Agenda item

            The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       To seek the Committee’s approval of the minutes of the most recent round of AWGs and any additional recommendations to this Committee arising from the meetings.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

 

·         AWG Minutes - approve the most recent round of AWG minutes (West – 24 September, South – 28 September, North – 30 September, East – 8 October); and

 

·         Physical Programme - agree the recommendations on reallocations and residual monies from the AWGs under LIF, BIF and SOF Programmes as laid out below in 3.3-3.6.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       KEY ISSUES

 

            The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 20th September 2019, agreed revised Terms of Reference for the AWGs.  These were presented to all AWGs at the last round of AWGs in January.  It was agreed that they would be circulated to all Groups again.  The Groups were reminded that under the Terms of Reference it had been agreed that AWGs would meet quarterly. 

           

            Area Working Group Minutes

 

3.2       Members agreed in June 2016 that the Area Working Group minutes would be taken to the Strategic Policy and Resources 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 – 24 September, South – 28 September, North – 30 September, East – 8 October).

            AWG Updates

 

3.3       West AWG - Members are asked to approve the following project movements, as recommended by the AWG at its meeting on 24th September:

 

            LIF Programme

 

            The West AWG were updated that there was a residual allocation of £85,000 to be re-allocated from the decommitted monies of the Royal British Legion BIF project. In addition the AWG was updated that DFC monies had been secured in principle for two existing LIF projects (Berlin Swifts and St. James’s Community Forum) and that there was therefore surplus LIF monies from these project that was available for reallocation (up to £65,000 and £17,000 respectively). The AWG considered the monies available for reallocation and agreed to recommend the following:

 

Ref No	Project	Proposed Recommendation
WLIF2-25	Woodvale Cricket Club – upgrades to enable the creation of a large upstairs hall	£33,000
WLIF2-26	St Matthew’s Parish Hall – upgrades	£35,000
WLIF2-27	West Belfast Orange Hall – toilet upgrades	£17,000
WLIF2-28	Belfast Orange Hall Clifton Street – building upgrades	Up to £65,000 (reallocation from Berlin Swifts)
WLIF2-29 WLIF2-30	Davitts GAC St. John GAC	£17,000 (reallocation from St. James’s Community Forum)

 

3.4       South AWG - Members are asked to approve the following project movement and updates, as recommended by the AWG at its meeting on 28th September.

 

Project	Current Stage	Proposed Recommendations
Knockbreda Parish Church Hall – BIF35	Stage 2- Uncommitted	Move to Stage 3 – Committed Works due to commence
Bredagh GAC – BIF19	Stage 3- Committed	Council to act as delivery agent
Sandy Row Community Forum – SOF04	Due Diligence stage	Change of project promoter from Sandy Row Community Forum to Belfast South City Resource Centre

 

            The South AWG Group also agreed to hold a special meeting in October to look project proposals for the Sandy Row area and that both BSCR and Urban Villages be invited to this meeting in order to allow the AWG to fully consider emerging proposals.

 

3.5       North AWG - Members are asked to approve the following project movements and updates, as recommended by the AWG at its meeting on 30th September.

 

            LIF Programme

 

            The North AWG was updated that two LIF projects which had previously received in-principle allocations had confirmed that they no longer wished to remain part of the LIF programme (NLIF2-13 Intercomm £75,000 and NLIF2-18 Holy Family Parish Church £15,000). The AWG considered the £90,000 that was available for reallocation and agreed to recommend the following –

 

Ref No	Project	Proposed Recommendation
NLIF2-22	Sailortown/St Joseph’s project – building upgrades	To be allocated £75,000
NLIF2-19	Women’s Tec project	To be allocated an additional £15,000 Existing LIF project which had already been allocated £31,667

 

            BIF Programme

 

            The North AWG was updated that the Ulster Scots-Braeheid project (BIF31) which had previously received in-principle allocation of £500,000 had confirmed that they no longer wished to remain part of the BIF programme. The AWG considered this reallocation and agreed to recommend the following.  It was noted that all proposals would be subject to the normal due-diligence processes, that a maximum budget was allocated and subject to the return of satisfactory tenders.

 

Project	Current Stage	Proposed Recommendations
Midland Boxing Club – BIF45	N/A	Add as a Stage 1 – Emerging project with a maximum allocation of £400,000
Cultural Community Club- BIF43	Stage 1 – Emerging	Additional £100,000 to the allocated in principle Project had an existing in-principle allocation of £250,000

 

            The AWG further agreed that the Midland Boxing Club attend the next meeting to give a presentation on their proposal.

 

3.6       East AWG - Members are asked to approve the following project movement and updates, as recommended by the AWG at its meeting on 8th October.

 

            LIF Programme

 

            The East AWG was updated that one LIF project which had previously received in-principle allocation had confirmed that they no longer wished to remain part of the LIF programme (ELIF2-14 The Dock Café - £15,000). The AWG agreed to recommend the following –

 

Ref No	Project	Proposed Recommendation
ELIF2-17	Lagan Village Youth and Community Association	To be allocated £15,000

 

            The East AWG also agreed that the Strand Arts Centre, Bloomfield Community Association, Castlereagh Presbyterian Church and the Education Authority re the Lisnasharragh Community Schools project be invited to their next meeting to present an update on the current status of their proposals.  

 

3.7       Financial and Resource Implications

 

            Financial – LIF/BIF – allocations as outlined above

 

            Resources – Officer time in working with Groups

 

 

3.8       Equality or Good Relations Implications/ Rural Needs Assessment

           

            No implications.”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.