Agenda and minutes

            No apologies were reported.

            The minutes of the meeting of 12th October were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st November.

No declarations of interest were reported.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 1st November, had considered the following Notice of Motion which had been moved by Councillor McVeigh and seconded by Councillor Nicholl:

“This Council recognises the importance of tourism to our City’s economy. With proper stimulus and support, we have the potential to substantially grow this sector and create many more jobs across the City.

It is recognised that tourism related jobs, in hotels, bars, restaurants, cinemas, shops, tourist attractions and taxis are often the most accessible for the lower skilled and those most removed from the labour market. It is crucial that we do everything that we can to support the growth of this sector.

It is imperative that opening hours for our restaurants, pubs and clubs, particularly within our City centre, are reviewed and modernised. It is very clear that residents and tourists alike are often left with little to do at key times of the evening and weekend and that this is hampering our tourism offer.

This Council calls upon the Minister for Communities and the Assembly to further devolve licensing decisions to councils. Local councils are best placed to make decisions about appropriate opening hours.

In recent months, a number of potential international investors have expressed an interest in developing an Entertainment and Casino complex in Belfast, with a planned investment of £150 million and the creation of in excess of 900 new jobs.

This Council agrees to carry out a public consultation, including with our tourism and hospitality sector, to ascertain whether the citizens of Belfast wish to see the modernisation of our licensing laws and opening hours and the development of an Entertainment and Casino Complex within Belfast.”

            In accordance with Standing Order 13(f), the Motion had been referred without discussion to the Committee.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed that a report would be submitted to a future meeting on the proposals within the Notice of Motion, to include information on:

·        the proposal to undertake a public consultation to ascertain whether the citizens of Belfast wished to see the modernisation of Licensing laws and opening hours in Northern Ireland, and the development of an Entertainment and Casino Complex within Belfast, with associated costings;

·        the suggested parameters and mechanisms which would be used for such a public consultation; and

·        related issues which had already been subject to public consultation by other government departments, including timescales and any conclusions which had arisen from them.

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

            The Director of City Centre Development provided the Committee with an update on the regeneration approaches which were being undertaken within the five Special Action Areas (SAAs) of the City Centre.

            The Members were reminded that the Belfast City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (BCCRIS) had identified five SAAs which were in need of a detailed and integrated planning approach, namely, the Inner North, the North East Quarter, the Inner West, Oxford Street/the East Bank and the Transport Hub/South Centre.  The Director provided the Committee with an update on how work in each of the areas was progressing.  She highlighted the importance of local neighbourhood connectivity and why it was integral to the success of the City, particularly with reference to social inclusion and creating local opportunities.  It was reported that a phased approach would be taken towards preparing more intensive local plans for each SAA to ensure that the larger ambitions of the BCCRIS were met.

            During discussion, the Director advised the Members that representatives from the Transport Hub had offered to present to a future meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

            The Director outlined proposals for a city animation programme, commencing in the summer of 2017, working with the local sector on a number of seasonal and longer term interventions.  The Members were provided with a number of examples of where successful schemes had been implemented, including ‘King’s Cross Pond’ in London and ‘P.S.1’ in New York.   The Director outlined a number of benefits which interventions would provide, namely to:

·        improve connectivity across the city centre, driving footfall between and across the wider city centre area;

·        raise awareness of vacant sites and opportunities for development;

·        catalyse economic development options to support retail, leisure and tourism opportunities;

·        create opportunities for existing residential communities to become engaged, increase perception of shared ownership of the city and identify potential job opportunities that may come forward as part of the interim uses;

·        address a range of challenges from anti-social behaviour and perceived safety to unattractive and derelict spaces; and

·        promote Belfast as a unique urban destination.

            In response to a Member’s question regarding the Inner West, the Director confirmed that a long term plan was being put in place to address anti-social behaviour (ASB) and that, through engagement with traders in the area and in working on schemes with the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services and the Director of Development, it was expected that an increased footfall in the area would decrease ASB significantly.

            In response to a further Member’s question about integrating the Titanic Quarter (TQ) into east Belfast, the Director confirmed that work was ongoing in this regard with a focus on creating better pedestrian connectivity between the TQ and the east of the City.  She pointed out that animating the river to increase connectivity between the East Bank, the TQ and the city centre was part of the planned approach for this area.

            After further discussion, the Committee:

1.     agreed to further develop the approach to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from NIE Networks to present on the key elements of its business plan, detailing what it proposed to deliver between 2017 and 2024 and also its emergency plans for winter and any severe weather.

            The Chairperson advised the Committee that Transport NI was unable to attend the Special Infrastructure Committee meeting on 16th November and that it would instead be invited to attend a future meeting.  The Committee also noted that, further to the Committee’s decision at its meeting on 12th October, representatives from the Department of Infrastructure would also be invited to attend.

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request from NIE Networks and agreed that it be invited to the Special City Growth and Regeneration Committee meeting on 16th November, to which NI Water would also be invited.

            The Director of City Centre Development reminded the Members that the East Bank Framework was being created within the context of the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (CCRIS) and the identified Special Action Areas (SAA) for areas of the city which were in need of an immediate, detailed and integrated planning approach.

            She advised that, as previously agreed by the Committee, a multi-disciplinary expert team, led by Arup, had been appointed to take forward a detailed Framework for the area which had been identified as the East Bank.  She pointed out that a project steering group had recently been established with council staff from the City Centre Development and the Local Development Plan team, who would work alongside the appointed team led by Arup.

            She outlined to the Members that the East Bank area was situated in an important location between the east of the city and the traditional city centre and that there were a number of potential future engagement opportunities, including the Sirocco site which was under new ownership, the Queen’s Quay which was owned by the Department for Communities and the Titanic Quarter. She confirmed to the Committee that all land owners in the East Bank area would be engaged with directly during the development of the Framework.

            The Director stated that early consultation with elected Members and other key stakeholders would begin in December 2016, as part of Stage 1 of the project, with the aim of identifying key issues and improving the understanding of the area.  She explained that Stage 2 of the consultation process would commence in January to explore the options for developing the strategy and the associated action plan.

            The Committee noted the contents of the report.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1        To update Members on the ongoing work and engagement with Central Government on the development of an Infrastructure Plan for the City

2.0       Recommendations

2.1      Members are asked to note that:

                                             (i)          The Infrastructure Minister, Chris Hassard MLA has confirmed his willingness to work with Council and other partners to develop an Infrastructure Plan for the Belfast City-Region and Eastern Corridor including examining forms of financing such a plan.

                                           (ii)          The Department for Infrastructure has indicated it would work with the Council to explore the potential to commission a feasibility study in relation to a high speed rail connection between Belfast and Dublin as raised in a recent Notice of Motion to Council.

                                         (iii)          The Executive’s Committee for Infrastructure has requested to meet with the Lord Mayor and Council delegation on the 7 December (am) in City Hall, to explore some of the key infrastructure challenges and priorities facing the city and how the Council may work more effectively with the Committee.

                                         (iv)          A further report will be brought back to January committee on the proposed Infrastructure Plan

3.0       Main Report

3.1       If the Belfast City-Region and connecting corridors (e.g. Eastern Corridor) is to fulfil its potential  there is a need for sustained investment in critical city infrastructure.  Infrastructure planning and investment is necessary to enable and support economic growth and investment and ensure that the city is capable of accommodating future development and plans for growth. It will also be important in terms of supporting the emerging Local Development Plan.

3.2       Members will be aware that a cross-party delegation from Council has been meeting NI Executive Ministers to discuss the emerging Programme for Government, new Investment Strategy and Economic Strategy as well as exploring the key challenges, opportunities & priorities for the city.

            On the 20 October, Members met the Infrastructure Minister, Chris Hazzard, MLA. A key focus of discussion was the recent announcement by the Minister and Department for Infrastructure to extend the procurement bidding process for the York Street Interchange project with no definite date set for commencement of the scheme. This decision has received significant pushback and concern from the general public/commuters as well as industry.

3.3       The scheme has been in planning from 2009, with an Executive announcement to progress the infrastructure scheme made in 2015. The £165m scheme is critical to the city and would address the traffic gridlock which occurs daily at the busy junction, a key gateway into the city and the port.  As Northern Ireland’s busiest junction, it carries 100,000 vehicles each day, mostly commuters to and from Belfast as well as the haulage industry linkage to the port. This is not only an important scheme to increase the economic competitiveness of Belfast but also Northern Ireland Plc.

3.4       The Minister indicated that the decision to delay the scheme was due to current uncertainty around funding availability given a proportion of the scheme was to be funded through Europe and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6b

            The Director of City Centre Development reminded the Members that the Council, at its meeting on 1st June 2016, had agreed that a Belfast delegation would attend MIPIM 2017, which was taking place between 14th and 17th March.  She undertook to provide the Committee with an overview of the preparations which were underway for the Council’s attendance at MIPIM, the largest international market for real estate professionals which was held annually in Cannes, France.  

            She reminded the Members that, in March 2016, the Council had led a successful Belfast delegation of 53 people from 23 sponsoring organisations to MIPIM and highlighted some of the positive outcomes to the Committee, namely that:

·        the strong Belfast plc proposition had put the City back on the investment map;

·        15 expressions of interest to visit Belfast had been made by major institutional investors and a number of funders sourced at MIPIM were now actively investing in developments or very seriously considering investments in the very near future; and

·        a significant hotel company was actively seeking a site in Belfast.

            The Director explained that, while she had been appointed as the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for MIPIM 2017, an internal City Centre Programme Board, constituted in June 2016 and led by the Chief Executive, would provide strategic oversight.  The Members were also advised that a private sector steering group had been set up to support the work on the sponsorship and messaging, and that it had agreed to hold sponsorship at the 2016 levels.  The Committee was reminded that the Council had agreed to allocate £60,000 to MIPIM, with additional costs to be met through private sector sponsorship.

            The Director confirmed to the Members that preparations for MIPIM 2017 would be progressed in tandem with other strategic initiatives including the Belfast Agenda, Place Positioning, and the International Marketing Strategy.

            The Committee was reminded that, in 2016, Belfast had gone to MIPIM with strong messages around tax, talent and technology. The Director explained that the messaging for 2017 would build on these, but would also include strong references to tourism and transport. She highlighted that the aim of MIPIM was to showcase specific investment opportunities around these themes, such as the Transport Hub which would transform Belfast, the visitor attractions, the North Foreshore, the Sirocco site, the North East Quarter, in addition to specific development opportunities for new hotels, retail, offices, and leisure space.

            The Director advised the Members that, following a competitive procurement process, the Council had appointed Lanyon Communications Ltd. to support the preparations, sponsorship and stand development for MIPIM 2017.  She provided an overview of the key preparations which had been planned to date, including a Sponsor’s launch event on 1st December to be held at the Belfast Telegraph building, symbolising the future regeneration of the City.  The Members were also advised that a Public launch would take place in February 2017, in the Belfast Waterfront, as an opportunity to galvanise the Belfast delegation, and publically project the international ambitions of the city.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1        The purpose of the report is to update Members on the development of the International Relations Framework for the period 2016-2021 and seek approval to proceed with a number of forthcoming activities.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Agree the content of the new International Relations Framework 2016-2021.

-       Agree to support the Chinese New Year 2017 celebrations to a maximum of £5,000.

-       Agree to the attendance of the Lord Mayor and the Director of Development or their nominees at the Boston launch of the third Friendship Four Ice Hockey 2017 tournament from 5 - 8 January 2017, at a cost not to exceed £3,500.

-       Agree to support the first Sport Changes Life US / NI Basketball tournament in Belfast in December 2017 at a maximum cost of £50,000, and thereafter support the tournament in principle for successive years, subject to annual committee and budget approval.

-       Agree to the development of a ‘Belfast in China Week’ programme to take place in partnership with stakeholder organisations in the first six months of 2017, subject to Committee approval of the programme and associated budget.

-       Agree to the development of a Belfast City Council economic, tourism and education mission to Nashville in partnership with key stakeholder organisations in Spring 2017, subject to Committee approval of the programme and associated budget.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Members will be aware that in 2012, the Development Committee approved the development of a new three year International Relations Framework 2012-2015.  The aim of the Framework was to promote Belfast on the international stage as a place to visit, study, invest and do business. 

3.2       Since 2012, the Council has engaged in a number of strategic international partnerships, namely with Boston, Nashville and Shenyang, along with increasing collaboration with Dublin and London.  These engagements have involved not only the Council but also its partner organisations, thereby ensuring that the relationships are multi-dimensional.

3.3       With new Planning powers already in place and Regeneration powers expected to transfer to Councils in the coming years, and with a significant endorsement of the commitment to “Growing the Belfast Economy” as articulated in the Belfast Agenda, the Council is increasing its ambition around positioning the city to attract international investment from developers, FDI and institutional investment.  It is also supportive of work being undertaken by partner organisations to increase the number of international students in the city, grow tourism investment and support more Foreign Direct Investment as well as helping local businesses to become more active in international export markets. 

3.4       In recognition of the need to create more focus and ensure added value of the Council investment in this area, a new International Relations Framework 2016 - 2021 has been under development since August 2016.  As part of the commission, the consultancy team engaged with a range of key internal and external partners to identify the appropriate focus, structure and priorities for the Council’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7b

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1        The Committee has recently received updates on progress with the current Committee Plan and the emerging areas of work that are being explored to support the delivery of the Belfast Agenda, which has inclusive growth at its core. This included proposals to grow the Belfast economy by supporting more business starts, helping existing businesses to grow in export markets and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).  ‘Growing the Economy’ to maximise the benefits for the city and for all communities requires a co-ordinated and city-wide approach, securing buy-in from city partners and stakeholders.  This will require a city-wide approach to be developed for each stage in the process of:

-       promoting Belfast as a place to invest and do business;

-       supporting business start-ups and business growth for indigenous businesses and attracting FDI companies

-       providing appropriate support and after-care service to those committed to investing in Belfast; and

-       investing in the relevant infrastructure to attract and retain investment

1.2       In an increasingly competitive global environment, Belfast must emphasise its distinct competitive advantage if it is to continue to compete and successfully attract FDI, and tourists to the city as well as encouraging more businesses to start and support those existing businesses to grow in the city.  Members have emphasised the importance of continuing to attract and support FDI to Belfast and the Council has been delivering on the Tourism Strategy Action Plan, developing a ‘Go to Market’ plan and working with city stakeholders in the development of the International Relations Framework to ensure that this is focused on attracting investment and positive profile for Belfast.

1.3            The purpose of this report is to outline a proposal to secure professional expertise to assist in developing a costed and resourced scope of services that could be provided by Belfast City Council, with partners, to augment the existing services and incentives to support, attract, secure and sustain business starts, business growth and investment.  This will also be designed to provide assurance that future approaches are additional and complementary to those services and support that is already provided by city partners.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Agree to the development of the city investor advice proposal as outlined in the report.

3.0       Key issues

3.1       Members are aware that the Belfast Agenda has at its core a commitment to inclusive growth.  The scale of Belfast’s ambition is set out in the draft Belfast Agenda which aims to grow the city’s population by an additional 70,000 people and for the city’s economy to support 50,000 more jobs by 2035.  To focus our efforts on growing the Belfast economy, a number of ambitious and challenging targets have been set for 2021:

-       Creating 15,000 new jobs

-       Attracting £1 billion of private sector Foreign Direct Investment

-       Supporting 4,000 small business start-ups

3.2       The pillars summarising the city priorities (below), demonstrate the importance of fostering business growth, attracting investment and making  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7c

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The Draft Programme for Government (PfG) Framework 2016-2021 aims to support a more innovative, creative society. It includes an ambition to have more people working in better jobs and connecting people and opportunities through our infrastructure. Many of the associated outcomes in PfG relate to building confidence and an increased desire to work, live and visit Northern Ireland. This is reflective of The Belfast Agenda and the Growing the Economy ‘pillar’ in particular which identifies key growth sectors and clusters to help achieve the City’s ambition.

1.2       Recent investments by Creative and Digital Industry (CDI) companies in Belfast demonstrate that the sector can be globally competitive, attracting international investment and generating indigenous businesses that can compete in global markets. 

1.3       The purpose of this report is to update Members on emerging areas of work within the Council that can contribute to the further growth of the sector in the City and to secure approval to move forward on these initiatives. 

            2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Support the work to explore the role for Council intervention in co-working space and develop a learning pilot for delivery of co-working space for Creative and Digital Sector Businesses, at a total cost of £50,000 (refer to sections 3.9 to 3.12).

-       Agree to make a contribution of £20,000 towards the costs of hosting the Cartoon Business event in May 2017, subject to Belfast being chosen as the preferred location for the event (refer to sections 3.15 to 3.18).

-       Note the proposal to develop a programme of activity and support a trade mission to SXSW Austin, Texas in partnership with Invest NI and Generator NI (10-19 March 2017) with a Council contribution of £20,000 towards an overall £50,000 funding package and agree that the Council should be represented at the event by the Chair of City Growth and Regeneration Committee or their nominee and one Officer (refer to sections 3.19 to 3.23).

-       Approve support for delivery of the Output Conference and music showcase in February 2017 in partnership with Ulster University, private sector partners and Generator NI, with a £20,000 contribution from the Council towards an overall funding allocation of £55,000 (refer to sections 3.24 to 3.28)

3.0       Main report

3.1       Belfast is increasingly becoming a centre for professional services, software development and creative and digital technology.  Research suggests that the City has specialisms in a number of areas including TV, film, gaming, animation and music as well as financial services technology, software development and cyber security.

3.2       While the City has been extremely successful in many areas, it is recognised that that this success can only be sustained if there is ongoing investment by all relevant partners.  This requires an integrated approach to planning and investment which, to date, has been limited. Members will be aware of proposals to establish an Economic Forum for the City in order to move forward on some of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8a

            The Director of Development advised the Members that a proposal had been received from the George Best Belfast City Airport’s franchised catering partners, HMS Host, in relation to a significant refurbishment plan for the café area in the Departures Lounge.  HMS Host had approached the Council in relation to the refurbishment, indicating that it wished to explore opportunities to reflect the local, and very successful, St. George’s Market in the design work.  He explained that the principle behind the proposal was that a version of the St George’s brand would be incorporated into the branding of the wider catering provision, featuring panels to tell the history of St George’s Market. 

            The Director explained that the association with the airport offered significant opportunities to promote St George’s Market to leisure tourists who had been to the City and would be keen to come back, as well as to business tourists who might be keen to return to the City on a weekend break.  The Airport was actively looking at how it could encourage visitors to return to Belfast and Northern Ireland for weekend visits and felt that the local messaging around key attractions, such as St George’s, would support that ambition. 

            The Members were advised that, while it was planned that there would be an association with St George’s Market, the produce on sale did not necessarily have to come from the Market.  There had, however, been engagement with the catering franchise to look at opportunities for introducing products from traders at St George’s where that was possible and they were keen to explore this further. 

            The Director pointed out that the City Airport was of critical importance to the development of the Belfast Waterfront as a conference and exhibition centre, highlighting that one of the key selling points of the Waterfront venue was its proximity to the airport and the City Centre.

            The Committee was advised that, following engagement with the Council’s Legal Services Section, officers had been advised that there were no reasons why the partnership should not proceed in principle.  It would be important, however, to ensure there was a legal agreement between Belfast City Council and the airport’s catering partner outlining the parameters for use of the brand. 

            The Committee:

1.     noted the early engagement between the catering franchise partner at the George Best Belfast City airport and the Council with regard to using the St George’s Market brand within the revamped catering facilities in the Departures Lounge at the airport; and

2.     agreed that Officers should proceed with the development work, subject to the ability to sign off on the design concepts and subject to a form of legal agreement, to be drawn up in conjunction with the Council’s Legal Services section. 

            The Director of Development provided the Members with an update on the preparations for the Christmas Market which would operate in the City Hall grounds, and the immediate outer perimeter area on Donegall Square North, from 19th November to 22nd December, 2016. 

            The Director confirmed to the Committee that the delivery of the Christmas Market was put out to tender every year since its inception in 2004, with Marketplace Europe (MPE) having been appointed as the operator each year. 

            The Members were reminded that the Christmas Market was one of the main attractions for tourists over the Christmas season.  The Director reported that the last evaluation of the Christmas Market, carried out by Millward Brown Ulster in 2014, noted that the Market generated around £58million into the local economy, with 60% of Market attendees also visiting local shops and 39% visiting local restaurants and cafés.

            The Director also reported that a recent survey showed that 91% of traders within the Belfast One BID area felt that the Market was of significant direct value to the City, while the traders at St George’s Market also felt that the Christmas Market was complementary to their offer and had a positive impact on their trading performance. 

            The Director explained to the Committee that one of the most significant opportunities this year was the potential presented by the Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016.  He advised that this year’s Market would feature a number of unique local food traders who would be located in 20 new chalets along the outer perimeter railings on Donegall Square North.  He pointed out that those stall holders would operate on a rota basis, changing twice a week, to ensure that they were able to produce sufficient stock.  He advised that those companies had been selected by Food NI and would come from all over Northern Ireland. 

            The Director pointed out that MPE had yet again invested in a significant outreach programme with schools, a range of family friendly activities and tours at quieter times for those with disabilities. He reported that the chosen charity for the Christmas Grotto at the Market would be the Children’s Cancer Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital.  

            In response to a Member’s question regarding congestion at the Market, the Director advised that there would be around 90 chalets within the City Hall grounds, which was slightly fewer than in recent years as the organisers had worked to improve the layout in order to reduce congestion at peak times. 

            A further Member asked that measures be taken to ensure that the grounds of the City Hall be left in a good state of repair during the set-up and dismantling of the Market.

            The Director advised that MPE wished to open the Market from 12 noon on Sundays this year and that the Legal Services Section had advised that there were no reasons why that could not happen in principle.

            After discussion, the Committee:

1.     noted the update on the Christmas Market at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8c