not only being discarded in public places but also in some standard public waste bins in the City Centre, potentially putting the public and Council staff at increased risk of a sharp’s injury.

It notes also that Glasgow has recently installed a new secure disposal bin to reduce drug-related litter and for service users to positively discard needles after they have finished injecting and improve collective community safety in its City centre.

This Council will, therefore, commit to working with relevant partners, including the Public Health Agency, Government Departments, PSNI, BIDs, businesses and organisations supporting the vulnerable in the City centre core, towards the installation of specific needle/drug waste bins in key locations that are known to have high incidences of needle finds.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor McCusker.

            Councillor Smyth sought and was granted approval by the Council to add the following paragraph to the end of his motion:

“To initiate this work, the Council will invite the Public Health Agency to a meeting of the People and Communities Committee to explore the legalities and logistics of the installation of such secure needle/drug waste bins, including best practice around community consultation.”

Amendment

Moved by Councillor McCormick,

Seconded by Councillor S. Douglas,

      That the following paragraph be added to the end of the motion:

“The Council will also commit to liaising with the relevant community/resident organisations before the placement of any disposal bins in the respective residential areas to ensure community approval before installation.”

            On a vote, sixteen Members voted for the amendment and thirty-five against and it was declared lost.

            The motion standing in the name of Councillor Smyth and including his amendment was thereupon put to the Council and passed as follows:

“This Council notes with concern the rising number of needles being discarded and drug paraphernalia waste in Belfast city centre from intravenous drug use. Since the City has come out of the pandemic, it has seen an increase in the number of vulnerable people suffering from addiction issues in the City centre. With this increase, it has seen that needles and syringes are not only being discarded in public places but also in some standard public waste bins in the City Centre, potentially putting the public and Council staff at increased risk of a sharp’s injury.

It notes also that Glasgow has recently installed a new secure disposal bin to reduce drug-related litter and for service users to positively discard needles after they have finished injecting and improve collective community safety in its City centre.

This Council will, therefore, commit to working  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.