Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Hartley, Kelly, Kyle, McNamee, Mac Giolla Mhín and A. Newton.

            The minutes of the meeting of 11th October were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st November.

            No declarations of interest were reported.

In pursuance of a previous decision of the Committee, to receive a presentation from representatives of Belfast Boxing Ring in relation to the erection of a number of statues to acknowledge the valuable contribution which boxing had made to the City

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 15th March, it had agreed to receive at a future meeting a presentation from representatives of the Belfast Boxing Ring in relation to its plans for the erection of a number of statues to acknowledge the valuable contribution which boxing had made to the City.  Accordingly, former boxers Mr. E. McAuley, Mr. D. Larmour and Mr. N. Sinclair, together with Mr. T. Monaghan, a brother of the late former world champion John “Rinty” Monaghan, representing that group, were admitted to the meeting and welcomed by the Chairman.

            Mr. McAuley informed the Committee that the Belfast Boxing Ring had been established in 2010, with the aim of celebrating the rich and shared history of boxing, both amateur and professional, across communities in the City. He explained that the group was seeking the Council’s permission to use some of its parks in order to mark that history. The group’s initial objective was to commission a statue to mark the achievements of “Rinty” Monaghan, which they would, ideally, wish to be located at the Cathedral Gardens at York Street. The statue, a replica of which had been displayed at the meeting, would be approximately ten feet in height and cast in bronze and would, in the view of the Belfast Boxing Ring, prove to be a popular tourist attraction at a key entry point to the City and the Cathedral Quarter. It was hoped that, if approved, the statue would be completed in time to mark the 30th anniversary in 2014 of the boxer’s death.

            Mr. McAuley then referred to the Belfast Boxing Ring’s proposals for the erection of a statue in the Dunville Park to celebrate the career of the former world boxing champion John Caldwell, who had died in 2009. He outlined the extent of the discussions which had taken place with the local community and political representative in the Falls area and pointed out that the Park, which was being redeveloped currently, would be an ideal location in which to acknowledge a man who had brought great pride to that area. 

            Mr. Larmour provided an overview of the tradition of boxing in the Shankill district and informed the Members that the group planned to mark that legacy in some form, possibly within the Woodvale Park.  He explained that the Belfast Boxing Ring would, as part of the process, be engaging with local representatives and other interested parties.

            In response to Members’ questions, the representatives confirmed that the projects would be funded through contributions from both public bodies and private individuals and that issues such as maintenance and insurance cover would be addressed once approval had been granted.

            The representatives thanked the Committee for receiving them and they retired from the meeting.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed, in principle, that it was supportive of the Belfast Boxing Ring’s proposals and noted that a report would be submitted to a future meeting providing detailed information on the projects  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

          The Committee was reminded that, at its meetings on 10th May and 9th August, it had noted that a number of applications for funding under the Support for Sport Small Development Grants Scheme had been deferred to enable further information to be obtained.  The Committee was reminded further that, at its meeting on 13th September, it had agreed, due to the high number of applications which had been received, to close the aforementioned Scheme for 2012/2013, with an over-allocation existing of £17,506. 

The Director of Parks and Leisure reported that three of those applications which had been deferred had, subsequently, been re-submitted and assessed and had been found to meet the requisite criteria.  He explained that, based on experience from previous years, clubs did not tend to draw down all of the funding which had been allocated to them, which, for 2012/2013, would leave a potential underspend of approximately £30,000.  On that basis, officers were of the view that the awarding of funding to the three clubs concerned would not place the fund in an overspend position. Accordingly, he had, under the authority delegated to him, approved the allocation of funding of up to a maximum of £1,000 for Bloomfield Bowling Club (Men), Bloomfield Bowling Club (Women) and Basement Spartans Football Club, with the latter organisation being awarded an additional one-off payment of £250 for the purchase of equipment.

The Committee noted the information which had been provided.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0    Relevant Background Information

1.1       The purpose of this report is to;-

(i)     remind Committee of the main conclusions from the review of Facility Management Agreements (FMAs);

(ii)   present a draft Policy in relation to the use of Council playing fields  and associated documentation for review and comment;

(iii)introduce Phase 1 of a draft Framework for in the form of ‘Agreements for Use’; and

(iv)seek Committee authority to take the next steps as outlined in section 2.5.

1.2    Members will be aware that a review of Facility Management Agreements began in April 2011, the findings of which were presented at a Members workshop on 19 December 2011.

1.3    Prior to this workshop in November 2011, Committee received a request from a sports club for an FMA for a pitch on a multi-pitch, multi code playing fields site, in return for some investment in and around the pitch.  This request was deferred on the advice of the Town Solicitor and Assistant Chief Executive who advised that a framework and set of criteria should be developed against which all requests coming from sports clubs / organisations could be assessed on a consistent basis.

1.4    At the workshop in December 2011 Members clearly acknowledged that the FMA review demonstrated that a fundamental revision was needed going forward and that developing a revised proposal would be a complex issue, the details of which needed further more in-depth consideration.

1.5    Officers continued to work on the development of a consistent approach and scoring criteria against which requests could be assessed and Party Briefings took place from February to April 2011.  At these briefings an FMA review paper including a scoring matrix was discussed and the feedback from Members was generally that a consistent approach would be necessary and that the scoring matrix would be a useful tool to assess requests from clubs to the Council on a consistent basis. More details on the findings from the FMA review and the Committee decision trail relating to FMAs has been forwarded to the Committee.

         Over the last year the Council context has also changed and this draft policy reflects the environmental and governance changes, the principles of the Investment programme, the Local Investment fund and the evolving area working and project management boards. Throughout the FMA review period Committee has continued to consider individual requests from FMA holders or for new FMAs and there is a growing need for an arrangement which will allow the council the flexibility to react to demand within the city as well as to honour new or emerging commitments made as part of the Community Capital project funding operated by Sport NI or emerging LIF / BIF projects.

         This report proposes a way forward for a replacement agreement – an “Agreement for Use”.  This is the first phase of an evolving approach looking at how we manage our assets based on the outcomes the Council needs to achieve from the particular asset.  At  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1    Relevant Background Information

         At the special Parks and Leisure Committee meeting on 9th February 2012, the Committee agreed the scale of charges for the department for 2012/13

         Committee agreed a concessionary rate of approximately 50% of the full rate will be applied across all activities in relation to over 60s, those on means tested benefits, students and children (up to the age of 17) to streamline the scale of charges and make them easier to understand.

         Committee was reminded of the difficult economic climate and the impact that this is having on our commercially focused services such as the Zoo, Malone House, Belfast Castle and Leisure Services.

         It was further proposed in reports in June and September 2012 that the Director be given delegated authority to approve a range of measures including promotional offers to increase memberships and discounts for special need schools.

2      Key Issues

         Belfast Castle and Malone House (Appendix 1)

         These venues have seen income adversely affected by the economic downturn. The venues regularly benchmark against the local venues and hotels to ensure that their rates are competitive. The corporate market has been impacted significantly from the reduction in internal customers and from across the public sector and in response to this many of the room hire fees have been reduced some by up to a third to stimulate this market

2.2    It is proposed to increase charges on the weddings market by between 8-11% as the venues generate approximately 50/35% of their income each year (Belfast Castle/Malone House) in this area.  Other promotions will also be put in place during the year to help stimulate usage.  Committee is asked to note the use of these venues to all internal departments will be provided at a discount of 50% on normal rates.

         Belfast Zoo (Appendix 2)

         It is proposed to :

·     Increase admissions by 5% for a summer ticket from £10 to £10.50 Adult; £5 to £5.25 for a concession.

·     A winter ticket by 2% from £8 to £8.20 Adult; £4 to £4.10 for a concession.

·     A family ticket has been increased by 4% from £27 to £28 in summer and 2% from £21.60 to £22 in winter.  This is for up to 2 adults and 3 children and represents a 22% decrease on the individual summer price.

         Cemeteries/Crematorium(Appendix 3)

         Extensive briefings took place earlier this year in relation to fees and charges especially with regard to cremations.

         A 10% increase on non residents charge was agreed previously by the Parks and Leisure Committee at its meeting in February 2011 for a four year period.  It is proposed that the same increase be applied again for 2013/14 for residents i.e. cremation charges to Belfast residents to rise by £50. Other charges will rise in line with inflation which is approximately 3-5% with rounding. 

          It is proposed that for burials a 5% increase is levied for both residents and non-residents.  Ancillary charges will be charged in relation to the direct  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.      Relevant Background Information

1.1    Members will be aware that the Playing Pitches strategy, its recommendations and actions plans were agreed by Committee through a number of its meetings over the last year.

1.2    Since then officers across the Council have been working to implement the playing pitches strategy and its associated action plans and Members recently requested more regular updates on ongoing progress.

1.3    The purpose of this report is to outline for Members the progress to date on the different elements of the action plans and to present, for review and approval a change to the maximum and minimum amounts to be awarded under the £750K for Schools fund, which was agreed as a key sub-objective of the Capital Investment strand of the strategy.

2.      Key Issues

         Within the playing pitches strategy there are three objectives:

·     Capital Investment

·     Management

·     Sport Development

         Various activities are taking place under each objective and these include the following:

         Capital Development – 3G pitches and changing facilities

         Planning and discussions around the physical development and specific locations of the new pitches and changing facilities are progressing.  We have identified preferred locations within each of these sites. 

          In August we appointed a design team and work has commenced on the commissioning of the necessary ground surveys to inform construction and they have designed a standard template for a facility with four changing room. The next step is to produce outline drawings for each of the sites and these will be issued for consultation with end users.  Following this we will submit applications to the Planning Service and we hope to start this process in the New Year.

         The implementation programme and progress reports will be reported to both Parks and Leisure and Strategic Policy and resources Committee as part of the Investment Programme updates.

         Review of Facility Management Arrangements (FMAs)

         A review of FMAs has been ongoing and Members were briefed on the review work to date earlier this year. The proposed future partnership arrangements framework and draft policy is the subject of a separate report to the Committee.

         Sports development activities

         A range of activities are taking place to promote pitch supports among underrepresented groups including females and people with a disability.  These include supporting clubs through Clubmark and Support for Sport.  Among the grants awarded was one to Belfast Deaf United (association football).  Clubs also have an ongoing opportunity to provide their view through the Sports Forum.  We are also partnering with governing bodies and Sport NI to host participation events aimed at underrepresented groups including females.  We have also run a number of Try it days and Olympic themed events.

         Allocation of £750k fund for school pitches

         Members will be aware that they have previously agreed to the allocation of £750,000, from the total £10million allocation, to a fund for capital enhancements to playing pitches owned by schools. 

         The purpose of the capital enhancement is to allow greater community access to the pitches, for example  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.    Relevant Background Information

         Members will recall the presentation that was brought to committee in August 2012 by Councillor Lee Reynolds and the residents of Deerpark Gardens. The presentation outlined several issues of antisocial behaviour which had serious and detrimental effects on their homes and lives. The following report summarises their requests for actions that will reduce the impact of the antisocial behaviour on their homes and lives.

2.      Key Issues

         The Deerpark residents have consistently reported the following antisocial behaviour  issues affecting a number of different areas within the Playing Fields and around the periphery:

·        Sectarian attacks

·        Use of Quads and Motorbikes

·        Substance abuse.

         Sectarian Attacks

         The Deerpark Residents feel that they have endured a disproportionate number of attacks on their homes in comparison to other properties neighbouring the park and are inclined to believe the root cause is sectarianism. The geography of the area gives the geographic advantage of height for missiles to be thrown from the raised ground of the playing fields into or onto the houses in Deerpark Gardens cul de sac.

         The attacks have persisted over many years. This is supported by information from Neighbourhood Officers within the PSNI. Recently the PSNI has reported an increase of sectarian fighting between youths in the park and an increase of missiles thrown into the homes of the Deerpark residents. The primary concern of the residents is the potential for serious or fatal injury and to a lesser extent, damage to property.

         Use of Quads and Motorbikes

         Residents have also reported the danger and nuisance caused by use of motorised vehicles through the playing fields. The PSNI have stated that they would be very supportive of any actions to reduce this activity.

         Substance abuse and ‘high risk activity’

         The residents are concerned that the playing fields are currently open to youths to use as a venue for consuming alcohol and drugs. There are a number of open access points which could be used to gain entry at any time and hiding places which are littered with drug paraphernalia. Residents are also noting that youths who use the park at night are engaging in other high risk (sexual) activities.

         Deerpark residents requests

         The residents are requesting that the council formulates a plan and takes action quickly. They have endured the ASB issues for many years and they feel that previous interventions have not worked. Council evidence indicates that the playing fields experience significant ASB, however, what sets the playing fields apart is the serious and consistent reports of sectarian behaviour.

         The residents recently met with a council officer and an officer from the PSNI to prioritise a series of specific actions to reduce the ASB noted above. Their requests are as follows:

1.     Construct a ‘ball stop’ fence placed at the boundary of the Deerpark properties to prevent missiles being cast into the residents properties.

2.     Erect a new fence across the park to facilitate unrestricted access around the rear of Alliance Parade  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            The Committee was advised that Active Communities was a Sport Northern Ireland initiative being delivered from 2010 till 2015 through eleven Council groups, including Belfast.  The Director of Parks and Leisure explained that the initiative sought to employ and train a network of full-time and part-time sports coaches and leaders who would deliver activities in community and club settings across Northern Ireland, thereby increasing participation in sport and physical recreation, particularly amongst under-represented groups.

            He reported that the initiative had now reached its midway point and that Sport Northern Ireland had sought the views of project partners on its current delivery, potential areas for improvement and any external environmental factors which would, in the future, be likely to have a positive or negative impact on the Active Communities initiative.  He provided an overview of the response which had been formulated by those officers involved in the project and recommended that the following comments be forwarded to Sport Northern Ireland as the Council’s response to the review of the Active Communities initiative:

COUNCIL RESPONSE

      As part of its review of the Active Communities Programme, Sport NI has asked the Council to contribute to its consultation process, to ‘ascertain the views of project partners in relation to Active Communities with a view of influencing future programme development’.

      The following points represent the views of key officers who have been involved with the Council’s delivery of the programme to date:

Positives

§  The programme provides an excellent coaching resource for the city;

§  The database used in the programme is an excellent tool for performance management;

§  There has been a high number of participants in the programme in the city (over 10,000 individuals since April 2012);

§  Good support has been provided by Sport NI staff in both setting up and managing the programme; and

§  The programme has provided the Council with the opportunity to work in partnership with a wide range of groups and organisations throughout the city.

Areas for improvement

§  The overall purpose of the programme needs to be made clear;

§  The overarching framework within which Active Communities is delivered should be reviewed;

§  The intended outcomes of Active Communities (rather than outputs in relation to participation numbers, number of coaches etc) need to be made clear and monitored/evaluated or there needs to be a mechanism by which Sport NI’s monitoring/evaluation of the programme considers the contribution of the programme to achieving the Council’s intended outcomes for sport and physical activity;

§  The programme needs to focus more on strategic outcomes relating to long term participation in sport/physical activity as opposed to focusing on the involvement of individuals in one-off programmes;

§  There needs to be improved buy-in by sports governing bodies to putting in place participation pathways within the city, ensuring that participants in Active Communities taster programmes can feed into local clubs;

§  Sports-specific strategies for those sports involved in the programme in the city need to be produced;

§  The cost of programme delivery  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.    Relevant Background Information

         As part of the Parks and Leisure improvement agenda the Departmental Management Team commissioned FGS McClure Watters to undertake a study of the current business model at Belfast zoo.  They presented their report to the Parks and Leisure Management Team in June 2011.

         The report examined the zoo’s operating model and highlighted a number of issues that should be addressed including strategic planning, income generation, organisation structure, resources and culture, tourism and marketing.

         The report therefore underlined the need for a root and branch operational review of the zoo and consequently the Organisational Development Unit were asked to carry out this review.

         Some of the areas identified through initial consultation include:

•             Management/leadership responsibility for future development of the Zoo

•             Strategic development and business planning

•             HR issues

•              Inconsistent financial processing and procedure

•              Silo culture

•              Marketing approach i.e. local versus centralised unit 

•             Ambiguity over role clarity

•             The role of the education unit

•              Income generation

•             The customer experience

•              Increased overtime for staff

•             Increased use of agency staff

•             Working practices – operational

•             Reliance on contractual overtime

2       Key Issues

         The zoo operational model is split into two sections: the operational and the business strands.

         Operational Strand

         There are currently 19 zookeepers on the establishment however over the past 4 years there has been a heavy reliance on the use of agency staff and overtime to supplement these numbers to ensure operational delivery. The role of curator is currently very operationally focused and requires support in order to realise the potential impact and remit of this post. This will be done through the creation of 3 senior working keepers (Sc6).  These posts will provide day to day support to the curators in relation to supervising the zookeepers and making day to day operational decisions in relation to zookeeping staff and work.

         A team of tractor drivers is in place to support the zoo keeping staff. The review analysis showed that there was potential to combine this role with the stores/procurement function within the zoo. There is also a requirement to establish a senior post within this area to help drive efficiencies through the close monitoring of stock and introducing new working practices and provide effective supervision.

         Business Strand

         A recent internal audit of the retail operation within the zoo highlighted a number of areas at risk. The souvenir shop was recently extended however the appropriate staffing arrangements were not put in place resulting in reliance on agency staff being responsible for important financial practices. During the review process the need for permanent staff at both operational and management level became apparent. This will lead to the creation of a “Zoo Crew” post. The role of the Zoo Crew will provide a zoo presence which will help enhance the customer experience at the zoo.  The role will be multi faceted and will carry out a range of duties.  It is anticipated that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 9th December, 2010, it had agreed, as part of a Departmental Improvement Programme, to the implementation for a period of nine months, commencing in January, 2011, of a Park Warden Pilot Scheme.  The Assistant Director of Parks and Leisure reported that the scheme had been initiated to develop working practices, provide an improved service and create safer green spaces. The existing Park Ranger service would be enhanced by putting in place a team of Park Wardens who would respond quickly to and record incidents of damage and anti-social behaviour at sites across the City. They would be trained and authorised to enforce specific bye-laws in support of existing Council Wardens and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, open and close the Council facilities where they were based and engage with the public to deliver education awareness and a quality customer service.

            She explained that the pilot scheme had been shown to have met its objectives and had established more flexible working practices which would be enhanced with the further development of technology and anti-social behaviour reporting systems. Project outcomes had included the establishment of a programme of job-shadowing with Litter, Dog and Community Safety Wardens in order to share knowledge and develop practice. In addition, a series of workshops had taken place between Council officers and senior officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland which had created an improved network between Parks Wardens and that Service in terms of responding to reports of damage at Parks, Leisure and Facilities Managed sites. The implementation of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 had provided staff with a valuable opportunity to raise public awareness in relation to dog control and litter and to inform parks users about the Council’s new enforcement powers.

            The Assistant Director of Parks and Leisure reported further that, given the success of the pilot scheme, it was now proposed that the role of Park Warden become a permanent one.  In order to achieve that, the Parks and Leisure Department would work with Park Wardens and Trades Union groups to ensure that a new job description was developed which would meet the additional requirements.  She informed the Members that the Health and Environmental Services Committee, at its meeting on 17th September, had agreed to allocate eight Community Safety Wardens and the associated budget to the Parks and Leisure Department. Further consultation would be required on the exact role to be undertaken by Park Wardens within the Department.  It was envisaged that the process would be finalised by the end of the current financial year and that the additional operational staff costs would be in the region of £40,000, which would be met from within the Department’s existing budget.

            The Committee approved the permanent provision of a Park Warden resource within the Parks and Leisure Department and noted the decision of the Health and Environmental Services Committee of 17th September to allocate eight Community Safety Wardens to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.       Relevant Background Information

            The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2011 strengthens the legislative powers available to district councils to help them deal more effectively with a range of local environmental quality problems, including dog control.

            Members are reminded that under Part 5 of the Act, Council’s may create four separate orders to help manage issues associated with dogs in their area. Dog Control Orders can be made in respect of any land in the district council area, subject to certain exemptions, and can relate to the following four matters:

            (a)        Dog fouling;

(b)       Requiring dogs to be kept on a lead in designated areas;

            (c)        Excluding dogs from designated areas; and

(d)       Limiting the number of dogs a person can be incontrol of at any one time.

            A Dog Control Officer Group was established to consider guidance and develop proposals to implement Dog Control Orders in Belfast. The group is made up of officers from Health and Environmental Services Department, Parks and Leisure Department and Legal Services. As the enacting of dog control orders requires changes to existing practices and procedure, the development of staff capacity and effective communication with the public on the implications of the orders. It was decided to implement the orders in stages.

            In February 2012 the Committee further agreed that implementation of actions relating to the new dog control powers would be undertaken on a phased basis and that the initial activity would relate to section (a) of the Dog Control section of the Act (Fouling of Land by Dogs).

            At its August 2012 meeting, the Committee adopted a recommendation that a Dog Control order be made in respect of dog fouling. The Fouling of Land by Dogs (Belfast City Council) Order 2012 became operative on 1^st October 2012, replacing the old provisions in respect of dog fouling contained within the Litter (NI) Order 1994.

2.         Key Issues

            One of the objectives of the Council is to promote responsible dog ownership, not simply through enforcement, but also by undertaking a range of actions. These include educational and awareness raising activities, partnership working with schools, community groups and outside agencies and by officers working across the Council. Therefore the powers available under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act simply provide a useful additional tool to the ongoing work of the Council in seeking to address all dog related issues across the city.

            It is now proposed that the Council make a further dog control order to exclude dogs from certain areas in the city. The areas being considered are cemeteries, children’s playgrounds and playing fields or pitches.

            These areas are the responsibility of the Parks and Leisure Department and will require development of the department’s capacity to monitor compliance and to enforce.

            The guidance published by the Department of the Environment states that district councils must be able to show that this is a necessary and proportionate response to problems caused by the activities of dogs and those  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

         Work will begin this month at the City of Belfast Crematorium to replace the existing four cremators with three new ones to include mercury abatement filtration equipment.  The entire programme of installation is expected to last until April 2013. Part of the refurbishment work will include the installation of a refrigerated storage unit which can hold up to three coffins. This unit will be used to hold over coffins in the event of the breakdown of one of the cremators, or to follow best practice and carry out the cremation first thing next morning in the event of a small number of cremations being booked in that afternoon. 

         The practice of holding over cremations is not unlawful and has been followed throughout England, Scotland and Wales for a number of years. At a meeting on 17 June 2011 facilitated by the Ministry of Justice, the subject of crematoria holding over cremations was discussed by representatives of the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management, the Association of Private Crematoria and Cemeteries and the Cremation Society of Great Britain.

         At the meeting the majority of stakeholder organisations agreed in principle that the practice of holding over is acceptable in some circumstances, but that there should be a single set of guidelines for it.

         Subsequently the stakeholder organisations met and agreed a set of Guiding Principles which has been forwarded to the Committee.

         In the 52 year history of the City of Belfast Crematorium there has never been an operational procedure whereby cremations could be held over until the next day. If a break down occurred one of the other three cremators was used, or in periods of low demand a cremator was still used despite the very high cost of preheating, running it on pre-heat idle mode and using it for one cremation. In periods of high demand the staff worked late at night to ensure that all cremations were completed on the day in which they were received from the funeral church. This led to inefficient use of cremators and high overtime costs.

2       Key Issues

         The key issue is ensuring proper use of this new operating procedure at the City of Belfast Crematorium which must adhere to the Guiding Principles. By holding over cremations on the afternoons of very low numbers rather than incurring the high operating cost of starting up and running one cremator, or incurring increasing overtime, the cremation can take place first thing next morning. This will reduce the operating costs at the crematorium and lead to efficiency savings.

         For example if there is a cremation at 2pm and another one at 5pm, it would be prudent to carry out the cremation of these two coffins on different days rather than run a cremator on pre-heat idle mode after the 2pm cremation is finished for 1-2 hours and start it up again at 5pm. This is not using a cremator  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

            The Committee was united that, at its meeting on 14th June, it had acceded to a request from Shankill United Football Club to enter into a lease agreement in respect of land at the Hammer Open Space.  The Committee was reminded further that, at its meeting on 9th August, it had granted a similar request from the North Belfast Play Forum in relation to a portion of land at the Waterworks Park which was used currently as a Multi-User Games Area.  The Director of Parks and Leisure explained that both facilities were operated currently under a Facilities Management Agreement and that the leases had been required to satisfy funding conditions. Since each lease had related only to a portion of land and not its entirety, it had, therefore, been necessary to obtain approval from the Committee to vary the existing Agreements. 

            In terms of the Hammer Open Space, he reported that the existing Agreement covered the pitch area, including the floodlighting, the changing pavilion and an adjoining building which was used for meetings and post-match refreshments. Under the revised Agreement the pitch area, including the floodlighting, would be leased to Shankill United Football Club. That would necessitate their removal from the current Facilities Management Agreement relating to the Hammer Open Space and a corresponding reduction in the maintenance fee.

            He reported further that the existing Facilities Management Agreement relating to the Multi-User Games Area at the Waterworks Park incorporated the pitch area and the adjacent small pavilion and storage area.  The North Belfast Play Forum would, in future, lease the pitch area, however, as the pavilion was not suitable for use as a changing facility, the Forum had concluded that it was not in a position to undertake the liability associated with the building in its current state and was content to use it as office accommodation, from which it would co-ordinate the use of the pitch.  It would avail also of the storage area.  It had been agreed that the Council would continue with its management and maintenance responsibilities in relation to the fencing surrounding the pitch area.  However, the floodlight columns were located outside the boundary of the pitch and it was, therefore, proposed that responsibility for them would remain with the Council but the utility costs would be met by the Forum.

            After discussion, the Committee approved the variation of the existing Facilities Management Agreements in respect of the North Belfast Play Forum and the Hammer Open Space, as outlined.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

         The Committee is reminded that at its meetings in March, April and October 2011 it received reports outlining proposals from Suffolk Football Club to upgrade the existing playing pitch and changing facilities at the site. 

         Members will recall that the Club had initially sought, and subsequently received, approval from the Council to bring an existing unused pitch, at Suffolk Playing Fields, into use through the provision of new drainage.  The Club further proposed to erect a spectator rail and enclose the new pitch with a security fence.  It was noted that the pitch would be used by Suffolk Football Club.  The Council did not make a financial contribution to the works which were undertaken with support through Alpha funding obtained through Groundwork NI.  On the foot of this the Council agreed to enter into a seven year management agreement with the Club in respect of the pitch on the basis that the Club would at its own expense undertake the management and maintenance of the pitch and associated fencing.  This work was completed and the pitch is available for use.    

         In the report in April 2011 it had been reported that the club had aspirations to further develop the site and construct separate changing facilities to service the new pitch.  This would allow the club to meet the ground requirements of the Intermediate League and enable its progression to higher league within the Soccer structure.    

         In October 2011 it was reported that the Club had been presented with an opportunity to acquire two pre-used modular buildings, one of which would provide a changing facility to service the upgraded pitch and the other to function as a meeting room for pre and post match entertainment for travelling teams.  The Club was seeking permission to locate temporary changing facilities on the site, adjacent to the pitch and close to the former school site. 

         In the interim, the club has reconsidered the purchase of the pre-used buildings and owing to their condition and associated cost of restoration decided to consider other options such as the leasing or purchasing of new modular buildings.  The matter was considered within the West Area Working Group and although the Group saw merit in the proposal it was one of a number of competing projects for limited Local Investment Funds.  The Group agreed that other projects had a priority for West Belfast but that the Suffolk proposal as it was on a council asset be referred to the Parks and Leisure Committee for a decision on whether it wished to make recommendation to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to include in the uncommitted list of the Capital Programme the provision of a two changing room pavilion and associated meeting room.  

2       Key Issues

         There are a number of issues associated with the proposal which the Committee may wish to reflect upon in reaching a position:

1.       The Suffolk site has an existing changing pavilion which will require  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

            The Director of Parks and Leisure submitted for the Committee’s consideration a monthly progress report in relation to the ongoing refurbishment of the Mary Peters Track.  He reported that the construction of the new eight lane track had now been completed and that the newly developed field area had been re-seeded, which should enable it to be available early in the 2013 athletics season. Any earlier use of that area would be likely to damage its surface and require additional work which, in turn, could impact upon its availability next year for the World Police and Fire Games.  In addition, work on the spectators’ stand was continuing and was scheduled to be completed in January, 2013. He added that the existing management agreement between the Council and the Northern Ireland Athletics would be advertised in mid-November and that an evaluation would take place in January, 2013, with the aim of making an appointment shortly thereafter.

            The Director reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 9th August, it had agreed to the erection of a statue of Dame Mary Peters at the Track, subject to appropriate approval being granted by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and costs not exceeding £20,000.  He explained that the initial proposal had related to the provision of a bust of Dame Mary.  However, following further discussions, it had been agreed that a full body statue should be provided, which would cost an additional £5,000-£10,000. The artist would continue to provide his services at no cost to the Council.

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided.

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the Shankill Area Social History Group seeking permission to erect a piece of artwork in the grounds of the Shankill Cemetery.  The Director of Parks and Leisure reported that the feature, which would measure 1.2 metres in height and 2 metres in width, would provide a visual history of the cemetery and the surrounding Shankill area.  The artwork, which would be a permanent feature at the entrance to the Cemetery, would cost no more than £1,500 and be mounted on a concrete base.  It was envisaged that the feature would generate increased tourism in that area and provide both local people and other visitors with information on those who had been interred within the Cemetery.  A number of local groups, including Alternatives and the Youth Safety Network, had been involved in the design of the artwork. The Council had been requested to cover the cost of its installation, which would be in the region of £1,500.

            The Committee acceded to the request from the Shankill Area Social History group to erect a mosaic artwork in the grounds of the Shankill Cemetery and agreed that the Council would meet the costs associated with its installation.

            The Committee was reminded that a number of successful community gardens had been established across the City, at locations such as the Musgrave Park and the Ozone and Shankill Leisure Centres.  The Assistant Director of Parks and Leisure explained that the gardens had been very beneficial in creating a community-led approach to learning new skills and growing healthy fruit and vegetables and that they had drawn participation from all members of the community, including the young and elderly.

            She reported that a request had been received from the residents of the Northlink area of the City seeking to explore the option of establishing a similar community-led garden in Northlink Park.  That request had been generated as a result of their involvement and in visiting other gardens across the City.  Preliminary work would be required to assess the risk of contamination and the preparation of a draft landscape plan and officers would be required to engage with the local community to prepare a drawing of the garden. The combined cost of that work would be in the region of between £500 and £1,500, which would be met from current budgets.

            The Committee granted authority to draft a provisional plan and undertake a contamination risk assessment survey in relation to the proposed community-led garden at Northlink Park and noted that a report on the outcome of that work, together with the costs of creating the garden, would be submitted to a future meeting.

            The Committee was reminded that the Parks Events Small Grants Scheme had been operating successfully since 2006.  The Director of Parks and Leisure reported that the Scheme had sought initially to encourage community-based groups and bodies to hold events in parks, which, in turn, would increase their usage and instil a sense of ownership within the community. He explained that the initiative continued to be popular with community groups, churches and other organisations and that during 2012 it had been funded to the extent of £100,000, with a grant of up to a maximum of £2,250 being made available to each successful group.  A total of 45 applications had been received in that period, with 41 groups having been funded for 57 different events to be held in 29 separate locations.

            The Director of Parks and Leisure reported further that the two organisations listed below had met the criteria of the scheme and had been granted funding under the authority delegated to him and he recommended that the Committee:

(i)      approve the continuation of the Parks Events Small Grants Scheme for 2013/2014;

(ii)     agree that the fund be maintained at £100,000 and that the maximum grant available per group be increased to £3,000; and

(iii)    delegate authority to him to approve funding applications under the Scheme.

Parks Events Small Grants Scheme – Successful Applications

            The Committee noted the information on the groups which had obtained funding and adopted the recommendations.

            The Director of Parks and Leisure informed the Committee that the Northern Ireland Boys’ Football Association held each year a youth football festival at the City of Belfast Playing Fields. He reported that the organisation had submitted an application seeking the free use of the Playing Fields in respect of this year’s event which had been held on 25th August and 1st September.  As in previous years, the organisers had required access to all twenty-one pitches, which had represented an estimated loss of income of £2,014 to the Council.  He pointed out that the event had been held at that site for the past thirty-six years and, that the organisers had, as had been the case during that time, requested a financial contribution from the Council.

            The Committee granted retrospectively the free use of all facilities at the City of Belfast Playing Fields in relation to the Northern Ireland Boys’ Football Association’s Annual Youth Football Festival and agreed to provide funding in the sum of £1,500 towards the event.  The Committee delegated authority to the Director of Parks and Leisure to approve the holding of the event over the next three years, subject to the receipt of a formal request from the Association and confirmation that the arrangements would be unchanged from the previous years.

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the Director of ArtsEkta seeking the use of the Botanic Gardens for the holding of the Belfast Mela 2013 event.  The Assistant Director of Parks and Leisure reported that that was a large multi-cultural festival which, in 2012, had attracted in excess of 20,000 people from all communities across Northern Ireland.  It had developed a shared culturally rich inclusive space which connected minority ethnic and local indigenous communities and had been successful in raising cultural awareness, encouraging civic identity and promoting a positive image for Belfast and Northern Ireland. 

            She advised the Members that ArtsEkta had stated that it wished to use the Botanic Gardens between the hours of noon and 6.00 p.m. on 25th August 2013 and that a total of six days would be required to erect and dismantle all of the equipment needed for the event. Due to the current economic climate, the Director of ArtsEkta had requested permission to charge an entrance fee to the event of £3, but had highlighted the possibility of varying that amount, depending upon the success of its funding strategies.  As part of Belfast Mela 2013, alcohol could be sold within one element of the overall activities but would not be used in any promotions to maintain the main focus of the event.  She pointed out that it would be subject to an event management plan, which would cover all aspects of management, including health and safety and access and that it would comply with the Council’s current events policy.  Accordingly, she recommended that the Committee grant approval for ArtsEkta to hold the Belfast Mela event at the Botanic Gardens in August, 2013, subject to satisfactory terms being agreed by the Director of Parks and Leisure and on condition that:

(i)      the event’s organisers resolve all operational issues to the satisfaction of the Council;

(ii)     an appropriate legal agreement be prepared by the Assistant Chief Executive/Town Solicitor; and

(iii)    the event’s organisers meet all statutory requirements.

            The Committee adopted the recommendations and authorised the charging of an admission fee of £3, with authority being delegated to the Director of Parks and Leisure to vary that fee, subject to the provision by ArtsEkta of appropriate financial evidence to support that decision.

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Relevant Background Information

         The Facilities Management Unit has have identified various risk based maintenance projects within the leisure estate which are scheduled to be completed within the next twelve months.  The works outlined below are considered essential maintenance to sustain the delivery of the Leisure Service.  The extent of the work further underlines the importance of the strategic review of the leisure estate which is ongoing and will be reported to Committee in due course.

         Various additional works have also been proposed for Avoniel Leisure Centre but these will now be carried out during the current pool closure.

2       Key Issues

         At its meeting on the 11th October 2012, the Committee requested a monthly update on Avoniel Leisure Centre.

         The pool has been closed since Monday 20th August 2012 and communications have taken place with local users to advise of the closure and alternative services.  Templemore Baths is facilitating some users and we have accommodated some clubs in other centres.

         A contractor has been appointed to carry out works on the pool basin and balance tank to enable further works to repair leaks.  It is estimated that the preliminary works will start week commencing 19 November 2012.  At this stage it is anticipated that the pool will remain closed until April 2013.

         At the January 2012 Committee, Members approved the Swimming pool closure of between one and two weeks at Andersonstown Leisure Centre, during Christmas 2012 for essential planned maintenance which will involve draining, refilling and reheating of the pool.

         It is now proposed to change the closure date until January 2013 so that it coincides with the six week closure that is required to replace the floor coverings to the male and female changing and shower areas.

         The tennis courts and climbing wall at the Indoor Tennis Centre will be required to close for two weeks to enable the new floor to be installed.

         The male and female dry changing facilities at Shankill leisure centre will be required to be closed for six weeks to allow for replacement of the floor surface but customers will still be able to use the wet changing facilities during this time.

         The male and female wet changing facilities at Shankill Leisure centre will be required to close for six to eight weeks  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1        Relevant Background Information

            The Committee will recall that, at its meeting of September 2011, it had been advised of the Belfast Zoo’s success in winning three prestigious awards during the year, including the Northern Ireland Tourism Award in the ‘Visitor Inspired’ category.

            During 2012, the Zoo has continued this success with the winning of two significant marketing awards.

2          Key Issues

            At the 2012 Northern Ireland Tourism Awards, the Zoo won the award for ‘Marketing and Sales Excellence’.

            More recently, at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Awards for 2012, the Zoo won the award in the ‘Tourism and Hospitality’ category.

            Such success is noteworthy especially given the significant industry competition there is for these prestigious awards.  For instance, runners up to the Zoo at the Chartered Institute of Marketing awards included the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Titanic Belfast.

            The Committee should note the significant work the Zoo undertakes in its marketing activities, their creative approach to ongoing market research and the implementation of a successful marketing and sales strategy.  Zoo staff work closely with other tourism providers, including the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau, local hotels and, in 2012 for the first time, NI Opera. 

            The Zoo’s annual summer advertising campaign is delivered working closely with colleagues in the Parks and Leisure Department and Corporate Communications.

3          Resource Implications

            Financial

            All marketing activities for the Zoo are realised within agreed budgets. 

            Human Resources

            Resources for marketing will be addressed within recommendations from the review of the Zoo.

            Asset and Other Implications

            None identified at this time.

4          Equality and Good Relations Considerations

            Successful marketing of the Zoo has an ability to drive significant visitor numbers to the Zoo, from a variety of backgrounds, age range and abilities.

5          Recommendation

            The Committee is requested to note the contents of the report.”

Noted.