Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend the meeting were reported from the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor McReynolds, and Councillors Black, Corr, McMullan, Mulholland, Smyth and Verner.

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Chief Executive reminded the Committee that a motion highlighting the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) issues in the Holylands, which had been proposed by Councillor Groogan and seconded by Councillor McKeown, had been considered by the People and Communities Committee at its meeting on 8th October. 

            She provided an overview of the recent work which the Council had been involved in, including a number of interagency meetings with representatives from the PSNI, the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Department for Communities (DfC), the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the two Universities, as well a Partners and Community Together (PACT) meeting last week.  She advised the Members that an Action Plan had been in place for some time but that the overall consensus from all partners was that a new focus was now urgently required, both in response to recent trouble and given that the Halloween period was imminent.

            She explained that better alcohol enforcement was required using existing legislation.  She also advised the Committee that longer term actions were being implemented, including a bespoke piece of work which would be undertaken by PhD students and the DfC.

            The Members were advised that a further meeting had also been held last week, where the general sentiment was that “more feet” were needed on the streets in the area.  She explained that there would be joint patrols between the Council and the PSNI over Halloween along with two noise teams, one each for the Holylands and the Lower Ormeau areas.

            The Chairperson then welcomed Ms. J. Vaughn and Mr. L. Kielty, representing the Wider University Area PACT (Partners and Community Together), to the meeting.  Together they outlined that:

·        millions had been spent trying to tackle the anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the area but that the issues continued;

·        it was important to treat the cause, not the symptoms;

·        the area was the most multi-cultural in Belfast;

·        the ASB and noise was from Sundays to Thursdays constantly;

·        they wanted the area to receive Special Designation as an area for redevelopment and renewal, where a proper, balanced community was rebuilt, with families, young professionals and students living peacefully side by side;

·        students were residents as well;

·        the new Purpose Built Managed Student Accommodation (PBMSA) across the City wasn’t attracting students away from the Holylands;

·        some streets were 90% Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs);

·        alleygates were required;

·        there were licensing issues in the area, where bars were being  granted licenses beyond 11p.m.;

·        there were issues with the communal bins;

·        Residents’ Parking should be considered for other parts of the Holylands area given the success of the scheme in the Rugby Road/College Park Avenue;

·        the Holylands/Botanic area had the highest crime rate in Northern Ireland;

·        lessons should be learnt in preventing what was happening in the Holylands area from ever happening again;

·        a multi-agency approach was required, with specific actions to be taken, and that it was important that the discussions did not just become another talking shop;

·        residents were living in fear and no longer made  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.