Agenda and minutes

            No apologies were reported.

            The minutes of the meeting of 11th Aprilwere taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st May.

No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 1st May, had considered the following motion which had been proposed by the Lord Mayor, Councillor McAllister, and seconded by Councillor Long:

"This Council acknowledges the ever growing importance of relations between Belfast City and Dublin City as the main economic drivers within each jurisdiction. Furthermore, regardless of the outcome of negotiations around Brexit, it is imperative that relations continue to flourish between both cities, to the mutual benefit of all along this increasingly significant economic corridor.

Accordingly, this Council agrees to establish a joint plan around co-operation regarding working relationships within the economic corridor. Going forward, this Council commits to ensuring key areas of progress and collaboration focussing on:

·        A complementary approach to inward investment and job growth;

·        Achieving Inclusive growth; and

·        Developing Infrastructure and connectivity.”

            In accordance with Standing Order 13(f), the motion was referred, without discussion, to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

            A Member stated that he remained to be convinced about the importance of the 100 mile corridor between Belfast and Dublin, given that a large portion of it was rural.

            A further Member advised the Committee that the motion sought to build on the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding, which aimed to maximise the potential of the economic corridor between both cities.  Another Member added that it was important to build on the relationship with Dublin, particularly in light of Brexit.

            After discussion, the Committee endorsed the motion and agreed that a report would be submitted to a future meeting, providing an update on work which had been undertaken.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. Billy Dickson and Mr. Declan Hill to the meeting, who were representing the Transport Hub Alternatives Group.

            Mr. Hill stated that he was an architect and, while he agreed that the proposed Transport Hub would be a brilliant investment in the city, he and Mr Dickson had some concerns regarding the new station.  He explained that the proposed design would require passengers to cross two main roads in order to access it from the city centre.  He presented the Committee with a number of drawings, whereby the Boyne Bridge was maintained for vehicular use, with the pedestrian entrance to the new station beneath it.

            Mr. Dickson outlined to the Committee that the Transport Hub Alternatives Group wanted to see the Boyne Bridge retained in the development of the new Transport Hub as it would also connect the Hub with neighbouring Sandy Row.  The Members were advised that they had submitted their concerns and engaged with the Department for Infrastructure on the proposed design.

            A Member stated that he had concerns that the Department’s proposed design could block further economic development in Sandy Row and that it should consider ways in which it would link inner city communities to the new Hub.

            In response to a further Member’s question, the Director of City Centre Regeneration and Development informed the Committee that Translink had agreed to put the proposed design of the Transport Hub onto VUCITY at an early stage so that people could understand the impact and design of the Hub.

            The Chairperson thanked Mr. Hill and Mr. Dickson for their presentation and they retired from the meeting.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. Tom Ekin, Chair, Mr. Rajesh Rana and Ms. Glenda Davies from Project Hope to the meeting.

            Mr. Ekin advised the Committee that Project Hope was a group of stakeholders who had come together in response to the plans for the new Transport Hub/Weavers Cross.  He explained that it was made up of representatives from businesses, arts venues, investors, trade associations and community groups.  He explained that all Members of Project Hope welcomed the new Hub and wanted it to be as successful as possible.

            Ms. Davies added that she wanted to see community benefits from the scheme, and highlighted to the Members that meaningful engagement with stakeholders in the area, beyond the statutory requirements, was important to ensure it was a long-term success.  She added that Project Hope wanted to see a successful mixed-use development on the site.

            Mr. Rana explained that he was keen to see benefits and investment in the south west of the City, particularly in the short and medium term, given the high numbers of vacant sites in that area.  He advised the Members that Project Hope had commissioned a study of car parking availability in the City.  He explained that, while he understood the importance of encouraging the use of more sustainable transport methods, 50% of current car parking spaces in the area could be lost over the next few  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            The Committee was advised that Transport NI was required to present to the Council bi-annually on the works which it had carried out in the Belfast area.  A request to present to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee was submitted every six months and Transport NI had recently requested to present its Spring Report to the Committee.

            In order to streamline the process, the Committee was requested to consider granting authority for Transport NI to present twice annually to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, to which all Members would be invited to attend, on an ongoing basis.

            The Committee:

1.      acceded to a request from Transport NI to present to a future meeting, to which all Members would be invited to attend; and

2.      agreed that Transport NI be granted authority to present twice each year to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, to which all Members would be invited to attend, on an ongoing basis.

            The Director of City Centre Regeneration and Development reminded the Committee that the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (CCRIS) recommended that serious consideration be given to developing an international visitor destination in the city centre to complement Titanic Belfast.  She explained that the Council, in partnership with Tourism NI, had commissioned Deloitte, together with CHL Consulting, to undertake the work in relation to the development of such a destination in the city centre.

            The Director explained to the Committee that the consultants were now ready to make a presentation at the next meeting.

            The Committee:

1.      agreed to receive a presentation from the consultants undertaking the outline business case on a new visitor destination at the next committee meeting; and

2.      noted that a future report would be submitted to the Committee upon completion of this work.

            The Committee considered the abovementioned report.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed:

1.      to defer consideration of the report;

2.      to invite Invest NI to attend a future meeting to discuss its overseas activity and investments in Belfast; and

3.      that regular updates on the pilot service would be submitted for the Committee’s consideration.

            The Director of Development advised the Committee that the World Traders’ Company was a representative body of traders in the fields of financial services and trading, including brokers, bankers, accountants and consultants, as well as traders in goods and services.

            He explained to the Members that the organisation was hosting a trade visit to Dublin in June 2018, and that it had invited representation from Belfast City Council. The Committee was advised that other attendees at the event would include senior-level representation from major financial services and professional services companies. He highlighted to the Members that they were both significant employment sectors in Belfast, supporting thousands of high-value jobs in the city.

            The Director explained that the event would comprise an opening reception event on the evening of 14th June and a one-day trade conference on 15th June. He pointed out that the Gala event on the evening of 14th June would include dignitaries from Dublin business, professional and government contacts and that it would be an opportunity to profile Belfast and the social and economic importance of the east coast corridor between Belfast and Dublin.

            The Committee was advised that the Trade Conference on 15th June would be an opportunity for Belfast to participate building upon the Memorandum of Understanding between both cities.  The Director outlined a range of initiatives and programmes which were aligned to support collaboration between Belfast and Dublin, on trade, investment and infrastructure issues.  He advised the Members that the costs associated with attendance and participation at the dinner and conference for two attendees could be met from the 2018/2019 financial budgets, and would not exceed £500.

            The Committee agreed the attendance and participation of the incoming Chairperson of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, or their nominee, and the Chief Executive at the Worshipful Company of World Traders’ Dublin Trade Visit event taking place on 14th and 15th June, 2018.

City Livin                               The Director of City Centre Regeneration and Development advised the Committee that this item had been withdrawn from the agenda.

Noted.

            The Director of City Centre Regeneration and Development reminded the Committee that a residential population was important for the creation of a successful and vibrant city centre.  She highlighted to the Members that the population in Belfast’s city centre was underdeveloped, with between 9,000 and 10,000 residents, and that the Belfast Agenda and the Local Development Plan had set a target of growing the City’s population by 66,000 residents by the year 2035, with a proportion of that growth to be accommodated within the city centre.

            She advised the Committee that there was an increasing student population in the city centre, with the relocation of Ulster University having been a major catalyst, and that other cities had illustrated that a student population brought greater vibrancy and footfall to a city centre.  However, she pointed out that the growth of student accommodation must be matched with other housing tenures if the city centre was to be balanced and inclusive.

            She provided the Members with an update on the work streams which had been progressed since the Committee Workshop which had taken place on 23rd October 2017, namely ‘Understanding the City Centre Residential Market’ and ‘Living over the Shops (LOTS)’.

            The Director explained that she was seeking approval to co-commission, in conjunction with the Department for Communities (DfC), a residential housing market analysis for the city centre in order to provide a comprehensive market overview of the residential sector, to include the rental, private for sale and private rented sectors.  She outlined to the Members that the research would provide a robust evidence base and options for how the Council could shape and input into city centre housing. 

            The Members were also advised that a piece of work was also being undertaken to set out the existing funding options and criteria around social and affordable housing in Northern Ireland.

            In relation to the Living over the Shops (LOTS) initiative, the Director advised the Committee that a 2016 report on the LOTS programme, which was prepared by Public and Corporate Economic Consultants (PACEC), did not state its support for a programme of grants in order to deliver a significant number of units in Belfast city centre.  She explained that, while LOTS played a part in encouraging people to live in the city centre, the time and resources available might be better applied in bringing forward public sector land for development.

            She advised the Members that officers had continued to explore how to address vacant units in the city centre and had met with officers from Dublin City Council (DCC) who had operated the Living City Initiative (LCI), a programme which was similar to LOTS, which had been rolled out across the Republic of Ireland.  In order to assist the Members in exploring the issues around developing this type of accommodation, the Director suggested that a workshop be held, with officers from DCC invited to outline their experiences. 

            The Committee noted that other relevant stakeholders would be invited to attend  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            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 and seek approval from Members on the proposed way forward for detailed work to assess the development and regeneration potential of Council’s surface car parks and adjacent public sector land holdings within the city centre and note the relationship with other work streams.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Members are asked to:

·        Agree that specialist advice is procured to ensure a detailed and comprehensive approach is taken to identifying development and regeneration opportunities arising from rationalisation of Council car parks and adjacent public sector land.

·        Note the relationship between the Strategic Site Assessment and other work streams underway across the council and also with partners.

3.0       Main report

3.1       The Belfast City Centre Regeneration & Investment Strategy (BCCRIS) identified the need for an integrated parking strategy and action plan to address a number of issues, including the large number of fragmented and typically low capacity surface level car parks within the city centre. BCCRIS concluded that the city centre has a large number of underdeveloped sites and surface level car parks in its core centre. These present opportunities for comprehensive development and potential for land assembly.

3.2       Car Parking Strategy (CPS)

            Following the recommendations of BCCRIS a Car Park Strategy (CPS) & Action Plan was prepared by Aecom and ratified by Council in November 2017. The CPS recommended a shift away from surface level car parking as they offer limited capacity and are not a good use of city centre land. The majority of surface level carpark sites, irrespective of individual ownership, represent potential development opportunities. The CPS identified a number of benefits from carefully planning their rationalisation.  Rationalisation should result in reduced traffic volumes from fewer circulating vehicles; reduce air pollution, improve road safety, and present opportunities for development.  The CPS also highlights the need to keep current parking stock under review and demand levels regularly monitored.

3.3       Engagement with DfI is ongoing regarding all CPS actions, wider parking and transport issues and the Committee will be updated on progress in due course.

            Alignment with other work streams

3.4       Greater Clarendon (Sailortown) Masterplan (2016)

            The Department for Communities’ Greater Clarendon (Sailortown) masterplan published 6 December 2016 (https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/greater-clarendon-sailortown-masterplan) recommends that opportunities to redevelop surplus public sector car parking sites be explored. The masterplan highlights the potential to assemble land to maximise opportunities that may not be realised if proposals are considered in isolation. There are a number of public sector surface car parks within the masterplan area.

3.5       Eastbank Development Strategy (2017)

            The Council’s Eastbank Development Strategy recommended a land assembly study and business case appraisal as a short-term next step to ensure a comprehensive approach to regeneration of the area, particularly the shatter-zone land that comprises public sector surface car parks.  While this study is not concluded, with an SEA outstanding the early recommendation will be considered within the overall analysis.  The SEA is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to:

·       Update Members on regional, national and international profiling opportunities for Belfast via two of the city’s landmark festivals

·        Request support to enhance the festivals’ ability to reach additional international audience and contribute positively to city positioning.

·        Update on the Pipe Band Championship bid

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the global profiling opportunities presented by Belfast International Arts Festival and Culture Night Belfast, in line with the emerging city narrative

·        Agree the release of £25,000 towards the delivery of Belfast International Arts Festival and £20,000 towards the delivery of Culture Night Belfast, in order to support additional audience development and international profiling for both events in 2018, as in previous years.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            Members will be aware of the increased focus of the Council and its partners in promoting Belfast as a business and investment location.  On the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) side, the Council works closely with Invest NI in supporting that organisation’s work in bringing new investment to Northern Ireland.  As set out in a separate report, working relationships are extremely positive between the organisations and we are in the process of putting in place an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set out our parameters of engagement on Foreign Direct Investment support.

3.2       On the capital investment side, the City Centre Development Team has been leading on a number of initiatives to create confidence in the investment market and to bring forward new investment schemes.  This includes Council support for the £18.7million City Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) as well as proposals for the development of a new City Centre Visitor Attraction and regeneration frameworks for key development zones in the City Centre and surrounding areas.

3.3       One of the key factors in any investment decision – either capital investment or Foreign Direct Investment – is the wider City ‘offer’ in terms of quality of life, city ambition and vibrancy.  A City’s cultural provision is a key pillar of that ‘offer’ as it gives confidence to investors that it is a City that is open to attracting people in and catering for the range of cultural tastes and interests.  Recognising that this is a critical factor in our efforts to sell Belfast internationally, the marketing materials and messaging draw attention to the fact that Belfast is a dynamic, vibrant location with a sense of energy and ambition.  The city narrative – ‘Energy Unleashed’ – emphasises this sense of vibrancy and uniqueness in a very competitive investment market. 

3.4       The sense of momentum and ambition created through the development work on the European City of Culture (ECoC) bid and the commitment to exploring opportunities to maximise the cultural investment as well as the success of some of the major cultural events and initiatives that take place across the City each year highlight the ambition and potential of the City’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8a

            The Director of City Centre Regeneration and Development reminded the Committee that the City Centre Regeneration and Investment Strategy (CCRIS) provided a vision for retail in Belfast city centre as “a regionally competitive retail offer and a shopping experience which was unmatched anywhere else in the world”.

            The Members were advised that, in conjunction with the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, the Council had commissioned FSP Retail and Business experts to undertake retail analysis of the city.  The Director explained that alongside the work which had been undertaken to date, a need had been identified for a retail analysis to asses a variety of short and long-term challenges to the retail and leisure sector in the city, thereby helping the Council and its partners across the city to respond to the fast changing environment.

            The Committee was requested to consider holding a workshop with the consultants in order to:

·        discover the initial findings from the retail analysis of Belfast and identify core issues for inclusion in the final report; and

·        allow a fuller exploration and discussion of the report to enable the experts to secure Members’ feedback prior to proposing potential actions and next steps.

            The Committee noted the commissioning of further retail analysis and agreed to hold a workshop with the consultants, with all Members invited to attend, at the end of June.