Agenda and minutes

            An apology for inability to attend was reported from the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Lavery).

            The minutes of the meetings of 13th and 14th April were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 4th May, subject to the omission of the minutes of the meeting of 14th April under the headings:

(i)     “New York – New Belfast Conference” which, at the request of Councillor Robinson, had been referred back to the Committee for further consideration;

(ii)    “St. George’s Market” which, at the request of Councillor Newton, had been taken back to the Committee for further consideration; and

(iii)    “Belfast City Marathon” which, at the request of Councillor D. Browne, had been taken back to the Committee for further consideration.

            The Chairman (Councillor Humphrey) expressed his regret at the recent deaths of the brother of the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Lavery) and the brother of Councillor Smyth and, on behalf of the Committee, extended to the respective families his condolences and deepest sympathy.

            The Committee considered further the minute of the meeting of 14th April under the heading “New York – New Belfast Conference”, a copy of the minute in this regard is set out hereunder:

“The Committee considered the undernoted report:

‘Relevant Background Information

      Belfast City Council received an invitation from the Belfast Media Group to participate in two conferences in Belfast and New York aimed at showcasing the new Belfast through its Quarters.  The first conference took place in Belfast on 24 and 25 March and the second will take place in New York on 9 and 10 June 2010.

      Members will be aware that at a meeting of the Development Committee held on 10 February 2010, approval was given for the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Development Committee, or their nominees, plus two officers, to attend the City of Quarters Conference and to sponsor a dinner for conference delegates on 26 March at a cost of no more than £3,000.  The conference explored flagship Quarters, asking how they can be linked to each other to create more than the sum of their parts and what is required to ensure that their economic benefits are felt in disadvantaged areas.

      Members agreed in principle on 10 February 2010 to participation in the New York conference pending further investigation of costs and potential opportunities for Belfast.

Key Issues

      Following on from the City of Quarters Conference in Belfast, the Belfast Media Group and their sister paper the Irish Echo are convening a conference in New York under the title of ‘New York – New Belfast’.  The purpose is to forge links between commerce, culture and education as well as profile key developments created through cultural quarters and other opportunities to an influential US audience as well as through the media.

      Proposed Programme

      The conference will open on 9 June in Fordham University, Manhattan and move to the Ritz Carlton Hotel on 10 June for further plenary sessions.  This will be followed by the 3rd annual Ireland?US top 30 companies’ awards sponsored by KPMG.  Through UlsterUniversity’s links with Fordham University, students on an entrepreneur’s programme from University of Ulster will be in New York on those dates and will be linked into the conference.

      Participants at the conference confirmed by Belfast Media Group include the following:

Christine Quinn         Speaker of New York City Council

Rob Walsh                  Commissioner of Small Business

                                        Services New York City Council

John Connorton        Head of Friends of Belfast in New York

Niall Gibbons             CEO, Tourism Ireland

Gary Hanley               Senior Vice President Invest NI, New York

Terence Brannigan    Chairman of CBI/NI MD of Resources

Len O’Hagan              Chair of BelfastPort Authority

Mark Finlay                 President’s Club, Belfast

Paul McErlean            Chair – Cathedral Quarter Steering Group

David Lyle                   Lyle Bailie International & Board Member

                                        of Tourism Ireland

Patrick Loughrey       Founder of Connect Centre in North

                                        Belfast Forward Emphasis

Michael Sorkin           Author of ’20 Minutes in Manhattan’ and

                                        President Emeritus of George

                                        Washington UniversityDC  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

(To consider further the minute of the meeting of 14^th April which, at the request of Councillor Newton, was taken back to the Committee for further consideration by the Council at its meeting on 4^th May).

            The Committee considered further the minute of 14th April under the heading “St. George’s Market”.  An extract of the minute in this regard is set out hereunder:

“The Committee considered the undernoted report:

‘Relevant Background Information

      This combined report comprises two items:

1.     Proposal for Sunday Market in St George’s

        Update to Members on the proposed Sunday Market in St George's Market.

2.     Requirement for mobile wash hand facilities

The Markets Unit currently supply a small number of shared mobile wash hand facilities to food traders who currently trade at the markets.

      At a recent meeting with Environmental Health Food Safety Unit, Markets management were informed that to meet current Chartered Institute of Environmental Health requirements some of these traders need their own individual mobile units, due to possible risk of contamination and/or risk of food poisoning.

Key Issues

1.     Proposal for Sunday Market in St George’s

      Members will be aware from previous reports that the traders in St George’s market have been championing plans for an additional market on a Sunday to be added to the existing weekly schedule.  Research into the level of interest in a Sunday market has been undertaken with 84 existing traders having confirmed their intentions to date. 

      The traders who have shown interest are eager to acquire approval and support from Council as quickly as possible in advance of the summer season to enable them to forward plan their trading commitments from June onwards.  A number of the traders have been approached by other markets across the region and beyond, regarding trading at other Sunday markets; their preference is largely to trade at St George’s however should this not be agreed by Council they wish to know as soon as possible to allow them to avail of opportunities at locations outside Belfast.

      St George’s Market traders propose to trade from 10am to late afternoon on a Sunday.  They are mindful of Council’s work in encouraging Sunday leisure activities through our work in cultural tourism on creating things for locals and visitors to enjoy on Sundays in association with our other programming that is underway or planned.  The type of market envisaged is a mix between Friday and Saturday traders.  However, space permitting other traders not currently part of St George’s will be included.

      A number of external organisations have already made bookings for use of St George’s on a Sunday throughout the year including some which are now annual events.  Precedence will be given to existing bookings and to supporting cultural festivals including Chinese New Year, Holi and the India Festival which use St George’s on a Sunday.

      Feasibility of Market

      Given the level of interest from existing traders in operating a Sunday market, the proposal would appear feasible.  At this point, the operational costs directly pertaining to the market would largely be covered from income generation via stall hire fees for Sunday. 

Fees per stall are proposed at the present rate of £13.00 per stall plus £3.00 for electricity usage.  Quarterly payment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

(To consider further the minute of the meeting of 14^th April which, at the request of Councillor D. Browne, was taken back to the Committee for further consideration by the Council at its meeting on 4^th May).

            (Mr. G. Copeland, Events Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered further the minute of the meeting of 14th April under the heading “Belfast City Marathon”, a copy of the minute in this regard is set out hereunder:

      “The Committee was reminded that the Belfast City Marathon had been arranged since 1982 by an organising committee involving the Council, Athletics Northern Ireland and other partners and sponsors.  Since its inauguration, the Council had co-sponsored the event, with £40,000 having being allocated for the 2010 event.  The event traditionally takes place on the first bank holiday Monday in May and in recent years overall participation in the event had risen dramatically.  However, the Chairman of Belfast City Marathon Limited had written to the Council seeking support to change the Marathon event day to a Sunday.

      The Head of City Events and Venues reported that when the marathon had first commenced in the early 1980s, the May Bank Holiday Monday had been a quiet day for the City.  However, that was no longer the case and Bank Holiday Mondays were now, for the most part, treated as normal working days.  By the nature of the range of events delivered by Belfast City Marathon Limited on that day, there was considerable disruption to transport, traffic and commerce in the City.  There were a number of reasons supporting a switch to a Sunday which included:

(i)   all major international marathons were held on a Sunday.  International marathon participants were accustomed to and preferred to visit and participate in major City marathons over a weekend, which enabled them to return home without sacrificing their Monday’s at work;

(ii)  the costs of policing, as highlighted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, would be reduced greatly should the event switch to a Sunday.  That had become a major issue affecting the level of support and resources which the Police could make available to the event; and

(iii)there would be much less disruption to the City on a Sunday when the bulk of the event would be completed by 1.00 p.m.  Retailers were not open before 1.00 p.m. on a Sunday and most other businesses were closed.

      In addition, Belfast City Marathon Limited had received letters of support for the proposed change to a Sunday from Translink, the Department for Regional Development Roads Division, Belfast Centre Management and the event’s key organising partner, Athletics Northern Ireland.

      After discussion, the Committee agreed to support Belfast City Marathon Limited’s proposal to switch the BelfastMarathon event to take place on a Sunday from May, 2011 onwards.”

            The Chairman (Councillor Humphrey) tabled for the information of the Members a copy of a letter which had been received from the Moderator of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church in Ireland, expressing concern at the Committee’s decision to support the switching of the event to a Sunday and indicating that many churchgoers and Christians would no longer be able to give the event their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To receive from representatives of British Telecom a presentation regarding the development of its superfast broadband and its potential impact on businesses in the City.

            The Committee was reminded that it had agreed previously to receive from representatives of British Telecom a presentation regarding the development of its superfast broadband and its potential impact on business in the City.  Accordingly, Mr. J. Manifold, on behalf of the Organisation, was admitted to the meeting and welcomed by the Chairman.

            Mr. Manifold advised the Members that the aim of the Department of Entertprise, Trade and Investment’s next generation broadband project was to deliver against the Northern Ireland Executive’s commitment in the Programme for Government which was “to work with the business sector to deliver widespread access for businesses to a next generation broadband network by 2011.”  The project aimed to provide this service in areas of the Province in which those services were not available or were unlikely to be available in the foreseeable future.  This would lead to Next Generation Broadband “NGB” products being available to businesses in those areas, with services which would be affordable, sustainable and scalable.

            Mr. Manifold outlined the scope of the project, how it would be rolled out throughout Northern Ireland businesses, the total investment required, the targets to be achieved in terms of availability of the faster broadband speeds, the timescales and how the project would be implemented.  In conclusion, he stated that the provision of access to faster broadband across the business community in Northern Ireland would stimulate the economy and support regional development, with the Project being seen as a blueprint for the future implementation of projects of a similar nature across the rest of the United Kingdom.

            Mr. Manifold then answered a number of questions from the Members and retired from the meeting.

            The Committee was reminded that in May, 2006 the Minister for the Department of Social Development had announced the creation of the Nomadic Trust which would oversee the development and restoration of the SS Nomadic and was comprised of representatives of the public, private and voluntary sectors, including the Council.

            In March, 2007, the Council had agreed that the project should be funded to the sum of £250,000.  That approval resulted in an initial payment of £50,000, which was followed by three further tranches of £50,000.

            The Head of Economic Initiatives reported that the Council had now been requested by the Nomadic Trust to release the final tranche of £50,000.  In order to safeguard the Council’s investment, the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had agreed a five-step funding arrangement.  The first tranche of the funding had been made when the Nomadic had opened to visitors.  The second had been set against the development of economic appraisal on the future of the ship, which had been completed and approved by the Council.  The third step required funding agreements being signed, with the fourth stage involving the release of funding for the creation of conservation management and for ongoing restoration of the vessel.  The Council had now been requested to release its final payment to the Trust towards the preparation for full restoration.

            The Committee agreed to provide £50,000 to the Nomadic Trust as the final tranche of the £250,000 funding which had been agreed by the former Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 23rd March, 2007.

            The Director of Development submitted for the Committee’s approval the Department’s Business Plan 2010-11.

            A Member suggested that the Committee consider deferring the matter to enable Party Group briefings on the Plan to be undertaken.

Proposal

Moved by Councillor C. Maskey,

Seconded by Councillor Mhic Giolla Mhín,

      That the Committee agrees to approve the Department’s Business Plan for 2010-11 and that Party Group briefings be held for those who so wished prior to the meeting of the Council on 1st June.

Amendment

Moved by Councillor Stoker,

Seconded by Councillor Rodgers,

      That the Committee agrees to defer consideration of the Development Departmental Business Plan 2010-11 to enable Party Group briefings on the Plan to be undertaken.

            On a vote by show of hands eleven Members voted for the amendment and three against and it was accordingly declared carried.

            The Amendment was thereupon put as the substantive motion when eleven Members voted for and none against and it was accordingly declared carried.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The NI Tourist Board (NITB) has produced a draft Strategy through to 2020. The vision for the strategy is to ‘Create the new Northern Ireland experience and get it on everyone’s destination wish list.’ The overall target associated with this vision is to double the income earned from tourism by 2020.

      More specifically there are targets to:

-    increase visitors from 3.2 million to 4.5 million by 2020

-    increase earnings from tourism from £536 million (based on NITB figures) to £1 billion by 2020

-    progressively accelerate spend by visitors targeting specific markets and market segments

-    support indigenous high quality businesses to grow; and

-    be visitor inspired in all our actions.

      There are three fundamental elements that run through the strategy. They are to:

Value Tourism:  this means understanding that it is a key economic sector, providing government support at every level and ensuring that there is an enabling attitude to investment and development.

Value the Tourist:  provide the best experience possible through a commitment to quality and offering professional training and development to the industry.

Value what the Tourist Values:  this means protecting and enhancing the built and natural environment for the benefit of future visitors and residents.

The action plan associated with the strategy is arranged under four themes. The first three are:

People:  ‘how we will work with the people of Northern Ireland to develop a visitor experience that is unique and an industry that has pride and professionalism.’

Product & Places:  ‘how we will invest in our product and places to make them better for residents and ready to receive the visitors of the future.’

Promotion:  ‘the actions we will take, with our partners in Tourism Ireland, to bring new visitors and to welcome back visitors to see a place that is confidently moving on.’

The fourth theme cuts across these and is:

Partnership:  ‘actions to identify the roles and responsibilities of businesses and agencies and set out how we monitor progress.’

      The strategy is planned to deliver the outcomes shown on the following table.

            The Committee agreed to defer consideration of a report in relation to Culture Night 2010 to enable a special meeting to be held to which representatives of the Culture Night organisers would be invited to provide details on how they intended to involve the arterial routes in the event.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members will be aware that the Development (Arts) Sub?Committee at its meeting on 3 August 2005, approved the creation of a three year Integrated Cultural Strategy for Belfast with partners, including the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI).  The strategy set out a framework for 2007- 2010 to help create a joined?up approach to the development of Belfast's cultural sectors.

      The strategy focused on:

-     strengthening cultural leadership

-     profiling Belfast's unique cultural assets

-     providing stronger advocacy in support of culture

-     encouraging a greater emphasis on social inclusion through audience development

-     promoting an investment model of support for the sector to increase income generation and stability.

      The strategy is now due for review and there is a need to establish a strong vision, leadership and co-ordination for the forthcoming years.  Providing a joined-up approach to the arts will be of paramount importance, given that the Review of Public Administration will change the landscape and culture of public services in Northern Ireland.  A key aspect of this process will be to assess Belfast City Council’s funding support for the Culture and Arts Sector and to review the current Multi Annual and Annual Funding programmes.

      Multi Annual and Annual Funding for Culture and Arts

      At the Development Committee meeting of 14 November 2007, Members agreed the selection of 14 Multi-Annual Funding clients.  In 2008 two more Multi-Annual Funding clients were selected for a two year funding agreement.  Multi-Annual Funding incorporates a three year funding term, and an anticipated minimum annual funding level of £30,000.  It was established to introduce a degree of longer term sustainability to some of the city’s flagship arts organisations.

Key Issues

      Approval is sought from Committee to review the current strategy and to create a new Integrated Cultural Strategy for 2011–2014.  The objectives are to:

-     Gain active commitment from key stakeholders to work towards a shared vision for the development of the cultural offer in the city and identify how a shared vision can be best achieved within the available structures and resources

-     Gain active participation from the sector to deliver BelfastCity Council objectives of Leadership, Economy and Quality of Life.

-     Establish a collaborative and integrated approach for the development of culture and arts in Belfast

-     Determine future priorities and identify opportunities for arts development in Belfast

-     Establish and implement a detailed operational plan for the evolution of the culture and arts sector, 2011-2014

      The Tourism, Culture and Arts Unit will complete baseline research, coordinate consultation with key stakeholders, agency partners, culture, arts and heritage sectors and community based organisations and facilitate meetings with sectoral groupings.  A consultation schedule will allow a co-ordinated approach to gathering input and will seek views on the content of the future plans for culture and arts in Belfast.  The Arts Council are carrying out an interim review  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 7th February, 2007, it had agreed to the amalgamation of the Lord Mayor’s Show and the Belfast Carnival.  That merger had resulted in an annual saving of £28,000 for the Council.  Since 2007, the Council had provided £70,000 funding per year to the Beat Initiative towards the delivery of the Lord Mayor’s Belfast City Carnival.  Whilst the Beat Initiative was the lead partner and had operational responsibility, a Carnival Consortium, which was made up of representatives from community, arts and other festival organisations, had oversight of the Carnival.

            The Committee was advised that the Carnival gave due prominence to the Lord Mayor of Belfast as part of the Carnival itself and in all media and related activity.  For the 2010 event, the Events Unit would be responsible for a guest stand outside the City Hall and for an appropriate vehicle for the Lord Mayor to travel in.  The branding of the event would be “Welcoming the Lord Mayor”.  The Beat Initiative would ensure that the Carnival adhered to the Council’s Good Relations Strategy and, through the Carnival Consortium and the Council’s Community Services Unit, would engage community participation and representation from across the City, including extensive involvement from Council-supported community groups.  The Beat Initiative would be responsible for the management of the event, including, but not limited to, stewarding and marshalling, insurance, public notification to the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Parades Commission and residents of the route and it would liaise with the Department of the Environment’s Road Service and Belfast City Centre Management.

            The Carnival involved approximately 1,000 participants with an audience in the region of 30,000.  The overall cost of delivering the Carnival was £115,800 and it was estimated that the additional revenue generated for the City would be to the value of £280,000.  Accordingly, it was recommended that the Committee agree to provide to the Beat Initiative funding in the sum of £70,000 towards the delivery of the Lord Mayor’s Belfast City Carnival 2010.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee agreed to receive at a future meeting a presentation from representatives of the Deramore Property Group in relation to the Royal Exchange Regeneration Project.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members received a presentation from the Forum for Alternative Belfast on 8February 2010 regarding their proposals for the regeneration of Bank Square Belfast. Members were supportive of the forum’s proposals and agreed that a letter be issued to Department for Social Development in this regard.

      Members attended a presentation by RPS, DSD’s consultants for the regeneration of Bank Square on 12 February 2010.

      Members agreed at the Development Committee of 5 March 2010 to an all-party deputation from the Committee meeting with DSD, Westfield and the Chamber of Trade and Commerce to discuss Bank Square regeneration in the context of the proposals prepared by FAB and RPS. The meeting was held on 19 April 2010.

Key Issues

      DSD’s Westside Masterplan identifies the redevelopment of Bank Square as a priority ahead of the redevelopment of the North West Quarter. DSD are planning to make a firm bid for funding for the redevelopment of the square in the next Comprehensive Spending Round.  DSD’s intention was to have a scheme ready for submission to planning service by 31 March 2010 but have delayed their final steering group meeting and submission until Westfield’s commitment to the FAB’s proposal was ascertained and agreement with BCC on their design proposals.

      Key to FAB’s proposals for Bank Square was development on land owned by Westfield. At the meeting on 19 April 2010 both DSD and Westfield advised that they had met on 8 April 2010.  Their agreed position was that it was not currently feasible to include Westfield’s land in the regeneration of Bank Square.

      DSD advised that when the redevelopment of CastleCourt takes place the entire service yard may be relocated but that there was no possibility currently of any alterations to the yard.

      Westfield confirmed that due to fuel tanks located underground in the service yard there was very little room for manoeuvre for development in or around the existing yard. There are on average 150 vehicle movements a day in the yard.  Westfield had considered FAB’s proposals for retail units around the periphery of the service yard. Westfield confirmed that they did not consider that there would be successful commercial enterprises.

      Westfield also confirmed that they would not be gifting any land to the city for the regeneration of the square.

      Responding to Members’ questions DSD confirmed that their proposals for upgrade of the square would require expenditure of £4-5 million and provide significant improvement to the area they are committed to working with BCC on their proposals to ensure that there is an agreed plan submitted to planning service. Confirmation was given by DSD that there was no halfway house between the FAB proposal and RPS proposal.

      Westfield confirmed that they would work with DSD on the treatment to the perimeter wall of the service yard and in particular to the development of a living wall to improve the environment and aesthetic quality of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

            In accordance with the authority delegated to him, the Director reported that the following units at Smithfield Market had been let:

·         Unit 15 – James Gilliland, 19 Oranmore Drive, Belfast, at a cost of £520 per month for the purposes of the retailing of antique and collectable toys.  The trader had previously been operating in Unit 22; and

·         Unit 22 – David Montgomery, 8 Brooklans Gardens, Whitehead, at a cost of £180 per month for the purposes of the retailing of confectionary.

Noted.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 14th April, it had agreed to purchase mobile wash hand units for St. George’s Market and that these be rented to the Market traders at a fixed fee of £5.00 per unit per trading day, with a report, detailing the number of units purchased and the total cost and potential income, being submitted to the next scheduled of the Committee.

            The Committee was advised that that minute had been taken back to the Committee for further consideration by the Council at its meeting on 4th May but had been affirmed earlier in the meeting.

            The Director reported that it was proposed to purchase 40 mobile sinks at a cost of £650 per unit, which would result in an initial outlay of £26,000.  The rent per unit to the trader would be £5.00 each trading day and this fee would include electricity charges.  If all 40 mobile sinks were rented out each Market Day, the Council would recoup the initial expenditure within eighteen months.  However it was anticipated that the initial outlay would recouped within two years.

Noted.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      DonegallPass Community Centre is situated on Apsley Street in the Donegall Pass area of the city.  The centre was constructed in 2001 in direct response to community need in the area and has provided much needed services and facility access to the entire community since then. 

      BCC support for the centre construction was approved by the Community & Leisure Sub-Committee at its meeting on 12 March 1996. Members agreed that the Council would part fund the construction together with some associated running costs. The total capital cost being £244,500: 75% of which was grant aided by ‘Making Belfast Work.’  

      Under the original terms of its development the responsibility of managing the centre was undertaken by BCC, however this was viewed as a short-term measure with the ultimate aim of transferring this management to the community.  Therefore the meeting of the Sub-Committee in August 2000 agreed that provision be made within the revenue estimates to enable the centre to operate as a full time directly managed facility for a period of two years with a view to building local capacity to adopt the local community management model at the end of an agreed period.  This arrangement was further extended at the meeting of the Sub?Committee of 7 January 2003 and again in 2007 on the basis that both the local community and BCC officers felt the capacity had not been adequately developed to support local independent management arrangements. 

      DonegallPass Community Forum have developed a master plan for the Donegall Pass area. The Community Centre is considered to be a vital part of the Donegall Pass master plan which will enable the strengthening of community infrastructure and facilities.

      Within this context officers have met with representatives of the Donegall Pass Community Forum in order to assess the potential of the Forum to assume management responsibilities for the Centre. The Development Committee of 10 June 2009 agreed to support a full economic business plan which included detailed stakeholder consultation, extensive desktop research and benchmarking analysis.  The study considered a range of options for the management of the centre, considered associated risk and made have recommendation.  The report, which was completed by Copius Consulting, has been circulated for the information of the Members.

Key Issues

      The Community Centre represents a significant financial investment by the Council in an area of social need. 

      The Donegall Pass Community Forum (DPFC), as the lead community organisation for the inner city urban village that is Donegall Pass, has local community support and is either involved in or is delivering a range of services/projects of benefit to local people. 

      While the DPCF recognises the value in community management of the centre, they are mindful of undertaking this function in the current economic downturn and more importantly the uncertainty of a diminishing funding environment. The Forum has also taken account of the comments from elected representatives relating to their experience in facility management.

      The feasibility report was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

            The Committee agreed to receive at its next monthly meeting a presentation on the findings of the 2009 Belfast Tourism Monitor.  In addition, the Committee agreed that expenditure not exceeding £4,000 be incurred in connection with the production of a Tourism Facts and Figures Booklet.

            The Committee was advised that the Pride of Place Competition provided Community Groups from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with an opportunity to showcase initiatives which would have a lasting and positive impact upon their communities.  Since 2004, the Council had sponsored, with considerable success, the participation of several groups in the Competition.  The 2010 Pride of Place Cities Competition allowed a maximum of six entries per Council, subject to defined categories and rules.  The following four groups had been identified as suitable for entry in this year’s Competition:

·         Hannahstown Community Association in the Population Category – which was the only rural community within Belfast - which ran a community facility in the West of the City;

·         Forum for Action on Substance Abuse, which worked across Belfast with those who were affected by drugs, alcohol and other substances;

·         Artability in the Theme Category – the group provided art, music and drama workshops which highlighted the issues of disability and cultural awareness at a community level in order to promote integration, equality and cultural diversity; and

·         Taughmonagh Community Forum in the Non-population Housing Estate Category – the Forum helped coordinate community programmes and projects within its area in the South of the City.

            The cost per entry was £500 and this year’s awards ceremony would be held in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, Co. Meath on 13th and 14th November.

            The Committee approved the entry of the four groups as outlined and approved also the attendance of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and the Director of Development (or their nominees), together with a maximum of three persons per external project (up to a maximum of twelve in total) at the 2010 Awards Ceremony and authorised the payment of the entrants’ fees, travelling, attendance and subsistence allowances in connection therewith.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members will be aware from the Departmental plan 2008/09 that a research was commissioned to update the Belfast City Region Report, 2004 and assess the importance of Belfast as a regional economic driver. Oxford Economics were appointed and they submitted a final report in November 2009.

      The research focussed on:

-     Monitoring the flow of people, skills, spending and investment into and out of the Belfast economy;

-     Providing a better understanding of Belfast’s economic specialisations and inter-linkages with the rest of NI;

-     Articulating Belfast’s contribution to economic elements of the Programme for Government (PfG);

-     Exploring the risks and opportunities facing the Belfast economy; and

-     Providing commentary on the urban policy environment in NI and the UK.

      Appendix 1 contains an executive summary of this research. If they wish, Members can obtain a full version of this document.

      The research is quite comprehensive but some of the key findings highlighting the key importance of Belfast as the engine room of the regional economy are:

-     Major employer of persons living in and outside the city. There are currently an estimated 108,000 people who work in Belfast but live outside Belfast (in-commuters). This represents approximately 55 per cent of the estimated total number of persons employed in the Belfast economy.

-     Belfast is a ‘regional economic driver’ to an even greater extent than Edinburgh and Glasgow combined in Scotland or Manchester and Liverpool combined in the north west of England.

-     A magnet for service sector foreign direct investment (FDI) - Belfast attracts the majority of service sector FDI in NI.

-     Home to two-thirds of NI’s largest 50 companies and one?half of foreign-owned businesses.

-     A transport hub for the region.

-     Service exporter - while Belfast ‘imports’ food products, construction services and manufactured goods from elsewhere in NI (and outside), in return it ‘exports’ many of its services to the rest of NI (especially where the same level or quality of services are not available locally) and outside NI.

-     A provider of further and higher education and specialist health services.

-     Gateway for tourists and a provider of unique retail, cultural, entertainment and visitor opportunities which are not available elsewhere in the region.

Key Issues

      This report will support the Council’s commitment to evidence based decision making. It provides strong evidence showing the key role of cities in the economy and specifically Belfast as a driver of the NI regional economy. It emphasizes the need for a key urban policy focus in Northern Ireland.

      The report will be used in the following ways:

-     To provide statistical evidence for Members and Council staff to describe Belfast’s role as a regional economic driver;

-     To provide additional research evidence supporting the role of cities in the economy and specifically Belfast as a driver of the NI regional economy;

-     To support Council’s responses to various consultations on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      1. South by Southwest (SXSW)

      Members will be aware that, at the Development Committee of 14 May 2008, approval was received to support Council participation at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Media Conference and Festival for 2009 and 2010. 

      SXSW is the premier global event focusing on the creative side of the music and entertainment business.  It is held in Austin, Texas on an annual basis and this year’s event took place on 17-21 March 2010. 

      The aim of attending SXSW was, under Belfast City Council’s support for the creative industries, to promote Belfast musicians and music-related businesses to an international audience and showcasing the investment and purchasing opportunities offered by Belfast’s music industry.

      2. Nashville

      Members will be aware that at a meeting of the Development Committee on 16 September 2009 approval was given for an outward Civic Visit to Nashville in March 2010.

      Members will also be aware that new partnerships have been formed to deliver the Belfast Nashville 2010 Action Plan, which has been greatly expanded to include not only culture and tourism, but education, economic development, genealogy, literary tourism, music tourism, international exhibitions, international marketing, creative industries, film and digital media and communications.  Group membership has been expanded to reflect the new plan and now includes formal partnerships with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Queen’s University.  The group meets on a bi-monthly basis in order to achieve economic benefits from the Sister City relationship. 

      The purpose of the visit was to:

-     Agree the new action plan for 2010 identifying areas of economic development, cultural and tourism links in order to developing and implementing the Sister City Link

-     Strengthen and enhance the partnership between the two cities and cement the relationship with the Nashville Mayor’s Office and Sister Cities Team

-     Utilise the Sister City Linkage to profile Belfast as a cultural tourism destination in the Southern States and increase tourism revenue from this market

-     Co-ordinate and support the activities taking place between both cities and better maximise our relationship with Nashville

      The BelfastCity Council delegation was accompanied (at their own expense) by Tourism Ireland, Belfast Nashville Songwriters’ Festival, Filmtrip and, through support from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, five singer-songwriters.  BBC Radio Ulster’s Ralph McLean also attended in order to present and record music showcases and produce programmes on the Sister City Relationship.

Key Issues

      1. South by Southwest (SXSW)

      BelfastCity Council coordinated and managed the Belfast participation at and input into this year’s event.  In the absence of the Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission (NIMIC) which was disbanded earlier in the year, officers worked with partners in Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and Arts Council NI (ACNI) to offer twenty Belfast-based businesses the opportunity to take part in SXSW.

      The Council’s investment of £40,000 was used towards hire of the exhibition stand, showcase venue, marketing and promotional material and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      In the last ten years, Belfast has built a strong reputation for hosting major events. Prior to 1999, the visit of the Tall Ships was perhaps the one stand out major event to be hosted by the City. However, with the changes in the political climate, the City has had a renaissance in major event management. It began with the World Cross Country Championships in 1999 and gradually bids for major events became more ambitious. The next eight years saw Belfast host many significant major events such as the World Irish Dancing Championships, the World Amateur Boxing Championships, the U19 European football Championships, the Special Olympics Ireland Games, and the U-19 Rugby World Cup and the return of the Tall Ships in 2009 – arguably the largest ever event on the island, with an estimated economic impact of £16m to the City.

      An approach has now been made by the Belfast Giants, with the support of other influential stakeholders, to seek funding support from Belfast City Council to bring the Boston Bruins Ice Hockey team to Belfast to play an exhibition match on Saturday 2nd October 2010, as part of a longer term plan to bring National Hockey League games to Belfast, especially during 2012.

      The Boston Bruins

      Considered to be the equivalent to the Manchester United of hockey, the Bruins play in the National Hockey League (NHL) in the United States. Over the last 5 years, the NHL has sent teams to start the competitive season in Europe, to raise the profile of the league and allow the European fans to see their favourite players.

      The Management of the Belfast Giants, have used their NHL contacts to secure the opportunity of a pre-season stopover in Belfast. The event will draw supporters from both the US and UK market. The longer term aim is to encourage the NHL to consider Belfast for future competitive games, at no cost to the City, potentially beginning during the 2012 Titanic celebrations.

      While the hockey match will be the main event, it will also be the catalyst for other activities. Further information on the exhibition match, and other activities associated with the weekend of the main event, can be found in Appendix 1, under ‘The Project’, which has been circulated for the information of the Members.

      In summary, the core benefits of supporting the visit of the Belfast Bruins to Belfast in October would be to:

-     Significant return on investment in the form of economic impact for the region. It is estimated that 4,500 visitors will visit Belfast from both the UK and USA. The estimated economic return on this is £870,000 with an estimated 18,000 bednights based on evidence from the organisers.

-     Further develop sporting, tourism and trade links with the Boston area. It is anticipated that Invest NI will co?ordinate a trade visit to coincide with this significant sporting occasion.  Delegates will be key business  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members will be aware that, over the last decade, the cities of Belfast and Hefei have been developing linkages.  These culminated in the signature of a Sister Cities relationship between the two cities in 2005.  A number of visits and exchanges between the cities have taken place and new relationships continue to develop.

Key Issues

      An action plan for the development of linkages between the cities was approved by the Committee in September 2008.  This included a range of actions under the following headings:

-     Business Development and Investment

-     Education and training

-     Enhancing links with the Chinese community in Belfast

-     Cultural awareness

-     Information and awareness-raising

      At a previous meeting of Development Committee (13 August 2008), a presentation was made by Amnesty International regarding the linkages with Hefei.  Following that presentation, the Committee agreed to Amnesty’s proposal that, in its future links with Hefei, the city should:

-     Promote the integration of human rights dialogue and education into the Council’s relationship with Hefei

-     Put human rights on the agenda during all future meetings with the Hefei civic leadership

-     Raise human rights issues with all official visitors from Hefei to Belfast and

-     Ensure that Council representatives raise human rights concerns during all official visits to Hefei.

      Since the endorsement of this proposal, there have been no civic exchanges between the cities.  However, a range of other linkages and activities with China and the Chinese community in Belfast has been undertaken including:

      Business Development and Investment

-     Completion of a business development initiative to help local small businesses consider ‘Doing Business in China’.  10 companies took part; 7 of whom are currently pursuing joint ventures or other linkages

-     Research with Invest NI to establish opportunities for a trade mission to Hefei – as part of Invest NI trade development programme

      Education and training

-     Support for school exchange visits: 5 Belfast schools took part in a British Council sponsored visit to Hefei in September 2009 as part of their ‘Connecting Classrooms’ initiative.  There are plans for a return visit to Northern Ireland, probably within the next academic year

-     Assistance with universities and colleges welcoming international students – civic receptions and welcome events.

      Enhancing links with the Chinese community in Belfast

-     Plans to deliver enterprise workshops and mentoring in conjunction with Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Belfast, to encourage additional business start-up among Chinese community

-     Continuing engagement with Chinese community through Good Relations work.

      Cultural awareness

-     Support for key events e.g. Chinese New Year held at St George’s Market.

      Information and awareness-raising

-     Links established with Local Government International Bureau (LGIB) to exchange information with other cities involved in Chinese city links

-     Promotion of linkages and implementation of lessons learned through engagement in Open Cities project looking at impact of economic migration.

      As with Belfast’s other sister city linkage with Nashville, it is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 14th April, it had considered a report in relation to consultation which was being undertaken by the Department for Regional Development on the potential for the provision of new or extended taxi ranks in the City.  The ranks would be for the use of Belfast Public Hire Taxis only and the proposed changes to taxi legislation did not indicate any extension to taxi ranks for use by standard Private Taxi Hire.  The Committee had agreed that an appropriate draft response be formulated for its consideration, a copy of which is set out hereunder:

-     The Council welcomes the proposed extension and additional provision of ranks for public taxi hire in new locations which could enhance provision for customers in Belfast. This support recognises the important role that taxi operators perform in supporting access and contributing to the successful management of the night time economy in Belfast.

-     In relation to the geographic distribution of the proposed provision the Council would highlight that there are no proposals for provision outside of the centre or the South of the city.  The Council would therefore request clarification of the criteria for provision and the process for ongoing review of provision to ensure future equity and access to services for customers across the city.

-     As part of the assessment for the final locations and the extent of provision consideration should be given to limiting the extension of taxi ranks which are in close proximity to residential areas such as the Chelsea Bar on the Lisburn Road. The potential for adverse impacts arising from noise and potential disruption in theses more sensitive locations should be carefully assessed and future operation monitored.

-     The internal Council consultation confirmed that the proposals are unlikely to adversely impact on council operations such as licensed street trading and cleansing. However, the Council would like to highlight that the current concentration of public hire taxis on Donegall Square North causes traffic disruption and should be monitored and enforced as an important element of this review of operational provision. 

-     This review and increase in provision should form part of a clear process to enact the provisions of the 2008 Taxi Act to address all aspects of the service operation. The Council would request that the consultation and enactment of the Taxi Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 is progressed expeditiously to ensure effective regulation and enforcement of taxi services across both the public and private hire sectors.

            The Committee approved the draft response, subject to the inclusion of the following comments:

·         further consideration needed to be given to the location of the taxi rank in Smithfield Square North, since the proposed location was on the site of the disabled parking spaces;

·         the proposed taxi rank in Berry Street was not a suitable location since it was a one-way street and therefore could cause traffic congestion; and

·         consultation was required to be undertaken with the current users of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

            The Committee was advised that the Belfast Shopping Festival 2009, which provided a major platform for Belfast’s Retail Sector throughout the City to promote their business and attract new customers, had been shortlisted as a finalist for the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2010.  The Awards was a significant event for the tourism and hospitality industry and it was important that the Council was represented thereat.  Accordingly, it was recommended that the Council reserve a table at the event, at a cost of £675, for the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, together with appropriate officers and invited guests.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Chairman referred to the fact that this would be his last meeting prior to the new Chairman being appointed in June and he thanked the Members and officers for their support over the previous year.