Agenda and minutes

            In accordance with Standing Order 9, the Lord Mayor read a passage from the Scriptures.

            The Chief Executive submitted the summons convening the meeting.

            Apologies were reported on behalf of Aldermen Browne, McCoubrey, R. Newton and Robinson.

            The Lord Mayor referred to the recent incident involving a helicopter which had resulted in a number of deaths in the city of Glasgow and requested that the Council stand in silence for one minute as a mark of respect.

            The Council stood in silence and agreed that a letter be forwarded on its behalf to the Lord Provost of the City of Glasgow expressing its deepest sympathy and solidarity.  

            The Council agreed also that a letter be forwarded to the former Councillors Alex and Paul Maskey extending its condolences and deepest sympathy on the recent death of their mother, Teresa.

            Moved by Councillor Ó Donnghaile,

            Seconded by Councillor Hendron and

      Resolved – That the minutes of the proceedings of the Monthly Meeting of the Council of 4th November be taken as read and signed as correct.

            The Chief Executive reported that a request had been received from Mr R. Farley and Mr. L. Kielty, the Chairmen of the Holylands Regeneration Association and Laganbank Partners and Communities Together, respectively, seeking to address the Council on issues which had arisen in the wider University area following the removal in April, 2013 of the Community Safety Warden Scheme.

            The Council acceded to the request and Messrs. Farley and Kielty were admitted to the meeting.

            Mr. Kielty explained that the annual influx of students into the Holylands and wider University area created increased problems for residents, in terms of noise nuisance, anti-social behaviour and sleep disturbance. He reminded the Members that the Council had, until earlier in the year, operated a Community Safety Warden Scheme in the area, which, in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, had worked effectively to address those issues. He made the point that the removal of the Warden Scheme had been a retrograde step and had heightened concerns amongst residents, and, accordingly, he requested that the Council give consideration to reinstating the initiative. He added that the difficulties which had been experienced within the Holylands and wider University area would be likely to be replicated in other communities, in light of the planned relocation of the University of Ulster to the City.

            Mr. Farley commended the Council for the work which it had undertaken to assist residents in the aforementioned areas, through, for example, the installation of closed circuit television and the establishment of the Community Safety Warden Scheme. He referred to statistics which had been produced by both the Combined Higher Institutions and the Police Service of Northern Ireland which had shown that the number of reported incidents in the Holylands and wider University area for the period covering freshers’ week had increased significantly from 2012 till 2013. He stated that the increase could be attributed to the absence of Community Safety Wardens and he too requested that they be restored.

            The Lord Mayor, on behalf of the Council, thanked Messrs. Farley and Kielty for their presentation and they retired from the meeting.

Noted.

            The Chief Executive reported that notification had been received from the Democratic Unionist Party indicating that it wished the Deputy Lord Mayor (Alderman Stalford) to replace Alderman M. Campbell on the Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

            In addition, notification had been received from the Sinn Féin Party advising that it wished Councillor Magee to replace the former Councillor Maskey on the North Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

            The Council approved the aforementioned changes.

            Moved by Councillor Carson,

            Seconded by Councillor Hargey,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 8th, 15th and 22nd November and the Belfast Voluntary Transition Committee of 8th November be approved and adopted.

Amendment

Interim Role of Assistant Chief Executive

Moved by Councillor Attwood,

Seconded by Councillor Mullan,

      That the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 22nd November under the heading “Interim Role of Assistant Chief Executive” be amended to provide that Councillor McCarthy be appointed as the third Member of the selection panel to appoint the Interim Assistant Chief Executive.

            By means of a recorded vote, twenty-four Members voted for the amendment and twenty-two against and it was declared carried.

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing amendment, the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 8th, 15th and 22nd November and the Belfast Transition Committee of 8th November were approved and adopted.

            (Councillor Mallon declared an interest in this item in that she was a Special Adviser to the Environment Minister and left the meeting whilst it was under discussion.)

            Subsequent to the ratification of the Belfast Voluntary Transition Committee’s decision of 8thNovember to appoint Members to the Belfast Statutory Transition Committee on the basis of the Saint Laguë method of proportionality, the Council approved the appointment of the following Members to that Committee:

Sinn Féin     Seats 7

DUP     Seats 6

SDLP     Seats 3

Alliance     Seats 3

UUP     1 Seat

PUP     1 Seat

            Moved by Councillor McKee,

            Seconded by Councillor Hendron,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Parks and Leisure Committee of 5th and 14th November be approved and adopted.

Request for Matter to be Taken Back to Committee

            At the request of Councillor Hargey and with the permission of the Council, the Chairman (Councillor McKee) agreed that the minute of the meeting of 5th November under the heading “Cherryvale Playing Fields” be taken back to the Committee for further consideration. 

Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing omission, the minutes of the proceedings of the Parks and Leisure Committee of 5th and 14th November were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Hargey,

Seconded by Ó Donnghaile and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Development Committee of 19th November be approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Corr,

            Seconded by Councillor Jones and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Health and Environmental Services Committee of 6thNovember be approved and adopted.

            Moved by Alderman Ekin,

            Seconded by Councillor Spence and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Licensing Committee of 20th November, omitting those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

            Moved by Councillor Hanna,

            Seconded by Councillor Austin and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Town Planning Committee of 7th and 21st November, omitting those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

            In accordance with Notice on the Agenda, Councillor Kelly proposed:

      “International Women’s Day on 8th March is acknowledged globally as a day on which to celebrate the achievements of women across the world.  For the past four years, the women’s sector in Belfast has marked this special day with a public rally to the City Hall.  This public event has become popular recently and, in 2013, the Council provided some financial support for it. 

      The Council has recognised that, within the City Hall, the role of women has not been fully recognised, in terms of memorabilia.  Providing support to an annual public event would be a simple way of demonstrating our acknowledgement of this special day and pledging our commitment to working towards greater equality of opportunity for all women in Belfast.”

The Motion was seconded by Councillor Hendron.

After discussion, the Motion was put to the meeting and passed unanimously.