Agenda item

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1      Relevant Background Information

The purpose of this report is to inform members of a proposal to develop a small corner site at 155-157 Newtownards Road and 2 Tower Street.  The proposal has emerged from the East Belfast Partnership Board and is supported by the Department for Social Development who is also the land owner.  A copy of the site map is attached as Appendix A and an outline of the proposal is attached as Appendix B.

The project is the latest in a series of similar environmental projects in the area aimed at improving the general appear of the neighbourhood.     

The Department has asked the Council to consider:

1.     Accepting the maintenance; management and public liability associated with the project once it is completed;

2.     Accepting the transfer of the land.

2       Key Issues

      The Committee is asked to note:

                                  i.        The Council is supportive of environmental projects of this nature and in the past has accepted the management, maintenance and public liability of similar projects, however, owing to financial constraints within the Council it is becoming increasingly difficult to absorb the additional workload associated with these sites;

                                ii.        The Council cannot undertake the management and maintenance of a site which it does not own unless accompanied by a service level or contract agreement with another public organisation;

                               iii.        The Council cannot accept the public liability of a site it does not own;

                               iv.        Should the Committee agree to accept the liability associated with this site it is likely that the land would need to transfer;

                                 v.        The Department has indicated that the maintenance could be absorbed within its own regime for a short time however it does not wish to take on the public liability element; the site will not be enclosed and may be subject to damage.

                               vi.        The Committee has four options

Option 1 would be to refuse the request to accept the transfer of land and associated maintenance and public liability;

Option 2 would be to refuse the request accept the transfer of land but agree to include the maintenance on the basis of a service level agreement;

Option 3 would be to agree to the request to accept the transfer of land and the associated maintenance and public liability;

Option 4 would be to agree to the request to accept the transfer of land and the associated maintenance and public liability but seek a maintenance contribution from the Department for an initial five year period.

3       Resource Implications

Financial

There is no capital expenditure implications associated with the works however there will be an ongoing maintenance liability and associated public liability responsibility.

Human Resources

This would add to the workload of the existing staffing establishment.  

Asset and other implications

This project would improve the general appearance of the area and would help support the wider regeneration of the area.

4       Equality and Good Relations Considerations

4.1 There are no equality implications

5       Recommendations

5.1     The Committee is asked to note the report, consider the options outlined above and direct officers as to its preferred option.”

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to adopt Option 4 as set out in the foregoing report as its preferred option.