Agenda and minutes

No apologies were reported.

            No Declarations of Interest were reported.

            The information contained in the report associated with the following three items i

was 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 meeting during discussion of the following item as, due to the nature of the items, there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42(4) and Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

            Members were also reminded that the content of ‘restricted’ reports and any discussion which took place during closed session must be treated as ‘confidential information’ and that no such information should be disclosed to the public as per Paragraph 4.15 of the Code of Conduct.  

            The Chairperson welcomed Ms. L. McGinley, Interim Director of the MAC to the meeting.

            Ms. McGinley provided an overview of the work being undertaken by the MAC and its transformation programme of the last eight months under the themes of resilience, sustainability and accessibility.

            She described the work which had been undertaken included the restructure of leadership and provided an overview of a recent visitor survey. She highlighted the MAC’s alignment to Belfast’s key strategies and the Belfast Agenda.

            She informed the Committee of the various exhibitions and events which had taken place and how the space was used.

            She outlined the MAC’s commitment to growth and regeneration and its plans for the future and intended key outcomes. 

            She informed Members that she looked forward to the continuation of the collaboration with the Council and pointed out that continued lobbying for arts funding was required.

            During discussion, Ms. McGinley answered a range of questions in relation to socio-economic accessibility of the MAC, its corporate hire and outreach to local communities.

            After discussion, the Committee noted the update provided by the MAC on its transformation journey.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. D. McAllister, Head of Belfast Grand Central Station Programme, and Mr. D. Bannon, Central Area Manager, representing Translink, to the meeting.

            Mr. Bannon provided an update of the City Centre traffic congestion and mitigation plans including bus and rail night-time services over the festive season which would start on 30th November. He also explained the passenger journey analysis which had been undertaken, together with promotional activities.

            In relation to the Belfast Grand Central Station/Weavers Cross Transport Led Regeneration Project, following questions from the Committee during its last presentation, Mr. McAllister presented a comprehensive overview of the social value delivery figures of the project. He explained the number of apprentices and training placements, Community Social Value Projects, engagement with local schools and arts and heritage activity which had been undertaken.

            During discussion, the representatives answered a wide range of questions regarding night-time services, congestion on the Grosvenor Road and the employment and placement application process.

            In response to a Member’s question in relation to traffic flow on Sandy Row and the impact on local traders, Mr. McAllister advised that Translink had engaged with the Linen Quarter BID representatives to progress the issue. He also highlighted that the Variable Message Signage used to communicate travel information should not be blank and he would investigate the issue.

            The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance and they retired from the meeting.

            After discussion, the Committee noted the information which had been provided and that, where relevant, Translink would provide further information on the issues raised.

            The Committee noted the update on the issues raised by the Committee at its meeting on 6th November.

            The Chairperson introduced Mr. D. McFarlane, Divisional Roads Manager, Mr. G. Salmon, Network Traffic Manager, Mr. J. Torney and Mr. D. Williams, Section Engineers, to the Committee and they were admitted to the meeting to present their Annual Report.

            Mr. McFarlane provided an overview of works completed across the Council area during the year 2023/24 and outlined the initial proposals for schemes to be undertaken in the year 2024/25.

            He highlighted that the opening Capital budget for structural maintenance of the road network in 2024/25 was £89m, which would enable the delivery of the highest priority resurfacing, roadside stability and drainage projects and those projects to be delivered within the Belfast Council area were outlined in the report.

            He reminded the Committee that, for many years, the Department had operated within a constrained Resource budget and had continued to prioritise key essential services.  This meant that the Department would continue with a Limited Service policy for routine maintenance activities such as defect repair, grass cutting and gully emptying. The Limited Service policy allowed the Department to repair defects greater than 50mm on all roads including low trafficked rural roads and on high trafficked roads, defects greater than 20mm would also be repaired, subject to available resources. The Department would aim to cut all roadside verges and sightline grass at least twice between April and October on the more heavily trafficked roads and once a year on other roads, when it was safe to do so. He explained that this aimed to balance the need for road safety while protecting the environment and encouraging biodiversity. However, sightlines at bends and junctions would be cut as frequently as required to ensure public safety.

            Mr. McFarlane pointed out that the Division continued to face significant staffing pressures which was impacting on their ability to deliver. In an effort to maximise effectiveness, he encouraged Councillors to report road defects using the DfI online reporting facility provided by NIDirect.

            He stated that the Department recognised that investing in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure could help make the streets feel safer and more accessible for the many people who wanted greater choice in how they travelled, particularly for shorter everyday journeys. It could also help to reduce air pollution and tackle climate change, particularly in combination with public transport. He advised that DfI were developing a Northern Ireland wide Active Travel Delivery Plan that included an update of its policies and design guidance for Active Travel as well as network plans for our larger towns and cities. He pointed out that public consultation on the plan was scheduled for later in 2024. When complete, the Active Travel Delivery Plan would complement the Belfast Cycling Network Delivery Plan and the Strategic Plan for Greenways to provide a firm basis for the prioritisation, design, and delivery of active travel across the north.

            He advised that the Department continued to work closely with Councils to better understand their five-year active travel programme and to develop an effective grant and support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            In accordance with Standing Order 14, the Committee agreed, as the meeting had been held later than seven clear days before the meeting of the Council, that the minutes of the meeting be submitted to the Council on 2nd December for ratification.