Agenda and minutes

            Apologies were recorded on behalf of Councillors Armitage, Canavan, Lyons, McCusker and Pankhurst.

            The minutes of the meeting of 7th August 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 September.

            No declarations were reported.

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

"This Council recognises the damage caused by and unsightliness of the growing amount of graffiti within our City centre and our neighbourhoods, on our shutters, our walls, our doors, our utility boxes etc.

As the Council has the power under Article 18 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 to remove or obliterate any graffiti which, in the opinion of Council, is detrimental to the amenity of any land in the district, pro-active policies and procedures for addressing the problem need to now be put in place, perhaps on the lines of those adopted in 2016 by Ards and North Down Borough Council.

Accordingly, the Council agrees to allocate the necessary funding and resources, or the reprioritisation of existing resources, to tackle the environmental scourge of graffiti in the City.”

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting.

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

“This Council agrees to establish a strategy to tackle the issue of grass cutting along verges and roads in the City. This will include auditing the number of sites that need maintenance, determining the best way to maintain them, increasing revenue to meet the costs and setting up a forum with other relevant agencies, including the Department for Infrastructure, to ensure that the areas are maintained in a way which promotes road safety, civic pride and protects the environment."

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting and that, within the context of this report, consideration would be given to the use of glyphosate based weed killers and possible alternatives.

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

“This Council will engage with relevant agencies to develop protocols in respect to addressing issues around unadopted alleyways across the City, recognising health and safety and public hygiene concerns. All efforts should be also made to identify legal owners and compel them to meet their obligations.”

            The Committee agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting and that this would include details in respect of the location of unadopted alleyways throughout the City.

            The Committee was advised that, at the meetings of the Strategic Cemetery and Crematorium Working Group held on 6th June and 15th August, the following key items had been considered:

·        update in respect of the new Crematorium Development at Roselawn and the tender process to appoint a specialist project team;

·        the use of memorial trees at Roselawn;

·        update in respect of the water infrastructure at Roselawn;

·        update in respect of unstable headstones; and

·        update in respect of the permanent memorial to mark Plot Z1 in the City Cemetery. 

            It was highlighted to the Committee that, following the Motion in respect of children’s funeral charges, which had been raised at the May meeting of Council, the Working Group had considered this in detail.  At the meeting of the Working Group, held on 15th August, it had recommended to the People and Communities Committee that it waive cremation fees for all under eighteen year olds from a Northern Ireland address.  It had also recommended that burial fees be waived for residents of the City who were under eighteen years old, however, this would not extend to any costs associated with the purchase of a grave.  In addition, it recommended to the Committee that the aforementioned provisions would be extended to asylum seekers.

The Committee:

·        approved and adopted the minutes of the meetings of the Strategic Cemeteries and Crematorium Working Group held on 6th June and 15th August; and

·        noted that Councillor Corr would replace Councillor Carson on the Working Group with immediate effect. 

            The Committee was advised that, approximately ten years ago, the Council had granted the Trustees of St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church a Right of Way to provide an emergency egress from the rear of church property via a path leading to Lindsay Street.  This path had been used over this period, however, the legal process had not been completed and no formal Grant of Easement had been executed.

            The Committee was informed that the Reverend Robert Bradford Memorial Park was due for refurbishment and included in the design was a proposal to close off the Lindsay Street access and incorporate the pathway into the park.  This would necessitate the realignment of the emergency exit onto Apsley Street and the issue of a formal Grant of Easement for execution for all parties.

            The Committee recommended to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee that consent be granted to a right of way in favour of the Trustees of St Mary Magdalene Parish Church to provide an emergency egress through the Council owned Reverend Robert Bradford Memorial Park.

            The Director of Neighbourhood Services 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 2018. 

            She advised that officers from the Council had met with representatives from East Belfast Football Club to highlight the Council’s concern over its continued non-compliance.  She reported that, at this meeting, an agreed plan of action had been drawn up in an attempt to address the ongoing issues within a reasonable timeframe, which would be closely monitored.  

            She advised that the regular checks on the necessary Insurance, Health and Safety and Governance had been undertaken and all sites had been fully compliant. 

            The Director reminded the Committee that funding of up to £20,000 per annum was available for each partner for the delivery of a programme (supporting the Sports Development Plan).  She reported that letters of offer had been sent to all partners based on approved sports development plans in the current financial year and added that full payments had been made to all Partners in this Quarter.

            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 2018. 

The Committee noted the information which had been provided.  

            The Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services summarised the contents of the report which presented a Quarter 1 financial position for the People and Communities Committee, including a forecast of the year end outturn. He advised that the detail included the Quarter 1 position for the Committee showed an under-spend of 289k (1.5%), with the forecast year-end position being an under-spend of £598k (0.8%) which was well within the acceptable variance limit of 3%.

            The Committee noted the contents of the Quarter 1 financial update.

            The Committee approved the naming in respect of Hazel Drive, off Lagmore Road, BT17 and Hazel Mews, off Lagmore Road and the proposed Hazel Drive, BT17.

            The Director reminded the Committee that the following motion in respect of the Greenway Strategy had been referred from Council to the May meeting of the People and Communities Committee, where it had been agreed that an update report would be submitted to a future meeting. 

“That this council will support the further development of the Greenway strategy in Belfast, including assessing the benefits of a Sydenham Greenway, linking East Belfast and Holywood and the development of the Greenway in West Belfast and the Shankill linking Belfast and Lisburn. Council will engage with potential partners to assess how such a strategy would be implemented, with focus on improving connectivity and benefiting health and well-being in our community.”

            She advised that, over the past year, the North and West Area Working Groups had also discussed the importance of the Belfast Hills to its neighbouring communities and it had agreed to a combined meeting to look at increasing accessibility from the hills to the surrounding neighbourhoods and to the City centre.  She also reminded the Committee that, at its meeting held on 6th February, had agreed, in principle, to support Ligoniel Improvement Association in its Heritage Lottery Fund Great Places application for its North Belfast Greenway Project.

            The Director advised that, given the strategic importance of all of these individual issues, it was suggested that an all Member workshop would be convened to enable Elected Members and officers to consider them holistically.

            The Committee agreed to hold an all Member workshop to discuss greenways on a north, south, east and west basis on 14th November at 4.30 p.m. in the Lavery Room.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The new legislative control, the Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Act NI 2016 completed Final Stage on 15th March 2016 and received Royal Assent on 12th May 2016. On commencement of this Act, HMO regulation will transfer to local Councils.

1.2       The Committee will recall that an update paper was presented at the meeting on 10th April 2018.  A further paper regarding the Department of Health Consultation on proposals to make amendments to the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 was presented to the Committee on 8th May.

1.3       This paper provides a further update on the progress with the transfer of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) function from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) to Councils. 

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        note the update information regarding the Houses of Multiple Occupation function and the current status of the programme of transfer.

3.0       Key Issues

3.1       The Regional Board, made up of representatives from the three cluster leads (ie Belfast City Council, Causeway Coasts and Glens Borough Council, and Derry City and Strabane District Councils), and representatives from DfC and NIHE, now meets on a monthly basis.

3.2       In order to manage BCC’s workload and responsibilities, a BCC HMO Board has been established, and also meets on a monthly basis, usually the week before the Regional Board meeting.    

3.3       The date for the transfer of functions is 31st March 2019.

            Legislation/regulations

3.4       The Department of Health proposed that amendments should be made to the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, as outlined in the P&C Committee paper in May 2018.  Given that the operation of the HMO licensing scheme will be the responsibility of councils, the proposed amendments would have allowed Councils to carry out all the checks/inspections (including fire safety) required to license or otherwise an HMO.  The Department for Health has informed the Regional Board that without an Assembly they cannot make the amendments as it is a change to primary legislation, so therefore would not be in place for commencement of the HMO Act in April 2019.  Members of the Regional Programme Board are meeting with representatives from the NIFRS to consider the development of a mechanism to ensure public safety, possibly via a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU), until the legislation is in place. 

3.5       DfC is currently considering the process required to lay the necessary regulations to allow for the transfer including setting a licence fee.  The Councils are continuing their work on calculating the cost of the new regime and this will feed into the Department’s legislative timetable.

            Operating Model:

3.6       Committee reports have been presented to all 11 Councils regarding the future operating model, as well as the ongoing work in relation to the estimating the cost of the new regime, fee setting, transferring staff and the procurement of a new ICT system. 

            SLA

3.7       A draft SLA has been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       Further to previous agreements at People and Communities Committee, this report provides the agreed update on anti-social behaviour in parks and open spaces covering the April – July 2018 period.

1.2       At previous meetings, Members further agreed that initial work would be focussed on Falls Park/City Cemetery, Orangefield Park/Avoniel Park, Marrowbone, Dunville and Ballysillan.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

            note the progress against these actions and to receive a further progress report in November, 2018.

3.0       Main Report

            Key Issues

            Current Context

3.1       Reported Anti-Social Behaviour To Council

            Ongoing analysis of reports from members of the public, along with anti-social behaviour witnessed by Council Officers has identified the following parks/open spaces as having issues with persistent anti-social behaviour. 

3.2       Please note figures provided below are for the period April – July, 2018. 

3.3       Please also note that the list below only represents the parks/open spaces with the highest numbers of reports of anti-social behaviour.  Reports of anti-social behaviour are received for other parks/open spaces across the city but at a much lower level.

            Repairs at Parks/Open Spaces

3.4       As indicated above, anti-social behaviour is often under-reported.  Officers therefore regularly review requisitions for repairs at parks/open spaces due to vandalism, criminal damage or arson. 

3.5       There has been a marked reduction in serious vandalism, criminal damage or arson at all parks and open spaces across the city with only minor damage presenting.

            Member Feedback

3.6       Elected Members engage regularly with Officers articulating concerns about anti-social behaviour in parks/open spaces.  Officers have reviewed their Elected Members contact on this issue and the following parks/open spaces present most frequently as of concern:

            Animation/Programming

3.7       Progress to Date

·        Community Youth Outreach Teams have been proactive around a number of parks and open spaces, in particular Falls Park, Marrowbone and Orangefield/Avoniel.

·        A range of positive programming and animation events continue to take place in priority parks and open spaces particularly at the weekends.  Activities include community fun days, sports tournaments, health and wellbeing events and added value is being achieved by aligning existing Council services in support of this work.

·        Outreach Teams continue to deliver summer activities to encourage positive use

3.8       Next Steps

·        Continued delivery of the Marrowbone Park programming/animation plan

·        Ballysillan Park programming/animation plan to be finalised with stakeholders

·        Alignment of Urban Villages Projects around Ballysillan Park and Marrowbone Park to maximise available funding to address anti-social behaviour in parks and open spaces and support the associated Urban Villages consultation in the areas

·        Ongoing delivery of Policing and Community Safety Partnership funded diversionary and developmental activities for young people across the city.

            Operational Co-ordination

3.9       Progress to Date

·        Parks Management Group has been established for Marrowbone and Ballysillan including  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

            The Committee considered a report in relation a request from the Ancre Somme Association, Lurgan, and Brownlow Royal British Legion regarding the Ribbon of Poppies 2018 campaign.

            The Committee agreed that the matter be referred to the Party Leaders’ Forum.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The Statutory Food Law Code of Practice instructs local authorities how to plan and deliver their regulatory activities. The Council must follow its requirements. The Food Standards Agency have recently published and are consulting on a number of proposed changes to the Code aimed to improve the process of food business registration and the application of the food hygiene intervention scheme. In part these changes are intended to reduce the level of intervention required by Local Authorities in recognition that severe funding cuts to English authorities are preventing increasing numbers from complying with the current requirements. Therefore whilst it is not the FSA intention the proposals may result in an overall reduction in service in Northern Ireland if applied.   This report aims to inform Members of these proposals and presents a draft response, as attached, for consideration. The consultation period ends on 27th September 2018, extended to 11th October 2018.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to consider and agree the consultation response.

3.0       Main Report

            The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is proposing changes to the Food Law Code of Practice (Code) for NI and has launched a public consultation seeking comments and views from stakeholders. The consultation package including the draft code of practice is available at https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/consultations/regulating-our-future-amendments-to-the-food-law-code-of-practice-northern-ireland

            Key proposals include:

1.      Enhanced Registration

·        Food businesses are currently required to be registered with their Local Authority at least 28 days before commencing trading and this is considered important to allow Councils to plan their regulatory activities. Each Council currently operates its own independent registration system. Whilst many Councils including Belfast City Council have on line electronic forms available the majority of registrations continue to be made on paper and the information is not shared with the Food Standards Agency. The FSA is proposing amendments to enable the introduction of a new digital centralised registration system to replace the individual local systems. It is anticipated this will make it easier for business to register and access tailored information, it will improve the information collected which the FSA will pass on to Councils to help plan their activities. For the first time the FSA shall have real time access to information on all food businesses in England, Northern Ireland and Wales and it is their intention to use this data to develop a new centralised risk assessment engine that may determine interventions required for new businesses. The FSA plan to develop and launch the new web based system in April 2019.

            The draft Council response supports the increasing use of technology to access and deliver services and recognises the potential benefits to users of a central online registration system. There is little information available as to the likely specification of the system therefore it is difficult to predict how well it will operate. The draft response outlines potential barriers to use including, lack of awareness, computer skills, literacy issues etc and suggests that alternative  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

            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 provide Members with the opportunity of a workshop at a suitable date in October 2018.

1.2       The purpose of the meeting would be for PSNI to brief Members on what they are doing to tackle large-scale supply of drugs and for the main commissioners of services (PHA/Trust) to brief Members on what support services are provided to help those suffering with drug related issues.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        agree to hold a workshop on a suitable date in October with the PSNI and the main commissioners of drug support services, namely the Public Health Agency and the Belfast Trust.

3.0       Main Report

            Key Issues

3.1       A number of Members have expressed concern in recent months about drug use in Belfast and in particular, its changing nature i.e. intravenous drug use and the associated levels of drug litter in the city.  Additionally, there has been a lot of media attention on the issue.

3.2       Council works closely with other statutory bodies as well as community and voluntary sector partners around this issue and there is a wider recognition that the emergence of heroin use, other opiate based drugs and poly drug misuse (taking a mixture of drugs/alcohol) are changing the nature of drug use across the city.

3.3       The result of this is that new challenges and pressures are emerging both in the city centre and in communities across the city including the relationship between vulnerability to addiction and vulnerability to mental health challenges.

3.4       Members are therefore asked to consider holding a workshop at a suitable date in October 2018 to discuss this issue in more detail with relevant agencies.

            Financial and Resource Implications

3.5       Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) co-funds the following services with the Public Health Agency, aimed at supporting efforts to address these issues:

·        Street Injectors Support Service (£15,000)

·        Mental Health/Addictions Dual Diagnosis Services (£30,000).

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

3.6       There are no implications at present, however, this is monitored on an ongoing basis given the level of vulnerability present with this client group.”

            The Committee agreed to hold a workshop on a date to be determined in October with the PSNI and the main commissioners of drug support services, namely the Public Health Agency and the Belfast Trust.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       On 10th August 2018, jurors in a US court found in favour of a groundskeeper who claimed that Monsanto’s Roundup had contributed ‘substantially’ to his terminal illness and ordered the company to pay $289 million (£226m) in damages. It also found that the manufacturer, knew of the product’s potential health risks as a ‘possible carcinogen’, and acted ‘with malice or oppression’ by failing to warn users.

1.2       Further to this case, the purpose of this report is to inform the Committee of the Council’s current use of Monsanto’s Roundup and other similar products, the regulatory regime for these products and the Council’s health and safety management arrangements for their use.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is requested to note the contents of this report.

3.0 Main Report

            Council Use

3.1       The Council’s Parks Service currently uses a number of weedkiller products which are based on the active ingredient glyphosate. These include Roundup 450, Nomix Dual and Nomix Hilite. These are primarily used for treatment of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed and perennial and annual weeds in our parks and open spaces.

3.2       Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it will kill most plants. Glyphosate is rarely used on its own in the field and is an active ingredient in a range of broad spectrum herbicide formulations. Herbicide formulations such as Roundup include a variety of other chemicals and additives to help glyphosate work and extend the product’s life shelf.

3.2       As Green Flag Award winners, the Council’s use of weedkillers, including glyphosate based weedkillers, has significantly reduced in recent years as the Council has developed more environmentally friendly approaches to parks management.

            Glyphosate approval process in Northern Ireland

3.4       In order for glyphosate to be used in the EU, authorisation is required under the terms of the EC Regulation 1107/2009, Plant Protection Products. This process involves all Member States, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission.

3.5       When a company submits approval for an active ingredient such as glyphosate, the EFSA carries out a peer review and sends its conclusion to the European Commission. On the basis of the EFSA’s review, the European Commission decide whether to authorise the substance.

3.6       Since glyphosate was introduced in 1974, all regulatory assessments have established that glyphosate has low hazard potentials to mammals.  However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded in March 2015 that glyphosate is ‘probably carcinogenic’.

3.7       Consequently, the IARC conclusion triggered a reconsideration of the evidence on carcinogenicity in the EU evaluation. The EU renewal process was the first comprehensive regulatory assessment of glyphosate conducted after the IARC evaluation. In November 2015, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found it ‘unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans’ based on a ‘large body of evidence’ including ‘key studies not considered by IARC’ that remain unpublished.

3.8       Following these divergences, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) was asked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

            The Director of Neighbourhood Services advised that the Leisure Development Unit had organised the Teenage Kicks programme for thirteen years.  She reported that, during that time, the dance-mentoring programme had worked with over 3,000 children and young people in the primary, secondary and special school sectors to try and promote the development of young people’s self-confidence, body image and leadership skills through an eight-week programme of dance with fitness guru ‘Fitness Freddy’.

            The Committee was advised that the inaugural Northern Ireland Health and Fitness Awards were being held on Saturday, 22nd September in the Crowne Plaza, Belfast.  The awards would be a celebration of excellence and achievement across the entire health and fitness industry.  The Director stated that she was pleased to report that the Teenage Kicks Programme had been shortlisted as a finalist in the Health and Fitness Event of the Year category and she sought permission for the Council to be represented at this event.

            The Committee granted permission for the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson (or their nominee), the Director of Neighbourhood Services, the Sports Development Officer, along with the programme delivery Partners to attend the inaugural Northern Ireland Health and Fitness Awards on 22nd September in the Crowne Plaza, Belfast. 

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 5th June, it had agreed that a public vote would be conducted in respect of the appropriate title for the naming of the tree-lined boulevard leading to Olympia Leisure Centre from the Boucher Road.  The Committee had agreed six names for the public to choose from:

·        Boucher Boulevard;

·        Elisha Scott Boulevard;

·        Grace Bannister Way;

·        Legends Way;

·        Olympia Boulevard; and

·        Windsor Way.

            The public vote had available from Monday, 23rd July to Sunday, 19th August, during which votes had been cast online, by e-mail, telephone, post and in five venues in the Village area.  The total number of votes cast was 2,393 and the Members were referred to a table which provided a breakdown of the votes cast. 

            The Director reported that Windsor Way was the name that had received the most public support, with 1704 votes (71%) of the vote. 

            The Committee agreed the title of the boulevard leading to Olympia Leisure Centre be named as Windsor Way.

            The Committee was reminded that the Mary Peters Track had recently had a major upgrade with the installation of a new International standard Mondo Track and a new 300 seater stadium.  It noted that the original proposals had included plans to install two discus/hammer cages but due to budget constraints only one cage had been installed.

            The Director of Neighbour Services advised that the family of a thrower called Mr. Mike Fulton, who had sadly passed away a number of years ago, had contact the Northern Ireland Amateur Athletics Association offering to donate a discus cage, in his memory, for use at the Mary Peters Track.  The cost of installing and purchasing the cage would be in the region of £11,000 and the family had made a financial donation via the Community Foundation, Northern Ireland. 

            The Committee noted that, if permission was granted to install the discus cage, it was intended, after installation, that the Northern Ireland Amateur Athletics Association would hold a small reception to thank the funders and benefactor’s family.  Representatives from Belfast City Council would also be invited to the ceremony.   

            The Committee agreed to grant permission for the installation of a discus cage in the Council’s Mary Peters Track, subject to the following conditions, as requested by the Estates Unit:

·        appropriate documentation being received from the Contractor carrying out installation, to include specifications, duration of works and public liability insurance;

·        permission being obtained, if not already granted, from Queen’s University who are the land owners; and

·        letters of indemnity being obtained between the Contractor, the Council and Queen’s University.

(Councillor Newton to raise)

            With the permission of the Chairperson, Councillor Reynolds addressed the Committee.  He advised that he was seeking clarity on behalf of the Belvoir Residents’ Group regarding a previous request to plant a ‘living Christmas tree’ at Belvoir Drive, Belvoir Estate.

            The Director of Neighbourhood Services advised that, at the May meeting of the People and Communities Committee, permission had been granted to the Belvoir Residents’ Group to plant ‘a living Christmas tree’ at Belvoir Drive and advised that procurement of this tree would take place during October and that it would be paid for by the Belvoir Residents Group.

Noted.

(Councillor McCusker to raise)

            With the permission of the Chairperson, Councillor Heading, on behalf of Councillor McCusker, sought permission for the Community Rescue Service to attend a future meeting of the Committee to highlight its valuable voluntary work with the local community. 

            The Committee agreed to invite the Community Rescue Services to a special meeting of the Committee (Housing Issues) on 12th November to inform the Committee of its important work in the City.