Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1        Members are aware that the Council has invested significantly over the past 4 years in the city in physical projects with plans for further investment.  While there is often good publicity around individual projects once they are completed it has been highlighted by Members on a number of occasions that the full extent of the Council’s investment, both citywide and in individual areas, is not being recognised.  It is also important that the Council’s physical programme is not seen as simply the building of buildings but that it is fundamentally about the benefits and outcomes of this investment.

1.2        It has therefore been suggested at several of the AWGs that an event(s) is held to showcase the Council’s physical investment including the latest round of BIF commitments.  It is envisaged that this will be similar to the previous LIF event that was held in 2013 at the start of the LIF programme and will be opportunity for both Members/community groups to showcase their projects and the investment in local areas.  Importantly such an event would also be an opportunity to highlight the programming of physical projects and how the Council’s capital investment in projects is actively transforming lives and changing and regenerating local areas.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to –

·        agree that a series of events are held to showcase physical investments and how they have already benefited/will benefit local areas to include

·        a citywide event in the City Hall in mid/late November (date currently being agreed – Members will be verbally updated on this at Committee) to coincided with the half year corporate plan updates and the half year finance review . It is proposed that all Groups who have received in principle commitments for funding under BIF together with a range of LIF2 projects and all Members are invited to this event.

·        As part of this Members are asked to agree to the commissioning of a video for LIF and BIF projects using the community groups who have benefited from the investment and allowing them the opportunity to highlight the real difference this has made to their work.  The video will then be a resource which can be used on the Council’s website, through social media etc.

·        a series of focused area events in the North/South/East and West to be held in the New Year – these events will provide an opportunity to go into detail on local projects and other investments in local areas including both revenue initiatives and other capital investments by partner agencies including BRT/DfC/Urban Villages/SIF etc.  These sessions will be a mechanism for Members to start to connect physical investments to the work which is being taken forward on area planning and ensuring that the investment in capital projects helps to deliver on the outcomes under the Belfast Agenda.  Members will be kept up to date on the arrangements for these sessions

·        agree that a one-off area based ‘City Matters’ is produced showcasing the physical investment programme and the projects recently completed, underway and/or planned and their impact in local areas

3.0       Main report

            KEY ISSUES

3.1       Members will be aware that the Council has invested significantly in physical projects over the past four years including

·        over £150m of capital programme projects either completed/planned or currently underway – including the major EU funded projects /the £15m pitches programme and other pitches at Hammer/Marrowbone and Sally Gardens/ refurbishment of over 20 playgrounds across the city/ the new Tropical Ravine/ the Connswater Community Greenway/Whiterock Community Corridor etc.

·        a £105m investment in leisure with the works nearing completion at Olympia, detailed designs being worked up for Andersonstown/Brook and Robinson, concept designs moving forward for Avoneil and the award of monies from HLF for Templemore

·        £9m of LIF projects which has seen over 110 local community regeneration projects either completed/currently underway or planned

·        in principle investment of over £16million in BIF projects across the city (10 projects committed in principle to date with the Strand due to go to Committee this week) and monies ringfenced for a number of other additional projects in the Shankill area, North and the South

·        A £2m programme of investment in the areas that transferred in from Lisburn and Castlereagh (Twinbrook Wildlife Park/new playground at Mount Eagles etc.)

·        A rolling £6m maintenance programme which has seen significant upgrades to assets including those that transferred in (Henry Jones Pavilion etc.)

3.2       In addition the Council has also become the delivery agent for a range of projects under externally funded initiatives including SIF, Urban Villages and BSC.

3.3       The Physical Programme is therefore a key strategic programme for the Council as it

·        helps to lever in additional monies into the city through other investment – e.g. external funding, private sector investment

·        helps to cement the growing reputation of the Council as a ‘can-do’ organisation within the city with a proven track record of delivery

·        helps to support jobs not just internally but also in the construction and the wider supplier sector.  It is estimated that over 8,500 construction jobs have been supported through our physical projects while over 220 job opportunities have been created through social and community benefit clauses within the physical contracts

3.4       Members are aware that the while there is often good publicity and launch events around individual projects it has been highlighted by Members on a number of occasions that full picture of the Council’s investment both citywide and in individual areas is not being recognised.  However it is also important that the Council’s physical programme is not seen as simply the building of buildings but that it is fundamentally about the benefits and outcomes of this investment.  One of the key issues is that this massive investment into the city’s physical infrastructure is inconsequential if physical projects are simply seen as the stand-alone development of a facility/asset. The physical programme is therefore intrinsically linked to the other corporate programmes of the Council and requires associated programming and input from the Council and other partners/ agencies in order to make this work

3.5       In addition Members will be aware that other organisations and partners across the city are investing in areas (SIF/BRT/DfC/Urban Villages etc.) and there is a need to ensure to these investments are aligned to ensure maximum benefit for local areas and to enable Members to be able to connect them

            Proposal re events to celebrate physical investments showcasing how they have benefited the city and local areas

3.6       Members will recall that an event was held in 2013 at the start of the LIF programme and it has been proposed at several of the AWGs that a similar event(s) is organised to showcase the Council’s physical investment including the latest round of BIF commitments. It is however proposed that the event is also used to highlight the programming of physical projects and how the Council’s capital investment in projects is actively transforming lives and changing and regenerating local areas.

3.7       Members are therefore asked to agree that a series of events are held to showcase physical investments and how they have already benefited/will benefit local areas to include

·        a citywide event in the City Hall in mid/late November (date currently being agreed – Members will be verbally updated on this at Committee) – it is proposed that all the Groups who have received in principle commitments for funding under BIF together with a range of LIF2 projects and all Members are invited to this event.  An outcomes framework for BIF is also currently under development and this will launched at the event.  This event is being timed to coincide with the half year corporate plan updates and the half year finance review

·        a series of focused area events in the North/South/East and West to be held in the New Year – these events will provide an opportunity to go into detail on local projects and other investments in local areas (BRT/DfC/Urban Villages/SIF etc) and will be a mechanism for Members to start to connect physical investments to the work which is being taken forward on area planning and ensuring that the investment in capital projects helps to deliver on the outcomes under the Belfast Agenda. 

            Members will be kept up to date on the arrangements for these sessions

3.8       Proposal re a special one-off ‘City Matters’

            Members are also asked to agree that a one-off special ‘City Matters’ is produced which showcases physical investment programme and the projects recently completed, underway and/or  planned and the benefit of this for local areas. The timescales for this are currently being looked at and Members will be kept up to date

3.9       FINANCIAL & RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS

·        Financial – Any costs associated with the events will be secured from existing resources

·        Resource - Project sponsors in the Property & projects Department have worked on the capital programme/ BIF/LIF projects and will play a key role in helping to pull together the narratives/testimonials etc however maximising the benefit of the event will require a cross departmental team including input from client departments to highlight the programming and corporate communications

3.10     Equality or Good Relations Implications

            There are no equality or good relations implications.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.