Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The committee will recall an update paper presented at the meeting on 4th June 2019. 

1.2       After discussion, the Committee:

·        Noted the continued actions which were being undertaken as part of the ongoing review of grass cutting arrangements at sites not owned by the Council;

·        Agreed that a further report in relation to the review of grass cutting arrangements would be submitted to a future meeting, and

·        Agreed to the inclusion of a site at McKinstry Road within the grass cutting arrangements that the Council currently operated with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport NI.

1.3       This report provides an update for Members and outlines recent work undertaken by officers regarding the potential for sponsorship of roundabouts and verges, in partnership with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport NI.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        note the update information regarding grass cutting at sites not owned by Belfast City Council, and

·        if Members are content with the initial proposals regarding sponsorship, to endorse officers taking this work forward, with view to a report being brought to the Committee with full details.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Key Issues

            Members will recall from the June 2019 report that since 2016/2017, the Council has supplemented grass cutting arrangements for the Department for Infrastructure and Transport NI, by providing five cuts per annum at the following sites:

·        Michael Ferguson roundabout;

·        Kingsway Embankment, Dunmurry;

·        Knock dual Carriageway, and

·        Cregagh Road with Knock dual carriageway.

3.2       Members will further be aware that the maintenance of these sites requires financial resources via the departmental budgets. 

3.3       In order to identify opportunities for the Council to help defray these costs, officers have undertaken preliminary research into opportunities to generate income via a sponsorship scheme. 

3.4       As well as an opportunity to generate additional external funds to supplement existing maintenance budgets, sponsorship schemes can improve the appearance of roundabouts, improve the image of Belfast as a vibrant location for businesses and community groups, and promote the range of businesses already located locally. 

3.5       Such schemes are widely used by other Councils, and a number of models for identifying suitable sites, including roundabouts and verges, and initiating such sponsorship schemes, including procurement options, are available.  Officers have also met colleagues in the DfI Roads Service, whose Eastern Division work in partnership with Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to implement a sponsorship scheme in their council area. 

3.6       It is intended that with further benchmarking, and discussion with DfI Roads Service, a suitable scheme will be identified that could be applied in Belfast.  Such a sponsorship scheme will need to be considered in the context of the wider, ongoing corporate initiative to develop a commercial framework and strategy, and officers will ensure that as the potential scheme develops, it will be reviewed by the Council’s Commercial Working Group and Commercial Panel.  Furthermore, officers will continue to engage with DfI in order to maximise the allocation of its resources with the Belfast City Council area.

3.7       Financial and Resource Implications

            The development of a sponsorship scheme for roundabouts and verges provides an opportunity to generate additional external funds to supplement existing maintenance budgets.

3.8       Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no equality, good relations or rural needs implications associated with this report.”

            In response to a Member’s request regarding the need for the grass to be cut on the McKinstry Road Roundabout, and the potential of using a private contractor, the Strategic Director of City and Neighbourhood Services agreed to consider ways in which the issue could be addressed and to submit a report to a future meeting, highlighting to the Members that there were liability issues to be considered given that the land was not Council-owned.   

            The Committee:

1.      noted the updated information regarding grass cutting at sites not owned by Belfast City Council;

2.      agreed that officers would investigate ways as to how the McKinstry Road Roundabout could be addressed, including the potential of hiring a private contractor to cut the grass on a single occasion, and any associated issues and provide an update to the Committee at a future date; and

3.      agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting with full details relating to the initial proposals regarding potential sponsorship schemes.