Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Ekin, Hargey, Lavery and B. Kelly.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed:

(i)    to endorse the Local Action Plan;

(ii)    to authorise the attendance of the current Chairman and Deputy Chairman, the Director of Development and European Unit Manager (or their nominees) at the OPENCities conference in Brussels on 25th May; and

(iii)   in principle, that the Council participate in the Brussels Open Days Programme which was scheduled to take place in October, 2011, subject to a further report in this regard being submitted to the Committee in due course.

            The Committee endorsed the response and agreed that it be forwarded to the Department for Education and Learning as the Council’s contribution in this matter.

            The Committee considered the report and adopted the Council’s general comments which related to the Department for Social Development’s consultation on “Guidance on the Provision of Local Generalist Voluntary Advice”.  A copy of the general comments was made available on the Council’s Mod.gov website.

After discussion, during which it was agreed that the amount specified for the undertaking of public consultation exercises on the Framework be reduced from £20,000 to £10,000, the Committee endorsed the contents of the document.

*(This decision was taken back to the Development Committee for further consideration at the meeting of Council held on 4^th April)

            After discussion, during which a number of Members expressed their gratitude to the Council officials for their work in this regard, the Committee agreed to note the information provided.

            The Committee agreed to note the contents of an update report on the work of the Travellers Liaison Management Unit.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to be represented at the aforementioned event by the Chairman and Deputy Chairman (or their nominees) and approved the associated travel; accommodation and subsistence costs which it was noted were in the region of approximately £350 per delegate and would be covered by the Project.

            The Director of Development reported that, as part of the development of a five?year plan in respect of the Cathedral Quarter, the Cathedral Quarter Steering Group had requested to meet each of the Parties for further discussion.

            The Committee granted the authority sought.

            After discussion, the Committee agree to undertake a site visit to one or both of the airports during the month of April and agreed further that a report be submitted to the reconstituted Committee in June recommending that it agree to undertake the outstanding site visits.

            The Committee approved the annual civic and sports event programme as outlined in the report, together with the associated funding as set out.

            The Committee agreed to adopt the recommendations as set out within the report and agreed also that a fact sheet be prepared for groups, which would be ineligible for funding, which signposted them to other places/bodies from which support for such events could be obtained.

            After further discussion, it was

Moved by Councillor Mullaghan,

Seconded by Councillor Mallon,

      That the Committee, as an interim gesture, agrees to grant funding to the Employment Services Board, up to a maximum of £15,000, over a period of three months commencing 1st April, under the special expenditure powers as set out in Section 115 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, it being the opinion of the Committee that the expenditure would be in the interest of, and would bring direct benefit to, the District and the inhabitants of the District, with the Committee being satisfied that the direct benefit so accruing would be commensurate with the payment to be made.

            The Committee agreed that the proposal be determined by means of a recorded vote.

            A poll having been taken on the proposal, there voted for it eight Members, viz., the Chairman (Councillor Maskey), the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Humphrey); and Councillors Garrett, Groves, Mallon, Mullaghan, Mac Giolla Mhín and McKee; and against it two Members, viz., Councillors P. Robinson and Stoker.

            The proposal was accordingly declared carried. 

            It was noted that a report, which would outline the wider issue of the Council’s future involvement in job creation and sustainability, would be submitted to the Committee in June.