Agenda and minutes

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

The minutes of the meeting of 8th March were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 3rd April.

Councillor Beattie declared an interest in Item 3a, Presentation from Belfast Power Ltd., in that he was a Member of the Harbour Commission and he did not take part in the discussion.

            Alderman McGimpsey and Councillors Dorrian, Johnston, Magee, McAteer and Mullan declared an interest in Item 4a, Gasworks Masterplan, in that they were Members of the Planning Committee, and Councillor Boyle declared an interest in the same item in that he was a Member of the Markets Development Committee.  Upon receiving advice from the City Solicitor, the above mentioned seven Members left the room for the duration of the discussion on the item.

            (Councillor Attwood attended in connection with this item)

            The Committee considered the following Notice of Motion which, in accordance with Standing Order 13(f), the Council had referred, without discussion, to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee at its meeting on 3rd April, 2017:

            Proposed by Councillor Attwood and

            Seconded by Councillor Kyle

“This Council notes the importance of credit unions, as member-owned financial co-operatives, democratically controlled by their members, which ensure people in local communities have access to credit at affordable rates.

The Council notes that there are 158 credit unions in Northern Ireland, with 93 as part of the Irish League of Credit Unions and 42 with the Ulster Federation of Credit Unions.

The Council notes that there is an opportunity, in line with its commitment to develop co-operatives, to develop a partnership/joint venture with credit unions to deliver projects with social value including but not limited to social and affordable housing.

Accordingly, the Council agrees to engage with the credit union movement and investigate innovative models for project delivery.”

            The Chairperson advised the Committee that Councillor Attwood was in attendance in relation to the Motion and he was invited to the table.

            During discussion, the Committee was advised that a meeting had taken place with the Director of Finance and Resources and the Director of City Centre Development in relation to the possibilities outlined in the motion.

            The Director of Development advised that he was content to engage with the Credit Union movement, given the work that the team carried out in supporting co-operatives.

            The Committee agreed that representatives from the Credit Union movement be invited to attend a future meeting.

The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 1st February, had passed the following motion on On-Street Car Parking Charges, which had been proposed by Councillor Armitage and seconded by Councillor Long:

“This Council expresses its concern at the 16% increase in on-street car parking charges in Belfast, from £1.20 per hour to £1.40 per hour, announced by the Infrastructure Minister. This decision will adversely affect City Centre retail trade and will advantage the out-of-town shopping centres which are able to offer free car parking.

The Council agrees to seek an urgent meeting with the Minister to ensure that there is improved consultation with all stakeholders, including the Council, regarding the transportation issues within the City, including for those who use cars and public transport and those who cycle and walk.”

            It was reported that a response had now been received from the former Minister for Infrastructure.  In his response, the former Minister advised that, given the limited timeframe in advance of the election, he was unable to attend any additional meetings but that his officials were available to attend any proposed meetings. 

The Committee noted the response from the former Minister.

            The Committee was informed that TransportNI had recently advised that it was unable to attend the City Growth and Regeneration Committee on 10th May or 14th June to present its Spring Report. 

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to hold a Special meeting, provisionally on Wednesday, 7th June, with representatives from the Department for Infrastructure being invited to attend to discuss the above mentioned transport issues in the City and also to receive the Spring Report from Transport NI.

            (Councillor Beattie declared an interest in this item, in that he was a Member of the Harbour Commission and he did not take part in the discussion.)

            The Chairperson reminded the Committee that the Department for Infrastructure was responsible for processing the planning application from Belfast Power Limited, given its regional significance, and that the City Solicitor had previously advised that the Council’s Planning Committee would have a consultative role.  She reminded those Members who were also Members of the Planning Committee that the City Solicitor had provided advice that he had no objection to them attending the presentation but that it might be appropriate for them to either not take part in any debate or to refrain from voicing opposition or support for the proposal.

            The Chairperson advised the Committee that Mr. Ciaran Devine, Director of Belfast Power Ltd., and Mr. Ryan McBirney, Project Manager at Strategic Planning, were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting.

            Mr. Devine explained to the Committee that he and his brother, Stephen, had co-founded the parent company Evermore Energy, and also owned Belfast Power Ltd.  He advised the Members that Evermore Energy had successfully developed Northern Ireland’s largest renewable energy power station, Lisahally Combined Heat and Power Plant in Londonderry, for £83million.  He outlined to the Committee that the company wanted to develop a similar project in Belfast but had found that there was a need for a much more substantial low-carbon power station.

            Mr. McBirney outlined the proposal for their second project, a state-of-the-art, gas-fired power station at the Belfast Harbour Estate which would connect to Northern Ireland’s main gas supply at Knocknagoney.  Mr. Devine explained to the Members that, when operational, it would generate low-carbon electricity for over 500,000 homes and businesses throughout Northern Ireland.

            Mr. Devine explained to the Members that the Belfast Power Station represented a new era in low-carbon energy generation in Northern Ireland and he outlined a number of economic and environmental benefits which it would bring.  He outlined that they were currently securing £280million of private investment and that the station would create over 700 jobs during construction and 50 full-time, highly skilled roles when the plant was operational.  The Committee was also advised that, when operational, the plant would significantly reduce Northern Ireland’s CO2 emissions as well as helping to achieve security of electricity supply.

            In response to a Member’s question, Mr. Devine advised the Committee that the proposed Power Station would be significantly more flexible than older power stations, in that it could use wind power when available and that it would revert to gas-power at other times to safeguard constant supply.

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

            The Chairperson advised the Committee that Mr. Chris Birkett and Mr. Andrew Gibbins, Arup Consulting Belfast, were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting.

            Mr. Gibbins outlined to the Members a number of the objectives which they sought to achieve through the transformation of the East Bank area.  The Committee was advised that this was an integrated strategy to guide the future development of the area, co-ordinate individual investments and projects and which would deliver economic, social and environmental benefits. 

            He reported that the East Bank area provided key access between the east of the city and the city centre but that traffic was often congested and highlighted that there was a real need for improved connectivity.

            Mr. Birkett outlined to the Committee a number of phases which would seek to rationalise and rebalance the highway infrastructure, enabling strategic access and transform the pedestrian, cycle and public transport experience. He highlighted to the Members a number of key phases which included the introduction of Belfast Rapid Transit, Queen’s Quay highway improvements, the removal of the flyover bridge and the creation of a Bridge End Boulevard.  He emphasised to the Committee that the development of the Sirocco and Queens Quay sites was pivotal to the achievement of the strategy.

            In response to a Member’s question regarding car parking provision, Mr. Birkett outlined that they were looking at more sustainable transport options for the site, such as good public transport links and park and ride connections.  The Chief Executive added that this would be considered through the Car Parking Strategy.

            In response to a further Member’s question, the Director of City Centre Development confirmed that discussions were ongoing with the current owners of the Sirocco site in relation to the draft masterplan.

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

            Please note that, in accordance with Standing Order 47 and Section 41(1)(b) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014, the Chief Executive has received a valid Call-In requisition signed by 9 members of Council in relation to the following decision.

            (Ms. C. Reynolds, Estates Manager, attended in connection with this item)

            Upon receiving advice from the City Solicitor, Alderman McGimpsey and Councillors Boyle, Dorrian, Johnston, Magee, McAteer and Mullan declared an interest and left the room for the duration of the item.  The City Solicitor identified that a planning application directly impacted by this item was scheduled for hearing by the Planning Committee at its meeting on 13 April 2017.

            The Estates Manager advised the Committee that the former Development Committee, at its meeting in June 2005, had approved the appointment of Consarc to draw up draft proposals for the potential use of 6.5 acres of the former Gasworks site, adjoining the Gasworks Business Park, which had become known as the Gasworks Northern Fringe.

            She advised the Members that, since the 2009 Masterplan, the adjoining NIE site on Stewart Street had recently been secured for the site’s inclusion in the Council’s Masterplanning exercise. She provided the Committee with an overview of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) and reminded the Committee that Consarc had been re-appointed in April 2015 to engage with the local community to revise the Masterplan, taking account of the introduction of a much wider housing requirement in the BMAP housing designation.

            She reported that, following engagement with various statutory agencies, including the Planning Service, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, TransportNI and further community consultation, Consarc had since provided a revised Masterplan for the Gasworks Northern Fringe.

            She outlined that, taking account of both the BMAP housing designation and the original Masterplan’s exclusive commercial proposals, the revised draft Masterplan proposed the introduction of residential uses to produce mixed-use proposals.

            The Members were advised that the revised plan had been submitted to the Planning Service through the Pre-Application Discussions (PAD) process in order to establish the requirement for further consultants reports which would be needed to support any further submission to secure a formal outline planning permission.

            The Chief Executive advised the Members that she wished to amend the recommendations within in the report to the following:

            The Committee is requested to:

1.     note the updated position in relation to the emerging Gasworks Northern Fringe Concept Masterplan;

2.     note that a pre-planning process was being pursued; and

3.     agree to submit an Outline Planning Application for mixed use development, including a PAD process.

            During discussion, a Member expressed concern that a planning application within the Gasworks Northern Fringe site would be considered by the Planning Committee the following day, despite the Masterplan having not yet been completed.  Whilst the Member stated that she did not want the entirety of the site to be used for social housing, she expressed concern that the application did not align with the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            The Director of Development reminded the Members that major events required a long lead-in time in terms of the bid development process and the preparations associated with hosting large events.  He reported that there were two upcoming international events over the next five years which had specific time-bound requirements due to bidding deadlines, namely, the UEFA Super Cup in August, 2019 and the World Irish Dancing Championships from 9th – 18th April, 2022. 

            The Director outlined that, while a review was ongoing of the funding of events and festivals in the city, the rationale for bringing these requests to the Committee ahead of the finalisation of the review was that the bid deadlines for both events were ending in the next few months.  He highlighted that, given the Council’s previous successes in hosting major international events, engagement with partners to mobilise the Team Belfast approach to these events was important to allow sufficient time to be given to developing a strong and compelling bid.

            After discussion, the Committee:

1.     agreed to provide in-principle support, of up to £200,000, towards the 2019 UEFA Super Cup and up to £400,000 towards the 2022 World Irish Dancing Championships, subject to the availability of resources, and authorised officers to commence with the bidding process for these events; and

2.     noted that, should Belfast be short-listed for these events, a report would be brought back to the Committee to secure the relevant resources associated with hosting the event in the City.

            The Director of Development provided the Committee with an overview of the due diligence which had been completed on the opportunity to submit a joint bid with Derry City and Strabane District Council to become the UK host of the European Capital of Culture 2023.

            He outlined details of the bidding process and advised the Members that there were six assessment criteria which had been set by the European Commission, which included a demonstration of a long-term cultural Strategy, a European Dimension and Cultural and Artistic Content.

            The Director outlined to the Committee a number of the potential risks which such a large scale event carried and advised the Committee that, after consideration of each of the risks, many had been identified as manageable given the extensive experience, knowledge and capacity within both Councils.

            The Members were advised that an options matrix had been completed and that a joint bid between Derry and Belfast, branded as Belfast-Derry or the Derry-Belfast bid had emerged as the strongest option.

            After discussion the Committee:

1.     noted the update on the progress to advance a joint bid with Derry City and Strabane District Council to host the European Capital of Culture in 2023; and

2.     noted that officers were currently working on the development of a workshop for Members and would send out invites and additional information as soon as possible.

            The Committee agreed to receive a presentation from McCadden Design at its meeting on 10th May on the design concepts for the Belfast brand.

            The committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The Committee held its annual planning workshop on 6th March for Members to shape the upcoming work and agenda of the Committee and the new Corporate Plan, informed by the Council’s budget setting process for 2017/18.  The workshop also provided the opportunity to consider the role that the Committee will play in ensuring that the Council’s contribution to delivering the Agenda is maximised.

1.2       The Belfast Agenda has at its core a commitment to inclusive growth.  The Committee is familiar with the four main priorities in the Belfast Agenda which demonstrate the centrality of growing the local economy to improving quality of life in Belfast. It sets out an ambition for growth and opportunity that includes four headline goals to focus collaborative efforts on economic and social growth of Belfast so that by 2035:

-       Our city is home to an additional 70,000 new residents

-       Our urban economy supports 50,000 more jobs

-       There will be a 50% reduction in the life expectancy gap between the most and least deprived neighbourhoods

-       Every young person leaving school has a destination that fulfils their potential

1.3       The Committee has already noted that delivering the ambitions in the Belfast Agenda will require a significant uplift in the investment and resource commitment from the Council to ensure that, along with partner organisations, we develop appropriate support, services and programmes to grow the economy, improve the skills base, support city development and enhance the ‘lived experience’ in the city.  

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the contents of the report and provide any additional comments;

-       Agree that officers use this information to compile a revised Committee Plan for 2017-18, for consideration at its meeting in May/June 2017;

-       Agree to receive a presentation from the West Belfast Area Learning Community (ALC) at an upcoming meeting of the Committee outlining activities to improve educational attainment in the wider west Belfast area.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            The City Growth and Regeneration Committee is responsible for:

-       The development and implementation of strategies, policies, programmes and projects directed towards regeneration and growth of the city in the context of outcomes agreed in the community and corporate plans and other corporate strategy decisions.

-       Oversight of the exercise of Council functions in relation to economic development, urban development, tourism, culture & arts, European and international relations, car parks, city markets, city events, Belfast Castle, Malone House and Belfast Zoo.

3.2       With input from Prof Neil Gibson (UUEPC) the workshop provided an opportunity to set the Council’s ambitions and Committee’s progress and priorities within the current economic context and outlook.  The purpose of the workshop was to:

-       Review the performance and achievements against the Committee Plan in 2016/17; and

-       Translate the priorities of the Belfast Agenda into a work plan for the Committee to deliver in 2017/18.

-       Appendix 1 contains a copy of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1        The purpose of this report is to:

-       Update Members on the work undertaken to date to support employability and skills development in the city;

-       Seek Member endorsement and budgetary approval for priority initiatives, set out in 3.10 to be led by the Council in partnership with other organisations with the aim of responding to economic opportunities and addressing key employability and skill challenges.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the employability and skills activities undertaken within the 2016/17 financial year and progress achieved to date;

-       Note and approve priority actions identified for development and delivery in 2017/18 and approve expenditure of proposed budgets;

-       Agree to development of partnership structures to facilitate the delivery of priority actions where there is alignment of purpose and where there is an opportunity to share resources.  

3.0       Main report

3.1       Belfast is a major source of employment not only for the resident population for also for the wider region; over one third of all jobs in Northern Ireland are located within the city.  As the economy evolves and becomes more knowledge-based and service industry-focused, it is essential that skills development activity – at all levels – is informed by the needs of the changing marketplace. 

3.2       Forecasts suggests that only 1 in 6 of new jobs (16%) in the future will require no or low skills levels (below level 2).  At present, more than 30% of the working age population in Belfast fits within this skills profile.  The challenge, therefore, is to consider how the current workforce can be skilled up and how the education and skills provision for those not yet in the labour market can be tailored to ensure that there is greater alignment between skills supply and demand.

3.3       One of the most significant challenges to the city’s economic competitiveness is the high level of economic inactivity.  Current figures suggest that this is around 31% of the population that could work but that are not active in the labour market.  In some areas of Belfast, this figures rises to more than 40%. The reasons behind these figures are numerous and complex.  The group is made up of a number of different ‘segments’ including students, lone parents and those unable to work due to reasons of ill-health.  Changes to the benefits regime mean that there is some protection for these groups up to 2020.  However, after that, there will be a much greater focus on trying to move these individuals into the labour market, and there may be benefit penalties for not doing so.  Given the geographically-focused nature of these statistics, the impact on local communities could be significant.  It is therefore critical that interventions are developed now to support this target group to move towards employment where possible, taking account of the multiple challenges that they may face in moving back into work.  There are, of course, a number of interconnected issues that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to outline the proposed direction of travel for Council-led Small Business Support activity, focusing on actions to be delivered in the 2017/18 financial year. It sets out the thematic work areas which have been framed by the NI Programme for Government, the Industrial Strategy for NI and The Belfast Agenda. The work programme significantly contributes to the Council’s priorities of Growing the Economy, Working and Learning, City Development and Living Here. To ensure that activity can commence as soon as possible, this report also seeks delegated authority for approval of tenders to support early delivery.

1.2       This report should be read in conjunction with the Employability and Skills year two Action Plan report, also tabled to this Committee. Members should note that the Starting a Business work stream delivers against Aim 4 of the Employability and Skills Framework ‘to develop a culture of entrepreneurship at all levels’.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the work programme for 2017/18 as detailed within the report

-       Approve the budgets referenced against activity in Section 3 of the report (reference 3.5–3.9). A summary of the budgets is available on modern.gov.

-       Give delegated authority to the Director of Development to proceed with procurement to deliver the scope of services set out in this report, subject to engagement with the Central Procurement Service and Legal Services.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Officers have been prioritising programmes and activity for 2017/18 financial year to deliver against key performance indicators identified in the Programme for Government (PfG), the draft Industrial Strategy for Northern Ireland and the Belfast Agenda. Primarily, these indicators relate to Jobs and Business Productivity. Members will be aware that the draft Belfast Agenda four year stretch goals to 2021 aim to:

-       Create 15,000 new jobs;

-       Attract £1 billion private sector Foreign Direct Investment;

-       Support 4,000 small business start-ups;

-       Double the economic value of out-of-state tourism; and

-       Welcome 1.5 million overnight tourist stays per year.

3.2       The Council delivers a range of business support activities focused on Starting a Business, Growing a Business and Investing in Belfast. In 2016/17, this work helped deliver the following:

-       584 new businesses established

-       900 new jobs created (from start-ups and business growth)

-       2200 people supported through our business support activity

-       20 social enterprises established. 

            Priority activity for 2017/18 under these three themes will include:

3.3       Starting a Business

            The Industrial Strategy for Northern Ireland includes a commitment to driving inclusive, sustainable growth. It contains the ambition to be a more enterprising region with a culture of new business development. It aims to grow private sector output by 35%, creating 80,000 new jobs by 2030. Within the same time period it aims to put Northern Ireland in the top three most competitive small advanced economies increasing the annual spend of R&D to £1.5bn. Belfast accounts for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

            The Committee agreed the draft response to the draft Industrial Strategy for Northern Ireland (Economy 2030), a copy of which was available here on the Council’s website, and noted that it would be submitted to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in April for its approval.

            The Director of Development advised the Committee that Cinemagic was an organisation which worked with young people to develop skills within the growing film and television sector. 

            He outlined that Cinemagic had recently been working on a number of projects across Belfast, including activities focused on the Urban Villages areas of the City and, to date, had engaged with 30 youth groups and schools in all areas of the city.  The young people had created original films from idea generation and script development right through to casting, production co-ordination, directing and cinematography, having shadowed professionals in each of these specialisms.

            The Director highlighted that Cinemagic’s ethos was to ensure that the young people accessing these opportunities were predominantly those from the more deprived neighbourhoods.

            The Committee was advised that, in June 2017, Cinemagic planned to bring a group of young people from the west coast of the U.S.A. to Belfast for a collaborative project with young people from Belfast.  He explained that they would work together to produce a film to share their experiences of living in their City environments and engaging around their hopes and ambitions for the future.

            The Director outlined to the Members that the overall cost of the programme would be an estimated £32,000.  The Committee was advised that Cinemagic had successfully secured £17,000 from The Ireland Funds to support costs associated with supporting the international visitors and were requesting a contribution of £15,000 from the Council towards the wider programme costs.  He advised the Committee that the funding was available from within existing budgets.

            The Committee:

1.     noted the request to support a joint educational project between young people from Belfast and their counterparts from west coast USA in Summer 2017; and

2.     approved a financial allocation of £15,000 towards the costs of the programme.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       To report the outcome of Belfast’s delegation to the MIPIM international property exhibition in March 2017, and to set out key recommendations to support future delivery.

2.0       Overview and Recommendations

2.1       The 2017 delegation built on the success of 2016, with a larger and more cohesive city partnership, and a stronger investment proposition. Belfast is now firmly on the radar of investors and developers who had not previously considered the city as a location for doing business.

2.2       The Belfast Agenda highlights the Council’s ambition to attract 1 billion of investment into the city, along with medium term goals to develop 1.5m sq of Grade A Offices, and 2,500 hotel bed spaces by 2021. Delivering this ambitious agenda will require a further step change in how we position and promote the city. Committee are therefore asked to consider the following recommendations:

                                               I.          Authorise officers to scope out options for re-positioning the Belfast stand at MIPIM 2018 to an area of higher footfall.

                                             II.          Approve in principle that the existing £60,000 investment be enhanced, subject to officers presenting more detailed proposals at later Committee.

                                            III.          Authorise officers to commence procurement for consultancy support for programming, event management, communications, and design.

3.0       Key Outcomes

3.1       In February 2017 Belfast secured its first major success from last year’s delegation, with an announcement from Signature Living to bring forward 5 new hotels in the city, including a George Best themed hotel. This was quickly followed through with the purchase of the Crumlin Road Court House, which Signature intends to develop as a four star hotel.

3.2       Council are still progressing conversations with investors and developers first engaged in 2016. However, this has now been supplemented by meetings with an additional 20 financial institutions and investors that we engaged last month, along with 350 contacts collated overall. Of particular note are meetings with potential investors into the new Transport Hub, including those who would have the scale, track record and expertise to consider investment into the adjacent 12-acre regeneration site, Weaver’s Cross.

            City Delegation & Events Programme

3.3       A total of 79 people attended MIPIM as part of the Belfast delegation (up from 53 in 2016) with 38 organisational sponsors contributing £240,350 of private finance (up from 23 sponsors contributing £163,000 in 2016). This represents a 50% increase in one year and highlights the success of the strong public-private partnership that has been created across the city. It is worth noting that the Council contribution of £60,000, whilst vital for leveraging wider support, was only 20% of the combined budget, thus providing excellent value for money for the rate payer.

3.4       The enhanced delegation now includes a wide cross-section of interests, including developers, investors, banks, property agents, professional services, universities and government bodies. The collaborative approach adopted by Council has opened up more opportunities to meet investors and developers through partnership networks.

3.5       Belfast’s pitch for 2017 was focused around seven key pillars: talent, tax,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

The Committee considered the undernoted report and the associated Appendix which was available on modern.gov:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       At the February 2017 meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, the City Events Programme for 2017/18 was approved.  This sets out the key events to be organised and delivered by the Council’s City Events Unit.  These include the Titanic Maritime Festival, Halloween and St Patrick’s Day.

1.2       At that meeting, Members asked for additional details on other events and festivals supported to include events and festivals supported and delivered by the Council as well as those supported financially by the Council but delivered by others.  Members also asked for performance indicators against the range of support provided by the Council. 

1.3       The purpose of this report is to present an overview of events and festivals supported through the various Council funding streams and to set out the outcomes from this investment across the different funding streams.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the details of Council support for festivals and events through the range of funding streams set out in section 3 of the report.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            Members may be aware that the Council supports a range of cultural, sporting and activity-based events through a number of grant programmes and funding streams.  An overview of the grant schemes, as well as the available annual budgets is set out below:

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose or summary of main issues

1.1        The purpose of this report is to:

-       Seek approval for the activities set out in the year 2 delivery plan of the 2016-2020 Cultural Action Plan including approval to enter into relevant legal agreements and Service Level Agreements with named delivery partners.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the contents of this report and;

-       Agree the year 2 delivery plan (2017/18) of the 2016/2020 Cultural Action Plan including the associated budget requirements, as set out in Appendix 1.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            The Cultural Framework was launched in October 2012. This Framework was created in consultation with the culture, arts and heritage sectors across Belfast and an action plan for 2012-15 has been delivered.  A report in April 2016 also set out a further four year action plan (2016-2020) which helped re-focus efforts on areas of opportunity, in line with the original framework.

3.2       The vision for 2020 was that: ‘everyone in Belfast experiences and is inspired by our city’s diverse and distinctive culture and arts. Arts & Heritage are valued for enriching quality of life and creating wealth and the city’s culture and creativity is renowned throughout the world.’

3.3       The framework contains four main priorities for action, namely;

-       Distinctly Belfast

-       Attracting audiences

-       Inspiring communities

-       Strengthening the sector.

3.4       The support is delivered through a range of mechanisms including grant funding, development work with key bodies such as the Festivals Forum, Visual Arts Forum and strategic investment in areas such as audience development. Key to successful delivery of this framework is the ongoing need to work in partnership with city stakeholders including government agencies and the cultural sector itself.

3.5       Some of the priority activities delivered in 2016/17 are set out below.

            Key Successes 16/17

-       Approximately £1.4m invested in supporting 56 key cultural organisations through Core Multi Annual Funding

-       Successful Festivals and Visual Arts fora are operating in the City

-       33 Community Festivals supported across the city through the Community Festivals Fund with match funding being provided by the Department for Communities (DfC)

-       £160,000 invested in supporting 29 culture, arts and heritage grants

-       City as a Gallery initiative delivered on behalf of BCC by PLACE.  A programme of free events ran along a route from Botanic Gardens in south Belfast to the Waterworks in the north. Events included photographic exhibitions, art trails, art collages in café’s, sculpture, music and temporary art installations

-       Irish premiere of outdoor spectacle Mù performed on 16 October in Ormeau Park as part of the International Festival

3.6       The Belfast Agenda identifies the contribution culture and arts to the city helping to improve quality of life, drive the economy and make Belfast a shared, welcoming and proud city. 

3.7       A vibrant and animated city is an essential element of strategies to improve the quality of life for the city residents. Equally it is a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

            The Director reminded the Members that, at its meeting on 11th January, the Committee had received a presentation from Mr. S. Wray from Deloitte and Mr. D. Crozier from CSIT on the scale of the Cyber Security sector in Belfast as well as the potential for its future growth.  At that meeting, Mr. Crozier had referenced a number of Cyber Security events which the City was due to host and Members asked that information on the Conferences be submitted to the Committee.

            The Director provided the Members with details on two Cyber Security events which would be taking place in Belfast, namely:

·        theAppsec Conference, between 8th and 12th May, at the Belfast Waterfront. It was Europe’s biggest web security conference. The conference programme will consist of over 50 software security talks, 3 days of training courses and associated social events; and

·        the CSIT World Cyber Security Technology research summit, within the framework of the Appsec Conference, from 9th-10th May, and would bring together the international research community, industry leaders, government policy makers, startups and SMEs from around the world. The theme for the 2017 summit was “Security for a future digital society” and would focus on planning for future cyber security challenges.

            The Committee:

1.     noted the contents of the report; and

2.     agreed to contact the Head of Economic and International Development if they wished to attend elements of either programme.

            The Director reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 11th January, an update was provided on the upcoming Routes Europe Conference which would be taking place in Belfast between 23rd and 25th April, 2017.  The Committee had acknowledged the opportunity presented by the event to showcase Belfast to a global business audience as well as the potential of delivering new air routes for Belfast.  It was agreed that a further update would be submitted to the Committee, setting out the programme for the event and providing the Members with an opportunity to identify relevant elements of the conference which they might wish to attend.  The Committee was advised that the overall programme was available on modern.gov.

            The Members were advised that the main Conference would take place in the Belfast Waterfront, a welcome reception would be held in Belfast City Hall and a gala networking event would take place in Titanic Belfast. 

            The Committee:

1.     noted the update on the Routes Europe Conference which would take place in Belfast for the first time on 23-25 April 2017;

2.     agreed the attendance of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee, or their nominees, one Member from each party and up to two additional Committee Members to attend the City Hall welcome reception on 23rd April and the Titanic Belfast reception on 24th April 2017; and

3.     agreed to contact Maggie McNally if they wished to attend any of the wider conference sessions.

            The Director of Development reported that Ciclovia was an international health and community based initiative which closed a part of the City to traffic on a given day, for a specific period of time, whereby cyclists were given the opportunity to ride through the traffic free zone of the City.  He outlined that, following the successful delivery of Ciclovia Belfast over the last two years, planning was now underway for the 2017 event.

            The Director advised the Committee that the first Ciclovia Belfast event had been held in October, 2015 and had attracted over 1,500 participants, with double the number of participants having taken part the following year.

            The Director outlined to the Members that, since its inception, the event had been delivered with partnerships as a central part of its ethos.  He advised the Committee that it was anticipated that those agencies which had a cycling specific brief, such as the Department of Infrastructure’s Cycling Unit, SUSTRANS and NI Greenways, would again be key partners for the 2017 event.

            He advised the Members that Ciclovia Belfast had a direct economic impact on those businesses which were located on or near the route, with feedback from retail units and hospitality facilities reporting significant increases in trade on the day.

            In addition to the Council’s involvement with the Belfast Bikes Scheme, the Members were also advised that the event aligned to a number of Council priorities as set out in the Belfast Agenda, including measures to reduce health inequalities, improve the transport infrastructure and to invest in the city and its neighbourhoods.

            The Committee agreed to provide £10,000 of sponsorship towards the costs of the event, noting that funding had been set aside in Departmental budgets.

            After brief discussion, the Committee agreed:

1.     to defer consideration of the item to allow further discussion to take place; and

2.     that the issue of car parking in the City be added to the agenda for the Special Committee meeting, provisionally scheduled to take place on 7th June, with representatives from the Department for Infrastructure invited to attend.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to present a request for funding for the L’Arche Federation Assembly which will take place in Belfast in June 2017.

2.0       Recommendations

            The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the contents of the report

-       Agree to provide financial assistance of £20,000 towards the cost of hosting the L’Arche International Federation Assembly event in Belfast in June 2017.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            Members will be aware that business tourism is an increasingly important sector in the City.  Following investment in the Belfast Waterfront, the sector is growing in significance.  Last year, over 70 major conferences took place in Belfast, generating an economic benefit of £45million to the City. 

3.2       L’Arche is a global network of residential homes built around the needs of people with learning disabilities.  There are 150 L’Arche communities in 37 countries across the world. L’Arche Belfast is based on Ormeau Road and the organisation operates a number of projects including supported living schemes for those with learning disabilities, Root Soup – a catering social enterprise and Green Buds – a community allotment scheme.

3.3       The International Conference for all L’Arche members – the Federation Assembly – takes place every five years.  The 2017 event will take place in Belfast on 20-27 June 2017.  It is expected that more than 500 members will attend from the 37 countries where L’Arche has a presence.

3.4       The Federation Assembly will focus on scoping out the work programme for the organisation in the coming five years.  It will look at how the organisation can serve more people, elect new inspirational leaders and celebrate the way in which people with learning disabilities are being championed and supported in many countries.  This will include focusing on some of the work that is taking place in Belfast and that can be replicated all across the world.

3.5       The event will take place at Queen’s University Belfast and delegates will travel to all parts of the City to visit relevant projects and to see how organisations in Belfast are supporting those with learning difficulties.  Delegates will stay at the Queen’s student accommodation (Queen’s Elms).  The overall cost of hosting the event is around £600,000.  More than two thirds of this budget is spent on local facilities and activities, meaning that the event is a significant income generator for local hospitality businesses such as accommodation, transport, and catering as well as AV equipment and printers.  In line with estimates from other conferences, the combined spend of delegates attending the event is likely to generate around £150,000 to the local economy.  This means that the total investment in Belfast from this event will be around £750,000. 

3.6       The majority of the income to cover the costs will come from delegate fees, fundraising and sponsorship as well as income from Charitable Trusts and support organisations.  However, the organisation has a deficit in its budget and has approached the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.