Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1  Relevant Background Information

 

1.1              Introduction to Renewing the Routes Programme

 

            The Renewing the Routes Programme is an innovative regeneration intervention that targets arterial routes and surrounding communities within Belfast. Since 2004 the Programme has facilitated the investment of approximately £6 million across the key routes. This investment has acted as a catalyst for the delivery of a range of projects which were implemented over the programme period including: over 400 commercial frontage improvements; lighting schemes; environmental improvements; public realm work; public art projects; community arts projects; landscaping; alleygating schemes; installation of tourism blades; façade cleaning and improvements to existing railings.

 

1.2       In July 2010, Council agreed to carry forward the proposed £300,000 budget for arterial routes improvement projects into 2011/12, to allow for the detailed analysis and prioritisation of proposed activity across all 18 designated arterial routes.

 

1.2              Future Renewing the Routes Programme

 

            The Committee endorsed a methodology to prioritise the arterial routes which was developed on the basis of securing a longer-term rolling programme of local regeneration activity across the city. The survey of approximately 9,000 buildings and sites covering 62km of arterial routes is now complete for all arterial routes and the draft findings
have been presented to Members at a series of party briefings, as agreed at Committee. The feedback from Members supported the strategic consideration of these areas and is incorporated into the report.

 

1.4       Potential broader local regeneration activity

 

            The Committee also approved the consideration of the potential for a framework which would allow Council to consider the scope for additional activity beyond that proposed for prioritised arterial route areas. This also formed part of the discussions with Members at the party briefings and the feedback is shown in this report.

 

2          Key Issues

 

2.1       Review of Activity

 

            During the party briefings Members expressed support for the works carried out under the programme which had already achieved transformations along parts of the key arterial routes and the potential for the continuation of this activity alongside the introduction of additional targeted local regeneration activity.

 

2.2       Arterial Routes Core Programme

 

            The detailed arterial routes analysis was presented to Members at party group briefings. The sessions generated detailed area-specific comments and queries in addition to the general feedback, which is summarised below:

 

-     the process of assessment was supported in terms of how it contributed to the local context of each arterial route;

 

-     a number of the groups suggested that the physical improvement focus of the work should be reflected in the data by emphasising the potential for the activity to transform an area’s visual appearance;

 

-     it was also suggested that the programme should be steered by important local factors such as complementarity with other activity; local neighbourhood focus or role; and the potential viability of what Renewing the Routes can achieve in targeted areas.

 

-     As part of the prioritisation/survey process, and following discussions with members, it was felt that the past omission of Sandy Row from consideration represented an anomaly from the designated routes based on BMAP definitions.  Following a subsequent detailed survey the results suggested that the area exhibited all the characteristics of an arterial route, but was not designated under BMAP due to it’s proximity to the city centre. Sandy Row has now been assessed on the same basis as the other arterial routes considered as part of the prioritisation process and members have been given the option to consider the merits of including the area as part of the proposed programme as per Table 1a below

 

-     Members also noted that the budget of £150,000 (including fees) for each area was smaller than that afforded by the recent Integrated Development Fund.

 

-     It was also noted that Integrated Development Plans for each of the nodes would be brought back to Committee with estimated costs.

 

2.3       This feedback has been fed into the proposed programme shown below. This proposed programme is dependent on Committee’s endorsement to enable work preparation for implementation activities to resume in the current financial year.

 

            TABLE 1a:

 

            Option 1. Proposed Core Programme with the inclusion of Sandy Row as an arterial route.

 

Year	Area	Location
2011/12	Antrim Road 2	New Lodge Road to Oceanic Ave
	Sandy Row	Donegall Road to Grosvenor Rd
	Castlereagh Street 1	Albertbridge Rd to Beersbridge Rd
	Grosvenor Road 1	Westlink to Falls Road
2012/13	Ormeau Road 1	DonegallPass to Stranmillis Embankment
	Newtownards Road 2	Witham Street to Beersbridge Rd
2013/14	York Road/Shore Road 4	LowwoodPark to Shore Crescent
	Falls Road/Glen Road 6	Kennedy Way to RamoanGardens

 

            or

 

            TABLE 1b:

 

            Option 2.  Proposed Core Programme.  Programme based exclusively on the originally designated routes.

 

Year	Area	Location
2011/12	Antrim Road 2	New Lodge Road to Oceanic Ave
	Ormeau Road 1	DonegallPass to Stranmillis Embankment
	Castlereagh Street 1	Albertbridge Rd to Beersbridge Rd
	Grosvenor Road 1	Westlink to Falls Road
2012/13	Donegall Road 1	Bradbury Place to DonegallRoadRailwayBridge
	Newtownards Road 2	Witham Street to Beersbridge Rd
2013/14	York Road/Shore Road 4	LowwoodPark to Shore Crescent
	Falls Road/Glen Road 6	Kennedy Way to RamoanGardens

 

2.6       Members will note that the prioritisation methodology was previously agreed by Committee. Stage 1 encompassed the detailed survey and assessment of all the identified routes (through physical, economic and social indicators) to provide a basis for the comparison of individual areas and initial prioritisation. Stage 2 comprised the further prioritisation taking into account the party briefing’s strategic influences for the individual study areas.

 

2.7       Streetscape Proposals

 

            For Members’ information: an initial approach has been made to Council from the East, West and Shankill Partnership Boards seeking technical assistance in delivering a number of public realm and local regeneration projects.  A bid has been submitted by the Partnership Boards for support from the Executive (via the Social Investment Fund) and following further developmental work around specific roles and responsibilities a report will be brought back to Committee for consideration.

 

2.8       Future Local Regeneration Activity

 

            The June 2010 Committee endorsed the investigation of the potential for local regeneration activity outside the current prioritised arterial routes programme.

 

2.9       As part of the briefings the potential scope and type of arterial work in other commercial areas or local neighbourhoods was discussed to refine where there could be the opportunity for additional activity. 

 

2.10     The current programme focuses on arterial routes in recognition of their important local role and their collective value as important drivers for the physical, economic and social sustainability of the city as a whole.  Developing a local regeneration framework that could support the expansion of activity beyond the existing target areas would require a different approach to prioritisation.  A focus on activity in local or neighbourhood hubs was however recognised as offering the potential for integrated working across the Council and beyond, especially in the context of the ongoing RPA and the new power of well-being for Council. 

 

2.11     In terms of taking this agenda forward, it is important that it proceeds in the context of the development of the Council's overall place-shaping agenda and the development of a city resourcing plan.  These issues were discussed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at its meeting on 4 March.  The Committee discussed the need to ‘work in partnership and form strategic alliances to ensure continued investment in the City during this period of austerity and to secure necessary resources to make things happen, with a greater focus on delivery.’   The Committee recognised that this conversation needs to include a focus on projects that are significant both at a city and a neighbourhood level.  The Committee agreed a number of workstreams, including looking at the issue of neighbourhood investment.  Issues raised by the Renewing the Routes project including the further development of the framework to identify its broader applications will be fed into this workstream and a report will be brought back to the Committee for further consideration.

 

2.12     The broader approach could be developed with a local regeneration focus through the alignment of activity to address the local issues and priorities with the objective of providing a visible and responsive service.  This targeted approach could support integrated local delivery through a joined-up approach linking resources or intervention more effectively. The approach to prioritisation and identification would, however, need to focus potential activities from across the organisation to support community and economic development linking to other programmes such as safety, tourism, arts, economic development and initiatives for Council owned property or assets.

 

2.13     Draft Framework

 

            To guide the continued work, a draft framework has been developed to provide a mechanism to explore the links between the scope for the local regeneration activity based on existing hubs and the interaction with the work of the Council and other organisations.  The framework has two distinct strands.

 

2.14     (1)   ‘Local Neighbourhoods’ Activity

 

            The first strand seeks to define areas in the city where there may be the potential to carry out physical regeneration.  Local focus areas outside of the defined arterial routes are now being identified to explore the potential for similar regeneration activity to support broader targeted interventions. 

 

2.15     Although not on the key arterial routes, these areas can be categorised by the existence of commercial or service cores which support a wider community or neighbourhood.  These areas will be surveyed to support any prioritisation on a similar basis to that used for the arterial routes.

 

2.16     Although these areas are not formally designated under any land use or operational policies, they are generally located outside or on the fringes of the main business areas of the city where they may act as natural hubs.  These areas could comprise of  ‘Neighbourhood Areas’ containing elements of community interaction with active functions such as the commercial areas on Donegal Pass or Shaws Road and ‘Local Areas’ that are smaller with less commercial presence but perform an important role as a community focus such as Short Strand and Ballysillan.

 

2.17     (2)   Additional Activity

 

            The second strand of work is intended to identify the potential alignment with other activity of programmes to support a prioritisation based on the integration of activity.  As a basis for any expansion activities the Committee may wish to consider opportunities to support current activities where additional funding or scope for collaboration exists. This work will embrace the current work being carried out in and around ‘local area working’.

 

2.18     Any proposals for additional activity will be brought back to Committee for consideration and should maintain the characteristics of the targeted physical regeneration, with the potential for improvement and impact.

 

2.19     Next Steps – Local Neighbourhoods activity

 

            Members may wish to consider the development of the prioritised new areas (local/ neighbourhoods) as a parallel programme which would run alongside the Renewing the Routes work. The continued work will seek to refine the potential resource implications based on the type of activity in the different areas to inform the future consideration by Committee.  Following the initial scoping and engagement with other parts of the Council it is proposed that the findings would be brought back to Committee, following further party briefings, for consideration.

 

3.         Resource Implications

 

3.1       New areas identified would require additional resource allocation.

 

3.2       Any additional activity over and above the core programme may have resource implications for staffing and for match funding. A decision on individual opportunities for additional activity will be sought from Committee.

 

4.         Recommendations

 

4.1       Members are requested to endorse:-

 

1.   Option 1. Proposed Core Programme with the inclusion of Sandy Row as an arterial route, (Table 1a); or

 

      Option 2:  Proposed Core Programme.  Programme based exclusively on BMAP designated arterial routes, (Table 1b); and

 

2.   Continuation of work on the framework to identify and prioritise the opportunities for broader application of local neighbourhood Renewing the Routes type of activity alongside other local regeneration work, with the findings to be brought back to committee for further consideration following additional party briefings.”

 

            During discussion, a Member requested that consideration be given to extending the Initiative to the Shaws Road area of West Belfast, particularly to the vicinity where a number of retail outlets were located.  Further Members suggested that the Initiative should seek in the first instance to address certain areas within East Belfast where it was considered that a greater need existed than those areas which had been prioritised within the schedule of work.

 

            In response, the Director outlined the rationale for including certain projects within the various phases of the Initiative.  He pointed out that there was a limited budget available and to address the additional areas to which the Members had referred would mean that less funding would be allocated to the areas which had been prioritised.  However, he pointed out that, should any additional funding become available from other sources within the timescale of the Initiative, he would undertake to review the programme and consult with the Committee in this regard.  However, he emphasised that it was vital that one of the recommendations outlined within the report was endorsed at the meeting to enable the work to commence as scheduled.

 

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to adopt Option 1, Table 1(a); for the year 2011/2012 only and that an additional report in respect of the Initiative in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 be considered by the Committee at a future date.