Agenda and minutes

            Apologies were reported from Councillors Attwood and Beattie.

            The minutes of the meeting of 22nd April were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 5th May.

            No declarations of interest were reported.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its last meeting, it had requested that a presentation be sought from the Department of Social Development (DSD) on Capital Funding Projects for 2015/16.  The Chairperson advised the Members that Mr. Mark O’Donnell, Director of the Belfast City Centre Regeneration Directorate, was in attendance to provide the Committee with an update. 

            Mr. O’Donnell explained that the DSD and the Council had been working together closely on a number of projects, particularly for continuity purposes, as regeneration powers would transfer from DSD to the eleven new Councils on 1st April, 2016.  He provided examples of the Lagan Weir footbridge and the Girdwood Park Infrastructure which were due to be completed by the end of 2015 and which would become Council assets from April 2016.  Mr O’Donnell outlined a list of projects which would be taken forward in 2015/2016.

            A number of Members expressed concern that funding for certain projects across the City would no longer be available. It was explained budget constraints had been the main cause of that and the Department had been required to take a risk-adverse approach in deciding which projects to pursue.

            The Chief Executive advised Members that a paper would be brought back to the Committee at a later date with more detail on the transfer of regeneration powers from DSD.

Noted.

            The Director of Development provided the Committee with an update on the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) process and highlighted the key issues which the Council might need to consider in readiness for a potential positive BID ballot.  The Members were reminded that the Department for Social Development (DSD) had invited applications from areas which were interested in taking forward development work on a BID and had appointed a consultancy team – Mosaic Partnership and Place Solutions – which would deliver a “BIDs Academy” to guide successful applicants through the development process required to bring a BID to the stage of running a ballot.

            He advised Members that three areas in Belfast had been successful in their applications to DSD to create a BID, namely Belfast City Centre, the Cathedral Quarter and the Lisburn Road.  However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was now unlikely that the Lisburn Road BID would be taken forward, although this had not yet officially been confirmed.

            He explained that Belfast City Centre Management (BCCM) had carried out a survey of businesses in the proposed BID areas and that the issues which had been identified had been marketing and promotion, safety and security and the removal of litter. They had also established a BID Team which would be responsible for taking the BID to ballot stage. 

            During discussion, a number of Members asked whether charities and the Council itself would be liable to pay a BID levy, the Director of Development undertook to provide this matter. 

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to receive a presentation from the consultancy team which had been appointed by DSD to carry out the BIDs Academy, and that the BIDs representatives in Cathedral Quarter and City Centre be invited to attend at a future meeting. 

            It was also agreed that a more detailed report on the topic, including resource implications, would be submitted to a future Committee meeting.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0    Purpose of Report

1.1     Members will be aware of the importance of the city centre to Belfast’s prosperity and as a driver of the regional economy.  City centres are where investment impact can be maximised, where rates are generated and where momentum can be built to support growth in the surrounding neighbourhoods.  The draft Belfast City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Investment Plan has been produced as a framework for change through which the new council, with its place-shaping powers and greater responsibility for planning and regeneration, can achieve its bold vision for a thriving city.

1.2     As a result of Local Government Reform the Department for Regional Development (DRD) transferred all its off-street car parks (excluding Park and Ride/Park and Share) to councils on 1st April 2015. The Council is therefore now responsible for the operation of 30 car parks which were previously operated by the DRD.

1.3     The City Centre Regeneration Strategy & Investment Plan considered access, traffic flows and car parking provision in the city and identified that there were significant opportunities for improvement; such as the consolidation of car parking provision and the real time provision of information about parking availability.  To address these issues the Council will need to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, together with Transport NI and the DRD, to develop and implement a city centre parking strategy.

2.0     Recommendations

2.1     Members are asked to consider this report and agree to the commissioning of a strategy and action plan aimed at improving city access, traffic flows into and around the city, and city centre car parking within the context of the emerging City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Investment Plan. Members should note that the public consultation on the draft City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Investment Plan closes on 28 May. 

3.0     Main report

3.1     Key Issues

           Transport NI biannual surveys would indicate Belfast currently has more than enough car parking serving the City centre, estimating in excess of 10,000 publicly available off-street parking spaces (Urban Strategies 2014). In addition, an earlier study indicated that parking provision in Belfast city centre was significantly greater than in other UK similar cities, such as Dublin, Manchester, Bristol or Edinburgh.  However, supply is fragmented being made up of large numbers of low capacity surface car parks with no real time information for drivers on availability. This means free spaces can be hard to find which adds to traffic congestion and creates a barrier to visitors accessing the City centre. Furthermore a large area of the city centre is being taken up by unattractive surface car parks which should be put to better use.

3.2     It should be noted under Local Government Reform on the 1^st April the DRD transferred all its off street car parks (excluding Park and Ride/Park and Share) to councils. The Council therefore is now responsible for the operation of 30 car parks previously operated by the DRD. 15 of these car parks are within the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Director of Development provided the Committee with an update on the programme of council-funded and part funded events and festivals which would take place between June 2015 and March 2016:

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report

1.1   Members will be aware that one of the key commitments in the Council’s Investment Programme 2012 - 2015, is that the Council will work with city partners to promote Belfast proactively on the international stage to attract trade and investment, increase visitor and student numbers and build the networks necessary to support growth. 

1.2   Over the past two years, work has been undertaken to develop and deliver an International Relations Framework and Action Plan that seeks to shape how city stakeholders can work together in a stronger and purposeful way, to maximise the economic impact for Belfast as a whole.

1.3   This framework and a two year action plan were agreed by Members at the August 2013 Development Committee.   An update report was presented to the Development Committee on 17 February 2015.  The purpose of this report is to seek Members’ approval to explore opportunities and implications of putting in place partnership-based management arrangements to guide and support the respective work programmes to oversee and support the formal Sister City Relationships with Boston and Nashville.

2.0   Recommendations

2.1   It is recommended that Members:

·        Note and endorse the proposal to convene a steering group of relevant local partners to take forward opportunities for Belfast – Boston collaboration.

·        Note and endorse the proposal to re-convene relevant partners from the Belfast – Nashville steering group to identify opportunities for collaboration between the cities.

3.0   Main report

3.1   Key Issues

         The current aims of the International Relations Framework are:

-       To maximise economic return of development for Belfast.

-       To increase the economic benefits of marketing Belfast internationally.

3.2   The framework has the following objectives:

-       To deliver increased economic return to Belfast through collaborative international promotion.

-       To develop meaningful international partnerships and civic relationships to support Belfast’s growth.

-       To promote the attractiveness of the city for business, education and tourism.

-       To create the optimum mechanisms for international promotion of Belfast.

3.3   Proposed Future International Relations Activity 2015 – 2016

         The International Relations Programme for 2015 – 2016 contains activities which can deliver on the aims and objectives set out in the International Relations Framework, across the priority target markets and areas of work.

         In line with these aims and objectives, a series of proposed activities are set out below, focusing on the linkages with Boston and Nashville, currently the only two US-based sister city linkages that Belfast has in place.

3.4   Boston

-       Members should note that the Mayor of Boston is in the final stages of setting up a Belfast – Boston steering group.  This will comprise of 5 voluntary members chaired by a politician including two business, one clergy and one third sector representatives.  This group will be confirmed by the end of May 2015. 

-       It is proposed that a similar steering group is established in Belfast, based on those currently active in Boston or those interested in developing further links, in line with the international  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

            The Director of Development reminded Members that, on 29th April, the BBC had announced that the City had been chosen to host the 2015 Sports Personality of the Year event, which would be staged at the Odyssey Arena, on Sunday 20th December.

            He advised the Committee that while the event had been staged annually for sixty year this would be the first time it would be hosted in Belfast.  The event would attract an audience in the venue of around 7000 people and would make a major contribution to the local economy. The event would also give the city the opportunity to present itself in a very positive light to an audience of over ten million viewers.

            The Committee welcomed the confirmation of the event and agreed that a further report be brought outlining the Council’s involvement and detailing activities which would take place in association with the BBC around the date of the event.

            The Director of Development stated that on 27th September, the Replay Theatre Company would host the world’s first BabyDay to Belfast.  That event would decorate the City with playful art and fill the streets with families, similar to Culture Night, but focus on activities for babies.  He advised the Committee that BabyDay was one of the Council’s nine flagship Creative Belfast projects and aimed to have an audience of at least 6,000 at City Hall, with participation from at least 10,000 residents across the city at community and cultural venues.

            He reminded Members that anyone who wished to operate a market or car boot sale within Belfast must apply to the Council for permission and that an application had been received for a market to be held as part of the BabyDay festival at the City Hall.  The event would be funded through the Creative and Cultural Belfast Fund and the Replay Theatre Company. 

            The Committee granted approval for a one-off market licence to Replay Theatre Company as part of the BabyDay event.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report

1.1   The purpose of this report is to agree the monitoring and communication of both the social clause outcomes and economic impact of council expenditure.

2.0   Recommendations

         Members are recommended to agree:

                                     (i)     To a bi-monthly briefing to be included on the members portal on social clause employability outcomes.

                                    (ii)     For officers to update the baseline analysis of the local multiplier model, used to measure the economic impact of council expenditure.

3.0   Main report

3.1   Members will have noted that the papers outlined below were presented to Strategic Policy and Resource committee on 24 April 2015;

·        Social Clause Policy and associated staff guidance subject to further equality screening.

·        Local Multiplier Model as an agreed methodology for understanding of the economic impact of council expenditure.

         The full reports which were presented to Committee.

3.2   As members will be aware the Local Multiplier Model, provides an economic methodology for measuring the economic impact of council expenditure.  This involved analysing employee, supplier and grant expenditure and also incorporated a survey amongst each of these groups to understand how they further impacted the local economy through their spending decisions. 

3.3   The expanded council boundary from 1st April 2015 has increased the area through which ‘local’ (Belfast based) expenditure occurs, to reflect these boundary changes and more accurately measure  local spend, it is recommended that an update of the baseline analysis used to inform the local multiplier model be undertaken.  This would involve resurveying council suppliers and employees to obtain economic data to feed into the baseline for the multiplier model.  If approved, this baseline will be used to analyse the impact of council expenditure from 2014/15 financial year onwards, however it is expected that this analysis would need to be repeated every 3 years to maintain the integrity of the calculation.

3.4   In the discussions at committee members expressed a desire to be kept appraised of developments and an ambition for these combined initiatives to deliver even more for the citizens and ratepayers of Belfast.  It is thus proposed that an update be posted on the members’ portal on a bi-monthly basis the outcome of the employability related social clauses, as well as the wider employability initiatives. This will include an update on the four categories of employability against the specific projects of both the live and completed contracts.

3.5   As previously highlighted to members central to this is the need to consider an optimal balance between the desire to increase employability and the number of local businesses accessing council procurement opportunities with the desire to create ever more efficiencies.

3.6   Financial & Resource Implications

         The proposed re-baseline will be undertaken within approved budgets, from Economic Development Unit and Corporate Procurement Service. 

3.7   Equality or Good Relations Implications

         No specific equality or good relations implications.”

            The Director of Property and Projects reminded the Committee that the reports on both the Social Clause Policy and the Local Multiplier Model had been presented to the Strategic Policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a