Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Relevant Background Information

The Renewing the Routes Programme is a regeneration intervention that targets arterial routes 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; commercial alley gating schemes; installation of tourism signage; facade cleaning and improvements to site boundaries or enclosures.

1.2       In August 2010, Committee agreed to carry forward the proposed £300,000 budget as a specified reserve for arterial routes improvement projects into 2011/12 to supplement the £300,000 allocation proposed for that year. The deferring of the implementation works allowed for the detailed analysis and prioritisation of proposed activity across all 18 designated arterial routes.

1.3       Following Committee endorsement a methodology to prioritise the arterial routes was developed on the basis of securing a longer-term rolling programme of local regeneration across the city.

1.4       In April 2011, a three-year prioritisation plan identifying proposed target areas was presented to Committee, based upon the agreed methodology.  The Committee agreed to support Option 1 for the year 2011/2012 financial year along with the inclusion of the deferred resources from the allocation in the special reserves with a combined budget of £600,000.  Proposals for a programmme to continue the works beyond the current year will be subject of an additional report to be considered by the Committee at a future date.  The target areas for this financial year are the Antrim Road, Sandy Row, Castlereagh Street and the Grosvenor Road.

2          Key Issues

2.1       Since approval in May 2011, work has continued on the development of plans for the four target areas.  Scoping and engagement work has expanded, in conjunction with relevant statutory and community contacts, including elected representatives for the areas. This activity has informed the development of the range of priority local regeneration projects which are included with this report for endorsement by committee (Appendix 1) as extracts from a combined report covering the four target areas (Appendix 2).

2.2       The key common themes emerging from the scoping work were identified as:

      -     Environmental improvements - major issues facing the routes are dereliction or under used property and often poor general environments; requiring action to ensure improvements that can complement other developments;

      -     Built heritage - the roads contain elements of historical or cultural significance that offer the opportunity to develop these local assets through architectural lighting, interpretive signage and heritage projects;

      -     Commercial improvements - focus areas have been identified along the routes; the areas are hubs of activity with local shops, services and facilities serving the community.  The commercial improvements will focus on supporting these;

      -     Environmental works - Targeted and sustained clean-up and graffiti removal campaigns working with local groups;

      -     Collaborative work - essential in maximising finite budgets, particularly with a joined-up approach to external funding opportunities with statutory agencies.  The underlying objective is to maximise the impact of the Council’s own contribution through internal joint working i.e. community safety, parks and leisure, economic development, building control, tourism and the arts and Strategic Neighbourhood Action Programme (SNAP).

2.3       Contribution to commercial improvement works

In light of the streamlined approach to the legal processes, now employed by Renewing the Routes in dealing directly with owners of commercial properties, it has been previously agreed by Council to seek a nominal contribution from owners towards the cost of the project of 10%.  It is proposed that the approach of requiring a contribution from owners/occupiers is continued.

2.4       Procurement of proposed works

The Renewing the Routes will work with Property and Projects in the procurement of architectural services and the proposed measured term contract for the contractors to carry out the works across all the areas.  Work is also underway with landscape architects within Parks and Leisure to develop the public realm schemes.  This overall approach will help ensure efficiencies in project development, delivery timescales and budgets, whilst providing flexibility given the complex nature of some of the schemes.

2.5       Members will note that the project summaries of the plans for each area are included for consideration in Appendix 1 and the combined detailed plans in Appendix 2.  An additional longer list of projects is also provided as a contingency should further resources become available (through external sources currently being actively sought) or modifications are required to ensure deliverability of the proposed project plans.

3.         Resource Implications

            £600,000 allocated through the £300,000 2010/2011 accrued special reserve and £300,000 from the 2011/2012 financial year.

4.         Recommendations

Members are requested to endorse the project proposals for the Renewing the Routes programmes at Sandy Row, Antrim Road, Grosvenor Road and Castlereagh Street as detailed in Appendix 1.

Appendix 1

Short listed projects

The Committee adopted the recommendations.