Agenda and minutes

No apologies were reported.

            The minutes of the special meeting of 28th April, and the Chief Executive's decisions taken under Delegated Authority of 12th May were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those decisions had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st June.

            Noted.

            No Declarations of Interest were reported. 

            The Committee was reminded that Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHC) was working in collaboration with the Department for International Trade, the Northern Ireland Strategic Investment Board and Invest Northern Ireland to showcase the development opportunities Weavers Cross had to offer. Market engagement had commenced to identify the preferred method of appointing a potential private sector development partner for Weavers Cross regeneration scheme, with an online Developer Market Day Event taking place in November 2020.

            It was reported that NITHC had commenced a Pre-Application Discussion for outline planning for mixed use development proposals at the Weavers Cross Regeneration Scheme and would like to attend the next meeting of the Committee on 11th August in order update Members on its proposals.

            The Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority for Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company to present to the next meeting of the Committee on 11th August on the Belfast Transport Hub and the wider Weavers Cross Regeneration Scheme.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1             The purpose of this report is to inform Members of a DfC Housing ‘Call for Evidence’ exercise that has recently been launched to gather evidence, data and views on a wide range of high level issues to in developing a Housing Supply Strategy.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

·        Agree that officers develop initial responses to the questions posed in the recent Housing Supply Strategy: Call for Evidence document that has been launched by DfC

·        Agree that the draft response will subsequently be brought via Party Group Leaders given the closing date of 16 July for responses, with the final response brought back retrospectively to CGR Committee in August.

·        Note the ongoing work in respect of the city-wide strategic site assessment work and the proposal for a collaborative approach via the Community Planning Partnership City Development Board for a focused cross agency Delivery Group to co-ordinate the identification and collation of information on public sector lands suitable for housing development.

3.0       Main Report

            Housing Supply Strategy: Call for Evidence

3.1       Members will be aware that the Communities Minister announced in her statement to the Assembly on 3rd November 2020 that officials were to commence work on the development of a fundamental Housing Supply Strategy (HSS), as a key part of the housing programme to help meet Programme for Government commitments to reduce housing stress and increase housing supply.

3.2       On 19th May 2021, the Minister launched a public Call for Evidence to inform this new Housing Supply Strategy. A link to the Call for Evidence document is enclosed at Appendix 1.

3.3       It is intended that the Housing Supply Strategy will provide a framework for delivery of the right volume and types of homes to meet changing patterns of demand, in the context of societal, environmental, and demographic change, and deliver on objective housing need.

3.4       The following objectives of the Housing Supply Strategy have been identified:

-       Increase housing supply and affordable options across all tenures to meet current and future demand;

-       Reduce housing stress, homelessness and improve housing solutions for the most vulnerable;

-       Improve housing quality and sustainability;

-       Ensure the provision of housing options that contribute to the building and maintaining of thriving and inclusive communities; and

-       Support the transition to carbon neutrality by reducing whole-life carbon emissions from both new homes and existing homes.

3.5       In total the project is to be delivered in six phases as follows:

            Phase 1 - Pre-development work (completed)

            Phase 2 - Call for Evidence and Research Review

            Phase 3 - Engagement

            Phase 4 - Data synthesis

            Phase 5 - Triangulation of Evidence/Policy Options

            Phase 6 - Consultation on Draft Housing Supply Strategy

3.6       This second and current stage of the Call for Evidence process involves the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            The Director of City Regeneration and Development reminded the Committee that it had received regular updates and provided approvals relating to the progression of the next phases of ‘A Bolder Vision’ City Centre Connectivity Study. At its meeting in April, Members received an update on the completion of a tender process that resulted in the appointment of a multidisciplinary team, led by the Jacobs Belfast office.

            She advised that the Phase 1 work, A Bolder Vision for Belfast, which had been ratified by the Council in March 2020 and subsequently approved by the DfC and DfI Ministers, was an ambitious and transformational approach and involved a fundamental rethink of how streets and places were used to make them attractive, inclusive, accessible, healthy, and vibrant places.

            She highlighted that there were four agreed Visioning Principles to inform future city centre development and infrastructure delivery:

·        Creating a healthy, shared, vibrant and sustainable environment that promoted wellbeing for all, inclusive growth and innovation;

·        Fundamentally changing the centre of Belfast to prioritise integrated walking, cycling and public transport and end the dominance of the car;

·        Providing lively, safe, and green streets linking inclusive shared spaces to promote resilience and enhance our built heritage; and

·        Removing severance and barriers to movement between the centre of Belfast and the surrounding communities to improve access for all.

            She informed the Committee that the increased emphasis on public health and well-being, access to quality open space, sustainable transport and connections to services and access to amenities were key issues that came to the fore throughout COVID. There was an urgency therefore to respond to this changing landscape and it was intended that the next Phases of the Study would seek to seize these new opportunities and changes in public policy and citizen behaviours that would help drive change and enable the diversification of the city centre.

            She provided a summary of Phases 2 and 3 of the Study which would roll out over the next 12 months. Initial work was underway for Phase 2 which would take place between May-September 2021 and would create the documentation for the public consultation in Phase 3. Key outputs in Phase 2 consist of:

·        Baseline and Vision Review; Benchmarking;

·        Stakeholder Engagement and Public Awareness Communications Plan;

·        Scenario planning and development of interventions, including the development of a multi-criteria assessment framework to assess the scenarios and the initial identification of short, medium and long term interventions for streets and places;

·        Draft Monitoring Strategy, Business Case and Strategic Environmental Assessment; and

·        Draft Strategy for public consultation.

            The Director of City Regeneration and Development informed the Committee that the scenario planning would help prioritise and align major infrastructure projects and identify packages of potential initiatives that would continue the re-imagination of streets and spaces in the short term and support longer term changes.

            She advised that, in advance of the public consultation, there would be focused co-design sessions consisting of a Visioning workshop and thematic workshops with cross-sector stakeholders, including Council Members, between mid-June  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3b

            In advance of the Special Meeting of 23rd June, at which the Committee had agreed to receive the presentations from DfI and Translink, the Committee was reminded that it had written to the Minister to raise the following points ahead of the presentations:

·        Request for the York Street Interchange Independent Assurance Review;

·        Convey that Belfast was missing a key opportunity given the total meterage of pop-up cycle lanes delivered during the pandemic at a time when other cities were making significant strides in capturing and seizing the uptake and shift in travel patterns;

·        The Committee called for an enhanced programme of safe cycling infrastructure, including pop-up provision to be brought forward at pace, while simultaneously ensuring that local issues and requirements are captured and incorporated within the design process;

·        Request that DfI provide their presentation and details of discussion in advance of the Special Committee;

·        Request that DfI have to hand for the Committee the relevant data, including the total meterage of safe cycle network delivered since 2016, and information on the planned roll out of future schemes;

·        Request the attendance of Liz Loughran and Andrew Grieve at the Special Committee in anticipation of questions from Members on Walking and Cycling infrastructure provision; and

·        Request an update on the current status of e-scooter legislation.

            It was reported that the Committee had also been provided with updates on the status of the DfC led Junctions Working Group. The Group had overseen the concept design work of key Inner Ring Junctions, including the Fredrick Street/Great Patrick Street Junction, the Clifton Gateway and the Shankill Gateway and the impetus remained with the DfI and DfC to bring these schemes forward to detailed design and delivery stage as a matter of priority.

            In relation to the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme, it was reported that the focus remained on ensuring delivery of the agreed schemes within the timelines set out within the funding agreement. To ensure the achievement of the funding deadline, and critically to support the reopening of the city centre, these outstanding actions included:

·        Delivery of the necessary legislation and permits / license for works at Castle Place, Adelaide Street, Linenhall Street, Union Street, Bedford St, Church Lane and Brunswick St; and

·        Delivery of the agreed Civils works at Castle Place, Adelaide Street and Brunswick Street.

            The Committee was informed that, in relation to the maintenance of the existing Public Realm Council, officers had previously raised with DfI and DfC, on various occasions, the issue of the standard of reinstatement of the public realm following utilities and maintenance works. Increasingly these works were not reinstated to the agreed specification or reinstated to match the existing surfacing in the area, but rather were patched with tarmacadam with little control or post works inspections. This approach had led to a gradual degradation of our public spaces and had a significant impact on the overall attractiveness of the city centre.

            It was reported that the Council had also received recent correspondence from businesses within the Cathedral  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3c

            The Strategic Director advised the Committee that the Chief Executive had received an invitation to speak at the following event: ‘The status quo is not an option’: Building a sustainable Belfast’ on 24th June, to be held via Zoom, hosted by The Town and Country Planning Association, Dr. R. Hearne, Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Natural and Built Environment and Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR).

            He advised that the event aimed to challenge the narrative around housing in contested spaces and the opportunity to speak at the event had been offered to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson, either of which could not attend, therefore, if any Member of the Committee wished to speak at the event, on behalf of the Council, the opportunity was available.

After discussion, the Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

1.     Agree that, in light of no Member of the Committee being able to participate and speak at ‘The status quo is not an option’ event to be held on Thursday, 24th June, the Chief Executive and the Strategic Director would discuss the attendance of an appropriate officer, if available; and

2.     Due to the time-frame of the event, agree, in accordance with Standing Order 47 (2) (b), that the decision would not be subject to call-in, on the basis that the decision was deemed to be a case of special urgency.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 3rd March, it had agreed to the request from large retailers to support extended Sunday opening hours (in line with Northern Ireland Executive guidance) on a temporary basis, to 5th July, 2021, as part of the efforts to manage shopper volume and support social distancing.

            Following the March meeting, officers sought to engage with a range of stakeholders including representatives from USDAW, Retail NI, Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, Belfast Chamber, BCCM, Destination CQ BID, Linen Quarter BID, Belfast One BID, Victoria Square, CastleCourt Shopping Centre, the Kennedy Centre, Sainsbury, Tesco and Lidl and the outcome was reported to Committee in April.

            It was reported that Members would be aware that, in line with the Northern Ireland Executive’s approach as set out in the document “Moving Forward: the Executive’s Pathway out of Restrictions”, all nonessential retail was permitted to open from 30 April 2021, with indoor hospitality permitted from 24th May, 2021. While most businesses were now operational, they were still required to put in place additional measures to support social distancing and manage the spread of the virus.

            The Strategic Director advised that an initial request from the business organisations had been made to extend the current approach until the end of the Summer in order to allow the businesses to bed in the operating restrictions following the re-opening and to re-establish the vitality of the city centre, given the shorter opening hours on a Sunday. This involved extending the current approach until 5th September, 2021. He pointed out that it was understood that the current restrictions on Sunday opening times did not have an impact on home deliveries, which meant that retailers could carry out deliveries outside of the standard Sunday opening hours (1pm-6pm).

            During discussion, Members raised concerns in relation to the request for extended opening hours and the impact it would have on workers, together with the need for further consultation, if the extension was to be considered to continue past September.

Proposal

Moved by the High Sheriff, Councillor Long,

Seconded by Councillor Hanvey,

That the Members of the Committee agree to recommend that the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to approve a request from city business organisations to extend the current approach to Sunday opening for large retailers until 5th September, 2021.

            Following a vote, seventeen Members voted for the amendment and two against and it was declared carried.

The Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to:

·        Approve the request from city business organisations to extend the current approach to Sunday opening for large retailers until 5th September, 2021

            The Committee considered the following report and associated appendices:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To update Members on the outcomes of the Belfast Bikes strategic review process and provide a summary of the main recommendations.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to:

-       Approve the recommendations from the strategic review and priority actions including proposed phased expansion of docking stations. Specifically, 8 docking stations in 2022 and seven in 2023.

-       Agree in principle to the recommended expansion and recommend that the associated £525k investment is considered as part the year end finance report which is due to be considered at the next meeting of the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee.

-       Note the update of the Just Eat Belfast Bikes performance for Year 6 as outlined in Appendix D.

3.0       Main report

3.1       The scheme was launched in 2015 as part Belfast City Council’s physical investment programme. The Department for Regional Development provided initial capital funding for the scheme as part of their Active Travel Demonstration Projects budget. The scheme launched with a network of 30 docking stations and 300 bikes. The scheme has been operated by NSL continually since inception using bikes and supporting infrastructure from Nextbike GmbH.  The scheme currently operates with 400 bikes and 48 docking stations.

3.2       Performance

            A breakdown of historic rental and associated revenue is contained at Appendix D. In summary the Belfast Bikes had 65,000 rentals in the financial year 20/21, 137,000 in F/Y 19/20 and 180,000 in F/Y 18/19. Members may be aware that in March 2021 the Belfast Bikes had a record month with 28,903 rentals.  Rental forecast for May is 18,491 based on daily average.

3.3       Members will be aware that City Growth and Regeneration Committee agreed to undertake a comprehensive strategic review of the Just Eat Belfast Bikes scheme and make recommendations for the future management, operation and potential expansion of the scheme. Intelligent Transport Services were commissioned in May 2019 to carry out the strategic review of the scheme and a summary of the methodology is outlined below.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report

            The purpose of this report is to:

·       Update members on progress with the work of the Belfast Inclusive Labour Market Partnership (LMP) and seek approval of the emerging priorities to be considered as part of the action plan for 2021/22.

2.0       Recommendations

            The members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to:

·        Agree the high-level outline of the Belfast Labour Market Partnership strategic assessment and action plan, and agree that this is submitted to Department for Communities to access funding, for an initial 18-month period from September 2021.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Belfast Labour Market Partnership

            Members have previously been updated on the establishment of the Belfast Labour Market Partnership, under the banner of Employability NI.  The purpose of the partnership is to make employability and skills interventions more effective and support an inclusive approach to growth in the city. 

3.2       The partnership in Belfast is currently working on the 18 month action plan that is to be submitted to Department for Communities (DfC) by the end of June 2021 and will support activity through to March 2023.  Initial indications suggest that DfC and the Department for the Economy (DfE) will provide a financial contribution of around £1.45 million pa to Belfast to carry out a series of agreed activities, as set out in the action plan.   

3.3       The strategic assessment has now been completed.  This provides the intelligence to underpin decision-making and inform the priorities for action.  It takes cognisance of issues such as:

·        Supply-side perspective including an analysis of current structure and composition of labour market, taking account of short-term impacts arising from Covid-19 as well as long-term structural challenges around economic inactivity, long term unemployment and geo-spatial deprivation

·        An analysis of labour market demand including the short-term demand pinch-points (such as logistics, social care and construction), sectors experiencing a skills mismatch (such as digital) and opportunities that can be built upon (such as the green economy)

·        High-level mapping of provision including the performance of existing interventions and opportunities to improve outcomes for participants (more people into work; higher skills levels in vocationally-relevant areas) – including consider of how these interventions can support inclusive growth.

3.4       Based on our recent engagement with DfC – and taking account of the current challenges in the labour market - officers have identified priority target groups, key interventions and underpinning data and intelligence needs.  Our assessment suggests that this approach gives the best chance of seeing positive progress in the Belfast labour market over the 18-month period.

3.5       Priority target groups

            Based on the research and analysis, we have identified four priority target groups – detailed below.  We are in the process of considering the commensurate level of support for each of the groups, based on need.  We have categorised the groups as follows:

·        Quickly Back to Work: reducing the impact of Covid-19 on those  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4c

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to seek approval for amendments to the current Conference Support Scheme in order to ensure that Belfast can compete more effectively in the highly competitive international conference market.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4 May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

-       Approve the proposed amendments to the Conference Support Scheme.

-       Approve the annual budget of £200,000.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Belfast City Council works with Tourism Northern Ireland (TNI), Visit Belfast (VB) and a range of key strategic stakeholders to position Belfast as a destination of choice for Meetings, Incentive events, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE). This business is lucrative, with the average MICE delegate being worth on average three times that of the leisure visitor. Business Tourism brings valuable business to Belfast during mid-week and shoulder season periods when there are less visitors and more available capacity. 

3.2       A report commissioned by Belfast City Council into the impact of Covid-19 reinforced that Business Tourism had contributed significantly to the city’s growth in recent years. However, this has also made the industry particularly vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic and unable to solely rely on adapting their business model to the domestic market to aid recovery.

3.3       The viability of the expansion of accommodation in the city including 1200 new bedrooms had been based on the success of business tourism including assets such as ICC Belfast. This in turn brought wider spend into the visitor economy – taxis, restaurants, etc.  Belfast’s ability to compete in this market was in part due to the operation of a successful Conference Support Scheme, which sought to de-risk conferences choosing Belfast as their destination of choice.  This type of scheme is common practice in the global MICE industry.  Belfast City Council and Tourism NI match fund the Conference Support Scheme for Belfast, to the level of £200,000 per partner, creating a fund of £400,000 per annum, which is administered by Visit Belfast. 

3.4       Conference support is critical for Belfast given we are still considered a ‘challenger’ destination in the MICE space. For a conference to relocate to Belfast compared to a city on the GB mainland, it will incur more costs such as venue hire, flights, increased transport costs for exhibitor set ups and the potential decrease in delegate numbers as additional travel is required, as opposed to delegates driving or using public transport.

3.5       The scheme commenced in 2013 and in March 2017 the current model was established with Tourism NI being an equal funder with an investment £200,000 per year. In August 2019, Council agreed an extension of the scheme to run up to 2030 in order to enable bidding for conferences that are planned several years in advance.

3.6       By 31 March 2019, the Conference Subvention Scheme for Belfast had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report

1.1             The purpose of this report is to set out:

-       Proposed updated approach to city events further to previous decision taken in January 2021 to suspend the direct delivery of events until September 2021.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4 May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

-       Note and agree the proposed approach to the delivery of events in the remainder of 2021 including budget implications as set out at 3.17 and Appendix 1. This approach is subject to ongoing review in accordance with COVID 19 legislation and guidance.

-       Note and agree the proposal to take forward the date to recommence the direct delivery of city events to August 2021. This will allow for the delivery of a market at City Hall over August bank holiday subject to compliance with health and safety requirements and confirmation of financial viability.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Members will be aware that in January 2021, SP&R Committee agreed the recommendation that events delivered directly by Council should be suspended until September 2021. This did not prevent digital programmes or the delivery of Council funded activity where this complies with the most up to date legislation and guidance relating to COVID-19.

3.2       On an annual basis, the Council’s City Events Unit delivers a series of large-scale public events, which are free to access by both citizens and visitors to the city, on behalf of Belfast City Council. The Tourism, Culture, Heritage and Arts Unit also support a number of annual programmes and activities. Committee will be aware that a ten-year Cultural Strategy for Belfast is currently being delivered. This strategy sets out long-term recommendations for events in the city including better strategic alignment across the Council in the design, delivery and funding of events. 

3.3       For 2021/22, the recommendation agreed was to continue to allocate budget to deliver and/or support specified events however to suspend any direct delivery to September onwards.

3.4       The re-opening of the city, the easing of restrictions and the ongoing impact of Covid-19 has accelerated the need to consider the role of events in a wider programme of seasonal animation and recovery that seeks to:

-       Improve the cultural vibrancy of the city

-       Foster civic pride

-       Position the Belfast brand

-       Support the local culture, arts and events sectors

-       Deliver direct economic benefits

-       Support businesses

3.5       The main focus of this report is in relation to the immediate requirement to agree an approach to Q2 and Q3 of the 2021/22 financial year to ensure adequate planning and risk management. This includes reviewing current position to suspend direct delivery until September 2021.

3.6       Proposed Approach

            June/ July 2021

            Following the further easing of restrictions on 24th May it will become clearer as to the outlook for city recovery in the high season months of June and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

            The Committee was provided with an update on progress to date on work to support the development of the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor and next steps in developing the work programme to achieve the ambitions of the corridor partnership.

            The Committee was reminded that, since the establishment of the partnership, partner councils had been working to shape its future direction and to find ways to work collaboratively to realise the potential benefits of the further development of the Corridor.

            It was reported that, in 2019, Dublin City University and Ulster University were commissioned to carry out research on behalf of the councils to inform how the councils could collaborate for mutual benefit between the cities of Dublin and Belfast and the regions between. The report detailed the current economic performance of the Corridor and the prospects for the region based on current trends. The report also began the work of identifying potential areas for cooperation which could create a stronger trajectory for growth in priority areas, including Research and Development Skills, Tourism, Infrastructure, Trade and Investment.

            It was explained that, since this initial research was undertaken, the global economy had been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in monumental declines in levels of economic activity across the board. The pandemic had also had an impact on the speed of the partnership’s plans to support economic regeneration across the corridor area, however, the pandemic had highlighted the interdependencies across the area and reinforced the need for a coordinated commitment to enhancing the future economic potential of the corridor. Therefore, the councils had proceeded with the development of the partnership and agreed to put in place an official launch event, which took place on 24th March, to showcase the work undertaken to date, highlighting the councils commitment to driving inclusive economic growth across the area.

            The Director of  Economic Development summarised the launch event and highlighted that the partnership was working to develop a plan of activity to progress the recommendations of the initial research, delivering against priority areas of work and identifying opportunities to access funding to support the development of the corridor.

            Some of the key action/areas of work to be undertaken to achieve this included:

·        First meeting of the political advisory group would take place in June 2021. Representatives from the Council include Councillors Dorrian, Beattie and Hanvey. The aim of this initial meeting would be to provide the group with an outline work plan and seek input and strategic advice on the future direction of the corridor partnership;

·        Governance structures had been extended to include a business advisory group This group would provide advice and guidance to support the strategic direction of the partnership and provide invaluable private sector input. Members of the partnership were currently working to agree representation that includes an adequate sectoral spread and mix of both large businesses and SME’s, the first meeting was expected to take place in August;

·        A marketing and communications steering group would be put in place led  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5c

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to advise members of planned work on an economic vision and strategy for Belfast for the period to 2030, in line with emerging government policy, ensuring a focus on inclusion and levelling up and maximising the contribution of Belfast to the regional economy.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to:

·        Note the proposed approach to the economic strategy for Belfast

·        Agree for members to engage in the strategy development work in order to ensure alignment with emerging council priorities.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Members will be aware that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy.  As places begin to emerge from operational restrictions, town and cities are considering how they can work most effectively to support businesses and individuals in the short-term while considering the longer-term implications of changes to working practices and consumer behaviour on their infrastructure and environment.

3.2       The changes have been well documented:

·        Increased focus on the use of technology across all sectors (and across wider consumer groups)

·        Reduction in traditional High Street retail with a resultant growth in online business

·        Growth in vacancies as a result of retail closures – with city centres most significantly impacted

·        Unprecedented levels of redundancies, with more than 100,000 people across NI on furlough at its peak (20,000 of whom were Belfast residents)

·        Doubling of unemployment – with more significant increases for young people

·        Consumer-focused businesses most significant impacted – particularly hospitality and retail – with job numbers unlikely to return to pre-Covid figures

·        Resilience of some sectors – including tech and digital, health and social care – and increased demand in new sectors – particularly transport and logistics and green tech/renewables.

3.3       In response to these changes, the Northern Ireland Executive and the government departments have been working on a series of new policy approaches, in parallel with the Pathway to Recovery work that has driven the short-term recovery and rebuilding work.  These include:

·        10 X Economic Vision for a decade of innovation: this aspires to positioning Northern Ireland amongst the small advanced economies in the world, ensuring that the benefits of this change felt by everyone.  It aligns closely with commitments set out in the City Deal programme

·        Programme for Government: the NI Executive has recently consulted on the draft outcomes framework for the next Programme for Government.  Indicative outcomes include:

·         

o   Everyone can reach their potential

o   Our economy is globally competitive, regionally balanced and carbon neutral

o   People want to live, work and visit here

o   We live and work sustainably, protecting the environment

·        Development of a new skills strategy: this new approach is grounded in work undertaken by the OECD over the last 2 years.  The consultation on the Strategy is to be released at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

            The Committee was provided with an update on the Renewed Ambition Programme focusing on real estate investment, including ongoing research on the social, economic and environmental impact of real estate investment in the Belfast City Region.

            The Committee was reminded that the Future City Centre (FCC) programme currently had six cross cutting pillars aimed at revitalising the city centre and creating a vibrant shared city centre where people would want to live, work and invest, but also enhancing connectivity with surrounding communities.

            One of the key pillars within the FCC programme of work was ‘Position the City to Compete’, which seeks to build on the city’s reputation as a unique destination for investment, tourism, development and ultimately inclusive economic growth.

            The Director of City Regeneration and Development advised that, in order to support both the recovery and longer term growth ambitions for the city as a whole, it was important that Belfast proactively promoted itself to the investment and real estate community. This required partnership working across the public and private sector to build awareness of the Belfast investment proposition and facilitate investor engagement to support delivery of regeneration projects across the city, projects which would create the economic and social infrastructure / assets that were needed for inclusive growth.

            She reminded Members that the Council and other partners were involved in various activities to promote Belfast internationally. Showcasing Belfast to both the local and international real estate investment, development and occupier market was an important part of this jigsaw as we seek to attract investment into the city to drive the delivery of key regeneration projects, including housing and commercial developments which would help the Council  provide for sustainable inclusive growth in the city.

            In addition, continuing to work in collaboration with Department for International Trade (DIT) and Invest NI to promote investment opportunities in Belfast was also critical.

            In the past, the Council alongside a wider ‘Team Belfast’ made up of public/private partners had attended international real estate and investment events in order to promote the investment opportunity in the city as part of a wider ‘Position the City to Compete’

proposition.

            The Director of City Regeneration and Development explained that, given the Covid-19 global pandemic, many of these events including MIPIM 2020 were cancelled. The Renewed Ambition Task Force was, however, keen that this should not preclude the continued promotion of Belfast as a place to invest, particularly given the need for continued growth at a time of economic downturn. It was also felt that it was important not to lose momentum on the strong collaborative approach across the wider Team Belfast partners with the need for a shared narrative and approach to positioning Belfast. It was therefore agreed to deliver a comprehensive initiative known as the Renewed Ambition Programme (RAP). This Programme aimed to position the Belfast City Region for real estate investment during 2020/21, with a view to reconsidering engagement at real estate and other investment events in future years.

            She informed the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5e

            The Committee was reminded that, at the Strategic Policy and Resource Committee in March 2020, a new four year corporate plan had been agreed. In line with the corporate planning process, Committee Plans were due to be brought to in April 2020, however, due to the COVID pandemic, emergency planning procedures were implemented and corporate planning processes were suspended for 2020-21 to enable resources to be redirected to responding to the emergency response needs of the city.

            It was reported that, to recommence the corporate planning processes, an Annual Corporate Delivery Plan 2021-22 had been drafted and was due to be brought to the Strategic Policy and Resource Committee for approval in June. The Corporate Annual Delivery Plan would reflect the in-year deliverables against the priorities agreed as part of the four year corporate plan, plus some additional priorities that have arisen in response to the pandemic.

            The Strategic Director advised that the draft Committee Plan for 2021-22 (copy available here) followed the same structure and contains the commitments within the Corporate Delivery Plan which fell under the remit of the Committee, plus additional deliverables that had been agreed by the Committee, together with those relevant to the Standing Orders of the Committee. Whilst the Committee had a role to play across a number of the themes, the clear focus for the Committee was Inclusive Economic Recovery, with a number of key priorities that would help the people and businesses of Belfast continue to respond to, and recover from, the economic impact of the pandemic while also shaping the future development and sustainability of the city. Examples of this included:

·        Supporting the delivery of the Belfast Region City Deal, including the Destination Hub;

·        Supporting the city recovery and reopening, including the delivery of initiatives and programmes relating to the Department for Communities COVID19 Revitalisation Fund;

·        Leading on the Future City Centre Programme and its priority pillars across regeneration (including city centre living and connectivity/active travel); business and investment; culture and vibrancy; digital an innovation; positioning the city to compete and clean, green and safe;

·        Delivering on Inclusive Growth and recovery through employment initiatives, Employability NI, education-based youth support, promoting opportunities for developer contributions and social clauses, and supporting local businesses, cooperatives and social enterprises;

·        Working with key stakeholders to deliver on the priorities and projects within the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy;

·        Working with key stakeholders to bring forward and maximise the regeneration and development of the city, including housing development opportunities, to support the city’s goals for a sustainable and inclusive city;

·        Continuing to deliver the Cultural Strategy ‘A City Imagining’ and develop the new 10 year Tourism recovery plan;

·        Championing city infrastructure improvements to ensure sustainability for the future success of the city;

·        Working with stakeholders to bring forward improved, sustainable connectivity and active travel across the city, including the City Centre Connectivity Study;

·        Continuing to progress the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor; and

·        Promoting and marketing the city to position Belfast as a location of choice  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1             The purpose of the report is to provide Members with an update on community planning with a specific focus on the work being taken forward by the newly re-configured ‘Jobs, Skills and Education’ and ‘City Development’ Delivery Boards.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

                                           (i)          Note the on-going work of two of the Belfast Agenda Delivery Boards, namely, the Jobs, Skills and Education Board and the City Development Board

                                         (ii)          Note the alignment and synergies between the Boards and the work of the Committee

                                       (iii)           The potential for the Boards to bring collaborative focus to key city priorities and challenges and unlock delivery across partners.

                                       (iv)           The role and on-going opportunities for Elected Members to input and shape the work being taken forward through Community Planning Partnership, including the refresh of the Belfast Agenda and associated delivery plans, over the coming months and years. 

3.0       Main report

            Inaugural meeting of newly configured Boards

3.1       Members will recall that in order to ensure that the vision and ambitions set out within the Belfast Agenda (community plan for the city) translated into action and mobilised city partners to support delivery, four cross-sectoral delivery Boards have been formed (City Development | Jobs, Skills and Education | Living Here | Resilience and Sustainability) under the auspices of the Community Planning Partnership. These delivery focused Boards have been established to drive enhanced collaboration across partners to address key challenges and priorities for the city and communities. 

3.2       As reported to Committee in May 2021, partners have agreed to reconfigure two of the Boards to align priorities and maximise the synergies and impact of their work.  As highlighted, the focus of the two Boards - City Development and Jobs, Skills and Education – clearly aligns with the work of this Committee. Accordingly, the intention going forward will be to update the Committee on the work of the boards alongside specific engagement and input from elected Members and Parties through the All-Party Community Planning Working Group and Community Planning Partnership. Members should note that the newly reconfigured Boards met for the first time in April and May 2021 respectively.  This report provides an update on the focus of the Boards and key activity underway.

3.3       Jobs, Skills and Education Update

            The Board considered and confirmed its priorities for the next 12-24 months, as set out below and as reported to Committee in May, and committed to scheduling a specific action planning session in early July to develop and secure partner commitment to SMART action plan(s). Attached at Appendix 1 for Members information is a copy of the agreed Programme Brief and Terms of Reference for the Board, the presentation slide-deck and draft action note from the recent Board meeting held on 6 May 2021.  Some specific points  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6b

Councillor O’Hara outlined that he had been approached by a number of LGBTQI+ businesses and organisations that wished to host a Covid safe event for the community in 7 weeks, on the first Saturday in August. He explained that there was a likely need that the event would request the closure of Donegall Street and they sought support from Council to help make this happen and expedite the process.

The Strategic Director advised that a request or details of the proposed event had not yet been received from the Group and the issue could be looked at, once it was received, to see what could be done.

            The Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

·        note that officers would examine the proposal to close Donegall Street for a Belfast Pride Event once a request/events plan had been received from the organisers.