Agenda item

            In advance of the Special Meeting of 23rd June, at which the Committee had agreed to receive the presentations from DfI and Translink, the Committee was reminded that it had written to the Minister to raise the following points ahead of the presentations:

·        Request for the York Street Interchange Independent Assurance Review;

·        Convey that Belfast was missing a key opportunity given the total meterage of pop-up cycle lanes delivered during the pandemic at a time when other cities were making significant strides in capturing and seizing the uptake and shift in travel patterns;

·        The Committee called for an enhanced programme of safe cycling infrastructure, including pop-up provision to be brought forward at pace, while simultaneously ensuring that local issues and requirements are captured and incorporated within the design process;

·        Request that DfI provide their presentation and details of discussion in advance of the Special Committee;

·        Request that DfI have to hand for the Committee the relevant data, including the total meterage of safe cycle network delivered since 2016, and information on the planned roll out of future schemes;

·        Request the attendance of Liz Loughran and Andrew Grieve at the Special Committee in anticipation of questions from Members on Walking and Cycling infrastructure provision; and

·        Request an update on the current status of e-scooter legislation.

            It was reported that the Committee had also been provided with updates on the status of the DfC led Junctions Working Group. The Group had overseen the concept design work of key Inner Ring Junctions, including the Fredrick Street/Great Patrick Street Junction, the Clifton Gateway and the Shankill Gateway and the impetus remained with the DfI and DfC to bring these schemes forward to detailed design and delivery stage as a matter of priority.

            In relation to the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme, it was reported that the focus remained on ensuring delivery of the agreed schemes within the timelines set out within the funding agreement. To ensure the achievement of the funding deadline, and critically to support the reopening of the city centre, these outstanding actions included:

·        Delivery of the necessary legislation and permits / license for works at Castle Place, Adelaide Street, Linenhall Street, Union Street, Bedford St, Church Lane and Brunswick St; and

·        Delivery of the agreed Civils works at Castle Place, Adelaide Street and Brunswick Street.

            The Committee was informed that, in relation to the maintenance of the existing Public Realm Council, officers had previously raised with DfI and DfC, on various occasions, the issue of the standard of reinstatement of the public realm following utilities and maintenance works. Increasingly these works were not reinstated to the agreed specification or reinstated to match the existing surfacing in the area, but rather were patched with tarmacadam with little control or post works inspections. This approach had led to a gradual degradation of our public spaces and had a significant impact on the overall attractiveness of the city centre.

            It was reported that the Council had also received recent correspondence from businesses within the Cathedral Quarter area following a recent audit which identified over 80 reinstatement patches that were completed in tarmacadam (Appendix 1).

            The Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:

1.      Note the issues raised at the previous Committee in May, as well as in previous committees, that Members wish DfI representatives to address or respond to during, or in advance of, the Department’s attendance at Special Committee on 23rd June; and

2.      Note that a letter has been issued to the Minister for Infrastructure setting out a list of issues and requests that Members had asked to be addressed or responded to during, or in advance of, the Department’s attendance at Special Committee on 23rd June.