Agenda item

The Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services submitted for the Committee’s consideration the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is update Members’ on completion of the final draft of ‘An Aquatics Strategy for Belfast’ and seek approval to move to a formal launch event as soon as is practicable.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        note completion of the public consultation exercise;

·        note completion of equality screening and the resulting ‘screened out’ decision;

·        approve the final draft document ‘An Aquatics Strategy for Belfast’ and

·        grant approval to prepare for a formal launch of the strategy as soon as is practicable

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            The proposal to develop an Aquatics Strategy was prompted by the Active Belfast Ltd (ABL) board at its meeting on 9th June 2016.  A further report was presented to the ABL board on 31 August 2016 outlining a proposed development approach and a broad scope works.  Approval to proceed was granted and a working group consisting of representatives from ABL, Belfast City Council (BCC) and Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) was set up to deliver the project.

3.2       The Aquatics Strategy Working Group was made up of officers from BCC, staff from GLL and members of the ABL Board.

3.3       The Working Group met on ten occasions between 6th October 2016 and 26 October 2017 with numerous development sessions between formal working group meetings.

3.4       Aquatics Strategy update reports were presented to the ABL board and subsequently to BCC via SP&R on the following dates:

ABL Board                   SP&R Committee

9 June 2016                 24 June 2016

31 August 2016            23 September 2016

13 October 2016          21 October 2016

5 December 2016         16 December 2016

21 March 201721 April 2017

20 April 2017                19 May 2017

7 August 2017  18 August 2017

30 October 2017          24 November 2017

5 March 2018               23 March 2018

10 September 2018      21 September 2018

3.5       Pre-consultation

            Pre consultation with key stakeholders was undertaken between 7 July and 10 August 2017.

3.6       The final Aquatics Strategy document (draft for consultation) was approved by the ABL board on 5th March 2018 and subsequently accepted by SP&R and full Council on 22nd June 2018 and 2 July 2018 respectively.

3.7       Public consultation on the draft strategy

            A twelve week period of public consultation on the draft strategy took place between 24 July and 12 October 2018.  A copy of the draft strategy and a response questionnaire were available to download from the Council’s website.

3.8       The public consultation exercise yielded 58 written responses of which 28 were on behalf of organisations.  The content of the draft document was positively received.  Most comments received were of an operational nature and have been noted for consideration when a post launch action plan is being developed.  No amendments have been made to the draft strategic document.

3.9       Equality Screening

            Following review of the public consultation the draft strategy was subject to equality screening.  Equality screening took place in March 2019 and resulted in the strategy being ‘screened out’.

3.10      Next steps

            The final draft document has been circulated.  This is the final draft version agreed for public consultation which has remained unchanged following the consultation exercise.

3.11      Subject to Council sign off, a public launch will be scheduled as soon as practicable after the forthcoming Council elections.  The intention is to launch the strategy in June to allow for the preparation of an implementation action plan during the summer months.

3.12      Having an agreed strategy and action plan in place by September 2019 will significantly support mobilisation and operational planning for the start of the 2019/20 aquatics season/term and will underpin programming principles for the Phase 1b of the Leisure Transformation Programme new build openings at Lisnasharragh, Brook and Andersonstown.

3.13      Communications & Public Relations

            Subject to final approval, the Aquatics Strategy will be publicly launched in the Summer of 2019.

3.14      Financial & Resource Implications

            Outside of the cost of a public launch of the strategy there are no financial or other resource implications.

3.15      Equality or Good Relations Implications

            The strategy is subject to equality screening.  ‘Screened out’ on 5th April 2019.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.