Agenda and minutes

            An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor Cunningham.

            The minutes of the meeting of 5th December were taken as read and signed as correct. It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 6th January, subject to the omission of the minute under the heading ‘Cherryvale Playing Fields’ which, at the request of the Deputy Lord Mayor (Alderman Stalford), and with the permission of the Council, had been referred back to the Committee for further consideration.

            No declarations of interest were reported.

             The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 14th November, it had agreed to write to the Tourism Minister, Mrs. A. Foster, MLA, requesting that she consider providing financial support to assist the Council in the running of the Belfast Zoo. The Committee had noted that the political parties at the Northern Ireland Assembly had, in October, urged the Environment Minister, Mr. M. H. Durkan, MLA, to provide funding to Exploris, which was owned and managed by Ards Borough Council, in order to avert its proposed closure. The parties at the Assembly had considered that Exploris was a unique facility which was utilised by people from across Northern Ireland and, as such, could be entitled to direct funding.  The Committee was of the view that, given its regional importance, the Belfast Zoo should be considered eligible for similar assistance. 

            The Committee was informed that a response had been received from the Tourism Minister’s office which had pointed out that the Zoo, like other attractions in Northern Ireland, could apply for funding through the full range of schemes which were administered by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. The Minister had acknowledged that the Zoo was an important asset for both residents and visitors and that it continued to deliver high standards.  However, she had indicated that the provision of direct funding for the Zoo was not under consideration.  

            After discussion, during which the Director outlined the extent of capital assistance which the Tourist Board had provided to the Council to assist in the development of the Zoo, the Committee noted the information which had been provided. 

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 6th January, had referred the minute of the meeting of 5th December, under the heading ‘Cherryvale Playing Fields – 3G Pitch’, back to the Committee to enable consideration to be given to a further option which had been formulated.  Accordingly, the Committee reconsidered the undernoted extract of the minute of the meeting of 5th December, together with an additional report, as set out also, and a further proposal with outline maps, which had been submitted earlier that day by another group of local residents:

                  Committee Meeting of 5th December

“Cherryvale Playing Fields – 3G Pitch

      The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 2nd December, had referred back the minute of the meeting of 5th November, under the heading ‘Cherryvale Playing Fields’, to enable further consideration to be given to options which had been formulated by local residents.  Accordingly, the Committee reconsidered the undernoted extract of the minute of the special meeting of 5th November, together with an additional report, as set out, which had been tabled for the Committee’s consideration:

‘Cherryvale Playing Fields

      The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 10th October, it had agreed to defer consideration of a report in respect of the establishment of a 3G pitch within the Cherryvale Playing Fields. That decision had been taken to enable the Committee to undertake a study visit to the facility on Saturday, 19th October, and to receive deputations at and a further special meeting on Tuesday, 5th November.

      Accordingly, the Committee considered the undernoted report in this regard:

‘1        Relevant Background Information

           The Committee is reminded that at its meeting in October 2013 it received a report regarding proposals on pitch development at Cherryvale Playing Fields. Following representation from some residents and users of the playing fields expressing their objections and concerns to the proposal the Committee agreed to defer the report to allow for a site visit to the playing fields and to receive representation from groups affected by the proposals.  The groups invited include:

1.       Sports clubs who use the facilities;

2.       Residents from Knock Eden who live immediately adjacent to the playing fields; 

3.       Other users of the playing fields who are not affiliated to any of the sporting codes; and

4.       Those who are opposed to the installation of artificial turf pitch on the playing fields;

           Option 2 of that report (Proposed Agreed Option from Sporting Codes) reflects the optimal sporting solution given the land and financial parameters.  It enables a full size artificial turf floodlit pitch to be provided on the site which will enable all three sporting codes use of the facility. 

           There is opposition amongst some residents and users to the construction of an artificial floodlit pitch in the playing fields.  However, there is also a lobby which is in support of the investment on the site but opposed to its location as outlined in option 2. 

           Additional Option to locate artificial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

(Mr. R. Cregan, Director of Finance and Resources, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered a report, which had been prepared by the Director of Finance and Resources, regarding its Estimates of Revenue Expenditure for the Financial Year 2014/2015.  A copy of that section of the report, in so far as it related specifically to the Parks and Leisure Department, is set out hereunder:

“Parks and Leisure Committee

2.9    A spending limit of £23,971,115 is recommended for the Department in respect of the financial year 2014/15. This represents a decrease of 0.5% on last year.

         The main budgetary intentions of the Department for next year are set out below:

         There are a number of areas where change has occurred from last year.

2.11  Increased costs

         Additional costs of £117,813 must be borne by the Department in respect of superannuation increased provision.

2.12  Increased electricity, gas and water charges have been provided based on current projections of costs which have added £137,252 to the budget.

         Income

2.13  The leisure centres have projected growth in income for 2014/15 due to a review of charging policies and also a focus on retention and loyalty within the service.  £108k of additional income has been provided in the estimate.

2.14  Belfast Castle and Malone House have both reflected no growth in income from fees and charges for 2014/15. The franchise fee for each site has also been reduced as aftermarket testing through a tendering process the fee received is down £111k overall. A reduction of income of £31,000 and £70,000 for Malone House and Belfast Castle respectively has been reflected in the estimates.

2.15  Income from High Hedges legislation has not been received as the majority of the work has been to give advice and support and very few legal challenges have taken place.  The provision of £54k income has been taken out of the 2014/15 estimate.

2.16  The Cemeteries and Crematorium income is up by 7% to reflect in the increased income in relation to increases in charges as per previous committee decisions.  The crematorium income has also increased significantly due to the availability of extra slots each week as a result of the new opening hours.

2.17  It is projected that income from fees associated with the enforcement of Dog Control orders will result in £50k of income for the service and this has been provided it the estimates

2.18  The department has delivered efficiencies as it has been able to absorb additional operating requirements in relation to new and refurbished assets under the investment programme Efficiency savings have been delivered in relation to agency and overtime reductions and the more effective procurement of contracts.

3       Recommendations

3.1    The Parks and Leisure Committee is requested to note the contents of the report and agree the cash limit for the Parks and Leisure Committee for 2014/15 of £ 23,971,115.

APPENDIX  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1  Relevant Background Information

         Over the last number of years officers have been working on a phased approach to cemetery and crematorium development in the city.  This has been based on an analysis of available data, trend information and the development of a robust plan to meet current and future service requirements.  Members will also be aware that since the process to identify new burials grounds began the Council has acquired additional land at Roselawn and it is estimated that at the current rate of burial there is sufficient land available to cater for the burial needs of Belfast for the next 35 years approximately.

         As part of the approach to cemetery and crematorium development we have been engaged in a process to identify a site for development as a new cemetery.  Members will be aware that discussions have been ongoing around a potential site at Dundrod. 

         The site at Dundrod came to the Council through an expression of interest exercise which the Council initiated.  This site was put forward by an agent acting on behalf of a business man who holds an option on the site.  Officers from the Parks and Leisure Department, Legal Services and the Estates Management Unit have held a number of meetings with the party who holds an option on the site along with their agent.  The Council is aware of who the landowners are but at this point have had no direct dealings with them. 

2       Key Issues

         Initial testing carried out on the Dundrod site showed that the site has some potential for use as a cemetery but that further more detailed Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 hydro-geological tests are required to establish with greater certainty the amount of land available on the site for burial purposes.  Prior to undertaking these tests it was agreed that due to their cost it would be advisable to first undertake a number of further feasibility studies on the site. 

         These were:

·        Hydrogeological Assessment of Land for Cemetery Development prepared by McLorinan Consulting Ltd

·        Lands at Dundrod – Stage 1&2 Planning Report’ prepared by Fleming Mounstephen Planning

·        As assessment of the sight lines required at the proposed site entrance which was prepared in house.

         These studies have shown that there remain issues with the site, several of which have the potential to make the site unsuitable for development as a new cemetery and thus require further investigation.  Of particular concern are:

·        Roads Service has advised that the provision of suitable access arrangement to the site appeared on preliminary review to be potentially problematic.  The Roads Service would require the provision of a right turn filter lane at the site.  This would require the re-engineering of the roadway.

·        A secondary access at Carnaghliss Road would almost certainly be unacceptable to Roads Service except as an ‘emergency access’.  The main entrance to the site is on the Ulster Grand Prix circuit and the provision of  a secondary access during race week  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0    Relevant Background Information

           At its meeting on 10th November 2011, Committee agreed to the establishment of an inspection process in line with current best practice for all appropriate water retaining structures.

           Northern Ireland is currently in the process of developing a Reservoirs Bill similar to the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011.The Bill will have its First Stage / Introduction on 20^th January 2014, when a copy of the Bill will be made public and is expected to become an Act in 2015.

           Under the terms of current Rivers Agency classification, Belfast City Council have five Reservoirs that require Inspection and they are:

·               Waterworks Upper Pond

·               Waterworks Lower Pond

·               Alexandra Park

·               Boodles Dam, Ligoniel Park

·               Half Moon Lake, Suffolk Road

           The current ‘best practice’ is the Reservoirs Act 1975 and council commissioned Section 10 Reports for each of the above structures. These reports were carried out by URS Infrastructure and Environment Ltd.

2.0      Key Issues

           The reports make a series of recommendations for each site. Some of these are maintenance issues e.g. cutting grass, tree pruning and general clearance which are carried out as part of everyday duties.

           The most significant recommendation however relates to Boodles Dam, were it is recommended that this impoundment be abandoned because of the nature of the ground above it. In 1996 Doran Consulting produced a report on ground movement within Ligoniel Country Park.  Remedial work was undertaken at that time which included reducing the water stored in the impoundment and the installation of deep seated drainage throughout the park.  Doran Consulting monitor the park on an annual basis and it remains relatively stable.  However given the history and the nature of the ground above the impoundment it is now proposed that it be abandoned and the area landscaped.  A proposal and costing will be presented to Committee in due course.

           In addition the Act places a responsibility on Reservoir owners to carry out monthly and six monthly inspections. The Supervising Engineer is to carry out 6 monthly inspections until the remedial works in have been completed. The other inspections can be incorporated alongside existing inspections by Council staff.

           Further, Inspections must be carried out by the Supervising Engineer once a year and a Panel Engineer every ten years. The dates for these repeat inspections by the Panel Engineer are set in the various reports and vary from June 2021 to April 2023.

3.0      Resource Implications

           Finance

           At present there is only one Panel Engineer in Northern Ireland (see explanation below), URS. Therefore Council will use URS for any further annual and 10 yearly inspections. At current rates, each of these inspections is £3000 per inspection per site.

            Human Resources

           Staff from the Landscape Planning and Development Unit within the Parks and Leisure Department will be required to engage and liaise with URS during the procurement and execution of the works.

4.0      Recommendations

           Members are asked to give authority to the Director of Parks and Leisure to proceed with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

            The Director outlined the principal aspects of the Irish Football Association’s Strategic Plan for the period from 2013 till 2018, entitled ‘We’re not Brazil, We’re Northern Ireland’.  He indicated that the Association would seek to promote, foster and develop football for everyone in Northern Ireland and it had identified six long-term objectives in order to achieve its aims.  The Director gave an overview of the strategic aims within the document and he outlined how the Council could work in partnership with the Association on a number of projects in the foreseeable future.

            After discussion, the Committee welcomed the publication of the Strategic Plan and noted the information which had been provided.

            The Committee was reminded that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had, at its meeting on 24th August, 2012, authorised the issuing of a Development Brief for the redevelopment of the derelict Gate Lodge at the Whiterock Road entrance to the City Cemetery, opposite to the Westrock Estate. The Director reported that one proposal had been submitted, which the assessment panel had determined had not fulfilled the criteria as set out within the Brief and, accordingly, it had been rejected. Therefore, the Director outlined the undernoted options for the Committee’s consideration in respect of the site:

·        Option 1 – to authorise officers to engage further with the proposed developer to ascertain additional information regarding the nature of the development and to submit a further report to the Committee in due course; or 

·        Option 2 – to agree to place the property on the open market for sale through a firm of chartered surveyors, with no restrictions placed on its use or the nature of development of the site; or

·        Option 3 – to agree that officers be granted authority to consider alternative uses for the site, which could, potentially, include the demolition of the property, landscaping of the site and its incorporation within the Cemetery. 

            The Committee agreed to adopt option three as outlined, subject to further consultation being undertaken with locally Elected Members and adjacent communities. It was noted that a report would be submitted for the Committee’s consideration at the conclusion of that exercise.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1       Relevant Background Information

           The Committee is asked to note that there is an existing Facilities Management Agreement in respect of Lenadoon Park in West Belfast.  This agreement is currently held by the the Lenadoon Community Forum.  This agreement is subject to a month by month renewal in line with the existing Council position on Facilities Management Agreements. 

           Members are asked to note that the Forum has previously secured funding from Sport NI to construct a changing pavilion on land adjacent to the park, The intention was that this pavilion would be used by the Forum to support local clubs by providing modern changing facilities and meeting / reception area.  This building is currently owned by the Forum and is known locally as the Lenadoon Sports Centre.  In order to construct the building a strip of Council owned land, which formed part of the Lenadoon Park was required, This strip of land was subsequently leased to the forum under a 99 year lease agreement.  .

           The Forum has advised Council Officers that following an internal reconstitution the Forum concluded that the Lenadoon Sports Centre and the facility managed playing field would benefit from being managed through a more focused and dedicated organisation within the Community.  The Forum has proposed the newly formed Lenadoon Amateur Sports Community Interest Company CIC to undertake the ownership and management of both the Sports Centre and the football pitch in Lenadoon Park and has requested that the Council transfer both a) the existing FMA; and b) the Lease Agreement to the Lenadoon Amateur Sports Community Interest Company and part of the pavilion was subsequently constructed upon this land. 

           Officers have met with local elected representatives, the Forum and the Community Interest Community and have obtained the relevant documentation which would enable the transfer to take place.  This information is currently being reviewed by our Estates management Unit and Legal Services. 

2         Key Issues

           The Committee is asked to note the following points: 

1.     There is provision within Facility Management Agreement for assignment / transfer, however, this has not been widely used;

2.     The newly formed CIC is aware of the Council’s proposal to terminate these agreements;

3.     Subsequently discussions have established the Lenadoon Community Forum has recently re-established itself as a Limited company and therefore this should technically be reflected in the FMA;

4.     The lease agreement relates to the recently constructed Lenadoon Sports Centre, part of the building currently sits on top of the leased land; the transfer of the building is subject to Sport NI approval, as the funding body, however, Sport NI has indicated that it will not consider the transfer until the new CIC has secured the lease on the land;

5.     The transfer of the lease requires approval from Strategic Policy & Resources Committee and a report on this will be presented to that Committee by Estates Management setting out the detail of the transfer;

6.     Members are asked to note that whilst there is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Committee was reminded that the Council had, since 1994, provided funding to the Templemore Users’ Trust to oversee the management of the Templemore Baths. The Director reminded the Members that the agreement had enabled the Trust to maintain, on behalf of the Council, the operation of the building, carry out minor repairs and maintenance, meet utility and insurance costs and undertake chemical treatment of the pool.  That agreement, he added, which had been endorsed by the Committee in 2009, was due to expire on 31st March, 2014.

            The Director reported that the Templemore Users’ Trust had applied to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for funding to assist in the restoration of the baths and there existed a possibility that, should that application be successful, the Council, as the owner of the building, might be requested to match fund such a project.  In addition, he indicated that the Trust had undertaken discussions with the Council regarding the potential to extend the baths to provide additional swimming provision in east Belfast as part of the Council’s Leisure Transformation Programme. The Committee was reminded that the extent of leisure provision in that part of the City had, as yet, to be determined as part of the Programme. However, he pointed out that the role of the Templemore Baths would have to be considered as part of the Council’s wider leisure provision.

The Director recommended, therefore, that the Committee agree that the current agreement be extended for a three-year period, at a cost of £190,000 per annum, commencing on 1st April, 2014, with an option to extend that arrangement for a further two years, at the same cost, if deemed appropriate. 

The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Director reported that a request for a financial contribution of £5,000 had been received from the Mary Peters Trust for the financial year 2014/2015.  He explained that the Trust provided small grants to individual applicants in order to assist them to achieve excellence in their chosen sport.  He reminded the Committee that, in previous years, it had approved a contribution of £5,000 to the Trust under the expenditure powers which the Council possessed under Section 37 of the Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011.  He reported that, should the Committee accede to the request, it should pass a resolution in this regard to the effect that the contribution made would provide direct benefit to the City and its citizens, commensurate with the payment made.  Accordingly, he recommended that the Committee accede to the request.

After discussion, it was

      Resolved – That the Committee agrees to contribute £5,000 to the Mary Peters Trust for the financial year 2014/2015, under the specialised powers which exist under Section 37 of the Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011, it being the opinion of the Committee that the expenditure would be in the interest of, and would bring direct benefit to, the City and its citizens, with the Committee being satisfied that the direct benefit so accruing would be commensurate with the payment to be made.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1     Background Information

         Background

         As part of the Departmental Improvement programme a number of operational efficiency reviews have been ongoing since January 2012 and have resulted in recommended improvements being approved by Committee.  This report sets out recommendations from an operational review of the department’s Mobile Playground / Litter Attendants.

         Current Situation – Inspection of Playgrounds and litter lifting.

         At present there are 8 teams consisting of 3 Mobile Playground/Litter Attendants per team. The main role of the squads is to travel between each playground/ open space/ car park on their routes, picking up litter and glass and inspecting each playground for defects and making play apparatus safe.  Repairs that are required are noted and forwarded to Property Maintenance for the repair to be undertaken. Teams operate in North, West, South and East Belfast and provide a seven day inspection and litter collection service.  For minor repairs this is an inefficient practice as playground equipment may be rendered unusable for a number of weeks until the repair is undertaken. Defects, such as small holes in the wet pour rubber surfacing at playgrounds, can attract further vandalism and the minor repair can escalate into a larger more costly repair.

         A Review of the Mobile Playground Inspectors was undertaken to consider how the role could be adjusted to be more efficient and effective.  The review involved meetings with staff and trade unions and determined that the Mobile Playground/Litter teams could, with the appropriate training and access to the necessary tools and equipment, conduct a number of minor repairs and undertake additional duties, including grass cutting, weed spraying and the use of appropriate Information Systems to support the process.

2.      Key Issues

·        It is anticipated that the response time for minor repairs and time taken to complete minor repairs will be reduced compared to the current situation and this will reduce the potential for costly compensation claims, currently £206k per annum.

·        Playground equipment will be out of action less often as the squads will be able to complete temporary repairs rather than ‘taping off’ units, awaiting repair.

·        In some instances the size and cost of the repair will be minimised e.g. where small holes appear in the wet pour rubber safety surface.  If these are repaired quickly it will deter vandals from making the situation worse and therefore increasing the cost to the Council to repair.

·        The addition of minor repair responsibilities and additional horticultural duties will enhance the job role, skills will be enriched and post-holders will experience greater job satisfaction and ‘ownership of the locations’ on their routes.

·        It is proposed that supervision of the Mobile Playground Inspectors on the ground remains with the Parks Operational Managers and that there is a central role created within the Landscape, Planning and Development Unit to oversee the maintenance of playgrounds and to have oversight of incident reports and public liability claims.  This new central focus on maintenance will be aligned to the current inspections regime which forms  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.      Relevant Background Information

           Members will be aware that funding was granted to the Council by SEUPB in August 2008 for the purposes of building an outdoor urban sport facility located between Little Patrick Street and Corporation Street under the M3 flyover bridge. The total project cost of £500,000 was:

·        £390,000 funded by SEUPB under measure 2.1 of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation 2007-2013

·        £80,000 funded by Belfast City Council through the Capital Build Programme

·        £50,000 funded through the Brighter Belfast Landfill Tax Credits Scheme.

           The development period of the Urban Sports Park ended on 31 December 2013.

2.        Key Issues

           Since May 2011 regular sports events, activities and programmes have been running at the park including 25 cross community events, 6 cross border events, 24 formal competitions, and 12 events involving community and voluntary groups throughout Belfast with an emphasis on involving a wide range of organisations from neighbourhood renewal areas throughout all parts of the City.

           A further 120 events were staged focussing on outreach work and coaching, and a wide range of volunteers have been trained and have sought employment in the increasing popular urban sports industry.  By targeting local neighbourhood and community and voluntary organisations we ensure that all events and activities are representative of all community backgrounds.

           A project evaluation has been completed and sent to Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).  All programme expenditure including capital, marketing, programme and staff costs has been drawn down to date.

           A further claim is to be made in relation to expenditure occurred between October 2013 and December 2013. This claim will be submitted in January 2014.

           The key strengths to the project are as follows:

·        Good partnership approach from the beginning of the project until project closure;

·        Achievement of all KPI’s within budget;

·        A healthy focus on providing volunteering opportunities for young people and providing / enabling pathways to further training, education and / or employment;

·        Detailed communications plan drawn up and the use of social media to promote and highlight the regular events, activities and programmes that occurred through the Peace III Bridges Urban Sports Park project.

           Importantly, according to user surveys, the park was attractive and reached a key group of young, male adults who are often not accessing mainstream leisure provision.  Also of note, is the accredited pathway for volunteers which has targeted young people not in training, employment or education and enabled them to access paid opportunities in the emerging urban sports industry.

           The evaluation report also noted a number of areas for future development including the potential to improve monitoring of participants, who use the facility as well as the potential to seek funding for increased facilities e.g. toilets, seating areas, power generators.

           The report recommends that the partnership arrangements with the urban sports organisations BUS and No Limat continue, in order to support a comprehensive management plan for the park.  No Limat is a community interest company who are responsible for managing events in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

            The Director sought and was granted authority to instigate a tendering exercise for the provision of an annual funfair at the Boucher Road Playing Fields, for a period of two years commencing in 2014, with an option to extend any agreement for a further two years until 2018. It was noted that the estimated income which would be generated by such an agreement would be approximately £20,000 per annum.  The Committee noted that the evaluation criteria would be based on both cost and quality and that the contract would be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender received.  The Committee authorised also the Director to award the tender in line with the evaluation criteria.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1       Relevant Background Information

           The purpose of this report is to update Members on the progress of the KESUE project, approved by Committee in February 2012. 

           The KESUE project was led by QUB and part funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) knowledge exchange programme, in conjunction with Belfast City Council (BCC) and a number of key partners across Belfast and Northern Ireland (NI).

2         Key Issues

           The main aim of the KESUE project was to extend the ‘walk-ability’ research to cover the entire BCC area.   

           The objectives of the project were specifically to:

·        Develop the real walkability network (RWN) and the walkability model as a policy-support tool for increasing physical activity across Belfast;

·        Identify further opportunities for implementing the walkability model in other settlements across NI; and

·        Disseminate the use of GIS based walkability tools in other UK cities.

           The KESUE project was completed over a period of 12 months.

           The Council has gained valuable experience and knowledge of the purpose and the potential of GIS based walk-ability models.  For example, the research was used to inform park management policy, evaluating the potential benefits of maintaining 24 hour access within the parks that make up the Connswater Community Greenway (CCG). 

           The results and analysis of the KESUE project were presented via workshops in NI, Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Great Britain, where other local authorities and government agencies recognised BCC’s involvement as progressive and forward thinking.

           There are a number of ways in which the research could be applied in the future, including:

·        Development of a comparative ‘walk-ability’ measure/ indicator, to provide an overall assessment of how conducive a neighbourhood is to walking.  This will feed into future developments around local area planning;

·        Application of a citywide walk-ability index as part of an active travel strategy for the Active Belfast programme;

·        Investigation of the impact of interface barriers in terms of accessibility and connectivity, and the impact of opening and closing gates on service provision;

·        Assessment of the benefits of new infrastructure projects, e.g. at the impact of new footbridges such as the Sam Thompson Bridge in East Belfast.

           The KESUE project has highlighted the real value of collaborative and integrated partnership working between the education sector, the Council and other statutory agencies in promoting healthy cities. 

           A final workshop has been organised for the KESUE project in Belfast which will take place on 17 February 2014, giving BCC the opportunity to showcase some of the excellent case study work generated.  A final recommendations report will be prepared following this workshop.

5         Recommendation

           Members are asked to note the content of the report and support the final workshop on 17 February 2014.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Director reminded the Committee that the Belfast in Bloom competition, which had been established in 1994, was a major project which sought to enhance the appearance of the City. He reported that 2014 would be the 20th anniversary of the commencement of the competition and each year the Council hosted an event for the winners of each category in both the community and commercial sectors. He added that the initiative had in 2013 generated income for the Council of £35,000. 

            Accordingly, he sought the Committee’s authority to host an awards ceremony for the 2013 Belfast in Bloom winners, which would serve also as the official launch for the 2014 competition, at a cost of £3,500, provision for which had been made within the departmental budget.

            The Committee granted the authority sought.

            The Assistant Director reported that it had come to the Department’s attention that the Link Community Organisation had erected a number of mosaic murals on fencing at the South Link Park, which was owned by the Council. She explained that prior permission from the Council had not been sought by the organisation and, subsequently, it had written to apologise for the oversight and to seek retrospective approval.  She added that officers from the Department had inspected the murals, which were of a cultural and sporting nature, and had deemed them to be in keeping with, and an enhancement to, the site.

            The Committee agreed to grant retrospective approval for the erection of the murals and authorised expenditure in the sum of approximately £600 to enable additional work to be undertaken to secure the murals to the fencing.

            The Director reported that the Department had received a request from the fishing club which was based in the Waterworks Park seeking permission to name its cabin the ‘Anglers’ Cabin’.

            The Director reminded the Committee that, in August, 2008, it had adopted a policy to oversee the naming of parks and leisure facilities within the City. He pointed out that the policy did not apply to the naming of parts of parks, buildings or facilities and he suggested that the Committee might wish to exercise its discretion in considering the request. 

            The Committee acceded to the request.

            The Director reported that correspondence had been received from the Belfast and District Amalgamated Committee of the Apprentice Boys of Derry requesting the use of the car park at Alderman Tommy Patton Memorial Park as an assembly point for its annual parade on Easter Monday, 21st April, 2014.  The District Amalgamated Committee had sought also access to the Pavilion for the use of the toilets.  The Director pointed out that the Pavilion was operated as part of a Facilities Management Agreement and, as such, permission would be required to be sought from the agreement holder.  He provided an overview of the arrangements which would be put in place to oversee the management of the activity on the day.

            Accordingly, the Committee agreed to grant the use of the facility as requested, subject to the following terms and conditions, namely, that:

·        the event organisers resolve all operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction;

·        an appropriate legal agreement, which would be prepared by the Town Solicitor, be completed; and

·        the event organisers would meet all statutory requirements, including health and safety matters, to the Council’s satisfaction.