Agenda and minutes

An apology was received on behalf of Alderman McCoubrey.

            The minutes of the meetings of 7th September and 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 3rd October. 

No declarations of interest were reported.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 7th September, it had agreed that, in addition to its normal meetings, it would hold quarterly special meetings of the People and Communities Committee, which would be attended by the Housing Executive’s Regional Manager to enable the Members to raise local housing matters.

            The Committee approved the following schedule of meetings for the People and Communities Committee during 2017, with all meetings scheduled to commence at 4.30 pm:

• Special Meeting - Wednesday 4th January               
• Tuesday, 10th January                                  

• Tuesday, 7th February
• Tuesday, 7th March
• Tuesday, 4th April
• Special Meeting – Wednesday 5th April
• Tuesday, 9th May
• Tuesday, 13th June
• No meeting in July
• Special Meeting – Wednesday 2nd August
• Tuesday, 8th August
• Tuesday, 12th September
• Tuesday, 10th October
• Tuesday, 7th November
• Special Meeting – Monday 13th November
• Tuesday, 5th December

            The Committee was reminded that, at the meeting of the Council on 3rd October, the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Collins and seconded by Councillor Heading, had been referred to the Committee for consideration:

“This Council notes the concerns raised by local football teams over the cost of pitches, including grass, 3G and 4G pitches. Some of our most long-standing service users have indicated that they have had to face a price increase of up to 20-25% over the recent period, with some teams reporting that the price of grass pitches has risen from £30 to £55 over a two year period and 3G pitches from £90 to £120 over a one year period. The Council agrees that this is simply unattainable for many local teams and it is serving to negatively impact upon grassroots football. The Council views it as important that we ensure that these facilities are within the reach of our local teams and, accordingly, agrees that these price increases should be reversed and a re-examination undertaken of pitch pricing policy to ensure that these facilities are accessible to all.”

            With the permission of the Chairperson, Councillor Collins addressed the Committee and outlined his concerns surrounding the increase in the hire cost of the Council’s pitches.  He stated that this was a problem that was universally affecting a large number of organisations and clubs and he called upon the Council to undertake an urgent review of the current pricing structure.

            After consideration, the Committee agreed that an update report would be submitted to a future meeting of the People and Communities Committee which would, for comparative purposes, include information on the cost to hire 3G pitches at other local councils, schools, universities and private sector facilities. 

Councillor Collins then left the meeting.

            The Committee was reminded that, at the meeting of the Council on 3rd October, the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor McDonough-Brown and seconded by Councillor Nicholl, had been referred to the Committee for consideration:

“This Council recognises the substantial social and economic contribution which students and universities make to our City. We also condemn, without reservation, the disorder seen on the streets of Belfast and express our support for the affected residents. The Council resolves to consider a report in the relevant Committee specifically addressing the return of wardens, the installation of CCTV, the impact of private landlords and options for more rigorously enforcing bye-laws. The Council also agrees that Chief Officers will attend the Interagency Group in recognition of the seriousness of the problem.”

            A Member requested that the update report would consider antisocial behaviour as well as street disorder throughout the City.  Another Member asked the officer to include reports, minutes and decisions taken in relation to street disorder that had been considered previously by the Committee.

            After consideration, the Committee agreed that an update report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee that would consider both anti-social behaviour and street disorder in a citywide context.

            The Assistant Director advised that, at the meeting of the Strategic Cemetery and Crematorium Development Working Group held on 5th September, the following key issues had been considered:

• opening arrangements for Christmas/New Year and extra statutory holidays;
• update on the use of shoring at Roselawn Cemetery;
• update on the Council’s memorial management policy;
• customer survey of users of the City of Belfast Crematorium;
• update on crime/anti-social behaviour at cemetery sites; and
• update on the Loughview Park Cemetery planning application.

            Following a query from a Member, the Assistant Director confirmed that the economic appraisal process associated with future cremation options was ongoing and advised that a report would be brought back to the Committee in the near future.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the Strategic Cemeteries and Crematorium Working Group and agreed that party briefings would be made available on the proposals regarding the future cremation options before being presented to the Committee. 

The Committee considered the following report

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       A review of the Open Spaces Strategy is a critical component of the Belfast City Local Development Plan (LDP) and will influence the future needs and direction of relevant planning policy in the city. 

1.2       The purpose of this report is to outline for Members the proposed approach and timeframe associated with the review of the Council’s Open Spaces Strategy – ‘Your City, Your Space’. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

·        Approve the planned approach and timeframe associated with the review of the Open Spaces Strategy and to approve the request to procure appropriate technical assistance to support this specialist work.

3.0       Main report

            Local Development Plan

3.1       As part of Local Government Reform, the Council gained a new and effective opportunity to develop agreed future visions through the Belfast Agenda and is required to prepare a co-ordinated and planned approach to delivering this vision spatially, through the Local Development Plan (LDP).  Led by the Planning Committee, work is ongoing on evidence-gathering and development of Preferred Options Papers (POPs) on a number of thematic areas, which will all feed into the Plan strategy document, to be published by early summer 2017.  A critical component of the Plan strategy is an updated Open Spaces Strategy.

            Open Spaces Strategy

3.2       The Council’s existing Open Spaces Strategy was launched in November 2005, with an ambitious action plan.  Delivery of the Open Spaces Strategy enabled the Council to achieve the following outcomes: healthier places, safer spaces, protected heritage, shared spaces and increased community involvement and participation.   Some key successes achieved include:

·        Attainment of 15 green flag accreditations;

·        Development of management plans for open spaces in partnership with stakeholders;

·        Funding contributions from Heritage Lottery Funding, Sport NI, Public Health Agency, DSD BRO and Big Lottery;

·        Delivery of the Playing Pitches and Growing Communities strategies;

·        Improved site presence in parks with the introduction of a park warden service;

·        Increased number and participation levels at local events and outreach programmes;

·        Delivery of the ‘Parklife’ outdoor education programme to schools across Belfast;

·        Improved management of all Belfast street trees; and

·        Introduction and delivery of a playground improvement programme.

3.3       In the context of the statutory requirement for a Local Development Plan, it is now necessary for the Council to review and update the Open Spaces Strategy based on more recent development of significant regional and local strategic, policy and planning changes.  This will necessitate broadening the strategy’s existing focus on Council-owned open spaces, to set out a vision for all open spaces in the city.  

            Planning Policy

3.4       Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland (SPPS) provides guidance on the preparation of LDPs and requirements in relation to open spaces states that councils should:

·        Reflect on the aims, objectives and policy approach of the SPPS;

·        Survey/ assess existing open space provision and future needs (public and private);

·        Consider open spaces within or adjoining urban areas;

·        Consider outdoor recreational facilities in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3b

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 provide an update on the People and Communities Committee Plan highlighting progress and achievements to date.

1.2       The People and Communities Committee Plan was approved by Committee on 13 October 2015, following a planning workshop with Members in June 2015 and further discussion at Committee on 11 August 2015. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to;

·        Note the Committee Plan highlights update report and to agree to attend a Committee Planning workshop to be held in November 2016.  The proposed workshop will enable the development of a work pan for the People and Communities Committee and will help shape the new Corporate Plan and budget setting process for 2017/18. 

3.0       Main report

            The People and Communities Committee is currently working to an ambitious Committee Plan which describes how its purpose, objectives and activities contribute to the strategic direction of the Council’s Corporate Plan and the achievement of the city’s long term vision and priorities detailed within the emerging Belfast Agenda. 

3.2       The current Committee Plan was created after discussion with Members about the role of the Committee and its priorities for the City.  The following priorities were agreed by Members during a planning workshop in June 2015:

·        Living Here: Improve the city living experience; Improve neighbourhoods; Reduce health inequalities; and Improve community relations;

·        Infrastructure and Services: Deliver fit-for-purpose city services; Ensure fit-for-purpose city infrastructure; and

·        Enablers: Strong City Leadership and Citizenship.

            Committee Plan Update

3.3       Over the last year, set against a background of ongoing change and increased pressure on financial resources, Committee has made progress.  Lead officers were asked to provide detailed progress updates and some key highlights are summarised below against the Belfast Agenda priorities:

3.4       Living Here – Improve the city living experience highlights:

·        As part of the delivery of the Playing Pitches Strategy new changing pavilions have been erected at Waterworks, Cliftonville, Woodlands and Dixon Playing Fields and a number of new 3G pitches completed.  New partner agreements have been signed at 7 sites with key/ holding arrangements. Sports development plans have been developed and are being delivered by the Council’s partners.  We have completed the review of grass pitch allocation.

·        Work is progressing on delivering year 3 actions of the Amateur Boxing Strategy.  Outcomes achieved to date include enabling club support pathways; creating school and community pathways; showcasing boxing and hosting taster sessions and events; working with partners to deliver and improve coach education and funding club support programmes.  

·        We continue to develop our community centre research including a typology, analytical tool and management information system. We have baselined current community centre provision which will help inform the shape of the council’s future provision within neighbourhoods and across the city. 

3.5       Living Here – Improved neighbourhoods highlights:

·        We established a cross-council working group to develop a draft volunteering charter, action plan and a good practice toolkit and volunteering opportunities provided have  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3c

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services advised the Committee that,  following an assimilation process, Mrs. S. Toland and Mrs. R. Crozier had been appointed to the positions of Assistant Director, with immediate effect.

            He outlined that the change process was ongoing and that the Department’s organisational structure would be determined in the coming months and the Committee would be updated accordingly. 

Noted.  

            The Assistant Director advised that a request had been received from Crumlin Star Football Club seeking preferential use of pitch three and the adjacent pavilion.  She explained that Crumlin Star had requested that if the Council would investigate the possibility of bringing pitch 3 and the associated pavilion up to Intermediate League Standard, which would enable the Club to play its home games at Strangford Avenue. 

            The Members were also advised that the Club had indicated that, if successful, it would explore other investment options to assist with the enhancement of the facility and proposed that the Council would remain responsible for the maintenance of the pitch but that the Club would pay for the use of the facility.

            The Assistant Director reported that, whilst this was a preliminary proposal, a number of issues existed which she outlined as follows:

·        it would be up to the Club to liaise with the IFA (Intermediate League Committee) regarding the suitability of the facility and to establish what works, if any, would be required;

·        planning consent might be required;

·        the Club would be required to submit its proposal to the Council;

·        officers viewed this as an investment in the Club rather than an investment in the asset (it would not improve the asset or increase its usage);

·        the pitch was already used and, should the Council agree to the proposal, it would be necessary to displace existing users and find alternative facilities; and

·        it would be necessary to consult with other park users regarding the proposal as it would restrict access to the space for local residents who might wish to use the open space for passive recreational purposes.

            The Committee was reminded that a report outlining a request from Aquinas Football Club had also been considered by the Committee in August.

            The Committee noted the report and granted officers authority to proceed to review the proposal and any potential implications and agreed that an update report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee for consideration.

The Assistant Director provided the committee with a comprehensive update in respect of an ongoing environmental health issue which had resulted in the closure of the shower facilities at the Whiterock Leisure Centre changing pavilion.

            The Committee was advised that there had been a series of elevated readings at the changing pavilion shower heads in the Whiterock changing pavilion.  The Assistant Director reported that, whilst elevated, most of the readings had been below critical threshold levels, however, the problem remained in the hot water supply system whilst the cold water supply was clear.     

            Following a query from a Member, the Assistant Director assured the Members that the Council had carried out extensive work over the past two years in an attempt to resolve these ongoing issues.

            The Director advised the Committee that the pavilion had been closed over the summer months in order to facilitate these works and, given the consistently elevated readings recorded, the pavilion remained closed. She continued that shared use of the internal leisure centre changing was not a practical option due to space and access restrictions and she proceeded to outline a number of options for alternative provision. 

            The Committee noted the issues in respect of the water supply to the existing shower and toilet facilities in the pavilion and agreed to proceed with option C in the report: to decommission all water supplies to the pavilion, while retaining changing rooms as a dry facility, along with the installation of rented standalone two block changing container with integrated referees room and toilet (for an initial trial period of six months).

            The Assistant Director advised the Committee that Hillview Amateur Boxing Club currently had no training facilities and she explained that it had explored a number of options but unfortunately none of these had proven practicable or feasible.

            The Committee noted that the Club had secured funding from Sport NI and the former Department of Culture Arts and Leisure but it had to be expended within the current financial year, ending March 2017.

            The Assistant Director reported that the Club remained committed to securing premises and was requesting that the Council would consider the feasibility of constructing a building within the Finlay Park facility.

            The officer outlined that there was a number of issues to be considered such as suitability, planning, funding and sustainability but officers were content to meet with representatives of the Club.  She added that, should the site at Finlay Park prove deliverable, it was proposed that the Council would lease the land to the Club.     

            The Committee:

·        granted authority for officers to work with Hillview Amateur Boxing Club to establish the feasibility of constructing a boxing facility at Finlay Park; and

·        noted that this might require a lease agreement with the club in relation to part of the existing site and was subject to the approval of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and to planning approval being granted for use of the site.   

            The Assistant Director advised the Committee that it was being asked to consider a proposal which had come forward from a residents group in the Braniel Estate regarding the possible relocation of the existing playground and MUGA.  She detailed that, under the Review of Public Administration, a playground, MUGA, bowling green, community centre and an area of open space within the Braniel estate had all transferred from Castlereagh Borough Council to Belfast City Council.

            The officer drew the Members’ attention to photographs and maps of the existing facilities.  She outlined that, whilst officers would concur that the existing facility was not ideally located, it was proposed that an information session would be set up to discuss proposals with the wider community and to establish support for it or otherwise.  She stated that it would also provide an opportunity to identify if other proposals were being considered within the community.

            Several Members indicated that there was divided opinion within the estate over the proposal and therefore engagement with the local community would be recommended.  It was also suggested that the update report should be looked at within the context of the ongoing community facility review. 

            The Committee:

·        noted the report and agreed to commence an engagement process with the local community to establish if there was support for the proposal, highlight any concerns and ascertain if there were any other alternative proposals;

·        agreed that this issue should be looked at within the context of the ongoing community facility review; and   

·        agreed that an update report would be brought to a future meeting of the Committee for consideration.

            The Committee considered the following report.

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1            The purpose of the report is

·        To note correspondence received from the Department for Communities (DfC) 7th September, regarding the Welfare Reform Readiness Programme.

·        To invite Members to agree to accept the subsequent offer of additional in-year funding under the Community Support Programme (CSP) from the DfC.

·        In line with contract conditions, consider and agree a mechanism to distribute this additional grant across the five advice consortia.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Accept the additional in year grant as outlined in the DfC Letter of Variance.

·        Consider and agree the proposed model for the distribution of funds across the 5 area based advice consortia.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       The purpose of this Letter of Variance is to amend the Council’s CSP Letter of Offer (dated 31st March 2016) following the Department’s decision to revise the financial offer by allocating further funding from the Welfare Reform Advice monies for Welfare Reform Readiness and Welfare Reform Training.

3.2       The additional allocation to BCC is as follows:

3.3       Welfare Reform Readiness Programme. To provide support to front line advice organisations currently funded through the council’s Community Support Advice grant. The programme will ensure that advice organisations are prepared to assist customers through the implementation of Welfare Reform. The individual allocation to each Council area will be for the delivery of specific objectives in relation to Welfare Reform through Council’s existing contractual arrangements with advice providers via the CSP.

3.4       Additional funding of £203,677.26 has been offered to the Belfast area. This must be allocated on the same basis as the original 2016/17 awards. 

3.5       Welfare Reform Training Programme.  Additional funding of £65,400.00 which has been allocated based on the number of current front line advisers per council area.  The Training Programme will consist of six Welfare Reform courses required by all front line generalist advisers and volunteers. The programme will enable front line advice organisations to complete immediate training requirements related to Welfare Reform.  (Details at Annex 2 of Letter of Variance).

3.6       It is anticipated that there will be a regional allocation of £500,000 per year towards front line training. There is also provision for training to be targeted at a number of other groupings including elected Members.

3.7       The funding is in year and must be spent by 31st March 2017.  Councils are not required to match this additional funding which much be used to meet the specific objectives referred to above. Additional funding will not be extended into the next financial year.

3.8       Belfast Generalist Advice Consortia

Council currently administer an annual grant programme of £931,765 to five consortia covering north, south, east, west and central Belfast under its Advice & Information Services grant programme. This programme supports the consortia to deal with an average of 127,400 enquiries per year across the city.

3.9       The purpose of the Generalist Advice Funding is to support core costs  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

            The Committee was advised of a potential shortfall in the Community Development Grants Programme budget for 2017/18. 

            The Director reported that the budget for the current contracts was made up of the following sources of funding:

·        £1,404,000 from the Department for Communities under the Community Support Programme,

·        £1,050,483 from the Council and an additional investment of £635,523 from the Council in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services advised that the Council had traditionally invested approximately £2.6m annually in support of local community development activities, of which £1.568m came directly from the Department for Social Development (DSD) via its regional Community Support Programme.  He outlined that the Community Development Grant Programme (CDGP) covered General Advice Grants, Capacity Building Grants, Revenue Grants for Community Buildings and the Council’s small grants, which included the Summer Scheme and Community Development Project Grants.

            The Director reported that, for the past two years, the funding had been supplemented by £635k of non-recurrent allocations which had been used to enable the grants programme to be extended to cover the new Council areas and to fund a larger number of organisations. 

            The Committee noted that the Department for Communities was currently reviewing the Community Support Programme (CSP) but, to date, no formal information had been issued in relation to the scope of the review or any potential impact on the allocation model, therefore, in the absence of any detailed information, officers were planning on the basis of a consistent level of CSP grant to the Council for 2017/18. 

            The Committee was advised further that the Director of Finance and Resources had already reported to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee that the Council may be in a deficit position in regards to the rates settlement with Land and Property Services.  This meant that the additional non-recurrent resource required from the Council to extend the existing CDGP into 2017/18 may not be available.  The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services undertook to keep the committee informed.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 9th August, it had considered a report on the safety of 3G pitches and requested that a further report be brought back on the technical specification of the material used in Northern Ireland 3G pitches.

            The Assistant Director advised the Committee that the Council currently had a contract in place with Laydex (NI) Ltd for the supply of rubber crumb, the product currently being supplied by Laydex (NI) Ltd was manufactured by Murfitts Industries Ltd.  

            The Committee noted that in response to its request for further technical information, additional information on the specification had been sought from Murfitts Industries Ltd, and the following information had been provided:

            ‘all our tyres are only sourced from within the EU and we check every tyre that comes in to the yard.  Our methods have been tested and the rubber crumb ‘mixture’ falls within REACH guidelines’. (REACH is the EU regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). 

            The Assistant Director outlined that Murfitts Industries Ltd had also provided the Council with:

·        the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for their recycled rubber granulate product which confirmed that the product was ‘classified as non-hazardous under normal use and handling conditions’; and

·        a technical report undertaken by Labosport which tested their Styene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) granulate to EN 71-3 safety of toys part 3: migration of certain elements.  This standard sets limits on a range of chemicals in order to minimise children’s exposure to certain potentially toxic elements should the toy/material be ingested and the report concluded that the rubber granulate complied with the requirements of the standard.

The Committee noted the update report.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Members on the forthcoming Women’s Under 19 European Championships and to inform Members of the impact on council facilities and to re-affirm council support. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the update and confirm support for the IFA in hosting the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Women’s Under 19 European Championships in 2017;

·        Agree to the addition of a pitch at Alderman Tommy Patton and Cherryvale as training venues at no cost;

·        Agree to provide the Irish Football Association (IFA) with free use of Blanchflower Stadium to facilitate evening training for those team training in Northern Ireland in preparation of the Women’s U19 Tournament, the teams are from Northern Ireland, England, France and the USA.  Training will potentially be from 14-24 October; and

·        Authorise the Town Solicitor to ensure that these requirements are integrated in the Council’s legal agreements with the Irish Football Association. 

3.0       Main report

3.1       The Committee is reminded that the former Parks and Leisure Committee received and approved a report regarding Council support for the then proposed application to hold the Women’s U19 European Championships. 

3.2       The bid to host the Championships was successful and they have now approached the Council to work towards having the facilities prepared in time for the tournament. 

3.3       The City Growth and Regeneration Committee agreed to support the tournament in May 2016, as part of a series of high profile international events, as part of the Council’s ongoing Place Positioning work.

3.4       Members are reminded that Council had previously agreed to supply facilities at no cost and the IFA had indicated that the potential training venues would be:

·        Blanchflower Stadium

·        Ulidia Playing Fields

·        Strangford Avenue Playing Fields

·        Victoria Park

·        Dixon Park Playing Fields.

3.5       However, having reviewed the grounds criteria, IFA only took forward Blanchflower Stadium and Ulidia Playing Fields and these are subject to UEFA approval.  The IFA has also requested that Council agree to additional facilities at Cherryvale Playing Fields and Alderman Tommy Patton Park be included for the purposes of being used as potential training venues.  This would be limited to one pitch per site. 

3.6       Members are asked to note again the potential implications of using the facilities as training venues: 

a.     Potential closure of the pitches before the end of the local football season;

b.     Pitches may require attention prior to the regular season and may not be available until after the start of the season;

c.     Potential restricted access to each of the sites for members of the public;

d.     Alignment of the pitches to meet the pitch size requirements;

3.7       A UEFA delegation is scheduled to meet with the IFA and Council Officers during October 2016 to finalise selection of the facilities for training and for matches.  Officers will meet with them to discuss the preparation of the pitches on each site selected.  Once this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8b

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting held on 13th September, a Member had raised some concern regarding the inclusivity of the Green Flag Award.

            The Assistant Director outlined to the Committee that the Green Flag Award was a universal award that currently operated in Australia, the Channel Islands, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, the United Arabs Emirates and Wales.

            The Committee noted that in Northern Ireland the Green Flag award was administered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and that fifty one sites currently held the award.   In the Republic of Ireland the awards scheme was administered by An Taisce and twenty two sites currently held the award. 

            The Assistant Director reported that, whilst the bodies that administered the awards scheme in each jurisdiction differed, the Green Flag Award and its application remained the same and she drew the Members’ attention to the following criteria that was applied:

·        a welcoming place;

·        healthy safe and secure;

·        well maintained and clean,

·        sustainability;

·        conservation and heritage;

·        community involvement;

·        marketing; and

·        management.

            The Committee noted the update report.

            The Committee was reminded that the City of Belfast International Rose Garden was created in Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in 1964 and each year the Rose Week event was held to coincide with the judging of the trial roses.  She advised the Committee that, this year, Rose Week had been held from 18th to 24th July and it was estimated that 67,800 people had attended the event (which was a marked increase from previous years). 

            The Assistant Director advised that it was important to continue to review and refresh the event and consequently Perceptive Light had been commissioned to undertake a survey of the visitors to Rose Week.  She reported that whilst most visitors were satisfied with the overall event, the visitors had cited a number of potential improvements that could be made to the event.  These included: an increase in the number of craft stalls; increased seating areas; increased catering (both local and continental); increased advertising of events; additional car parking; and the use of more signage around the park.

            The Assistant Director reported that a major redesign of the gardens had not taken place since the 1980s and it was felt now that a new design was required to produce a more appealing, contemporary design that would incorporate plants other than just roses.  She advised that discussion had already commenced with stakeholders such as the Rose Society of Northern Ireland which had indicated that it would be in agreement with the proposed concept and would welcome the opportunity to be involved.

            The Committee expressed its appreciation for the continued hard work, dedication and commitment which had been undertaken by both the Members of the Rose Society of Northern Ireland and the park staff in preparation for this event and requested that this be placed on record in the minutes.

            The Committee:

• noted the success of Rose Week 2016 and the officer’s recommendations for improving the event in 2017;
• noted the proposed development of a new landscape design for the International Rose Garden, which would be completed within existing revenue budgets; and
• recorded the Committee’s thanks to the Members of the Rose Society of Northern Ireland and the parks staff for their continued hard work in contributing to the success of the event. 

            The Assistant Director advised that a request had been received from the Belfast Model Flying Club seeking the Council’s support in making an application to host the Air Modelling European Championships at the Blanchflower Playing Fields in mid-2019. 

            She reported that the Blanchflower Playing Fields already had one take-off and landing area for model planes, however, the Chairman of the Control Line Technical Committee of the British Model Flying Association had provided a list of requirements, which would be necessary for hosting the event, which she outlined as follows:

·        Council approval would be required for the use of the facility, no later than January 2017;

·        a painted area to prevent damage from paraffin for race category;

·        a level and short cut grassed area for aerobatics;

·        2 bitmac circles for competition; and

·        temporary cages to provide safety for the ‘pilots’ when in competition.

            In addition, the club was seeking the Council to fund the requirements as outlined above.  The officer reported that the estimated cost of the bitmac area and the provision of the cages was estimated to be in the region of £30,000 - £35,000.  The Committee were advised that this would be a temporary fixture and the ground would be reinstated after the event.

            The Assistant Director advised that officers were satisfied that the site could accommodate the requirements and felt that the event would attract public and media interest. 

            The Committee were reminded that the development of the Blanchflower Playing Fields was in progress, supported by the Belfast Investment Fund, and therefore any development of the site would be assessed in terms of its ‘fit’ within the wider development project.  Accordingly, it was recommended that the Committee agree to grant permission to the Belfast Air Modelling Club to hold the event at Blanchflower Playing Fields, subject to:

·        the future development of the site and its feasibility to physically accommodate the event;

·        the club ensuring that all the necessary health and safety requirements were put in place and the Club complying with the Council’s event management plan in consultation with the Park Manager; and 

·        the Council agreeing to meet the cost of the works in order for the club to meet the requirements of hosting the event, estimated to be in the region of £30,000 - £35,000 from the 2019 Departmental Budget.

            A Member expressed concern at the proposed expenditure and following discussion the Committee agreed to vote on the recommendation.

            On a vote by show of hands eleven Members voted for the proposal and six against and the recommendation was declared carried.

            The Committee approved the naming of Broom Drive, off Broom Park, BT17.

            The Assistant Director advised the Committee that it was proposed that the Council would hold an event in the City Hall on 18th November from 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m., to mark International Men’s Day, which would be the third consecutive year that the Council had celebrated the event.

            The officer outlined that there would be events and initiatives happening all over the world, reflecting the Six Pillars of International Men’s Day, as follows:

·      working together to promote positive male role models;

·      working together to celebrate men’s positive contributions;

·      working together to focus on men’s health and well-being;

·      working together to highlight discrimination against males;

·      working together to improve gender relations and improve gender equality; and

·      working together to create a safer, better world.

            The Committee was advised that the proposed Council event would focus on men’s health and wellbeing, including mental health and building emotional resilience.  It was noted that the event would be organised in conjunction with the Belfast Health Development Unit and would cost in the region of £1000, which would be covered from within the existing Environmental Health revenue budgets.

            Accordingly, it was recommended that the Committee agree that International Men’s Day was an important annual event which should be recognised and supported by the Council as a member of Belfast Strategic Partnership in its work to address health and life inequalities across the city.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee considered the following report which outlined the proposed response from Belfast City Council to the new draft strategy for suicide prevention in Northern Ireland, Protect Life 2:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1        The Department of Health has released for consultation a new draft strategy for suicide prevention in Northern Ireland, Protect Life 2; it is available on the Department’s website at https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/consultations. This report outlines a proposed response from Belfast City Council to the draft strategy.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to

·        Agree that the proposed response (copy available on modern.gov).  The closing date for response is the 4th November 2016.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            In Northern Ireland an average of 274 people die by suicide each year and suicide rates in the most deprived areas are three times higher than in the least deprived areas, indicating a stark health inequality. Statistics released by the Department in November 2015 show that the rate of suicide in areas of deprivation compared with the overall rate is increasing and research commissioned under the existing Protect Life Strategy found that, on a per capita basis, deaths in Belfast were 40% higher than the Northern Ireland average.

3.2       The new draft suicide prevention strategy, Protect Life 2, aims to build on the first protect life strategy, which was refreshed in 2012 and it continues with the goals set by the previous strategy of reducing the rate of suicide in Northern Ireland and of reducing the increasing health inequality associated with suicide.

3.3       The draft strategy indicates that deaths by suicide in Northern Ireland appear to be associated with high levels of mental ill-health, exposure to community conflict and the legacy of the conflict and exposure to stress including economic deprivation. The cultural relationship with over consumption of alcohol also appears to be a contributory factor, The strategy recognises that in addressing those most at risk there must be a focus on providing support and treatment for people who have suicidal thoughts. It goes on to highlight that these services also need to address the diverse needs of different sub-groups in terms of age, gender, sexual orientation, social class and locality.

3.4       It is a comprehensive strategy in that it contains a considerable amount of information in terms of the risk factors that can lead to suicide (clearly set out on page 31). It outlines the services that exist, the investment that has been made in suicide prevention to date and suggests what more needs to be done. It alludes to the wider social determinants of mental health and wellbeing and discusses the need for a more joined up and integrated approach to addressing the risk factors and the underlying causes of suicide. It identifies the policy context and proposed governance arrangements for developing this integrated and strategic approach to suicide prevention.

3.5       However there are a number of potential limitations in the draft strategy; for example, the actual aims and objectives of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8h

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1    At the Committee meeting of 7th June 2016, Members considered a paper recommending that the Lagan Meadows be proposed as a Candidate Quiet Area to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). The identification and designation of Quiet Areas is a requirement of the Environmental Noise Directive (END) and of the Environmental Noise Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006.

1.2    DAERA is presently consulting upon the ‘Designation of Lagan Meadows as a Quiet Area pursuant to the Environmental Noise Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006’ and has formally written to the council seeking its view on the designation. The consultation will conclude on 19th October 2016.

2.0    Recommendations

2.1    The Committee is asked to

·        Consider this report and to endorse the designation of the Lagan Meadows as a Quiet Area.

·        Endorse the draft consultation response to DAERA (Appendix 1).

3.0    Main Report

         Background

3.1    END requires Member States to ‘preserve environmental noise quality where it is good’ through the identification and protection of Quiet Areas within agglomerations, recognising that Quiet Areas can make a beneficial contribution to public health, particularly for people living in noisy city areas.

3.2    In its written response to DAERA, the Committee recommended that the Department consider the Lagan Meadows as a Candidate Quiet Area due to the local soundscape and the fact that the Lagan Meadows fulfil the functional objectives described in the European Environment Agency publication, ‘Good practice guide on quiet areas’, i.e. a calm place to relax, think, walk, bike, read or picnic.  

3.3    In addition, the Committee requested that DAERA engage with the council, prior to subsequent rounds of Quiet Area designations, in order to refine the Department’s Policy Guidance and screening criteria relating to the identification of Quiet Areas. The next round of noise mapping and Quiet Area designation is scheduled to commence from June 2017. The Committee highlighted that it would welcome the opportunity to consider the appropriateness of other potential sites across the city as part of this next round, including Greenville and Orangefield Parks.

3.4    Finally, the Committee concluded that neither Ligoniel nor Tullycarnet Parks were suitable for designation as Quiet Areas due to their soundscapes and as a consequence of the Council’s longer-term leisure and other objectives for these Parks. These Parks were identified as Candidate Quiet Areas by DAERA as part of an earlier consultation exercise conducted during September 2015. The Committee agreed however to reconsider Ligoniel and Tullycarnet Parks during subsequent rounds of Quiet Area designations in light of updated DAERA Policy Guidance and screening criteria.

         Main Issues

3.5    Quiet Areas can make a beneficial contribution to public health, particularly for people living in noisy city areas. Accordingly, END requires Member States to ‘preserve environmental noise quality where it is good’ through the identification and protection of Quiet Areas within agglomerations. An agglomeration is a geographic area having a population in excess of 250,000 persons, a population density equal to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8i

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Department for Justice seeking views and comments from the Council on a consultation paper on the proposed new approach to commissioning, awarding and disbursing funding to the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VSCE) sector.

            The Assistant Director reported that the document outlined that the proposed new system had been developed in line with the Government’s stronger focus on outcomes, as set out in the draft Programme for Government Framework, and the Department’s drive to create a system which would disburse funding in a fair, equitable and transparent way. 

            She continued that, in establishing a new system of funding for the VSCE, the Department wished to secure a number of objectives that she outlined as follows:

·        funding to reflect an outcomes focused service;

·        providing greater transparency in funding decisions;

·        providing all VCSE organisations with fair and equitable access to funding;

·        increased flexibility and responsiveness to priorities;

·        promoting and securing the development of high quality services and best value; and 

·        developing opportunities for collaborative work and better partnership arrangements.

            She informed the Committee that the Department was working to develop the new system for funding the VCSE by Autumn 2016, which would allow sufficient lead in time for the sector to prepare as the new system would commence from April 2017.

            The Committee retrospectively endorsed the following draft response to the Department of Justice, relating to the VCSE sector funding model.  It noted that in order to meet the deadline of 23rd September, it had already been submitted with the codicil that it would be subject to the agreement of the People and Communities Committee and the subsequent ratification of the minutes by the Council.

Name of Organisation: Belfast City Council

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Department for Communities seeking views and comments from stakeholders on the draft consultation paper on Proposals for the Provision of Strategic Support to the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland 2017 – 2021.

            The Assistant Director outlined that the document set out, for consultation, the proposed new arrangements for the provision of strategic support to the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) in Northern Ireland for the period 2017 – 2021, and invited the Council to submit comments in particular about:

·        a proposed new vision for the provision of strategic support to the VCS;

·        a series of high level desired outcomes; and

·        key priorities and proposals geared to support the achievement of the desired outcomes (subject to the availability of funding).

            She outlined that from the detail of the consultation paper it was clear the proposals were in relation to regional support programmes and did not include any project related funding to individual VCS groups provided through central or local government for the delivery of services. 

            The Committee endorsed the following draft Council response to the consultation on Proposals for the Provision of Strategic Support to the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland 2017 – 2021:

            The Committee was reminded that Belfast City Council had adopted the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in June 2011, shortly after its introduction by the Food Standards Agency in Northern Ireland (FSANI).

            The Assistant Director advised that, since that date, the Council had been rating the standard of food hygiene compliance observed by Food Safety Officers during inspections and publishing the information online. She continued that, whilst business owners were provided with window stickers and encouraged to display its allocated hygiene rating, there was no legal requirement for them to do so and many, particularly the poorer rated, did not.

            The Assistant Director reported that, on 29th January, the Food Hygiene Rating Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 had received Royal Assent.  She detailed that the Act introduced the new mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme which legally required, for the first time, food business operators to display a valid food hygiene rating sticker at each of its public entrances.

            The Committee noted that the implementation of the Act had commenced on 7th October and that it placed a statutory duty on the Council to rate food establishments and enforce the legislative requirements.  It was also noted that Council officers would be able to issue fixed penalty notice for non-compliance and, if necessary, instigate legal proceedings.