Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To seek Members approval of the minutes of the most recent round of AWGs. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Approve the most recent round of Area Working Group (AWG) Minutes (West – 22nd February; South – 26th February; North – 27th February and East – 8th March) as attached at Appendix 1.  

            Local Investment Fund

·        West AWG - approve the recommendations from the West AWG as laid out at 3.2 below in respect of LIF

            Belfast Investment Fund

·        East AWG - approve the recommendations from the East AWG as laid out at 3.3 below in respect of the ringfenced BIF allocation for Outer East

            Social Innovation Challenge Fund 

·        South AWG - approve the recommendations from the East AWG as laid out at 3.4 below in respect of the ringfenced Social Innovation challenge Fund which has been established to support projects under the Locality Planning pilots 

3.0       Main report

            KEY ISSUES

            AREA WORKING GROUP UPDATES

3.1       Members agreed in June 2016 that the Area Working Group minutes would be taken into the SP&R Committee for approval going forward in line with the Council’s commitment to openness and transparency and to ensure a consistent approach with other Member-led Working Groups. Members are asked to approve the most recent round of AWG Minutes (West – 22nd February; South – 26th February; North – 27th February and East – 8th March) as attached at Appendix 1. 

            WEST AWG

3.2       Local Investment Fund - The West AWG, at its meeting on 22nd February, made the following recommendation for the consideration of the SP&R Committee in relation to their LIF allocation

            EAST AWG

3.3       Belfast Investment Fund - The East AWG, at its meeting on 8th March, made the following recommendations for the consideration of the SP&R Committee in relation to the ring-fenced BIF allocation of £2m for projects in Outer East. These projects are all at Stage 2 – Uncommitted so it is recommended that they are progressed to Stage 3 - Committed. It should be noted that all are on the basis of a maximum budget allocation, going through the Council’s due-diligence processes and are subject to the return of satisfactory tenders.

                                 SOUTH AWG

3.4       Social Innovation Challenge Programme - The South AWG, at its meeting on 26th February, were reminded that the Council had agreed to carry out Locality Planning Pilots to investigate how Community Planning might be applied at a local area level and to help inform future neighbourhood working.  Four areas had been selected with Belvoir and Milltown the selected area in the South.  Under the pilots, each locality planning area had funding for up to four projects, with a maximum of £15,000 available for each project. The South AWG at its meeting made the following recommendations for the consideration of the SP&R Committee in relation to their ring-fenced allocation under the Social Innovation Challenge Programme.

            Financial & Resource Implications

3.5       Financial – There are ring-fenced allocations for LIF, BIF and the Social Innovation Challenge Programmes

            Resources – officer time in working with Groups

            Equality or Good Relations Implications

3.6       No implications.”

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the Area Working Groups as follows: West Area Working Group, 22nd February; South Area Working Group, 26th February; North Area Working Group, 27th February; and East Area Working Group, 8th March; and adopted the recommendations as set out in the report in relation to the Local Investment Fund, the Belfast Investment Fund and the Social Innovation Challenge Fund.