Agenda and minutes

The Chairperson stated that he wished, on behalf of the Committee, to pay tribute to Councillor Jones and record its deepest sympathy to his family circle and also to the Alliance Party.

Noted.

            No apologies were reported.

            The minutes of the meeting of 9th May were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting of 1st June.

            No declarations of interest were reported.

The Committee agreed that:

• representatives from Contact NI would be invited to present, along with the Housing Executive, at the Special Meeting of the People and Communities Committee to be held on Wednesday, 2nd August; and
• representatives from Belfast Healthy Cities would be invited to present at the August meeting of the Committee on Tuesday, 8th August.

            The Information contained in the following three reports is restricted in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014

            The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the issues relating to the implementation of the Community Development Grants Programme 2017/18 and which offered options for the delivery of the 2018/19 programme.  

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services advised that, given the complexities relating to the funding of the Programme and the current lack of clarity on the total available budget, officers were not in a position to present the Committee with informed options to enable it to make a decision.  In addition, he reminded the Committee that the Council was currently in the process of tendering for a strategic review of its grants programmes which could take up to 18 months to implement.

The Committee:

• agreed to grant delegated authority to the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services to extend the existing Community Development Grant Programme large grant funding contracts (2017/18) linked to any received extension to Community Support Programme grant income;
• noted that the contract extensions would be directly linked to and be commensurate with the terms of the DfC Letter of Offer variance. This would include organisations in receipt of Generalist Advice, Capacity and Community Building Revenue Grants and contracts to non-grant supported organisations; and
• noted the complexities in relation to potential funding for the Community Development Grant Programme 2018/19 and agreed that a further outline report would be submitted once the          Community Support Programme evaluation became available and the current review of Belfast City Council grants had been undertaken.

            The Committee considered a report which provided details regarding Belfast City Council having been given the opportunity to host the 2018 Britain in Bloom Awards.  The Committee noted that this event had not been held in Northern Ireland before.  It was proposed that this prestigious event would be held in the Waterfront Hall and anticipated that 500 - 550 people from England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland would attend.   

            The Assistant Director advised that the total cost to Belfast City Council would be a maximum of £25,000 which would be funded from existing revenue budgets.  The Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) had confirmed that it would contribute £2,500 towards the cost of the event and the Council had also applied to the Belfast and Northern Ireland Conference Subvention Scheme for £10,000. The Assistant Director advised that officers would investigate other funding stream options. 

            The Committee granted:

• authority for the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson (or their nominees) and 3 officers to attend the Britain in Bloom Awards Ceremony, in Wales, in October 2017; and
• permission for Belfast City Council to host the Britain in Bloom Awards Ceremony in October 2018.

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received for the use of the playing fields at Boucher Road for one show that would include a number of acts.  The Assistant Director stated that the acts for the concert had not all been confirmed but it was proposed that they would be top international acts and it was estimated that the concert would have a capacity of 40,000 plus staff.

            The Committee granted authority to Akin Promotions to hold a concert at Boucher Road Playing Fields during the period 1st  May -18thMay 2018, subject to satisfactory terms being agreed with the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services and on condition that:

• the event organiser resolves all operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction;
• an appropriate legal agreement is prepared by the City Solicitor; and
• the event organiser meets all statutory requirements, including entertainment licensing.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Service advised the Committee that at the planning workshop, held on 15th February, a number of priorities and actions had been identified within the context of the Belfast Agenda and Corporate Plan and these had been included in the Committee Plan for 2017-18.

            The Members were advised that the Committee plan was available on the Council’s website here and it was noted that the Committee would receive a 6 monthly progress update report.

            The Committee approved the People and Communities Committee Plan for

2017-18.

            (Mr. T. Walker, Head of Waste Management, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report

1.1       Members are requested to approve the attached draft strategy scenarios for managing waste – ‘The Waste Framework’. 

1.2       Members may recall that there were a series of Party Group Briefings held on this topic during May which highlighted the focus of the Waste Framework upon four areas: Waste Collection Arrangements, Infrastructure, Behaviour Change and Technology.  Useful feedback was received from these briefings and a number of amendments/enhancements were made to the Waste Framework to reflect these comments which is now being presented for consideration. 

1.3       Following approval, a consultation exercise and programme of engagement will be developed to consult with stakeholders.  This is to ensure that householders’ and others’ views are gathered to inform a final drafting of the Waste Framework which will then be reported to the Committee for final ratification, expected to be in late autumn.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Approve the draft ‘Waste Framework’ for consultation later this year.

3.0       Key findings

3.1       Members may be aware that Waste Management has been developing a 10 year Waste Strategy and have sought to incorporate issues relating to emerging legislative requirements, changes in the local marketplace, the current status of arc21’s residual waste treatment facilities and Brexit.  The Service has also been carefully considering how expenditure could be minimised, efficiency savings could be delivered and revenues maximised for the Council.  This has resulted in a series of realistic scenarios being developed to achieve a 50% household waste recycling target and save money, while also aligning with the Belfast Agenda objectives of supporting job creation.  Waste Management has drawn carefully from experiences and recommendations from both Scotland and Wales to inform the development of this draft strategy, as both these regions have implemented progressive and forward-looking policies and strategies which their councils are now implementing. 

3.2       Waste Management has also been in discussions with the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) officers in Wales (the third best performing recycling country in the world) and WRAP HQ (currently providing advice to several Governments across the world), as well as Zero Waste Scotland to test the assumptions used in the draft and critically review its content.  As Members will recall, at several recent Committee meetings questions have been raised about how waste can play a more central role in creating and supporting jobs in Belfast, and this draft strategy has been designed specifically to focus upon improving the quality of recyclables collected so that it can make a more positive contribution to the circular economy and the jobs target contained within the Belfast Agenda.  WRAP is in the process of formally responding to the draft Framework and their comments will be incorporated into the final version for Members’ consideration later this financial year.

3.3       Of particular note, after modelling and interpretation, the recommended option in the Waste Framework aligns closely with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3b

            The Committee considered a report which detailed a proposal that had been received from the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) and County Antrim Boxing requesting £101,000 in funding per annum for the next 3-4 years.

            The Assistant Director reminded the Members that the Council had developed a 10 year amateur boxing strategy for the City in partnership with County Antrim Boxing, the Ulster Boxing Council (UBC), Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA).  The Council had previously committed £200,000 per annum for 3 years for the implementation of phase 1 of the strategy, which had included funding to put in place a Sports Development Officer (appointed in April 2014) and 2 Community Based Coaches.  She advised that due to the delay in appointing staff there had been a significant underspend in Year 1 and this had been used to finance the implementation of year 4.  The agreed financial support for the implementation of the strategy had come to an end on 31st March, 2017.    

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 7th March, it had agreed that 15% of the total Support for Sport Fund for 2017/18 (up to £24,000) would be allocated to support the delivery of the Strategy.  The Committee had also agreed to review resources to support the Boxing Strategy and to investigate short-term arrangements for the two Community based coaches for a temporary period of 3 months.  The officer advised that one of the coaches had now left the Council and the other’s contract had been extended to June, 2017.

            The Assistant Director reported that Council officers had been working with the IABA and County Antrim Boxing to try and identify potential funding sources but, to date, these had been limited to small funding streams.  The IABA and County Antrim Boxing had developed a proposal requesting £101,000 per annum additional financial support from the Council for the next 3-4 years.  The officer advised the Committee that there was currently no allocation in the department’s budget for this amount and added that the Director of Finance and Resources had further advised that due to the recurrent nature of this funding request it would have to be considered as part of the rate setting process for 2018/19.

            A Member outlined the achievements that the sport had delivered throughout the City and welcomed the proposal from the IABA and County Antrim Boxing which would enable the Boxing Strategy to continue.

            Another Member stated that, whilst he appreciated the contribution that boxing as a sport made, it was impossible for the Council to continue its support inevitably as there were many other sports not in receipt of Council funding support and which also did excellent work.

            Detailed discussion ensued, following which it was:

Moved by Councillor Garrett; and

Seconded by Councillor Magennis:

      That the Committee would support the proposal from the IABA and County Antrim Boxing for £101,000 of funding to continue with the implementation of the Amateur Boxing Strategy for a further year  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3c

            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 the Committee on emergency planning and civil contingencies matters of interest over the last 14 months and to highlight updated mutual aid arrangements between councils and partner organisations.

2.0         Recommendations

2.1         The Committee is asked to;

·        note the information contained in the report and to agree to the Council engaging in the arrangements set out in the following protocols and Memorandum of Understanding. These arrangements will enable the Council to receive and provide support in certain emergency situations.

o   District Council Mutual Aid Protocol

o   Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and each district council regarding epizootic diseases

o   Protocol to enable Belfast and the other district councils to use the NI Housing Executive’s Emergency Call-Off Contracts

·        approve the development of a protocol between the Council and the relevant voluntary and faith organisations to enable the Council to seek assistance (if required) when co-ordinating the recovery aspects from a major emergency.

3.0         Main report

3.1         Emergency Incidents between April 2016 and April 2017

·        There was flash flooding on the 12th and again on the 29th June 2016 which caused a significant number of surface water related incidents and internal flooding to a small number of properties, with 4 Belfast residents receiving £1000 payments.

·        The number of security alerts when the Council Emergency Planning team was required to respond was fewer than in previous years. The main need for community support centres continued to be at night when residents were most vulnerable. Six centres were made available during the last 14 months.

·        A number of significant fires occurred during the year, including one at a waste treatment plant in West Belfast on 30th August 2016 when a major incident was declared by the NI Fire and Rescue Service. The fire continued to burn for a number of days. On 11th January 2017 there was a large fire at a Petrol Station on the Stewartstown Road. This had the potential to be very dangerous with the risk of explosion. Residents were evacuated from six homes and went to stay with friends and family. An Emergency Rest Centre was kept on standby at Sally Gardens Community Centre during the incident.

·        A prolonged power outage in west Belfast on 28th August 2016 was significant and at one point consideration was given to evacuating the Syrian Refugee Welcome Centre where a new group of refugees had just arrived. Emergency Planning made arrangements for the evacuation but NI Electricity Networks were able to provide a generator and restored power to the Centre before this was necessary.

·        There were a number of responses to gas related incidents during the year including a suspected gas leak at Mount Collyer on 24th October 2016 which resulted in the evacuation of Currie Primary School. The pupils were evacuated to the Mount Collyer Centre and looked after until collected by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3d

            The Assistant Director drew the Members’ attention to a report which provided an update on the changes to the Human Transplantation Bill for Northern Ireland.  She explained that these changes placed new statutory requirements on the Department of Health regarding the promotion of organ donation. 

            The officer provided the Committee with the following facts and figures relating to organ donation in Northern Ireland:

·        at any one time there was approximately 150 people in Northern Ireland awaiting a transplantation and each year approximately 15 people died while waiting for an organ;

·        while organ donation was supported by approximately 90% of the population, currently in Northern Ireland only 39% of people had signed the organ donation register; and

·        Northern Ireland had the lowest consent rates for donation of any region in the United Kingdom (outside of London).

            The Committee noted that low consent rates for donation had been linked to families not knowing the wishes of their loved ones and it was therefore felt that an effective strategy for the promotion of organ donation was required.  In attempt to realise this, the Department of Health had identified the need for the Health and Social Care Trusts to work in partnership with local government and the voluntary sector to develop local communication plans to promote organ donation.

            The Assistant Director advised that the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, which was a statutory partner within the Belfast Agenda, had approached the Council, through the Organ Donation Committee (based at the Royal Victoria Hospital), for support in promoting Organ Donation Week that was being held from Monday, 4th – Sunday, 10th September.  This would include the provision of promotional material within existing Council communication platforms, both external and internal, and also within Council facilities and workplaces.

            The Committee noted the Council’s current support for organ donation and agreed to accede to the Department of Health’s request for the Council to work in partnership with the Health and Social Care Trusts and the voluntary sector to try and promote organ donation more throughout Northern Ireland.

            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 bring to the Committee’s attention the Notice of Motion regarding Mental Health and Addiction Support Services considered by the Council at its meeting on 2nd May and to outline a proposed course of action to address the motion.

2.0    Recommendations

2.1    The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the content of the report

·        Consider the arrangements for a strategic discussion event between the Council and its partners in the statutory, community and voluntary sectors. If agreed, this event will take place towards the end of September and the Council will host it in conjunction with Belfast Strategic Partnership.

3.0    Main report

3.1    Key Issues

The Notice of Motion regarding Mental Health and Addiction Support Services, moved by Councillor O’Hara and seconded by Councillor McCabe, centred on the need for a city wide response to support communities in dealing with these issues in line with the commitment the Council has given, through the Belfast Agenda, to design and deliver an integrated programme to tackle health inequalities.

3.2    Through the Notice of Motion concern was expressed regarding the availability of joined up services designed to treat the complex issues of addiction, the misuse of drugs and alcohol, self-harm, suicidal tendencies, depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. The Notice of Motion proposed a review of the level of provision of existing services and a strategic discussion on a more integrated and coordinated approach to delivering addiction and mental health services in Belfast.

3.3    At a major three day event held in Belfast last September the link between the misuse of alcohol and drugs and emotional distress and mental disorders was identified as a significant concern for the city. The event, organised by the Public Health Agency and Belfast Strategic Partnership used a ‘future search’ process to enable key organisations from all sectors across the city to identify the common ground they could commit to in terms of authority and resources to tackle the issue of suicide in Belfast.

3.4    There were eleven priorities identified that were considered by all participants to represent the best opportunity for preventing deaths by suicide in Belfast, a copy of the final report is attached at appendix 1, ‘Building Hope – Working Together to Prevent Suicide’. One of these areas was a commitment to working better together across mental health, suicide prevention and drugs and alcohol to jointly plan, jointly resource and jointly deliver services that meet the needs of people in a timely and relevant manner. This involved a commitment to resourcing co-morbidity treatment services for people with co-concurring mental health, suicide prevention and drugs and alcohol needs.

3.5    A programme of work has been developed for this year to begin the implementation of the recommendations from the Building Hope event. This work is being overseen by the Belfast Protect Life Implementation Group and a number of work-streams are particularly relevant to the issues  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3f

            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 successful 2016/17 Playground Improvement Programme and outline plans for playground refurbishments in 2017/18.  Members are asked to note that the refurbishments are funded under the Capital Programme and that an allocation of £580,000 has been agreed to for this work, in this financial year.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Recommend to Committee the refurbishment of playground sites below under the Playground Improvement Programme which has an allocated budget of £580,000 under the Capital Programme for financial year 2017/18.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Playground Refurbishment Programme

            Since its inception in 2012, the Playground Refurbishment Programme has made a significant impact on overall quality and play value to the city’s playgrounds; this has greatly improved accessibility and play value, providing new inclusive playground equipment, safety surfacing, boundary fencing, site furniture and landscaping works.  In 2012 the Independent Playground Inspector classified 25% of our playground facilities as being ‘poor’ (quality score of 3.0 or less). However with continued investment over the last 5 years the Council has achieved the desired improvement in overall safety, quality and play value at each of the sites refurbished under the programme. The playgrounds improved under previous programmes are now more inviting, inclusive and exciting places for children and parents to visit. The 2016/17 Improvement Programme which consisted of four major refurbishments and five minor/partial refurbishments has now been completed, moving their scores to the desired higher standard. 

3.2       Members should note that this year’s cycle of independent inspections has been undertaken again by Play Services Ireland Ltd. The ‘quality’ score allocated for each playground is based on compliance with European safety standards BS EN 1176 & 1177.  The inspection reports also continue to identify and prioritise repairs to existing equipment and these repairs are undertaken by either Facilities Management or our own Playground Inspectors.

            (Appendix 2 is available on modern.gov – sample copy of the Independent Playground Inspection report 2017) which categorises playgrounds, giving each one a ‘quality score’:

            Score 9 – 10   Excellent

            Score 8 – 9     Very Good

            Score 7 – 8     Good

            Score 6 – 7     Fairly Good

            Score 5 – 6     Sufficient

            Score 4 – 5     Fair

            Score 3 – 4     Insufficient

            Score 2 – 3     Poor

            Score 1 – 2     Very Poor

            Score 0 – 1     Extremely Poor

3.3       Following the independent inspection assessments of all 97 playgrounds across the city, it is proposed that the sites listed in Table 1 above are refurbished under this year’s Playground Improvement Programme which has an allocated budget of £580,000 under the Capital Programme.

3.4       The playgrounds recommended for refurbishment are the ones with the lowest overall quality scores (Appendix 3 is available on modern.gov – 2017 Mean Quality Score ratings).  As a result of the proposed refurbishment works, these playgrounds  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            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 the Committee with a situation report regarding a request from Crumlin Star FC to the Council to provide them with a ‘home ground’. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

1.     Note the ongoing work in relation to the Urban Villages Programme in relation to Marrowbone Millennium Park

2.     Note the ongoing discussions relating to the use of the pitch at Cliftonville as an interim measure;

3.     Agree that in the context of 1 and 2 above in the absence of investment from the Club at this time that the proposal to develop Strangford Avenue is no longer an option ; and

4.     Note the ongoing work in relation to the pitch at Upper Waterworks;

3.0       Main report

            The Context

3.1       By way of context, Members are asked to note that Council does not directly provide ‘home grounds’ for sports clubs.  There are however 2 ways in which clubs have been able to meet the requirements of the Northern Amateur League to enter into the higher leagues. 

3.2       Firstly, in the past, as Members will be aware, the Council entered into Facilities Management Agreements and more recently through Partner Agreements with sports clubs and organisations.  These agreements have been secured through publicly advertised expressions of interest.   Successful applicants have used this process to provide preferential use of pitches for clubs and have through the erection of signage displayed the impression that these facilities are the home of specific clubs.   This ability to manage the allocation process has led to a number of clubs being able to demonstrate control of the site in order to satisfy the requirements of the IFA for entry into the higher levels of the Northern Amateur League. 

3.3       The second way in which clubs have secured use of facilities is by bringing investment to the asset, such as the Ulster Council of the GAA, Clarendon development Association, Suffolk FC etc.  Depending on the source of the funding it is usual for terms and conditions to be attached to the funding / investment.  Normally one of the requirements will be to have security of tenure, i.e. the funding body will seek to ensure that the funding will be used for the purpose for which it was intended and will seek to ensure that the applicant (recipient of the funding) will secure the benefit of the funding.   Therefore sports clubs have sought to secure funding from a variety of sources and have used this to upgrade Council facilities and in return they have sought security of tenure which effectively enables them to secure use of the pitch for their own use and meet the requirements of the IFA for entry to higher levels of the Northern Amateur League. 

            Crumlin Star

3.4       Crumlin Star has approached the Council seeking preferential use of a number of facilities.  In seeking preferential use, the club wishes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4b

            The Assistant Director reminded the Committee that the Council had previously agreed to enter into Partner Agreements at seven playing field sites and she then provided an update on the progress in relation to the Agreements for January - March 2017. 

            She explained that, in line with the Council’s objectives, the diversification of use and improved sports development impact were priorities at the partner agreement sites and she advised that so far the programme delivery had led to significant positive achievements across the seven sites.  She drew the Members’ attention to a table which indicated the outputs at the sites as reported by the partners up to the end of March 2017 and highlighted that, in the initial year of transition from the Facility Management Agreements, there was evidence of growth in the level of diverse use and extensive partnership working.

            The Assistant Director advised that Full Quarter 4 payments and 80% of quarter 1 2017-18 payments had been made at 6 of the 7 sites.  Payment of the final 20% of the Quarter 4 and 80% for Quarter 1 2017-18 had not been made to the partner at the Alderman Thomas Patton Memorial Park as the club had raised queries in respect of bills for pitch usage, which needed to be resolved prior to payment.

            A Member asked that the staff be thanked for their hard work and commitment in helping to address ongoing issues at some of the locations.

The Committee noted the information which had been provided.  

            The Assistant Director outlined the details of a request from the City and Neighbourhood Services Department seeking permission to obtain a licence from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to build a community garden at Alnacreeva Close, Milltown. 

            The officer advised that the need for a community garden had been demonstrated through a recent community survey carried out by residents as part of the locality planning process for the area.  The Committee noted that it was proposed that the community garden would have 17 raised beds which would be made available for communal use.  In addition, officers would assist and support the Milltown Residents Association in submitting an Alpha funding application to cover the cost of building the garden and the City and Neighbourhood Services Department would also support the community with training to develop and sustain the community garden.

            The Committee was advised that the cost of the community garden would be £31,400.00, 10% of which would be covered through existing departmental budgets with the remainder being sought from Alpha Funding by the Community Association.   

The Committee:

• agreed that it would request a licence from the NIHE to build a community garden at Altnacreeva Close, Milltown; and
• approved the construction of a community garden at this location.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services presented the financial position of the People and Communities Committee for Quarter 4, which confirmed an under spend of £694k for that period.  This represented 0.9% of the budget which was well within the acceptable variance limit of 3%.

            The Committee was advised that the current under spends related to vacant posts across a number of services and the receipt of additional income from grants and growth.

            He reminded the Committee that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had, at its meeting held on 18th November, 2016, agreed to cap in year departmental cash limits at the Quarter 2 forecast levels to offset the rates clawback advised by the Land and Property Services Agency and the Committee was therefore not in a position to re-allocate any of the departmental underspend.   

            A Member congratulated officers on the achieved underspend and the Committee noted the year-end financial position. 

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1    To seek permission to accept an offer of funding from Sport NI’s investment programme called Everybody Active 2020.  An indicative amount of approximately £125,000 has been suggested for Strand 4.  This will allow Council to offer small grants in Belfast to support the existing Everybody Active participation programme currently being delivered by our range of preferred partners.

2.0    Recommendations

2.1    The Committee is asked to:

·        Agree to accept the financial offer and permit officers to develop and run a programme of small grants in support of the Everybody Active 2020 Strand 4 programme to 31 March 2020, subject to funding being approved for release from Sport NI.

3.0    Main report

3.1    Sport NI programme

Sport NI has commissioned Belfast City Council, along with the other Council areas, to deliver the participation strand of Every Body Active 2020.  The aim of the programme is to increase quality opportunities for targeted groups to develop and sustain participation in sport across key life-course transitions.  Specific targets for each of the Strands of the Programme will be confirmed by Sport NI.

3.2    Sport NI have recently indicated that they will offer Belfast City Council around £125,000 under Everybody Active 2020 Strand 4 – small grants programme.  This programme will allow Council to enhance the sustainability of participation alongside the existing Everybody Active Opportunities Programme which has been developed to support the objectives of the Belfast Agenda.  Our existing Everybody Active programme has specific targets which identify women and girls, people with a disability and people living in areas of high social need as priority. Participation evidence highlights disparities and inequalities within those sectors.  We have commissioned a blend of providers through a public process who are successfully developing and delivering programmes which prioritise participation for our target groups.

3.3    Design of Belfast’s Strand 4 programme will ensure complementary benefits linked to other investments including Belfast City Council’s existing Support for Sport small grants, EBA 2020 Strand 2 Workforce Development and Peace IV to improve the outcomes from EBA 2020. It is envisaged that the scheme will prioritise support to groups which can deliver programmes in support of our prioritised Everybody Active 2020 programmes as listed below.

            (Mr. T. Walker, Head of Waste Management, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To highlight the NIEA Financial Provision Policy for Waste Management Activities in Northern Ireland.

1.02     To ensure that Belfast City Council has sufficient, secure and available resources to address the environmental and human health impacts of its waste management activities at the following sites:

·        Agnes Street Civic Amenity Site

·        Alexandra Park Household Recycling Centre

·        Blackstaff Household Recycling Centre

·        Cregagh Road Civic Amenity Site

·        Dargan Road Waste Transfer Station

·        Palmerston Household Recycling Centre

·        Park Road Household Recycling Centre

·        Springfield Civic Amenity Sites

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Provide assurance to the NIEA that the Council has sufficient funds available to address any potential environmental or human health impacts arising from its waste management activities.

·        Proceed with preparing a Local Authority Deed Agreement to cover an aggregated financial provision of £195,000 for any potential impacts arising from our waste management activities.  The Financial Provision Calculations for Belfast City Council Waste Sites is available on modern.gov.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       The aim of the (NIEA) Financial Provision Policy is to ensure that holders of licences and permits in Northern Ireland have sufficient, secure and available resources to address the environmental and human health impacts of their waste activities.

3.2       Financial provision for non-landfill activities is required under the Waste and Contaminated Land Order (NI) 1997 and the Pollution Prevention and Control (Industrial Emissions) Regulations (NI) 2013.  Activities covered include waste treatment and transfer sites subject to waste management licensing and waste treatment sites regulated under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.

3.3       The amount of financial provision is based on the maximum permitted quantity of waste that, an operator can store on the site at any one time, under the terms of their licence / permit.

3.4       Non landfill activities must apply a simple indicative formula based on the appropriate management of waste tonnages and restoration/remediation costs, to calculate the amount of financial provision.

3.5       Operators are required to determine the financial provision amount for each site.  Sites which have a financial provision of £10,000 or more, will be deemed to be higher risk.

3.6       Based on the NIEA recommendations, the four Household Recycling Centres and the Waste Transfer Station are deemed to be higher risk sites than the three Civic Amenity Sites.

3.7       NIEA require waste operators to review and submit their financial provision at least annually.  Where an operator applies to modify or vary a licence, financial provision must be reassessed (and agreed by the NIEA) by the applicant at that time.

3.8       To demonstrate financial standing, NIEA require evidence from waste operators that they have sufficient funds available.  Depending on the financial provision determined, one of a number of options can be provided – for example for lower risk sites, this could be a credit reference check, a statement of accounts or a Parent Company Guarantee.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5c

            The Assistant Director advised the Committee that in Northern Ireland drinking water supplies were either provided through the public water supply or via private supplies.  Northern Ireland Water Ltd (NI Water) supplied water to over 99% of the Northern Ireland population, with the remainder being served by private water supplies.

            The Committee was advised that the quality of drinking water at private water supplies in Northern Ireland was monitored under the Private Water Supplies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (as amended).  It was noted that the statutory body responsible for the monitoring and enforcement regimes under these regulations was the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).  The DWI was a business unit within the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), part of the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs.

            The officer advised that in implementing the requirements under the regulations the Inspectorate had to work closely with the Environment Health Departments, which carried out sampling at private water supplies, and also liaise with owners/users of these supplies during the investigation of exceedances of water quality standards. 

            The Committee noted that the Inspectorate had an arrangement with the Environmental Health Service to undertake sampling at private water supplies on its behalf.  This agreement outlined the arrangements between the DWI and the City and Neighbourhood Services Department for Belfast City Council, appointed as a competent person, for the purposes of undertaking on behalf of the DWI risk assessments and sampling of water supplies under the Private Water Supplies Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (as amended).  The officer explained that the Service Level Agreement defined each party’s role, responsibilities and obligations and that it would also enable the DWI to individually authorise the Council to carry out duties on its behalf.  This agreement would be for a period of 2 years and then bi-annually, subject to a review process.       

            The Committee endorsed the draft Service Level Agreement, available on the Council’s website here, and authorised the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services to sign the agreement on the Council’s behalf.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council had been undertaking a public access defibrillator pilot programme.  It noted that, as part of the programme, defibrillators had already been installed in six Parks in May 2016.  In addition, the Committee, at its meeting on 7th February, had agreed to a second phase of installation across a further nine sites.

            The Assistant Director advised that the Council had recently received a request from the family of the late Mr. Mark Murphy, seeking permission to make a donation of money raised in his memory to be used for the installation of defibrillators in public accessed playing fields and parks.  The officer advised that they wished to donate £5,408.00 which would cover the cost of eight defibrillators.  The officer detailed that the Murphy family had requested that, if possible, that one of the defibrillators would be installed in the Cherryvale Playing Fields as it was located close to the family home and was used extensively by many of the people who had supported the fundraising efforts.  In addition, the family had also indicated that they would be pleased if the other defibrillators could be geographically spread over the City.  The officer advised that they had suggested the Ormeau Park as a possible location.  Whilst they recognised that there was one already located at the Ozone, they felt that given the size and usage of the park that it would be beneficial if another could be located near the Park Road/Ormeau Road junction.  The Committee noted that the family had also mentioned that, as they were originally from the North Road area in East Belfast, they would appreciate if a defibrillator was to be located in that general area but had stressed that they were content to be guided by the Council as to where the need was greatest. 

            The Committee noted that it was a significant achievement for the family to raise this sum of money and welcomed the fact that this would enable the Council to proceed to the third phase of this pilot programme.  During discussion the Assistant Director confirmed that a plaque would be erected at the location of the defibrillator.  Several Members stated that they felt it would be appropriate to acknowledge the generous donation by inviting family representatives to a small reception, in addition, they agreed with the family’s views that the other locations should be geographically spread across the City.

            The Committee:

• gratefully accepted a donation of £5,408.00 for the installation of eight defibrillators in public accessed playing fields and parks and agreed that one of them would be located in Cherryvale Playing Fields;
• agreed to accede to the family’s other location suggestions, if officers felt that these would make suitable locations; and
• agreed that the Chairperson would invite representatives from the family to a small reception, which would be held immediately prior to a future meeting of the People and Communities Committee, and to which all Members of the Committee would be invited.

            The Committee noted that there was increasing concern about the inappropriate disposal of sharps and drug paraphernalia associated with intravenous drug use in the City.  Obviously this was exacerbated when such items were found in public spaces.

            The Members were advised that the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) had been leading on a partnership response which was aimed at dealing with the inappropriate disposal of such material.  She explained that it led a multiagency Sharp Management Group which was comprised of experts from various support services across the City, along with representatives from other statutory agencies.  This group had agreed a range of short and medium term actions which were aimed at raising awareness around the issues.  The officer then detailed the actions, as follows:

·        training and awareness for local businesses in the event of finding sharps;

·        sharps removal contract – a dedicated telephone number for members of the public to report the discovery of drug related sharps;

·        sharps disposal units – specifically designed sharps disposal units had been placed in the Automatic Public Conveniences (APCs): Dublin Road; Lombard Street; Antrim Road, Custom House Square and the Gas Works.  It was noted further that the Council had also installed a unit at the Council owned Winetavern and were investigating other opportunities to expand the scheme;

·        guidance for Council employees;

·        accurate recording of data; and

·        enabling Council staff – all Safer Neighbourhood Officers and Park Wardens carry sharp bins in the Council vehicles.

            The Committee noted that the future work for the Sharp Management Group included raising awareness of the problem, the accurate recording and timeliness of sharing reports and information across the agencies to enable resources to be targeted quicker and work with the hostels in Belfast to enable them to better support vulnerable people in their care around drug use and the safe disposal of injecting equipment.

            The Committee welcomed the update report and agreed to further support the current and planned work of the multi-agency Sharps Management Group.  

            (Mr. T. Walker, Head of Waste Management, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 4th April, it had requested further information in respect of the provision of Changing Places in the City.  By way of background information, the Head of Waste Management detailed that Changing Places were facilities provided where people with multiple disabilities could avail of toilet and personal hygiene amenities which had been designed specifically for their needs. 

            He then proceeded to outline the current provision of the facilities throughout the City, as follows:

·      Girdwood Community Hub (North Belfast);

·      George Best Belfast City Airport (East Belfast);

·      Mencap Centre (Newtownbreda – South Belfast);

·      Northern Ireland Assembly (East Belfast);

·      Divis and Black Mountain (West Belfast); and

·      Olympia Leisure Centre (South Belfast).

            The officer advised that the Changing Places Toilet Map was available on the internet here, which contained further information in respect of the above facilities.

            He reported that there were proposals to install 2 additional facilities at the redeveloped Robinson and Andersonstown Leisure Centres.

            Following a query from a Member regarding the provision of facilities within the City Hall, the Assistant Director confirmed that there was a proposal to consider a Changing Places Facility within the building. The proposal was currently an uncommitted project of the Council’s Capital Projects process.  She stated that, as the City Hall was a listed building, the proposal was obviously more complex, and in addition to this, there was also the problem of limited space.

            Several of the Members highlighted the inadequate Changing Places facilities provided within the City Centre where people with multiple disabilities could avail of toilet and personal hygiene amenities which had been designed specifically for their needs.  It was noted that it was an issue that needed to be addressed urgently given the numbers of people visiting the City.

            The Committee noted the report.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services outlined the principal aspects of the Food Service Delivery Plan for 2017-2018, which set out the activities, techniques and approaches to be taken during the year to support businesses in ensuring food safety and to promote informed healthy choices. He explained that the Plan provided the basis on which the Council’s regulatory activities would be monitored and audited by the Food Standards Agency.

            The Members noted that, from October this year, the Food Hygiene Rating Act (NI) 2016 would require businesses to display their food hygiene rating.

            The Committee approved the Food Service Delivery Plan 2017-2018, a copy of which was available on the internet here.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Service provided the Committee with a brief update in respect of the evaluation of the anti-litter awareness campaign.  He reminded the Committee that the campaign had been developed as part of the Brighter Belfast Initiative and had been ongoing since 2004.

            The Director reported that the most recent research in February 2017, had  found a considerable positive change to people’s littering behaviour, with 27% of people admitting to having littered in the past 6 months, which showed a 15% point improvement in behaviour since the last survey 2 years ago, when 42% of people had admitted to littering. He continued that overall reported littering in Belfast City was at its lowest level since the inception of the campaign and with behavioural change being notoriously difficult to achieve this was very encouraging.

            He proceeded to detail to the Committee other key findings of the research and stated that it was important that the Council continued to build on the success and momentum that had been established with both the campaign and education and outreach programmes to sustain the change in behaviour 

            The Committee noted the report.

The Committee was advised that the application by the Belfast Air Model Club to host the 2019 European Championships for Control Line Model Aircraft, at the Blanchflower Park, had been unsuccessful and the event would be held in Gran Canaria.

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services outlined the purpose of the Pride of Place competition, which recognised and celebrated community partnerships’ contribution to society. The Council had supported the competition for the past seven years and entry was by Council nomination. 

            He explained that the Council’s Community Service Officers had taken the organisational lead in the selection and preparation of entrant groups and had proposed the following nominations for the 2017 Pride of Place competition:-

·        Lower Oldpark Community Association  (in the under 1,000 population category);

·        The Hanwood Trust Company Limited (in the over 2,000 category);

·        College Park Avenue Residents Association (in the Community Environmental Initiative);

·        Upper Springfield Youth Team (in the Community Based Youth Initiative).

            Accordingly, the Committee approved:

·        the entry and associated costs of the four proposed groups to the Pride of Place Awards 2017, taking place in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal on 2nd December;

·        the accommodation allowance for the Judges’ Assessment Visit to Belfast in August; and

·        the attendance of the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services (or their nominees) and the Project Officer, together with a maximum of two persons per external project, at the awards ceremony and approved the associated costs.

            The Committee granted authority for the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, together with the Assistant Director (or their nominees), to attend the following event:

·        the Glasgow Rose Trials on 24th – 25th August.

            The Committee granted authority for the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, together with the Assistant Director (or their nominees), to attend:

·        the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management Learning Convention and Exhibition, in Oxfordshire, from 25th – 27th September;

·        It was agreed further, given its portfolio of work, that the Members of the Cemeteries and Crematorium Working Group would also be authorised to attend.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1        On 20th February 2014, the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the UK for its failure to meet Limit Values for NO₂.  Although the original deadline for meeting the limit values was 1st January 2010, extensions were agreed with Member States, which had a credible and workable plan for meeting air quality standards within five years of the original deadline, i.e. by January 2015.  The 2015 Plan was withdrawn after it was deemed too optimistic in its modelling of future nitrogen dioxide emissions by the High Court following a challenge by ClientEarth.  The UK High Court Judge ruled that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England (Defra) had taken ‘minimum’ steps to achieve compliance with EU-set limits on NO₂ by 2020.

1.2       The UK has now completed a draft revised air quality plan for tackling nitrogen dioxide to be submitted to the European Commission. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England, the Department for Transport, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland have written to relevant organisations inviting their views on the draft document. This consultation seeks views on the key elements from this plan and the UK’s approach for meeting NO₂ limit values.

1.3       The consultation on the draft document closes on 15th June 2017 and the Government are seeking to publish the final plan by July 2017. A copy of the consultation documentation can be accessed via https://consult.defra.gov.uk/airquality/air-quality-plan-for-tackling-nitrogen-dioxide

2.0       Recommendations

2.1      The Committee is asked to:

·        endorse the draft response and note that the deadline for receipt of this consultation by Defra is 15 June 2017. Accordingly, it is proposed to submit this response to Defra subject to council approval at its meeting on 3 July 2017.

3.0       Key Issues

3.1       The Draft UK Plan acknowledges that the problem of NO₂ is specific to local areas and that key actions need to be developed and implemented locally. The UK Government will also take steps at national level to enable and support local progress. Specific to Northern Ireland, it is proposed that the NI Executive will improve air quality and increase sustainable transport through the following measures:

·        Revising Northern Ireland’s air quality policy and legislation;

·        Devise an Air Quality Action Plan with a range of actions.

3.2       The Council’s draft consultation response includes the following main points to be considered for Northern Ireland and Belfast.

·        We would recommend that Northern Ireland specific Air Quality Strategy (update to air quality policy and legislation) and Action Plan documents are developed and brought forward as soon as practicable by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Full engagement with councils and other relevant organisations should be sought throughout the process.

·        Future documents should have a clear focus on both regional and local issues.

·        From 2015, the Department has imposed cuts on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

            The Assistant Director reported that a request had been received from the Dundonald Apprentice Boys of Derry seeking permission to use Dundonald Cemetery to conduct a wreath laying ceremony on 29th June from 7.00 p.m. – 7.30 p.m. 

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request.

The Committee approved the naming in respect of Emma Court, off Albert Street, BT12.