Agenda and minutes

An apology was reported on behalf of Councillor Armitage.

The minutes of the Meeting of 12th September were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 2nd October.

No declarations of interest were reported.

The Chairperson advised the Members that representatives from the Safer Campaign were in attendance to present to the Committee on the right to timely and appropriate support for people bereaved by suicide.  Mr. Bobby Duffin, Ms. Stephanie Green and Ms. Julie Magee were admitted to the meeting. 

            The Members viewed two shorts videos:

·      the first detailed Mr Duffy’s personal experience following the death of his daughter - the video link is available here 

·      the second portrayed the confusion that people/families often sensed in the immediate aftermath of a suicide – the video link is available  here 

            Ms Green commenced by thanking the Committee for the opportunity to present.  She advised that S.A.F.E.R represented Support Automatically For Everyone Referred.  The campaign group was made up from family members bereaved by suicide who wished to highlight the plight of people who were close to someone who had died by suicide.  The representative explained that these people were an especially vulnerable group, research had shown that they could be up to three times more likely to attempt to take their own lives.  She advised that proper post-bereavement support could be vital in improving mental health and helping to decrease the likelihood of further suicide.

            Mr Duffy and Ms Green then proceeded to outline the context of the proposed changes that the Safer Campaign was seeking, as follows:

·        an automatic referral for support –  an automatic referral policy already existed but Safer was campaigning to change this from an ‘opt in’ system to an ‘opt out’ one as families were not ready to decide about support in the immediate aftermath of a suicide;

·        a new automatic referral system – for those who had family members admitted to hospital following a suicide attempt and later died there.  They highlighted that currently there was no pathway for support for these families; and

·        a long-term goal of referral to the Coroner’s Office for bereavement support – this would be similar to a successful Australian model that provided sensitive, streamlined and effective responses. 

            The representatives answered a number of questions and highlighted the difficulties that they were having in progressing the proposed changes.  Following discussion, the Committee suggested to the S.A.F.E.R Campaign representatives that they write to the Public Health Agency (PHA) seeking a meeting to discuss their proposals. 

            The Chairperson thanked the representatives for their invaluable work and they left the meeting. 

The information contained in the following report is restricted in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

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

The Committee considered a request from Mr. Bill Wolsey of Cathedral Leisure Limited for the use of Jubilee Gardens, Victoria Street to host a series of events at the venue. 

            The Committee agreed that, due to the imminent date of the proposed events on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October, the decision taken would not be subject to the call-in process.

            The Committee further agreed to grant authority to Mr. Bill Wolsey of Cathedral Leisure Limited to hold the two proposed events on 27th and 28th October at Jubilee Gardens, on condition that:

1.     Cathedral Leisure Limited resolve all operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction;

2.     an appropriate legal agreement is completed, to be prepared by the City Solicitor;

3.     Cathedral Leisure Limited meet all statutory requirements of the Building Control Service, including the terms and conditions of the Parks Entertainments Licences; and

4.     the organiser be advised that the two events are planned at his own risk and he should consider contingency arrangements should the Entertainment Licence applications not be granted in time for the event.

            The Committee considered a further request seeking permission to hold an additional 13 events over the course of the next 12 months and agreed to defer consideration of the matter to enable a more detailed report on the events to be submitted to a future meeting.

With the permission of the Chairperson, a Member raised an issue regarding antisocial behaviour in Parks and Open Spaces.  As this item was not on the agenda for the meeting, it was agreed that a special meeting of the People and Communities Committee would be convened to consider the matter and that representatives from the PSNI would be invited to attend. 

            The Director of City and Neighbourhood Services stated that, as the Members would be aware, the Council had been undertaking the Leisure Transformation Programme to renew its Leisure facilities across the City. This Programme had been influenced by the Partnership opportunities presented by the Northern Ireland Executive Stadia Programme.

            He reported that the Council, the Department for Communities (DfC) and the Irish Football Association (IFA) had all recognised the opportunities presented by the Stadia Programme and had committed to work together to maximise these benefits.  They had agreed to establish a Community Benefits Initiative as part of the Belfast Community Benefits Initiative (‘the Project’) to implement and deliver agreed objectives, including promoting equality, tackling poverty, and tackling social exclusion within the Belfast area.

            The Director advised the Committee that it had been agreed at the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee held on the 25 April that the Council would enter into an agreement and allocate a fund of £100,000 to support the programme.

            The Committee noted that the Council, DfC and IFA had all signed an agreement which set out their respective commitments to the project. The Director outlined that, as other major stadia were developed in Belfast, it was anticipated that other sports governing bodies would become parties to the agreement. The overarching purpose of the Agreement was to ensure that the public investment in regional stadia and surrounding areas improved both the quality of life now and for future generations, especially for those who were socially marginalised and excluded across the City.

            The Members were advised that the agreement was for a period of ten years, with a financial commitment from the Council and IFA in place to the end of March 2026. They noted that to assist with the achievement of the project outcomes, a Sports Development Officer had been recruited within the Council structure and funded from the financial commitment.  Delivery would be managed through monthly meetings of the Delivery Board which would report quarterly to the Policy and Performance Board. Financial and performance reports would be presented to Council and other Partners’ Boards as necessary.

            The Committee was advised that a formal review of the agreement would be undertaken in years five and ten.   In addition, the year one action plan had been agreed and featured 19 projects ranging from volunteer conferences to setting up new disability sections within existing clubs. Partners had developed co-ordinated project plans to maximise the impact of each action throughout the year.

            The Committee noted the next priority for the Policy and Performance Board was the development of a detailed communications plan that would support partnership delivery. Successful delivery of the varied projects would require careful targeting of the correct target audiences through a range of media. This would be completed over the following quarter. Wider campaigns to increase awareness of the initiative would follow a launch event at Olympia Leisure Centre and the National Football Stadium.   

            The Committee noted the update provided.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       In N.I. approximately 60% of the population are overweight or obese. This has led to a significant increase in Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure and stroke. It has been estimated that overweight and obesity costs the Northern Ireland economy £370 million each year.

1.2       Environmental Health Northern Ireland (consisting of Environmental Health Managers from all 11 Councils) has agreed to a proposal for a partnership initiative with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and District Councils in NI in respect of the Calorie Wise scheme. The main aim of the scheme is to encourage the voluntary display of Calories on menus in catering premises in Northern Ireland so customers can have the information they need to make healthier food choices.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Agree Council to support and participate in the scheme.

2.2       It is anticipated that officers will prioritise considering suitability in catering operations in Council’s own premises and rolling out calorie wise were appropriate.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       The food we eat outside the home makes up an increasingly important part of our diet in Northern Ireland with one in every six meals eaten out of the home. Whilst calorie labelling in UK and Ireland is still in its infancy there is a demand for calorie labelling with 96% of consumers wanting calories displayed in restaurants (FSAI, 2012). The current research surrounding the provision of calorie information on restaurant menus indicates a complementary effect by way of encouraging a different choice of food together with an improved understanding of calories. Food businesses have a major role to play in terms of providing healthier choices, appropriate pricing and accurate calorie labelling of menus. However, it is clear that food businesses need encouragement at a local level to display calories on menus to achieve and fulfil the above objectives.

3.2       In 2012 FSANI piloted a scheme to display calorie information in small-medium sized catering businesses at the point where consumers choose what they want to eat. The independent evaluation of the pilot concluded that more support was needed for businesses to obtain calorie information and to provide healthier food items. Subsequently FSA developed and launched MenuCal in September 2015 a free online tool to help food businesses to manage allergen information and calculate the calories in the food they serve.

3.3       It is now proposed, with the support of Councils, to roll out the Calorie Wise scheme to encourage businesses to display calorie information clearly and prominently at the point of consumer choice i.e. on menus and/or menu boards, for standardised food and non-alcoholic drinks.  Any restaurant, takeaway, café, pub, sandwich shop, staff restaurant or other outlet where people eat out, can join the scheme.

Calorie Wise aims to inform and enable people to make healthier choices more often when eating out, as well as encouraging food businesses to make healthier options more readily  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

            The Director provided the Committee with an update in respect of the waste collection service which included a detailed update in respect of the following key areas:

·        customer call handling and management interventions; and

·        the waste collection improvement action plan.

            The Committee noted the interventions that had been implemented in order to maintain the performance improvements of the waste collection service and also the progress made, to date, in delivering the waste collection improvement plan.  

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       Upper Ardoyne Youth Centre has become vacant and the former occupier Upper Ardoyne Youth Centre Limited (UAYC) has dissolved.  The Council owns the land and had entered an Agreement for Lease with the former UAYC although the lease was never executed.  This report seeks approval to take possession of the Youth Centre and bring it into operational Council use.

1.2       At Committee on 12 September 2017 this item was referred to the North Area Working Group (NAWG) for consideration.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Committee is asked to:

·        Agree to terminate the Agreement for Lease to take possession of the property, subject to approval from SP&R Committee and further subject to the funder providing formal confirmation that it does not wish to exercise step in rights.

·        Agree to bring the property into operational use by the Council subject to assessment of condition and need – consideration of the purpose/use to be further considered by the NAWG in the context of wider area needs as discussed at the NAWG meeting of 27 September 2017 taking into account other known facility needs such as Hillview Boxing Club.

·        Members are asked to note that in this context it was agreed by the NAWG on 27 September 2017 that the Hillview Boxing Club proposal for Finlay Park be recommended to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for support of £400k Belfast Investment Fund (BIF) and that the Ardoyne Youth Pavilion be brought back into Council ownership for use.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       Upper Ardoyne Youth Centre is situated off Alliance Drive, on Council owned land at the south east of Ballysillan Playing Fields. 

3.2       The Council entered into an Agreement for Lease with UAYC on 25 October 2007 to facilitate construction of a Community Centre and Community Garden. The Company constructed the Youth Centre which comprises a single storey brick built building laid out to provide partitioned meeting room, office, youth room and ancillary facilities, together with external yard space and grassed area. On completion of the building issues arose with regard to rental and the Lease did not complete, however, the Company occupied the premises for a number of years.  The Company was dissolved on 26 July 2013 and the property is currently unoccupied. 

3.3       We have obtained legal advice which confirms that under the terms of the Agreement for Lease the Council may terminate the arrangement and take back the property, (unlike some situations in seeking to recover a property from a dissolved company it is not necessary to liaise with the Crown Solicitor’s Office as the Agreement for Lease contains provision for termination in the event that the Lease is not granted).  Recovering the property would be subject to the funder not opting to exercise step in rights.

3.4       The former UAYC had obtained Urban II funding through the former North Belfast Partnership (NBP).  Under the terms of the Agreement for Lease the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

            The Committee was advised that, at the meeting of the South Area Working Group held on 24th April, the Working Group had endorsed a request from the Blackstaff Community Development Association inviting the Council to name the entrance at the above-mentioned location in honour of the eminent local physicist John Stewart Bell.  The Community Association had highlighted both Mr Bell’s links to that area and the lasting impact that he had made on modern physics.

            The Committee noted that the pedestrian entrance at Olympia Drive was being enhanced with planting and resurfacing as part of Phase C of the Olympia Regeneration Project, this included a new pitch and play park along with a new tree lined boulevard leading to the Boucher Road.

            The Committee approved the naming of the entrance from Olympia Drive to the Olympia Leisure Centre in honour of Mr. John Stewart Bell.

            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 make members aware of a request from Clonard Residents Association to name a playground in Springfield Avenue in the Clonard Area Cluain Ard which is the Irish translation of Clonard.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        consider the request and, if in agreement with the proposal in principle, a consultation process will be undertaken.

3.0       Main report

3.1       The Council has received a request from the Clonard Residents Association asking that it consent to re-name the Springfield Ave Playground located in the Clonard area, to Cluain Ard Playground which is the Irish form for Clonard. A copy of the request is attached as Appendix 1.

3.2       The Association points out that the name reflects the status of Clonard as part of the Gaeltacht Quarter, and remains consistent with the history and geography of the area. The Association points out that the area has always been known as “Clonard” and has since the late 1890s been dominated with the Monastery as its focal point, having started life as a tin church within the grounds of Clonard House.

3.3       The existing Playground, which has recently been completed to include a floodlit MUGA, is a valuable community resource and offers recreational opportunities for children and young people in an area with few leisure alternatives.

3.4       The Committee is asked to consider the naming of the playground as Cluain Ard to reflect the wider area and to provide continued support to the development of the Gaeltacht Quarter.

3.5       There is currently no overarching policy context either supporting or against the proposed naming. Members will be aware that the Council has adopted a linguistic diversity/ language policy which was recently consulted upon. In general terms the policy supports the use, and promotion, of minority languages which must be balanced with, as the consultation responses made clear, the principle of shared space.

3.6       The playground is located within the Gaeltacht Quarter. The Linguistic Diversity policy contains a recommendation to revisit the current dual language street naming policy insofar as it relates to the designated Gaeltacht area. This received no adverse commentary in the consultation responses. The policy on linguistic diversity which was approved by Council in May 2017 and which was subject to consultation supports the proposition on the use of Irish in the context of it being seen primarily by users of Irish and this relates to signage, buildings and other related contexts.

3.7       The current policy relating to naming of facilities requires consultation to be undertaken.

3.8       Financial and Resource Implications

Cost for any new signage required will be covered from existing budgets.

3.9       Equality and good relations implications

The draft Linguistic Diversity Policy which went out for consultation was screened for equality and good relations impacts.

Appropriate consideration in the context of equality will be given to the consultation response in relation to this particular proposal.”

            The Committee  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c

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

            The Assistant Director advised that there was still a number of outstanding payments in respect of quarters one and two for a small number of the Partners but confirmed that officers were working through the issues with the relevant Partners.

The Committee noted the information which had been provided.  

            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 seek the Committee’s approval to licence and transfer various plots of Council owned land to the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCO).  This is to facilitate rail infrastructure improvements as part of the Belfast Transport Hub project.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to subject to approval by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee:

·        Grant licences on lands shown outlined red on the plan attached at Appendix 1. These lands will be used as builders compounds for the duration of the works.

·        Transfer the land as shown outlined red on the plan attached at Appendix 2 to NITHCO to facilitate the construction of a third railway line.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       Translink and the Department for Infrastructure have been working in conjunction with the Strategic Investment Board to create an integrated Public Transport Hub as a Gateway to Belfast.

3.2       This is a £175 million investment project involving the redevelopment of the Europa Bus Centre, Great Victoria Street railway station and adjoining lands held by NITHCO.  Public consultation was conducted during November 2016 and a planning application submitted in June 2017.

3.3       Site investigation and enabling works are due to commence this month.  Construction of the Hub is expected to commence mid 2018 and complete by late 2020.

3.4       To facilitate construction works, NITHCO has identified two sites in Council ownership which are required as builders compounds for the duration of the works – see Appendix 1.  These plots adjoin the railway line at Blythfield Park and comprise:

1.     Plot A - Open Space and a BHX track to the north of the railway line.  The plot will be fenced and secured to a standard acceptable to the Council and on licence termination, the lands will be reinstated by NITHCO in accordance with a landscaping agreement to the drafted by the Council following consultation with the local community.

2.     Plot B – Open Space and allotments to the south of the railway line.

3.5       The local City Parks Manager has consulted the allotment tenants of which only one is directly affected and he has agreed to be relocated to an adjoining vacant allotment.  Access will be unaffected by the construction of a compound and on licence termination the open space will be reinstated in accordance with a Landscaping Agreement to be drafted by the Council.

3.6       It is proposed that these plots be licenced to NITHCO for periods of between one and three years.

3.7       The project requires the introduction of a third railway line between Great Victoria Street and Central stations.  This necessitates the acquisition of lands alongside the existing tracks and NITHCO has identified a plot of land in Council ownership for acquisition – See appendix 2 - Plot A.

3.8       NITHCO has requested the transfer of a small plot of land on the southern side of the existing footbridge linking  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6e

            The Assistant Director advised the Committee that there was an area adjacent to the Indoor Tennis/Ozone Leisure Centre in the Ormeau Park that was currently laid out as a community garden.  She reported that this area was no longer used and was now overgrown and unsightly and was scheduled to be refurbished/tidied within the existing parks maintenance programme.

            The officer advised that, following recent discussion with the Northern Ireland Pentanque Association, the area had been identified as an ideal location on which to site 3 -4 dedicated ‘Petanque Pistes’.  She provided a brief background on Petanque (which was more commonly known as French Boules) and advised that the sport in Northern Ireland had ambitious plans which would be substantially enhanced by this development.  In addition, such a development would greatly improve the aesthetic appearance of the leisure facility and carpark. 

            The Committee was advised that a maximum of £5,000 had been allocated to the project and that the scheme would be funded from the existing 2017/18 budget, with a scheduled completion of December 2017. 

            The Committee noted the update provided in respect of the installation of a Petanque as part of the scheduled refurbishment at Ormeau Park.  

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from a number of business owners seeking permission to host new event called Focal Festival.  This would be a three-day open air festival held in Lower Crescent open space that would showcase new businesses in the Northern Ireland food, drink and entertainment industry. 

            It was pointed out that there would be a charge for entrance to this event.

            The Committee agreed to grant authority for Focal Festival to hold an event on 21st, 22nd and 23rd December in Lower Crescent Open Space, subject to satisfactory terms being agreed with the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services and on the condition that:

• the promoter resolves all operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction;
• an appropriate legal agreement is completed, to be prepared by the City Solicitor; and
• the promoter meets all statutory requirements of the Building Control Service, including the terms and conditions of the Park’s Entertainments Licence and any subsequent decisions made by the Licensing committee.

The Assistant Director advised that a request had been received for the use of Dr John Pitt Memorial Park to hold a Battle of the Somme commemoration and she outlined the details of the request.

            The Committee approved the Row on Row events at Dr John Pitt Memorial Park from Thursday 2nd November to Friday 17th November, subject to the completion of the appropriate event management plan and the following terms being satisfactorily agreed by the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services:

·        all operational issues are resolved with the event organisers to the Council’s satisfaction;

·        the event organisers meet all statutory requirements, including Public Liability Insurance cover and Health and Safety responsibilities; and

·        the event organisers agree to consult with the adjoining public bodies and local communities as required.

            The Assistant Director advised that a request had been received from the Greater Shankill Partnership, seeking permission to install a Fairy Trail at the Woodvale Park.  She detailed that it was intended that this would be a permanent feature in the park and would consist of hand carved fairy houses and features that would be securely fixed to trees in the park.  These would form a trail in the park which could be followed via an educational booklet.  The booklet would be available in the Spectrum Centre, Shankill Road and would include a map, information and competitions.  The trail would be modelled on a similar fairy trail at Galgorm Castle and would consist of 10 features, with the final layout to be agreed by Belfast City Council.

            The Committee approved the installation of a fairy trail as a permanent feature in Woodvale Park and agreed that a charge of £2.00 could be levied for a booklet/map that allowed users to maximize use of the trail.

The approval was on condition that:

·        the Greater Shankill Partnership and the Spectrum Centre meet all statutory requirements, including Health and Safety responsibilities and Public Liability Insurance cover;

·        the installation and maintenance requirements were approved by Belfast City Council and subject to an agreed business plan to support income generation to assure the sustainability of the facility.