Agenda item

The Committee considered the following report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1             The purpose of the report is to provide Members with an update on community planning with a specific focus on the work being taken forward by the newly re-configured ‘Jobs, Skills and Education’ and ‘City Development’ Delivery Boards.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

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

 

                                           (i)          Note the on-going work of two of the Belfast Agenda Delivery Boards, namely, the Jobs, Skills and Education Board and the City Development Board

                                         (ii)          Note the alignment and synergies between the Boards and the work of the Committee

                                       (iii)           The potential for the Boards to bring collaborative focus to key city priorities and challenges and unlock delivery across partners.

                                       (iv)           The role and on-going opportunities for Elected Members to input and shape the work being taken forward through Community Planning Partnership, including the refresh of the Belfast Agenda and associated delivery plans, over the coming months and years. 

 

3.0       Main report

 

            Inaugural meeting of newly configured Boards

 

3.1       Members will recall that in order to ensure that the vision and ambitions set out within the Belfast Agenda (community plan for the city) translated into action and mobilised city partners to support delivery, four cross-sectoral delivery Boards have been formed (City Development | Jobs, Skills and Education | Living Here | Resilience and Sustainability) under the auspices of the Community Planning Partnership. These delivery focused Boards have been established to drive enhanced collaboration across partners to address key challenges and priorities for the city and communities. 

 

3.2       As reported to Committee in May 2021, partners have agreed to reconfigure two of the Boards to align priorities and maximise the synergies and impact of their work.  As highlighted, the focus of the two Boards - City Development and Jobs, Skills and Education – clearly aligns with the work of this Committee. Accordingly, the intention going forward will be to update the Committee on the work of the boards alongside specific engagement and input from elected Members and Parties through the All-Party Community Planning Working Group and Community Planning Partnership. Members should note that the newly reconfigured Boards met for the first time in April and May 2021 respectively.  This report provides an update on the focus of the Boards and key activity underway.

 

3.3       Jobs, Skills and Education Update

 

            The Board considered and confirmed its priorities for the next 12-24 months, as set out below and as reported to Committee in May, and committed to scheduling a specific action planning session in early July to develop and secure partner commitment to SMART action plan(s). Attached at Appendix 1 for Members information is a copy of the agreed Programme Brief and Terms of Reference for the Board, the presentation slide-deck and draft action note from the recent Board meeting held on 6 May 2021.  Some specific points to note include:

 

·        Skillsand Employability– The Employability NI Programme was set up in November 2018 within DfC’s Work and Wellbeing Division. It was established in recognition of the fact that there were several existing employability interventions coming to an end between 2020 and 2022. It is a cross-government initiative (both regional and local government level) aimed at co-designing and co-commissioning a sustainable employability offer providing a tailored level of support commensurate with need. At a local level DfC have constructed Local Inclusive Labour Market Partnerships in each of the eleven council areas. In Belfast the membership of the Local Inclusive Labour Market Partnership (LILMP) includes – Belfast Chamber, CBI, VCSE representation, FE Colleges, Invest NI, Advice Sector, BHSCT, DfC, DfE & Belfast City Council.

 

 

The aim of the Partnership is to:

 

‘help improve employability outcomes and labour market conditions locally by working through coordinated, collaborative, multi-agency partnerships, achieving regional objectives whilst being flexible to meet the needs presented by localised conditions and helping to connect employers with employees’

 

While the Local Inclusive Labour Market Partnership is a DfC partnership, governance for the work is through the Jobs, Skills & Education Board reporting to the Community Planning Partnership. A next action is for the Board is to review the Belfast Local Inclusive Labour Market Action plan which is currently in development.

 

·        Enterprise and Business Growth - Working to bring forward an integrated approach to supporting businesses, sustaining jobs and creating new employment opportunities in the city including arterial routes and key economic hubs

·        EducationalUnderachievement– ensuring the recommendations emerging from the Expert Panel on Education Underachievement established by the Education Minister can be accelerated and implemented within Belfast. Also maximising opportunities to deliver specific short-term interventions and scale up support to those who may need it. This includes, but not limited to, access to digital devices and helping improve digital literacy, working with schools to bring forward summer interventions such as summer schemes and educational support.

·        Tourism, Culture, Arts, Entertainment & Hospitality – Acknowledging the devastating impact upon the vitality and functionality of these sectors city partners will seek to protect and rebuild during our recovery from the Covid-19 Pandemic

·        UNESCO Learning City Network – commitment to review the opportunities presented by the city’s designation as UNESCO Learning City and seeking to align existing activities across partners and identify opportunities to collaborate and scale. A further report on this work will be brought forward for Committee consideration.

 

 

3.4       City Development Update

 

            The Board confirmed that its focus for the next 12-24 months would cover four core themes as set out below and have committed to an action planning workshop in early July to develop and secure partner commitment to SMART action plan(s). It is important to note that there has been significant work already underway and/or emerging across these themes as discussed at the recent Board meeting. Attached at Appendix 2 is the programme brief and presentation slidedeck from the Board meeting which provides some insight into the work underway.

 

                                                (i)          City Regeneration and Investment

                                              (ii)          Housing-Led Regeneration

                                            (iii)           Future City Centre Programme

                                            (iv)           Active Travel and Connectivity

 

3.5       Also attached at Appendix 2 is a draft note from the Board information for Members information (NB. remains draft and subject to Board endorsement). Some specific points which we would highlight for Members information include:-

 

·        Further development in identifying opportunities to unlock public sector land assets to support housing development. Agreed, subsequent to the main CPP Board, to convene a Housing Implementation Group chaired by NIHE with representation from BCC, DfC, LPS.

·        Consensus on need to bring forward transportation plan for Belfast

·        Continued delivery of DFC Revitalisation Programme to support recovery from pandemic

·        Implementation of the DFI Blue and Green Infrastructure funding 

·        Importance of engaging with developers in support of the work of the Board and to ensure inclusive growth. This will complement the cross-sectoral representation involved included the community and voluntary sector.

 

            Review of the Belfast Agenda and Action Planning

 

3.6       Members will be aware that work is about to commence to refresh the Belfast Agenda and the associated focus for the next 4-years. The diagram below outlines the process and timeline for this work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.7       As theeffects of theCovid-19pandemic havebegunto emerge,thereisa need to understand howour city economyandcommunitiesarelikelytobeimpactedbyCOVID-19,andwhatweneedtofocusontorebuild inthecomingmonthsandyears.Clearly,thepandemicisnotoverandtherewillneedtobesustainedefforts toprotectthesafetyandhealthofourcitizens,whileatthesametimebalancingtheneedtostabiliseand rebuildoureconomyandcity.Inthiscontext,andaspartofthereviewoftheBelfastAgenda,thereisa need totakestockandreassessthefocusofCommunityPlanningandtheworkoftheBoardsoverthecomingweeksandmonths.ThisisnottosaythattheambitionsandcommitmentssetoutwithintheBelfastAgendashouldnotremainatthecoreofourwork.However,inordertoaddresschallengesthatwillcontinuetoemergeasa resultofthepandemicwemayneedtopivotourcollectivefocusandseektoprioritiseandacceleratekeyinterventions andprogrammes.

 

3.8       Role of Elected Members

 

            Elected Members will be engaged at each stage of the review process through the All Party Working Group on Community Planning. In addition, it is recommended that all Elected Members will have the opportunity to shape the priority framework and plans for the new 4 year period through Party Group briefings.  In addition, Elected Members will also be supported by our Marketing and Communications team who will provide ongoing support via a communications toolkit to enable them to engage their constituents to make their voices heard. 

 

            The All Party Members Working Group will be a key platform for Members to have line-of-sight and input into the work being taken forward through Community Planning and the respective delivery boards.  Regular update reports will also be brought to Committee for consideration.

 

3.9       Financial & Resource Implications

 

            Any financial implications arising from this report will be covered from existing budgets. The review process will involve the participation of all community planning partners, who will need to commit their resources to the review process and the agreed action plans.

 

3.10      Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

 

            There are no equality, good relations of rural need implications in this report.”

 

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

 

·        Note the on-going work of two of the Belfast Agenda Delivery Boards, namely, the Jobs, Skills and Education Board and the City Development Board;

·        Note the alignment and synergies between the Boards and the work of the Committee;

·        Note the potential for the Boards to bring collaborative focus to key city priorities and challenges and unlock delivery across partners; and

·        Note the role and on-going opportunities for Elected Members to input and shape the work being taken forward through Community Planning Partnership, including the refresh of the Belfast Agenda and associated delivery plans, over the coming months and years.