Agenda and minutes

            An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor Reynolds.

            The Committee was advised that the minutes of the meeting of 11th May were taken as read and signed as correct, subject to an amendment under the heading “MIPIM Update”, to provide that the Council notes that a final decision has not yet been made in relation to the lowering of the rate of Corporation Tax.

No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Chairperson welcomed the new Director of City Centre Development, Ms. Nuala Gallagher, to the meeting and wished her well in her new role.  Following a robust recruitment and selection process which had attracted a field of thirty-six applicants, Councillors Boyle, Craig and Hargey, along with the Chief Executive and the Director of Organisational Development, had interviewed the final four applicants on 15th February, 2016, and appointed Ms. Gallagher to the role of Director of City Centre Development on a fixed term contract basis.

            The Chairperson also welcomed six new Members onto the City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

            After discussion, during which the Chief Executive outlined that the Minister for Infrastructure had recently announced his plans to change the legislation in relation to exploratory drilling, the Committee reaffirmed its previous decision and agreed that a special meeting should take place, on Monday, 27th June, with the relevant persons invited to attend, in relation to the issues at Woodburn Forest.

            The Chairperson advised the Committee that Mr. K. Monaghan, Eastern Divisional Manager,Mr. T. McClay, Belfast North Section Engineer, and Mr. G. Doherty, Belfast South Section Engineer from Transport NI were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting.

            Mr. Monaghan explained to the Members that, as they were aware, there was a very limited budget for routine maintenance and, as a result, less grass cutting had taken place along the carriageways than in previous years.  He stated, however, that the Department for Infrastructure was hopeful to attain additional resources as a result of the June Monitoring Round. 

            He provided the Committee with updates on the main strategic transportation schemes for the city, namely, the York Street Interchange, the A2 Sydenham Bypass and the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) scheme.  He outlined to the Members that, while full funding had not been confirmed for all the schemes, they were high priority projects for the Department and he was hopeful that they would proceed sooner rather than later.

            In relation to the recently implemented two-way cycle lane in Alfred Street/Upper Arthur Street, he explained that this was the first of a number of major cycling schemes for the city centre aimed at improving cycling provision across the city and stated that an east/west cycle route was in progress.

            During discussion, a Member mentioned the Shaftsbury Link project and asked that the Transport NI representatives engaged with local inner city residents updated in relation to the design for the inner city ring road. 

            A number of Members asked the representatives whether alternative, more creative ideas could be used to enable some residents parking schemes to progress throughout the city.  In response, the Eastern Divisional Manager advised that, while he was sympathetic to the issues of commuter parking in these areas, the Department was governed by the statutory procedures in addition to its limited resources.

            During further discussion, a number of Members also raised the following issues with the representatives from Transport NI:

·        how the Transport Hub would link with the west of the city;

·        the enforcement powers regarding vehicles parked on double yellow lines and clearways, especially during rush hour;

·        to consider resurfacing works on Summerhill Drive and Creighton Road;

·        to consider increasing the size of the yellow box at the junction of Great Victoria Street and the Grosvenor Road; and

·        the cutting down of mature trees to facilitate road works and whether they would be replaced.

            Mr. Monaghan advised that, where relevant, action would be taken on these issues by TransportNI if it was deemed necessary after inspection.

            After discussion, the Chairperson thanked the representatives for their attendance and they retired from the meeting.

            The information contained in the following two reports is restricted in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

            The Chief Executive reminded the Members that a new major visitor attraction had been highlighted in the City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Investment Plan and the Integrated Tourism Strategy for Belfast 2015-2020, and that, at its meeting on 13th January, 2016, the Committee had granted approval for feasibility work to be undertaken on a major city centre cultural and visitor attraction.

            She provided the Committee with an overview of the project which, in general terms, would include a mixture of art, music and digital elements to tell the story of Belfast.  She provided the Members with update on the engagement with stakeholders and of the initial feasibility work which had been undertaken to date.

            The Committee was advised that International Cultural consultants ‘Burns Owens Partnership’ had developed the concept for the visitor attraction, with Oxford Economics having assessed the potential economic impact that it would have on the city.

            During discussion, a number of Members emphasised the importance of involving and informing local residents from an early stage and the Chief Executive confirmed that this was fundamental to the long-term success of the project.  She advised that, in addition to being a visitor attraction, the project would create jobs and would include community and exhibition space for those living in neighbouring areas of the city.

            The Chief Executive explained that the aim for the project would be to attract 1million visitors per year.  She advised the Committee that, as a result of having two major attractions in the city, this would also increase the likelihood of tourists spending an additional night in the City.

            During discussion, the Committee noted the contents of the report and agreed that a report would be submitted to a future meeting including more detail on the economic impact that the Hub would have on the city.  A number of Members also stated that they would like to see a list of suggestions for the name of the proposed Hub and it was agreed that this would also be included within the report.

            The Committee noted the contents of the report.

            (Ms. A. McGlone, Urban Development Officer, attended in connection with this Item)

            The Urban Development Officer reminded the Committee that the inner west of the city had been identified as a Special Action Area (SAA) within the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS), and that the Western Quarter comprised a large part of the SAA, and sat immediately to the north west of Belfast City Hall with a significant portion being within the City Centre Conservation Area. 

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 11th November, 2016, it had considered draft Public Realm Analysis and Vision documents for the Western Quarter and it was agreed that more detailed economic intervention was required for the Western Quarter.  The Urban Development Officer provided the Members with an update on the progress which had been made to date and identified some of the issues which had been recognised so far, namely, dilapidated frontages, vacancy/dereliction and anti-social behaviour.

            She advised the Members that the draft Western Quarter Public Realm Vision and Analysis document had focused on suggested physical improvements in the area but that the BCCRIS had recognised that a more comprehensive retail management intervention would be required.

            She reminded the Committee that the Development Department was compiling a map of physical development throughout the city, a key purpose of which was to identify developments which may act as catalysts to create employment for those most removed from the labour market. The Committee agreed that a paper would be submitted to a future meeting in the context of the requirement to explore a more comprehensive regeneration approach across all SAAs and their neighbouring communities, including Inner West.

            During discussion, a Member referred to the success of the Temple Bar project in Dublin, where an artistic area was created within a central area of the city by carefully controlling the leases for each premises, and suggested that a similar approach could be taken towards the Western Quarter in Belfast.

            At the request of a Member, it was agreed that a report on the Western Quarter be submitted to a future meeting of the West Area Working Group, which would include consideration of the controlled lease idea for the area.

            After discussion, the Committee also:

                    (i)     noted the work which had been undertaken to assess the short/medium term options for potential regeneration options in the Western Quarter; and

                   (ii)     noted that a report would be submitted to a future meeting on how the Council could influence and deliver work(s) in relation to the adjoining inner city neighbourhoods.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report

1.1    The purpose of this report is to update Members on the Department for Communities’ (DfC) Greater Clarendon (Sailortown) Masterplan and seek approval of the draft Council response to the consultation available on modern.gov.

         Background

1.2    The draft Greater Clarendon (Sailortown) Masterplan was originally commissioned by the Department for Social Development in 2008 but was put on hold in while the adjacent York Street Interchange proposals were developed. In 2015 the Masterplan work was re-initiated by DSD and subsequently a draft plan has been issued for consultation.

1.3    The Masterplan area can be viewed on modern.gov and the entire draft masterplan can be viewed here: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations/greater-clarendon-sailortown-draft-masterplan-consultation

         Key Issues

1.4    Belfast City Council provided detailed comments at various times through the development of the masterplan via the project board, however, there are still some important comments included in the draft Council response. The main issues include:

·        Encouraging  the continued joint working arrangements and partnership approach between Belfast City Council and the Department on future regeneration initiatives across the city centre

·        Ensuring alignment with the City Centre Regeneration & Investment Strategy and the importance of connecting with existing communities

·        Ensuring the Masterplan has due regard for emerging development activity and the council owned sites in the area

·        Providing clarity regarding the status of the Masterplan in the context of other statutory plans and polices used by Belfast City Council in making planning decisions.

·        Encouraging engagement with the existing communities before finalising the Masterplan

1.5    Key points from the draft response are included in section 3 of this report.

2.0   Recommendations

2.1    The Committee is asked to:

-       Consider the attached draft response on modern.gov and agree its submission to the Department for Communities

3.0    Main report

         Background

3.1    The Draft Masterplan has been created to provide an overarching framework for the future development of Sailortown. Although the work was originally initiated in 2008 it was delayed to allow the York Street Interchange proposal to become fully developed.

3.2    The aims of the masterplan include:

·        Provide an overarching framework for the development of the area;

·        Incorporate the on-going transport engineering and environmental work that has been undertaken in relation to the York Street Interchange;

·        Promote improved pedestrian and cycle links with the city centre and the Laganside area, by addressing poor physical connectivity;

·        Facilitate social and economic connections through the design of the environment and the improvement of key routes;

·        Encourage active ground floor uses to bring life and activity to key streets and spaces within the area;

·        Promote a scale and form of development that protects and strengthens the heritage and urban form within the area, with potential for statement buildings at the intersections, creating sense of place and assisting orientation within the area;

3.3    The draft council response is available on modern.gov for Members’ consideration, however, the key points include:

·        The Department recently adopted, in part, the CCRIS as its policy framework for the future  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c

            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 update Members on the Council’s draft Car Parking Strategy and to seek endorsement from Members of the high level recommendations summarised in Para 3.9 and set out on modern.gov prior to any agreed public consultation process.

1.2       The City Centre Regeneration & Investment Strategy identified car parking as a major issue for Belfast City Centre and recommended that the Council works with the Department for Infrastructure to develop and implement a strategy for car parking for Belfast. The Council commissioned consultants in October 2015 to develop a Car Parking Strategy and a project steering group, consisting of Council officers and representatives from DFI, was set up to assist with the development of the Strategy. 

2.0      Recommendations

2.1      The Committee is asked to:

2.2

·        Note the findings from the baseline review and consultation process and agree the proposed draft vision, objectives and Council priorities as outlined in Para 3.9 and in this report.

·        Agree to progress to a public consultation exercise which will facilitate further opportunities to shape the Car parking strategy before it is finalised.

3.0       Main report

            Key Findings

3.1       The development of the Car Parking Strategy followed a number of key stages from a baseline review and consultation process with key stakeholders through to the formulation of a draft strategy and action plan.

3.2       The draft Car Parking Strategy and action plan has been finalised and a copy is available on modern.gov.. There are a number of key findings from the baseline review and consultation process which are outlined below for Members to note:

·        The baseline review has indicated that there is sufficient parking stock in Belfast and this should be maintained and closely monitored. There are 28,300 spaces publicly available (45% on street and 55% off Street) and demand indicates a requirement for 18,000 on average per day in Belfast. The Council has responsibility for 17 of the 59 off street car parks containing 1,476 parking spaces.

·        The number of car parking spaces provided in Belfast is considered to be high compared to other cities of similar size.

·        Whilst there is currently sufficient parking stock in terms of overall spaces the provision is fragmented and imbalanced across the city centre.  The current location of car parking spaces, particularly surface car parking, is not necessarily aligned to either existing nodes of demand or to future redevelopment proposals, particularly in the context of the City Centre Regeneration Strategy.  The provision and location of parking should reflect the changing shape of regeneration across the city.

·        There is a lack of information for visitors as to where available parking is located resulting in circulating traffic looking for available spaces contributing to congestion in the city which could be more efficiently managed.

·        Site audits have identified that some car parks are of low quality in terms of facilities and provision for users which leads to security and crime issues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6d

            The Director of Development presented the financial position of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee to the Members.  He advised them that the Quarter 4 (Q4) position for the Committee was an under spend of £3,000.

            The Committee was advised that the current position was due to over spends in three specific service areas, namely, the Belfast Zoo, Development Directorate and City Events and Venues, which were offset by under spends in Economic Initiatives and International Development, Off Street Car Parking and the Parks Estates.

            The Members were advised that the City Venues, within the City Events and Venues Service, had reported a Quarter 1 over spend of £93,000 and a forecast year end over spend of £260,000. The Director explained that the key reasons for this were the loss of income above that which was planned for, as a result of construction, and a failure to reduce expenditure impacted by the loss of income.  He reminded the Members that an action plan had been approved by the Committee in September 2015 and was pleased to inform the Members that the results after implementation of the plan exceeded expectations, especially in terms of income generated by the Sales and Marketing Team, which gave the City Events and Venues Service an total overspend of £45,000.

            The Parks Estates position at year end was an under spend of £30,000 as a result of curtailing expenditure to offset the income position.

            The Members were advised that, at the end of Quarter 4, the Zoo was over spent by £228,000.  He reminded the Committee that an improvement plan had been considered by the Committee in September 2015, and again in January 2016, towards addressing those over spends. The Committee noted that a separate report would detail the progress being made in relation to the Belfast Zoo.

            The Committee noted the financial position and that this would be considered by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 24th June, 2016.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to provide an update on recent international work in relation to Sister Cities linkages as well as international business activity, and to set out some emerging priorities for action. 

2.0      Recommendations

2.1      The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the international activity update for the year to date and agree to a future report, to be presented to the Committee in September, setting out how this activity should be progressed, in the context of a wider International Relations Framework.

3.0      Main report

3.1      Members will be aware that the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive and a number of Councillors and Chief Officers have been involved in a range of recent international business visits and have hosted international delegations in the City.  These included:

-       Business visit to Boston, in February 2016

-       Developing a range of potential education and business linkages with Nashville, in March 2016

-       Progressing Sister City linkages, including the identification of opportunities for future collaboration between Belfast and Shenyang, in May 2016

-       Promoting the city as a creative business location through a visit to the South X South West international creative business and music event in Austin, Texas, in March 2016

-       An enhanced presence at MIPIM in March 2016 (which was the subject of a report to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee in May 2016)

-       Enhancing our business partnership with Invest NI which has included the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Chief Executive hosting business delegations and inward visits in City Hall as well as Chief Officers becoming involved in a range of investment meetings alongside Invest NI colleagues.

3.2      In addition to the above, the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Chief Executive continue to host a significant number of international visitors to the city, and there is a significant volume of work under way with partners to facilitate their international connections and promote opportunities for education, business and cultural links.  Likewise, the Council has committed to a programme of investment in the city centre and this is reliant on promoting the opportunities for private sector investment and growth, including commitments from international partners.  Finally, we are working to promote Belfast as an international business and tourism destination and this requires building partnerships with organisations such as Invest NI to understand how we can provide the ‘city proposition’ and ‘gateway services’ alongside the wider range of incentives that they promote to encourage additional inward investment. 

3.3      All of this work requires a coordinated and cohesive approach to maximise the return on investment.  It also requires an understanding of where the Council can add value to the work of other partners and what the resourcing implications of this work might be. To that end, Committee has agreed to a new International Relations Framework that will take account of these commitments as well as considering future development opportunities and identifying the specific role and priorities for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of the report is to:

-       Update Members on the progress of transferring functions including Business Start and Enterprise Support from DETI/Invest NI

-       Update Members on the ongoing work to develop a Regional Business Start programme

-       Update Members on proposed initiatives aimed at increasing Enterprise Awareness and supporting Student Entrepreneurship.

-       Note that in addition to these programmes the Council will undertake a full review of how it can further improve the support for small business start up and growth over the coming months

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the achievements of Business Start support activity from April 2015 to date

·        Note the work undertaken to date to develop a Regional Business Start programme and secure ERDF funding for this programme, including the indicative timeframe for a new programme

·        Approve the principle of working with other lead Councils to support the  management and implementation of a new Regional Start programme

·        Approve the proposals presented for future Pre-Enterprise and Student Entrepreneurship support, including a total budget allocation of £55,000 for this work in the current financial year (£20,000 for Pre-Enterprise support and £35,000 for Student Enterprise support). 

3.0      Main report

3.1      As Members will be aware, a number of economic development functions transferred fromDETI/Invest NI to local authorities in April 2015.  These include Enterprise Awareness (with a particular focus on under-represented groups, such as women’s entrepreneurship, and targeting areas of disadvantage), Start a Business activity, Social Enterprise and Youth Enterprise.

3.2       It is important to recognise that the functions transferred rather than the specific programmes through which DETI/Invest NI chose to deliver services to entrepreneurs, principally the Go For It Programme (for generic Business Start support) and Social Entrepreneurship Programme (focused on new and early stage Social Enterprises). As a result of this transfer, local authorities are responsible for the associated job promotion targets identified by the Northern Ireland Executive, through the Programme for Government, and these must be reported annually.  However the programme design and the level of support available is the responsibility of the individual Councils to decide, based on their respective budgets (and taking account of the budgets transferred from Invest NI for this activity). 

3.3       These new functions are additional to the range of Enterprise and Business Growth services which Belfast City Council’s Economic Initiatives Section has been delivering for many years. The LGR transferring functions complement a wider range of Council provision towards supporting new, micro and existing businesses as well as potential and current investors. Members will be aware that one of the key strands of the Belfast Agenda is ‘Business and Economy’ and this includes a number of commitments to grow the private sector and make Belfast an attractive and cost-effective location for their business. The Employability and Skills Framework – which will be presented to the June meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee – also identifies Business Start as a central  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9a

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services reminded the Committee that a plan had been developed to address the key issues being faced by the Belfast Zoo, which included five key areas, namely, working arrangements, income opportunities, Save to Invest Capital Programme, commercial infrastructure and operational efficiencies.

            He outlined the progress which had been made to date:

·        tendering for a new catering contract was underway;

·        implementing income generation activities such as Animal Experiences, Birthday Parties, Zoo School and Keeper for the day

·        implementation of mobile applications and update of the website;

·        a business case had been developed to allow for online bookings;

·        a review of existing arrangements with Visit Belfast, Hotels and Stenaline;

·        reviews of shop purchases, sponsorship and Adoptions, the animal collection plan, the Zoo Vet contract and the operation of Stores (including the supply of animal feeds) were underway;

·        a review of overtime costs, with recommendations being developed;

·        an investigation of sources of Grants available; and

·        an agreement through the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, on 22nd April, to include the Zoo in the City Centre Strategy and submit a capital bid for regional funding.

            The Director advised the Members that officers were looking at the operation of the Zoo, Belfast Castle and Malone House, with a view to how the Council could optimise its assets and maximise income generation.

            The Committee was advised that the Belfast Zoo was the host for the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquarium) conference, which would be held at the Belfast Waterfront in September, 2016.  The Members were advised that this was a prestigious event and included a Zoo night for up to 500 delegates, which would give Belfast the opportunity to develop networks further and create opportunities for new sponsorship arrangements.  The Committee was also advised that a Civic reception had been applied for, where the Chair and Deputy Chair of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee would be invited to attend.

            In response to a Member’s question, regarding whether there were any plans to restore the Floral Hall within the Zoo site, the Director advised the Committee that, while he was aware of the considerable public interest in the restoration of the Floral Hall, there was a significant capital requirement to do so and, as a result, there were no plans at that time.  However, he outlined that it would be considered within the overall review of the Department’s assets and the ambition to maximise income.

            During discussion, a number of Members expressed concern that the Zoo was still operating at a significant loss to the Council and that significant action needed to take place.

            After further discussion of a number of options, the Committee:

1.     noted the progress made on the short to medium term plan; and

2.     agreed that a detailed report would be submitted to a future meeting on the long term options for the future of the Belfast Zoo.