Agenda and minutes

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

            The minutes of the meeting of 13th September were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 2nd October.

            Councillor O’Hara declared an interest in Item 8a, Rural Development Programme – Basic Services Measure, in that she was a Council nominee on the Local Action Group for Hannahstown, which drew down funding for regeneration projects.  Councillor O’Hara left the room for the duration of the Item.

            (Mr. J. Hanna, Senior Democratic Services Officer, attended in connection with this Item)

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the BBC to film part of the proceedings of the meeting, in relation to Item 6d, St. Patrick’s Day.

            The City Solicitor advised the Members that the usual convention was to permit filming at the Council meetings, but not Committee meetings.  He advised the Members that, while Committee meetings were now open to the public and audio recorded, they provided a forum which allowed Members to have open and informed discussion and he advised that the Committee decline the request.

            Moved by Councillor Walsh,

            Seconded by Councillor O’Hara and

      Resolved - That the Committee rejects the request from the BBC to film part of the proceedings of the meeting.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to allow the BBC to film the meeting for a short period before it commenced to use as a background shot for a news item.

            (Ms. A. Doherty, Planning and Transport Officer, attended in connection with this item)

            The Committee was reminded that the Council on 2nd October had referred the following notice of motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Dudgeon and seconded by Alderman Johnston, in accordance with Standing Order 13(f), to the Committee for consideration:

“This Council has grave concerns about traffic congestion in the City centre, particularly at the back of City Hall, resulting from recent new arrangements.  A major source of the problem at peak times is the prohibition on vehicles (except buses and emergency services) going from Donegall Square East into Adelaide Street from 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.

This means that cars must either go into Chichester Street, turn right into Montgomery Street, then right into May Street and left into Adelaide Street, or use Donegall Square East, then Donegall Square South and Bedford Street to go in an eastern or south-eastern direction.  There is no other reasonable way for vehicles to go from the west or south west of the City to the south and east, despite the description of the route as a rat run.

Cars accessing Adelaide Street between June, 2015 and August, 2016 were caught by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) camera in Donegall Square East on 18,000 occasions, resulting in £1 million of fines.  This proves the difficulty faced by drivers and especially visitors to the City.

The Council, therefore, calls on DfI, working in conjunction with Translink, to end the prohibition on traffic entering Adelaide Street from Donegall Square East.  This would also enable the removal of the large and unsightly electronic warning sign in Donegall Square Eastand free up the traffic island on which it sits.”

            After discussion, the Committee:

1.     endorsed the wording of the Motion and agreed that a letter be sent to the Department for Infrastructure requesting that the proposals therein be put into effect; and

2.     agreed that the letter would extend an invitation to representatives from the Department for Infrastructure to attend a future meeting of the Committee to discuss the issues with traffic in the city centre and to clarify the Department’s reasons for the current traffic arrangements.

            The Director of Development reminded the Committee that it had agreed, at its meeting on 9th August, to invite EastSide Arts and Féile an Phobail to present to a future meeting.

            The Chairperson advised the Members that Mr. M. Kinkead, Chief Executive of EastSide Partnership, and Ms. R. Kennedy, EastSide Arts Manager, were in attendance to provide an overview of the EastSide Arts festival and they were admitted to the meeting.

            Mr Kinkead provided the Committee with an overview of EastSide Arts, which, he explained, was an integral part of EastSide Partnership, and he outlined a number of the activities which it had been involved in since it was established in 2012, including:

·        the delivery of six annual arts festivals;

·        the delivery of five C. S. Lewis festivals;

·        five Woodstock R&B Festivals and dozens of emerging artists;

·        seven Van Morrison shows; and

·        over 100 year-round arts events.

            He explained to the Committee that, since 2012, the work of the organisation had been carried out without any organisational financial support from the Council.  He clarified that, while EastSide Arts had received programme support from the Council, and additional non-recurrent support in 2015, this financial assistance did not permit it to plan a structure to deliver or organise the programmes, and that this was challenging. 

            However, he advised the Committee that the Council was an important partner to EastSide Arts and that he hoped that in the future they could better work together.

            The Members were advised that EastSide Arts had a six-year plan for 2018-2023, with key areas for development.  He outlined that this included the growth of the C. S. Lewis Festival and the development of the Woodstock R&B Festival, to ensure their international relevance, and the development of the EastSide Arts Festival and the public hub of C.S. Lewis Square in conjunction with the Council.

            During discussion, a number of Members commended the work of EastSide Arts and of the EastSide Partnership, particularly in relation to the success of the C.S. Lewis Square, which had become a vibrant, shared space for all age groups and social backgrounds to socialise in the inner east of the city.

            In relation to the engagement which had taken place with local schools, the Arts Manager confirmed to the Committee that competitions were run, as part of the C. S. Lewis Festival, and that continued partnership with EastSide Learning was an important part of community engagement.

            In response to a Member’s question regarding the potential of organising diversionary activities for young people during the first two weeks of July, Mr. Kinkead acknowledged that it was difficult with only 2 full time staff members but that it had remained focussed in its belief that the arts were for everyone and were, in his opinion, the most important driver for the city. 

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

            The Chairperson advised the Members that Mr. K. Gamble, Director of Féile an Phobail, and Mr. H. Connolly, Fáilte Feirste Thiar, were in attendance to provide an overview of the plans for the festival in 2018 and they were admitted to the meeting.

            Mr. Gamble explained to the Members that 2018 would mark the 30th anniversary of Féile an Phobail.  The Committee was advised that the festival had been established in 1988 in response to the conflict, in order to celebrate the rich culture and community of West Belfast and its love for the arts, sport and language.  He explained that it was now Ireland’s biggest community arts festival, attracting over 80,000 people annually to events throughout the year.

            He stated that Féile an Phobail played a leadership role in the arts and culture within the city, by bringing communities together through the arts, attracting visitor spend and showcasing the city.  He stated that Féile had led a cultural programme and had worked with arts and cultural groups, schools and youth groups across the city when the World Police and Fire Games had taken place in Belfast in 2013.  He outlined that Féile continued to work alongside EastSide Arts, ArtsEkta, the Duncairn Centre for Arts and Culture and the Spectrum Centre.

            In relation to the 30th anniversary of the festival, Mr Gamble outlined details and explained that it would be a community celebration of global culture over three festivals, one in March, August and October.  He described to the Members that they would continue the comprehensive volunteer programme, the marketing programme and that it would commission specific pieces of work to reflect and celebrate 30 years of arts, culture and community through Féile an Phobail.  He also pointed out that hospitality was at the core of the festival.

            The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their presentation and Mr. Connolly retired from the meeting.

            The Chairperson advised the Members that Mr. K. Gamble, Director of Féile an Phobail, and Mr. R. Crowe, Copius Consulting, were in attendance to provide the Members with a summary of the consultation which had been carried out in relation to the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Belfast, and they were admitted to the meeting.

            In response to a Member’s question, the Chairperson clarified that the title on the agenda, namely “Fáilte Feirste Thiar”, had been incorrect and that the presentation was in fact from Féile an Phobail and Copius Consulting.

            Mr. Gamble explained that Féile an Phobail had been allocated Council funding in order to carry out work on the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the city and to look at how the city could encourage visitors to stay in the city for longer periods.  He explained that Féile had commissioned Copius Consulting to carry out research as part of this work.

            Mr. Crowe provided the Committee with an overview of the quantitative and qualitative findings from the consultation, which included participants who had and who had not attended the St. Patrick’s Day events in Belfast in the past three years.  He also advised that businesses had been consulted about the events.

            The Members were advised of the following key qualitative findings:

·        the city should be making a greater effort for the festivities for the week leading up to St. Patrick’s Day while encouraging the greater Belfast area to get involved in the parades;

·        the city centre and parade should be more festive for the events, including global greening, street bunting and more street entertainment;

·        the event(s) should last longer than just the parade and concert, a day of celebrations;

·        more emphasis on community involvement with the parade;

·        better policing and management of underage drinkers and anti-social behaviour; and

·        more activities for children, similar to Culture Night.

            Mr. Crowe described the successful activities which were held annually in Dublin, Downpatrick and New York to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and explained that Belfast should learn from those as examples of Best Practice.  He stated that the natural next step for Belfast would be the creation of a Partnership approach to the celebrations, where resources could be shared amongst key partners, such as financial, human, skills, venues and equipment.

            A number of Members stated that it was promising to hear new and creative ideas around the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and that Belfast should seek to attract many more tourists to the city for the celebrations.  Other Members suggested that there was a lack of cross-community participation in the events and that they had some concerns in relation to the proposed “greening” of Belfast.  The point was also made that activities to engage those aged 15 – 17 should be a priority, particularly in relation to the anti-social behaviour which had taken place in the Holylands area of the city.

            The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their presentation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

            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

      Resolved – That the Committee agrees to exclude the members of the Press and public from the Committee meeting during discussion of these items as, due to the nature of the items, that there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42 (4) and Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

            (Councillor Dudgeon, Deputy Chairperson, in the Chair.)

            (Mr. J. Collier, Development Manager, City Centre Development Team, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Development Manger provided the Committee with information on the range of interim uses which had been agreed for the former Belfast Telegraph site in advance of its redevelopment by Bel Tel LLP, the Council’s joint venture with McAleer & Rushe.  He provided the Members with details of a nine-month licence with Limelight Belfast Ltd to occupy and manage a section of the ground floor of the site in the non-listed part of the building.

            The Committee was also advised of a second temporary let which had been agreed, to Digital Catapult Northern Ireland, for the use of 4,500sqft of the first floor extension of the building.  The Development Manger explained that it was for a project sponsored by the Department for the Economy which promoted pioneering immersive technologies. 

            A number of Members expressed concern in relation to how the application for an Entertainments Licence, regarding the interim use of the space, had been dealt with, and sought confirmation from officers that a similar situation would not occur again.

            During discussion, the Development Manager confirmed to the Members that Bel Tel LLP was the landlord and that the Council’s role, as part of Bel Tel LLP, was distinct from its statutory function.

            After discussion, the Committee:

·        noted the contents of the report and the success of Bel Tel LLP in:

§  having secured an occupier for a large portion of the ground floor of the non-listed building, for use as an entertainments venue; and

§  having agreed terms for the use of 4,500sqft of the first floor extension of the building by Digital Catapult Northern Ireland, a project sponsored by the Department for the Economy that promoted pioneering immersive technologies.

(Councillor O’Donnell, Chairperson, in the Chair.)

            (Mrs. J. Wilson, Business Manager, City and Neighbourhoods, attended in connection with this item)

            The Business Manager provided the Committee with an overview of the recent visit to the Exploris Aquarium, Portaferry, which a number of members had participated in.  She outlined that five Councillors from the Ards and North Down Borough Council, along with their Chief Executive, had also attended to inform the Belfast delegation of their involvement in the change to the operating arrangements of the Aquarium.

            She explained to the Members that the procurement of a contract to undertake a feasibility exercise was underway, whereby the successful company would be required to present to the Committee in the New Year on the preferred cost benefit analysis of each option, with a clear rationale and a critical path of how each could be achieved.

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided.

The Director of City Centre Development provided the Members with an update on the work which was ongoing on the Inner North and West Masterplan and sought the Committee’s approval for a presentation by the consultancy team, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, at a future meeting.

            A Member requested an update on the western part of the City Centre.  The Director of City Centre Development advised that an overall Masterplanning strategy was to be agreed initially, which would then allow short, medium and long term plans for areas to be identified.

After discussion, the Committee agreed:

1.     that a Workshop on the Inner North and West Masterplan be held, with the date to be determined with the Chairperson; and

2.     to receive a presentation of the draft Masterplan in December, to allow Members’ consideration ahead of public consultation.

            The Director of City Centre Development advised the Members that an event management consultant for the Belfast delegation to MIPIM 2018 had been procured over the summer and appointed in September. She also explained that a working group had been established to help steer the development of the programme. 

            She highlighted to the Members that the 4-day conference involved a concentrated programme of events, meetings and engagements which allowed the delegation to present Belfast as a City ready for investment.  She explained that four days at MIPIM, based on the 2017 schedule, would include the following:

·        20 speaking engagements involving 40 high profile speakers from the city and beyond;

·        joint events with other cities from across the UK and Europe;

·        an intense schedule of investor and developer meetings as well as support to the Belfast delegation at development meetings each day;

·        working and networking breakfast, lunch and/or dinner engagements;

·        on and off-stand presentations to identified potential city investors and funders; and

·        continuous media interviews and social media slots.

            The Director of City Centre Development explained that the private sector delegates which financially supported Belfast at MIPIM expected support from the Council’s Elected Members and senior officers to ensure that the City’s potential was showcased and articulated at every opportunity.  The Committee was advised that a strong team presence from Belfast City Council was therefore required.

            She emphasised that the delegation was seeking to raise the investment profile of the City at MIPIM 2018 and, as a result, she expected that the programme would be even more demanding than in previous years.

            The Committee agreed the attendance, at MIPM 2018, of:

1.     the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee, or their nominees; and

2.     a number of senior officers who were needed to promote Belfast through the delivery of presentations, support media releases, target investors, present regeneration schemes and the economic growth profile.

            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 planned activities as part of Council’s support for the business mission to South by Southwest (SXSW) in partnership with Invest NI, Generator NI and Digital Catapult

·        Agree Member and Officer representation at the event, to support the programme of activity. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Agree the outlined programme of activity for SXSW 2018 in partnership with Generator NI, Invest NI and Digital Catapult. The budget for this was previously approved at City Growth and Regeneration Committee in April 2017 as part of the programme of support aimed at ‘Creative and Tech Profile and Development’.

·        Agree, given the increased profile of activity, that the Lord Mayor or Chair of Committee along with two officers to manage operational arrangements attend the event

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Members will be aware that, at the April 2017 meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, approval was given to support a programme of activity supporting the development and growth of the creative, digital and tech sectors in the City. This support is profiled and supported under the banner of ‘Output Belfast’. It encompasses a broader programme of work supported by our key partners including Invest Northern Ireland, Generator NI and Digital Catapult.

3.2       While this report concentrates on SXSW, the Council has also engaged in other activities including supporting participation by local companies in events such as The Great Escape in Brighton (May 2017), AVA Output Belfast Conference (June 2017) and the Output Belfast Conference (Feb 2017). The Council’s support in these areas has levered investment of £70,000 from Invest NI towards a music entrepreneurship programme as well as support to converge music with screen industries in order to develop new export opportunities. This collaborative approach is creating a more strategic sectoral approach to supporting businesses in this sector and maximising the return on investment for all partners. 

3.3       The City’s interactive and convergence sectors will continue to grow over the coming years and the Council is working with its partners to ensure that local businesses are well placed to take advantage of these opportunities.  This work will include the development of the Immersive Tech Hub at the former Belfast Telegraph building which was recently approved by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. 

3.4       A flagship calendar event for Output Belfast is South by Southwest (SXSW). SXSW takes place in Austin, Texas each year and is seen as the premier global event focusing on the creative industries through conference keynotes, networking events and conference exhibition.  By day, the 15,000+ conference registrants do business in the SXSW Trade Show in the Austin Convention Centre and partake of a full agenda of industry-specific panel discussions featuring hundreds of speakers of international stature. SXSW remains the key US showcasing, deal striking, networking and media forum for the international creative digital industry.  Attendance is typically by those in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9b

            (Mr. G. Copeland, City Events Manager, attended in connection with this item)

            The City Events Manager reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 9th August, it had agreed to provide funding for the following three BBC music events which were planned to take place across Belfast in 2018:

·        BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Belfast Waterfront, 4th April;

·        BBC ‘The Biggest Weekend’ Music Festival happening across the UK in four different locations. Northern Ireland’s location would be Belfast Titanic Slipways and would happen across two days between 25th and 28th May, with potential for other fringe activity. The core of the Belfast activity would be the BBC Six Music Festival; and

·        BBC Proms in the Park, Titanic Slipways, 8th September.

            He provided the Members with an overview of each of the events.  The Committee was reminded that it had specifically requested that officers engage with the BBC on how the events could assist the Council in relation to its Employability and Skills priorities, as outlined within the Belfast Agenda and Employability and Skills Framework. 

            The Committee was advised that the Council would coordinate with the BBC in relation to the following programmes of activity which were being delivered by the Council:

-        Employer Engagement Initiatives - which aimed to create better connections between employers and local schools.  This initiative could be utilised by the BBC to create linkages to provide a number of meaningful work experience opportunities which could be targeted towards local schools and/or individuals who may be unemployed.  For this to be effective, Officers would need to confirm with the BBC the following: the number of work placement opportunities they can provide; the expected duration of work placements; the timing of placement opportunities and the operational areas of work experience opportunities;

-        Digital Skills Programme: a new initiative being launched by the Council, working with local schools to develop the digital skills of teachers and students.  Officers would look at opportunities for the BBC to add value to this new initiative through the provision of careers/educational resources or volunteering of BBC staff at workshops etc; and

-        The Princes Trust Get Started Programme: the Council would be supporting the delivery of a Get Started Digital Skills programme targeting young people (aged 18-30 years old) who were disengaged from mainstream support.  The participants would engage in a week-long programme of intensive activity and would have access to three months of follow up support to help them positively progress into training and/or employment.  Again, Officers would work with the BBC to engage through the delivery of the one week programme or providing work experience opportunities for young people.

            The Manager highlighted to the Committee that there were also plans for Industry Insight events which would be targeted at young people citywide.  He advised the Members that the above mentioned programmes were an outline as to how the Council would work with the BBC in the Employability and Skills area, taking into account the BBC’s operational capacity, timings, insurance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9c

            (Mr. G. Copeland, City Events Manager, and Mr. S. Hewitt, Building Control Manager, attended in connection with this item)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       This paper is to seek approval from Members in regard to proposed operational changes to the 2018 St Patrick’s Day celebrations.  This item was raised at September’s Committee meeting and deferred to this month.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Members are asked to:

-        Agree that the Council amends its operations for the 2018 St Patrick’s Day (Saturday 17 March) celebrations to a parade-only event and not to stage a concert in Custom House Square.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       As Members are aware, the issue of health and safety is an ongoing and a changing dynamic.  Across the Council, Officers continually work to ensure the safety of the public, staff and contractors when staging BCC’s events programme.  This involves a continual review of arrangements, whether the event is a one-off, an annual or multi-annual project.  As part of this review process, Members are being asked to endorse changes to the St Patrick’s Day Celebrations.  These changes are designed to increase the robustness of health and safety plans attached to the event.

3.2       Members are being asked to endorse the removal of the concert element of the Council’s annual St Patrick’s Day festivities – the day normally involves both a concert and a parade. Over the last eleven years, both events have been staged to mark the Bank Holiday, with a city centre audience in excess of 20,000. However, the capacity to host the concert, at Custom House Square, has become an issue of concern in the last number of years. The key is the number of people trying to access the concert site after the parade, with significant congestion and safety issues at the intersection of High Street, Victoria Street and Queen’s Square/Custom House Square. It is expected that the level of congestion will increase significantly given that the 2018 event will be staged on a Saturday. In addition to this, it is notable that after the initial influx, audience numbers tend to fluctuate, particularly depending on the weather. Therefore, for 2018, and subject to the Council’s Events and Festival strategic review, Officers are seeking approval to expand the parade element of St Patrick’s Day. This would involve a larger procession which would assemble in Custom House Square and then follow a city centre route which would traverse through the main retail district and return to Custom House Square. To enable this to happen it would mean there would be no concert on the day. Recent surveys by Belfast City Council indicate that the best way to improve the St Patrick’s Day event would be the upscaling of the parade.

3.3       Therefore, given that St Patrick’s Day, in 2018, will be delivered by Belfast City Council on a Saturday, there is a unique opportunity to attract a wider, representative audience to the event by growing the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9d

            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 outcome of the Year One (2016/17) Annual Performance Review (APR) of the Innovation Factory Operator contract and set out the high level targets for the year Two Action Plan

·        Note a proposed amendment to the contract, which will be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for approval. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the outcome of the Innovation Factory operator contract Annual Performance Review 2016/17 and performance against year one targets;

·        Note a proposed amendment to the contract, which will be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for approval;

·        Note the Key Performance Indicators set within the Year 2 Annual Service Plan which have been incorporated into a business plan for delivery and are aligned to the original tender submission by Oxford Innovation.

3.0       Main report

3.1       The Innovation Factory (IF) is located at Forthriver Business Park and offers Grade A-standard workspace for small businesses.  The building is 55,000 sq. ft. in total; this includes 32,240 sq. ft. lettable space and 5,133 sq. ft. innovation space. It is the first development on the wider 14 acre business park site which was previously the site of James Mackie and Sons Engineering Works. This IF project was part-funded by Belfast City Council, Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.

3.2       The Centre will accommodate 382 workstations across 111 business units when at full capacity. It will support at least 145 jobs by December 2018 and 187 by December 2020. It will provide support annually to over 100 businesses and create 5 collaborative networks. It will promote and encourage social and economic regeneration, encourage local and foreign direct investment and act as a catalyst for further development of Forthriver Business Park. Belfast City Council accepted hand-over of the Centre from the contractor on 18th April 2016. Oxford Innovation Limited was appointed as the Operator of the Centre via a Competitive Dialogue procurement process. The Service Contract with Oxford Innovation came into effect on 1 June 2016. The contract is for an initial term of 5 years with the possibility of extension for a further three periods of three years, subject to performance.

3.3       In April 2017, the Council conducted the first Annual Performance Review (APR) of the operator contract. Given that this was the first time that the review was conducted, there were lessons learned on both sides in terms of the process and issues such as supporting information required.  The timeframe for the sign-off of the document was extended by mutual agreement.  This meant that an extended timescale was subsequently agreed for the finalisation of the Year 2 Annual Service Plan in order to ensure that the plan incorporated learning from the Year 1 Performance Review. 

3.4       Annual Performance Review June 2016 – March 2017

            The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10a

            The Committee considered a report which provided a summary of key learning points from the recent visit by the Deputy Lord Mayor and two senior officers from Newham Borough Council, on 21st September, 2017.

            The Director of Development advised the Members that the purpose of the presentation was to enable Belfast City Council to learn from the success of Newham Borough Council’s “Workplace” project and how it could help shape future Council and partner support and investment in Belfast, particularly in the context of the commitments to Growing the Economy and Working and Learning in the Belfast Agenda.

            Newham Council had advised the Members that ‘Newham Workplace’ had been established in 2007, in light of numerous development opportunities in the borough, in order to provide a focus and investment in employment support services in order to ensure that local people would be given the opportunity to avail of new employment opportunities as they arose.

            The Members had been advised that the Workplace Programme had developed over the past ten years and that it currently comprised in excess of 120 staff and operated with an annual budget of around £6million.  The Director advised the Members that the programme assisted an average of 3,500 people into work each year across a range of job areas at all skills levels.

            The Committee noted that a report would be submitted to its next meeting, setting out the range of current employability support provided by, or resourced by, the Council, as well as an outline of the proposed way forward in line with the Belfast Agenda commitments and the City Deal proposals.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Members on the ongoing review of Belfast City Centre Management (BCCM) which is being undertaken by consultancy firm Baker Tilly Mooney Moore. The review is being supported by Belfast City Centre Management, the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce (BCTC) and Department for Communities (DfC). It is being funded by Belfast City Council. The purpose of the review is to assess BCCM’s added value in a changing city centre landscape and to consider how the organisation can complement and support its funders and partners going forward. 

1.2       The report also seeks approval for activity to assist local Business Associations to increase footfall and encourage additional investment and spend in local areas and proposes a targeted support intervention for retail businesses in those areas that are likely to be adversely impacted by the construction works around regeneration schemes in the short term.  Finally, it proposes the establishment of a pop-up test trading retail unit, potentially working in collaboration with Social Enterprise NI (SENI), to encourage new retailers to test their products in a collaborative retail space.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the work undertaken to date in conducting the review of BCCM;

·        Note that a further update on the review will be tabled at the November Committee meeting. This will detail a shortlist of options to be evaluated further and a rationale for each of the options being advanced;

·        Note that Officers and the consultancy team are scheduled to provide an update on the work to date and emerging recommendations at the October Party Briefings; 

·        Approve the proposed way forward to support Business Association activity, with a maximum budget allocation of £30,000;

·        Approve a one-year pilot aimed at supporting retailers and other businesses located in areas that are undergoing regeneration projects.  A budget of up to £40,000 has been set aside for this work;

·        Agree the proposal to develop a test-trading retail space, in association with Social Enterprise NI, at a budget of up to £20,000 for a one-year period.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Belfast City Centre Management review:

            Members will recall from the March 2017 Committee meeting that BCCM has undergone some changes to its business model.  Two BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) have now been developed, with work on a third BID underway and (if approved) likely to be operational from early 2018.  In addition to the BIDs, the Council has also increased its focus on the City Centre, with the establishment of the City Centre Development Team and the allocation of additional resources to help bring forward key development schemes. 

3.2       The scope of the review includes:

·        Consulting with key stakeholders on the performance and future remit of BCCM;

·        Comparing other city case studies for effective approaches to city centre management;

·        Conducting an organisation review and evaluation including value for money analysis and definition of remit, role and City Centre Management Services across organisations so to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10c

            The Director of Development provided the Members with an update on the development of a Business Improvement District (BID) in the Linen Quarter.

            He reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 9th December, 2015, it had agreed to provide Belfast City Centre Management with £30,000 towards the cost of a dedicated member of staff to develop a BID in the Linen Quarter District, which would be named ‘Belfast Two.’  He advised the Members that this project was now at ballot stage.  The Committee was advised that the ballot was open, ending on 26th October, with the declaration of the result taking place on 27th October. 

            The Director reminded the Members that a BID was a business-led initiative, where the businesses agreed on the level of funding required to deliver projects and services which were additional to those already being provided by the Council or other statutory partners. The businesses agreed to fund those services, as set out in a business plan, through a levy.

            He outlined that the levy would be applied to all eligible businesses within the defined area with a rateable value of, or exceeding, £4,500, provided that they were listed on the Non-Domestic rates list by Land and Property Services, with additional exemptions for religious organisations, voluntary-staffed local community services, non-profits and charities with an entirely subscription and volunteer-based set up. 

            The Director pointed out that there were 431 properties within the Belfast Two BID area and that the proposed levy for businesses in the area was 1.5% of the rateable value. He advised that this would produce a total annual income of around £455,000 in year one and that it was projected to rise to £510,000 in year five, owing to redevelopment in the area.

            The Committee was advised that Belfast City Council would be liable for a levy payment on seven properties within the Belfast Two boundary, totalling approximately £33,601 per annum. 

            The Director advised the Committee that the Council would have seven votes in the BID ballot and he recommended that the Council used its votes to support the BID.

            The Committee:

1.     noted the update on the Belfast Two BID; and

2.     agreed to a ‘yes’ vote in the BID ballot, with the votes to be cast by the Director of Finance and Resources on behalf of the Council.

            Councillor O’Hara declared an interest in this Item, in that she was a Council nominee on the Local Action Group for Hannahstown, and left the room for the duration of the discussion).

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The purpose of the report is to seek Members’ approval for the Council: To act as the lead applicant for submission of a bid under the Rural Basic Services theme as part of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) 2014-2020, on behalf of Hannahstown Community Association: To recommend that the capital match funding element and the request that the Council acts as the delivery agent, which is required to support the submission, is referred to the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee for consideration.

2.0       Recommendations

            The Committee is asked to:

-        Authorise the submission of a bid under the Rural Basic Services Theme of the Rural Development Programme for Hannahstown Village by Council, on behalf of Hannahstown Community Association.

-        To secure the maximum funding allocation of £50,000 for the scheme, which is 75% of a total budget of £66,666, this requires Council to contribute a minimum of £16,666 which would make up the remaining 25% of the budget. As this money is capital, it needs to be considered by the SP&R Committee as the Council’s investment decision maker and Members are asked to agree that this scheme is referred to the SP&R Committee for its consideration

-        That the project is delivered by the Property and Projects Department, subject to approval by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Members will recall that at its meeting on the 13 January 2016 the City & Growth Committee agreed to enter into an SLA with Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to support the development and delivery of activities within the eligible area for the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (NIRDP).

3.2       At the 8 March 2017 meeting Members agreed to authorise the submission of a bid under the Village Renewal theme of the Rural Development Programme (RDP) for Hannahstown and Edenderry.

3.3       The SP&R Committee Council on 24 March 2017 agreed to provide match funding of £70,000 to secure the maximum allocation of £150,000 capital and approval of a contribution of £7,500 per year for 2016/17 and 2017/18 to support programme overheads from within existing Departmental budgets. It was also agreed that Officer time resource is used to work up the proposals. 

3.4       A further funding programme under the RDP 2014-2020 is the Basic Services Measure. This is designed to support investments in the setting up, improvement or expansion of local basic services for the rural population including related infrastructure. The call for funding opens on 9 October 2017, and closes on Friday 22 December 2017. Applications can be made for up to £50,000.

3.5       Hannahstown and Edenderry have been identified as the only villages within the city council area eligible for funding under the Rural Basic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12a