Agenda and minutes

            An apology for inability to attend was reported from The High Sheriff, Councillor Howard.

            The minutes of the meetings of 7th and 21st February were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 5th March.

            Councillor O’Hara declared an interest in Item 8a, Addressing Educational Inequality – “Right to Succeed”, in that she worked for an early intervention service.  It was not deemed necessary that she should leave the room as the report provided the Members with an update on a successful lottery funding application.

            The Chairperson informed the Committee that this would be the last meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee which would be attended by Mr. D. Durkan in his capacity as the Director of Development.

            On behalf of the Members, she thanked Mr. Durkan for his services to the Committee and for the work which he had undertaken on behalf of the Council and wished him well.

            The Chief Executive tabled a letter from the Department for Infrastructure, in relation to the Committee’s response to the Department’s consultation on the Bus Lanes Orders NI 2018. 

            The Department stated that it was important that the definition of ‘permitted taxis’, in relation to bus lane legislation be the same across all bus lanes in Belfast, in order not to create confusion with different classes of taxis being able to use the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) bus lanes.

            The correspondence stated that a large number of people had made representation on the issue, calling for all taxis to be permitted to use all bus lanes in the city.  While any permanent change required ministerial approval, the Department stated that it had since decided to carry out a further, more extensive trial whereby Class A taxis would be permitted to access all bus lanes which were available to permitted taxis for 12 months. 

            The Committee noted that the trial would be introduced under Article 5 of the Road Traffic Regulation Order as an Experimental Scheme and would come into operation prior to the commencement of BRT services in September 2018.

            The Chairperson advised the Committee that Mr. G. Lennon, Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, and Mr. H. Hastings OBE, Chair of Visit Belfast, were in attendance and they were welcomed to the meeting.

            Mr. Hastings advised the Committee that tourism was key to the city and to the Belfast Agenda, with Belfast having created more new hotel rooms than Dublin in the past year.  He highlighted to the Members that tourism would become a £1billion industry for Belfast for the first time in 2018. 

            He outlined that Visit Belfast aimed to increase the overnight visits and visitor spend, increase visitors’ lengths of stay, continue to build a positive profile as a place to visit and improve visitor satisfaction and encourage repeat business.

            The Committee was advised that the role of Visit Belfast was to act on the Council’s vision for the City and the more that the Council invested, the more Visit Belfast could return.  He outlined that, for every £1 which the Council invested, Visit Belfast was able to make a return of £34.

            Mr. Hastings reminded the Members that Belfast had won the Lonely Planet’s Number 1 Region award 2018, in conjunction with the Causeway Coast, and that the City had also won the National Geographic Traveller Readers’ Award for Rising Star of 2017 and he presented the National Geographic award to the Chairperson for its display in the City Hall.

            Mr. Lennon pointed out that Northern Ireland’s reputation as a tourist destination was going from strength to strength but that there was still significant potential for growth, particularly when compared with the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.  He advised the Members that September 2019 would see the first Disney Cruise arrive into Belfast. 

            The Members were provided with an overview of Visit Belfast’s draft Business Plan 2018/2019 and the Strategic Plan 2018-2022.

            He reported that, through two of the key priorities of the Belfast Agenda, namely, City Development and Growing the Economy, Visit Belfast was seeking to strike a balance between targeting business and social tourists and highlighted that sports tourism had become an important sector.  He emphasised that the development of the proposed Belfast Story/Hub was crucial in adding a significant second attraction to the City.

            In response to a number of Members’ questions regarding the potential of golf tourism, Mr. Hastings advised the Members that the majority of hotels in Belfast were fully booked for The Open which would be held in July 2019 at the Royal Portrush Golf Club.

            A number of Members congratulated Visit Belfast on being “China Ready”, with a number of staff in the information centre having learned key phrases in Mandarin.

            A further Member stated that the recent employment academies which the Council had run in conjunction with the hospitality sector had been a great success and that numerous people were gaining employment as a result.

            In response to a Member’s concern regarding the local universities having recently cut language courses, Mr. Lennon stated that languages would be extremely  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 5th March, had considered the following motion which had been proposed by Councillor Murphy and seconded by Councillor Garrett:

“Belfast has produced world class athletes through the sport of amateur boxing who have consistently succeeded through every level of the sport and brought recognition to the city of Belfast through their successes.

We, as a City, are very proud of the achievements of boxers from this City and should seek to build on these successes by showcasing the talent this vibrant sport has to offer across Ireland.

This Council agrees to engage with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association to explore the possibility of bringing the All-Ireland Boxing Championships to the City of Belfast.”

            In accordance with Standing Order 13(f), the motion had been referred to the Committee for consideration.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed that a report, including proposed costings, would be submitted to a future meeting on the Council’s engagement with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association to explore the possibility of bringing the All Ireland Boxing Championships to Belfast.

            The Committee considered a request to present from Shopmobility, which wanted to raise awareness of its service and to request Council backing and financial support.

            A Member requested that a report be submitted to a future meeting detailing the history of the Council’s contract with Shopmobility.

            After discussion, the Committee acceded to the request and agreed that Shopmobility would be invited to present at a future meeting.

            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

      Resolved – That the Committee agrees to exclude the members of the Press and public from the Committee meeting during discussion of the following item as, due to the nature of the item, 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.

            The Director of City Centre Regeneration and Development provided the Committee with an update on the City Centre Investment Fund (CCIF).  She reminded the Committee that, as part of the CCIF, the Council had requested applications from developers with planning permission for the development of develop significant office developments within the Belfast City BMAP boundary.

            She explained that a number of applications had been received and that a two stage High Level Due Diligence process had been completed, involving an assessment, scoring and ranking of applications by the Council’s Evaluation Partner, GVA Real Estate Finance (GVA). 

            The Committee was advised of the number of applications which had been successful in proceeding to the next stage but was reminded that this did not represent a commitment to invest as there was a further stage to consider.

            The Committee noted the update which had been provided.

            The Committee agreed to defer consideration of the City Centre Engagement Plan report to allow the Members to consider the detailed proposals.

            The Committee subsequently agreed:

1.     that information be provided on the UK Government’s plans to overhaul the national planning policy framework to tackle NIMBYism, which would make it more difficult for residents to object to housing developments in their area, and specifically whether the proposed change would have implications for Northern Ireland; and

2.     that consideration be given towards how the Council could support those communities living outside of the city centre, in relation to the provision of technical advice.

            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 highlight the key findings and recommendations from the recent review of Council-funded Events and Festivals undertaken by Festivals and Events International (FEI) and to secure Committee agreement on a development plan for moving forward, taking account of FEI’s recommendations. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the key findings of the review of Events and Festivals undertaken by FEI

·        Endorse the findings and consider the recommendations set out in sections 3.13-3.14 as the broad direction of travel

·        Agree to proceed to engagement with key partner organisations on the basis of the current findings and recommendations and to consider a draft Events and Festivals Strategy – taking account of external partner input as well an ongoing engagement across Council departments – in June 2018

·        Commission further analysis work on the potential to attract sponsorship funding to support additional investment in Events and Festivals.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       In July 2017, Festivals and Events International Limited (FEI) were commissioned to develop a new Events and Festivals Strategy (2018-2023) for the Council, its partners and other stakeholders across the City. The brief included:

·        A review of current portfolio

·        Consultation with stakeholders, Events and Festivals (via Festivals Forum)

·        Benchmarking how Events and Festivals are funded and delivered in other cities

·        Consideration of pre and post event impact modelling

·        Consideration of future structures for delivery

·        Making recommendations for the identification, securing, funding and delivery of Events and Festivals in Belfast.

3.2       FEI undertook an extensive round of consultations with stakeholders.  These included face to face meetings; telephone interviews and workshops with Events and Festivals organisers and cultural organisations.  They also drew up a survey for completion by festival organisers. In total there were 36 face-to-face interviews; 11 telephone interviews; 2 workshops covering 45 groups; and 14 survey returns.

3.3       FEI also undertook engagement with Members of the Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee and the Council’s Corporate Management Team.  In addition, they attended meetings of the Council-supported Festivals Forum Steering Group as well as a meeting of the Festivals Forum. Following completion of the draft report, Officers undertook Party Group Briefings with all parties to update on the key findings and recommendations.

3.4       Funding and Delivery of Current Festivals and Events in Belfast: Current Portfolio

            As part of their review of the existing provision, FEI looked at the current portfolio of Events and Festivals in Belfast.  Overall, FEI indicated that while Belfast has a strong reputation in organising, managing and delivering very successful Events and Festivals, is not currently recognised, nationally or internationally, as an Events and Festivals destination. If the Council has ambitions to sell the City in this way, FEI suggested that there will be a need to work with partners to re-focus investment in Events and Festivals, particularly those that have the potential to drive visitor numbers and spend.  FEI did acknowledge that there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to:

·        Provide Members with an update on the key issues emerging from the mid-term review of the Integrated Tourism Strategy (2015-2020)

·        Seek Members’ approval to progress a number of priority actions in the 2018/19 financial year.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the content of the report, in particular the role of tourism as a key priority for City Development and Growing the Economy themes of the Belfast Agenda

·        Note the key findings of the mid-term review of the Tourism Strategy and the priority areas of focus for the coming years

·        Consider and agree the priority actions for 2018-19, as set out in sections 3.17-3.27

·        Agree a budget allocation of £170,000 towards local tourism development support activities.  A further report on this matter will be brought back to this Committee for information and approval

·        Agree to proceed with the data challenge in order to improve data capture and enhance the level of intelligence on visitors to the City, in order to support future marketing investment within the budget allocation of £50,000.

·        Agree to continue the budget allocation of £200,000 towards the Tourism Conference Subvention Scheme as in previous years, in order to support the growth of the business tourism sector in the City. This was built into the budget during the rate setting process.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       The Integrated Tourism Strategy was approved by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in May 2015. The Strategy was developed in tandem with the City Centre Regeneration Strategy and Investment Plan and the proposals are aligned to support the future development, economic growth and profile of the city.

3.2       The vision is to develop Belfast as a City that wants to welcome the world and share its history by creating a destination that the world wants to experience first-hand.  The strategic goal is to double the value of tourism by 2020 with the focus on achieving this by generating discretionary tourist overnight stays, especially higher value leisure and business tourism.  

3.3       Since the publication of the Strategy, the tourism economy has continued to grow in the City and in Northern Ireland as a whole. Statistics published by NISRA on 1 February 2018 show that, in the 12 months to September 2017, tourism trips in Northern Ireland generated circa £951m to the local economy with 72% coming from external visitors, making tourism worth £679m as an export business. This is an increase of 18% in overall visitor spend and a 17% increase in external visitor spend when compared with the 12 months to September 2016. Overall visitor numbers increased by 11% to 5million compared with the 12 months to September 2016. Increases in bed nights and spend have been driven by a continued growth in external visitors, particularly from ROI, GB and overseas.

3.4       In terms of Belfast’s performance in 2017, the rise of tourism was clearly evident through:  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9b

            The Director of Development reminded the Committee that the Cultural Framework had been launched in October 2012 and that it had been created in consultation with the culture, arts and heritage sectors across Belfast.

            The Committee was advised that the four main priorities within the framework were Distinctly Belfast, Attracting Audiences, Inspiring Communities and Strengthening the Sector. He provided the Members with an overview of the proposed actions across each of the four themes for 2018/2019.

            The Director highlighted that the successful delivery of the framework relied on working with city stakeholders including government agencies and the cultural sector itself.  He explained that the sector was under considerable financial pressure and that the Arts Council for Northern Ireland (ACNI) had recently advised that it was likely to face funding cuts from the Department for Communities (DfC), which would mean that it would have to cut the funding to the organisations that it supported. 

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 12th April 2017, it had agreed to make a strategic investment in a small number of the larger cultural organisations in order to improve their resilience and make them more sustainable.  He advised the Members that delivery of the three-year programme would commence shortly.   

            The Members were advised that one of the key areas for consideration in the 2018/2019 delivery plan was how the sector could be mobilised and brought on board as part of the legacy plans arising from the development work which had been undertaken for the European Capital of Culture bid for 2023. 

            The Director reported that a Creative Europe funded study visit to Belfast had been carried out in June 2017 by four international cultural and city development experts.  As a result, Belfast had been given a series of recommendations in terms of how to maximise its potential by using culture as a key city driver.  He added that the Belfast Agenda had also identified the contribution that culture and arts could make to the City, helping to improve quality of life, drive economic regeneration and make Belfast a shared, and welcoming City. 

            He advised the Committee that the Core Cities Group had developed a proposal for a joint research project, an “Inquiry into the Cultural Resources of the UK’s Cities”, to examine how to make the most effective use of cultural resources and explore innovative approaches to enable smarter investment in culture in UK cities. The Members were advised that the inquiry would work with leading cities across the UK to address the issue of investment and to enable the cities to realise the full the benefits that culture could provide as part of effective local growth strategies. 

            The Members were advised that the inquiry would be developed and delivered by a Board comprising representation from a range of sectors including local government, Arts Councils and major cultural institutions, and would be chaired by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO of Virgin Money. 

            The Director explained that Belfast had been invited to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9c

            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 delivery of the International Relations Framework, focusing on activity over the last six months since September 2017

-       Seek approval for the delivery of the 2018/2019 Action Plan.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the range of activities and associated outputs of International Relations actions over the course of the second half of this financial year

-       Approve the International Relations Action Plan outlining activity and budgetary commitments for 2018/2019, as set out in sections 3.7-3.12.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Members will recall the November 2016 approval of a new International Relations Framework for the period 2016 - 2021.

3.2       The aim of this Framework is to continue to promote Belfast on the international stage with other stakeholders as a place to invest, work, visit and study. The Framework will deliver primarily on the formal relationships already in existence through our Sister City Agreements with Shenyang, Boston and Nashville, and developing relationships with Dublin, and with the City of London. New areas of opportunity will be considered on their merits and relevance to Belfast.

3.3       Members will be aware that, at the 13 September 2017 meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, an update report on International Relations activity for the previous six months was presented and the outline plans for the coming period were set out for endorsement.  This report provides an update on the activities and associated outcomes over the six-month period from October 2017 to March 2018, and outlines an Action Plan for international activity and associated costs for 2018/2019.  These activities have, for the most part, been led by Belfast City Council working in partnership with stakeholders in government, education, tourism, business, culture, legal sector and sport.

3.4       Members will be aware that the International Relations activity set out in this report focuses principally on our focused relationships with our Sister Cities and partner cities.  The Council is also involved in a range of additional engagement activity in international markets.  These include:

-       Support for Visit Belfast to promote the city as a vibrant tourism destination – for both leisure and business tourists.  The Council investment in additional conference and exhibition space at Belfast Waterfront has meant that the venue is now able to attract additional national and international conferences and events – thereby increasing visitor numbers from new markets.

-       Promoting the City for international real estate investment: a Council-led delegation will take part in the annual European property investment showcase in Cannes in March 2018 – MIPIM.  The public-private partnership will promote the City as an investment location, focusing on attracting both investors and end-users in the key FDI sectors as well as hospitality and international education and training opportunities

-       Supporting local companies to export and develop an international presence: Members will be aware of the City’s presence at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9d

            (Ms. E. Henry, Cultural Regeneration Manager, attended in connection with this item)

            The Cultural Regeneration Manager advised the Committee that, while the bid for Belfast to become European Capital of Culture (ECoC) 2023 was still under dispute, one aspiration under the ECoC proposals was to apply for a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Music designation. She highlighted that this remained an aspiration for the City, regardless as to whether or not the ECoC application went ahead.

            She reminded the Members that significant music related activity was due to take place throughout 2018 and 2019, including numerous BBC Music Events, Gradam Ceoil, Other Voices, Féile an Phobail, EastSide Arts Festival, the UK Pipe Band Championships and the Belfast Tattoo.

            She highlighted that music was recognised as a distinctive element of Belfast’s cultural profile, with audience research having indicated high levels of engagement locally as well as strong links with the City’s international profile.

            The Members were advised that the current planned activity amounted to a series of standalone events but that there was a significant opportunity to increase the impact by branding the events ‘City of Music’, building on Belfast’s cultural reputation.

            In relation to the support for local infrastructure and artists, she stated that an open call would be facilitated to allow local organisations to outline how their proposals would fit with agreed criteria to include audience development and profile.

            The Members noted that a specially curated programme of pop-up music events would take place over the summer season to animate public space by showcasing local talent.

            The Cultural Regeneration Manager explained that it was proposed that an award winning interactive musical experience called “Mix the City”, which had been delivered in a number of cities such as Moscow, Istanbul, Mumbai and Hamburg, would be delivered in Belfast.  She outlined that participants became DJs by mixing the music of local musicians with locally generated video content of the city.

            The Committee was advised that, to become a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, required a long-standing commitment which involved a participative process and a forward-looking approach.  The Cultural Regeneration Manager highlighted that, as with Liverpool, which had already achieved UNESCO City of Music designation, work in the lead up to and after the designation would focus on cultural policy and activity in relation to music across the City.

            The Committee was advised that the total budget for the programme was £200,000, and could come from the budget which had been set aside for the ECoC, as it was anticipated that the programme would be built from 2018 on.  

After discussion, the Committee:

1.     noted the contents of the report and approved the proposed ‘City of Music’ programme of activity and budget allocation; and

2.     agreed that a report would be submitted to a future meeting to provide an update on the three-pronged approach which the Council had agreed upon, in relation to the European Capital of Culture 2023 bid, to engage with the U.K.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9e

            The Director of Development reminded the Committee that Ciclovia was a health and community based initiative whereby a part of the City was closed to traffic on a given day, for a specified period of time, allowing cyclists to cycle in a completely traffic-free zone. He explained that it also created a mini festival environment which attracted and encouraged people to come into the City centre, on their bikes, to enjoy the freedom of the City and a sense of community.

            He reminded the Members that Belfast’s first Ciclovia had taken place in October, 2015, where the Council had contributed £15,000 towards the event.  He outlined that it had subsequently taken place in the Autumn of 2016 and 2017, with a Council contribution of £10,000 each year.

            He reported that the first Ciclovia, held in 2015, had attracted over 1,500 participants, while the 2016 and 2017 events had doubled the participant numbers to more than 3,000.  The Members were advised that Ciclovia Belfast had quickly become established as an important event on the local calendar as well as being recognised around the world as a ground breaking initiative which reflected positively on Belfast as a City.

            The Committee was advised that the event had a direct economic impact on the businesses which were located on or near the route, with feedback illustrating significant increases in trade on the day of the event.

            The Members were also advised that the event attracted significant media attention in the run up to the events and on the day, which showcased the city, and were advised of the event’s various funding and delivery partners.

            The Director also advised the Members that the event was now centrally linked to the wider cycling activity programme across the City and that it also linked to the Council’s Local Development Plan in terms of cycling provision.  He outlined that it was proposed that officers would work with the event organisers to link the event to the Belfast Bikes Scheme as part of the ongoing drive to increase the number of subscribers.

            He advised the Committee that a Council contribution of £10,000 was recommended for the 2018 Ciclovia event, which would take place in the Autumn.

            The Committee:

1.     noted the update on the Ciclovia 2018 event; and

2.     agreed the allocation of £10,000 from the existing Development Department budget to support the Belfast Ciclovia 2018 event.

            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 outline the proposed direction of travel for a Council-led City for Investment support service for indigenous businesses and new investors, focusing on actions to be delivered in the 2018/2019 financial year.  An accessible user-friendly business service titled ‘Belfast: City for Business’ will consolidate the Councils business support offer.  This report concentrates on one strand of this support titled ‘investment’ (refer to Appendix 1 on modern.gov).  This report was originally tabled to Committee on 7 February 2018 and deferred to Party Group Briefings for discussion.

1.2       This report sets out the thematic work under ‘Belfast: City for Investment’ which aligns to the NI Programme for Government, the draft Industrial Strategy for NI, the Belfast Agenda and the developing City Deal. The work programme significantly contributes to the Council’s priorities of Growing the Economy, Working and Learning, City Development and Living Here. This report seeks Committee’s approval for a phased approach to developing an Investment Service over time.  An initial service will be developed to co-ordinate investor enquiries in April 2018 in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland and other key business partners and stakeholders across the city.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

-       Note the proposed strategic direction for the development of a Belfast City Council Investment Service.

-       Note that the phased approach may require additional finance or staff resource in future which will be tabled back to relevant Committee’s for consideration.

-       Note that any requests for subvention from the Investment Service will be dealt with under existing Council Standing Orders.  Any exception to this will be tabled to SP&R Committee.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Key Issues

            Officers have been prioritising programmes and activity for the 2018/2019 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 business Start-Up, Jobs, Business Productivity and Foreign Direct Investment.  Members will be aware that the 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 currently delivers a range of business support activities focused on Investing in Belfast, Starting a Business and Growing a Business. These initiatives are supported by Employability and Skills programmes and initiatives targeted towards businesses and individuals. The approach detailed in this report aims to consolidate the Council’s business services and make it easy to do business in Belfast.  This is one of the key principles listed within ‘Growing the Economy’ theme of the Belfast Agenda. Over the last two years, Belfast has been ranked as the number one business friendly city of its size.  In an increasingly competitive global  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9g

            The Committee was advised that a number of requests had been received from charities which wanted to use the Belfast Castle for fundraising abseiling events to take place on various dates between April and October 2018.

            The Chief Executive advised the Members that the abseiling events would be organised and carried out by Bryson Lagansports which had been running charity-abseil events for over ten years.  The Committee was advised that they would provide all the necessary risk assessments, documentation and had the relevant insurance policy applicable to such events.

            She outlined that consideration had and would be given to the health and safety implications and environmental issues involved with the event.

            The Committee agreed to grant authority for a number of charity abseiling events to take place at Belfast Castle, subject to the satisfactory terms being agreed with the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services, and on the condition that:

1.     the event organisers would meet the operational and health and safety issues to the Council’s satisfaction; and

2.     the event organisers would ensure that all health and safety requirements were met to the Council’s satisfaction including risk assessments, safe systems of work, equipment, appropriate insurance and site inspection information.

            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:

-       Advise Members of a successful funding application made by Right to Succeed – a UK-based charity set up to address educational inequality – for delivery of a three- year pilot initiative that supports young people at risk of exclusion from school in North Belfast schools. An allocation of up to £500,000 will be made available towards delivery of the work in North Belfast, over a three-year period.  

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Members are asked to:

-       Note the success of the recent Lottery funding application by Right to Succeed. This will include a three-year support package for up to 100 young people from North Belfast who are at risk of becoming excluded from school. Delivery will commence from September 2018, and Council Officers will work with Right To Succeed to support the project.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Key Issues

            The Belfast Agenda, along with the supporting Employability and Skills Framework for the City, sets ambitious targets around improvements in employment rates and skills levels for Belfast residents.  There are significant correlations between deprivation, educational attainment and economic inactivity.  Currently, around 30% of school leavers do not attain 5 GCSEs, A* - C (including Maths and English).  For those in receipt of free school meals, the figure is 53%. Given that these are generally the basic building blocks for any future employment or to support people moving into further education and training, it is essential to consider how this figure can be reduced. As part of the commitment to inclusive growth set out in the Belfast Agenda, one of the key population indicators is the proportion of school leavers entering employment, education or training. This is part of the commitment to ensure that everyone in Belfast fulfils their potential. 

3.2       As part of our intelligence gathering into providers of support to address educational attainment issues and educational inequality, the Council became aware of the Big Lottery funding application being made by the charity Right to Succeed. Right to Succeed is a charity that works across a number of UK cities to develop, pilot and scale solutions to address educational inequality. The Council asked the organisation to consider Belfast as one of the three locations for programme delivery. The funding request was made by the organisation to the Big Lottery under its Preventing Exclusions Programme and was successful.

3.3       Right to Succeed have secured £1.4million to work with 30 primary and post-primary schools across three locations: Blackpool, Doncaster and North Belfast.  The funding will be split evenly across the three locations, meaning that there will be an allocation of up to £500,000 for the project in north Belfast. The Project will be delivered on a pilot and scale basis, focusing on North Belfast as the area of greatest need in terms of educational attainment. It is hoped that the learning from this pilot can then be applied to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11a

            The Director of Development reminded the Members that the “Belfast Facts and Figures” publication was designed to be a user-friendly resource for Members.

            He advised the Members that the 2018 publication included updated and refreshed statistics and accolades reflecting the key areas of strength for the city, in line with the Belfast Agenda and key publications such as the Belfast Crane Survey, and that the design had been refreshed to reflect the new city brand.

            A Member requested that, in the future, officers would look to include data comparisons with the Republic of Ireland.

            After discussion, the Committee:

1.     noted the updated Belfast Facts & Figures 2018 publication; and

2.     agreed that, going forward, officers would look to include other data comparisons where relevant.

            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 identify the priority activities to be delivered in the coming financial year as part of the Committee’s ambitions to support delivery of the targets under two of the pillars of the Belfast Agenda: Growing the Economy and Working and Learning.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the priority issues raised at the Committee workshop on 21 February 2018

·        Agree to the Forward Work plan to support delivery of the Growing the Economy and Working and Learning strands of the Belfast Agenda

·        Agree to receive a further report in April 2018 outlining the specific detail of activities. 

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Members will be aware that the Committee Workshop which took place on 21 February 2018 aimed to agree the broad programme of work for the Committee in the coming financial year.  Officers made a number of presentations to seek feedback on proposed activities and Members indicated their support for the general approach.

3.2       The key discussion points included the following:

·        Supporting inclusive growth through economic and city development should be a key driver for the Committee and the Council – it is essential that consideration is given to clearly articulating what inclusive growth means, how it aligns to the vision and priorities contained in the Belfast Agenda, how it is measured and how it can apply across all areas of business

·        Creating jobs and improving skills were the key drivers articulated during the public consultation exercise for the Belfast Agenda.  They should remain the top priority for the Committee in the coming year, working towards the agreed stretch targets set out in the Belfast Agenda

·        City Deal offers an opportunity for additional investment in a number of the Committee’s priorities including Employability and Skills, Tourism Infrastructure, City Investment and Regeneration. 

3.3       Members will be aware that the key targets and ambitions relate to job creation, improving competitiveness, increasing business start-ups, addressing economic inactivity, increasing the overall job numbers in the City, improving skills – particularly for those with no or low skills – and increasing levels of investment into the City. 

3.4       Growing the Economy: achievements in April 2017-February 2018

            Since April 2017, Council has developed and delivered a range of activities to address the challenges around low levels of start-up, innovation, competitiveness and productivity. These include:

·        301 entrepreneurs supported through the Go for It programme supporting the creation of 213 jobs; 

·        Support for 34 Social Enterprises and 10 Co-operatives contributing to 9 new business starts already creating 32 jobs;

·        Support for 32 university/FE college student entrepreneurs to develop their own new businesses while still in education.  We are working with the colleges and universities to look at how this support can be enhanced – and how entrepreneurship can become more embedded in the curriculum for all students;

·        Ongoing investment in the Innovation Factory – the tenant occupancy rate at the Innovation Factory is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11c

            The Chief Executive advised the Committee that the 2017/18 Quarter 3 position for the City Growth and Regeneration Committee was an underspend of £244,000 (2%) which included additional income.  He outlined to the Members that the forecast year-end position was an underspend of £109,000 (0.7%) which was well within the acceptable tolerance of 3%.

            He reported that the main reasons for the Committee underspend related to a reduced spend on supplies and services and vacant posts across a number of services which were offset by less income received than budgeted.

            The Committee was advised that the Departmental year-end forecast was a net year-end underspend of £557,000, which represented a variance of 0.4% of the annual net expenditure budget.  The Chief Executive reminded Members that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had agreed, at its meeting on 15th December, 2017, that non-recurrent funding of £147,000 for Community Grants and £70,000 for Twilight Markets would be made available for 2018/2019 which meant that the forecast surplus at the year-end was £340,000.

            The Committee noted the report and the associated financial reporting pack.