Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0  Purpose of Report

1.1   This report seeks approval to commission specialist support to develop a technical specification for the creation of a Strategic Infrastructure Plan for Belfast City-Region which will identify and prioritise future investment needs in key physical city infrastructure.

2.0    Recommendations

2.1    The Committee is asked to:

·        Agree that specialist support be secured to assist the Council to develop a technical specification for the commissioning of a Strategic Infrastructure Plan for Belfast City-Region; 

·        Note that a further report will be brought back to Committee in due course setting out a costed proposal for the commission of the Strategic Infrastructure Plan.

3.0    Main Report

3.1   Infrastructure planning is a key element of creating sustainable communities and city centre, ensuring that appropriate provision is made for transport, communication and utilities networks, important community resources, tourism and business growth. It is also critical in supporting the continued growth of the Belfast City-Region, accommodating future development potential and realising the city’s aspirations.

3.2    The term infrastructure has a very wide meaning and relates to all facilities and services which are necessary for successful communities and the city to function and compete. For the purposes of this work, it is suggested that the focus is ‘physical city infrastructure’ (e.g. transport; utilities including water, waste, flooding and energy; informational technology, telecommunications and digital provision; physical development schemes, environmental including open space/public realm etc). The actual scope of the Infrastructure Plan will be further defined as part of the detailed specification taking account of the linkages and synergies with the Local Development Plan.

3.3    There have already been numerous assessments undertaken around specific infrastructure needs within the City (e.g. Living with Water Programme) albeit there has not as yet been a supporting financial strategy put in place to deliver what is required.  It is therefore intended that the proposed Infrastructure Plan will capture the work undertaken to date and seek to take a holistic assessment of what may be required over the next 10-20 years in the context of current pressures and future city growth aspirations. It will also set out planned investment proposals. A key element of the Infrastructure Plan will be deliverability. The infrastructure plan should identify as far as possible:

(i)     Infrastructure needs and costs

(ii)   Phasing of development

(iii)Responsibilities for delivery

3.4    The Director of Finance is also seeking permission at the August meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to commission a specific piece of work in relation to the financing of city infrastructure projects which will sit alongside and reinforce the deliverability of the Infrastructure Plan.

3.5    It is important to recognise the significance of developing a robust infrastructure plan for the city in terms of complementing and supporting the soundness of the emerging Local Development Plan. The importance of such an approach has already been demonstrated in other cities including Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds, and London in terms of ensuring that infrastructure planning and investment aligned with predicted levels and locations of growth.

3.6    It is not the intention to create a freestanding Infrastructure Plan which duplicates the function of existing organisations or plans, and which infrastructure providers would not be bound to deliver. Instead, it is a mechanism to ensure infrastructure providers – individually and collectively – are planning for broadly the correct level of future development. It is important that mechanisms are in place to ensure that good communication and engagement takes place between developers, NI Executive and Department for Infrastructure, the Council and funding partners to discuss the development of strategic sites.

3.7    As part of the pending series of meetings between a Council deputation and the new NI Executive Ministers, the Council will seek to secure the involvement of the new Department for Infrastructure in taking forward this work given their statutory remit for delivering key city infrastructure.  It will also be important that engagement takes place with the private sector and key utility providers.

3.8    Financial & Resource Implications

         The initial scoping work to develop a specification will be funded through the existing City Centre Development budget.  On completion of this work, a costed proposal for the actual commissioning of the Infrastructure Plan will be brought back to Committee for consideration and approval.

3.9    Equality or Good Relations Implications

         None.”

            The Chief Executive outlined to the Committee that expert assistance would be essential in order to develop a technical specification for the creation of a Strategic Infrastructure Plan for the Belfast City Region. 

            In response to a Member’s question in relation to the area which would be included within the Belfast City Region, she explained that it would be based on the economic geography of the city, that being the Belfast City Council area and the Council areas which bordered it, that is ‘the travel to work area’.  She advised the Committee that there had already been engagement at a Chief Executive level with those Councils, and that a workshop was being planned for engagement at a political level.  She highlighted to the Members that, while the scoping exercise had a low level of cost associated with it, they might wish to seek support from the other Councils involved when it came to the larger piece of work.

            In response to a further Member’s question regarding how the implementation of the Infrastructure Plan would be financed, the Chief Executive outlined that the intention would be for the Council to use it as a lobbying tool to seek investment from both the Northern Ireland Assembly and the private sector.  She provided the Committee with an example of the proposed Transport Hub, which relied on funding from the European Investment Bank, over which there was now less certainty.  She explained that the Strategic Infrastructure Plan would illustrate that the Hub would be vital for the future growth of the economy of the Belfast City Region.

            After discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations.