Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1            To provide the quarterly update to People and Communities Committee on Notices of Motion.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the updates to all Notices of Motion / Issues Raised in Advance that the Committee is responsible for as referenced in Appendix 1; and

·        Agree to the closure of Issue Raised in Advance, as referenced in Appendix 1 and noted in paragraph 3.5 below.

3.0       Main report

            Background

3.1       Members will recall that the previous quarterly Notices of Motion update was presented to People and Communities Committee in September 2021.

3.2       This report provides an overview of the progress on those Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance which remained open following the September 2021 update.

            Notice of Motion Updates

3.3       There are currently 24 active Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance which the People and Communities Committee is responsible for. An update on those Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance which remain active on the live database is attached at Appendix 1.

            Closure of Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance

3.4       At SP&R Committee on 20th November 2020, it was agreed that Notices of Motion could be closed for one of two reasons:

·        Category 1 - Notices of Motion which contained an action that has been completed.  All Notices of Motion within this category contained a specific task that has since been complete.  It is worth noting that, when Committee agree to action a Notice of Motion, there are sometimes additional actions agreed alongside the Notice of Motion.  As these are not technically part of the Notice of Motion, they are taken forward through normal committee decision making processes.  The Notice of Motion can therefore be closed, but additional actions related to it will continue to be progressed and reported to the committee.  These additional actions are not contained in this report, but will be noted in the live database moving forward.

·        Category 2 - Notices of Motion have become Council policy or absorbed in to a strategic programme of work.  These Notices of Motion did not contain a specific task that could be complete.  Instead, they were more strategic in nature and required changes in Council policy and/ or strategy for long term outcomes.  Those listed within this category have all been agreed by Committee and are now either Council policy or are currently being implemented through a Council strategy that is managed by a Standing Committee through the corporate planning process. 

3.5       Following an update of those Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance on the live database, it is recommended that Members approve the following Motions/Issues for closure.

            Category 1 Recommended Closures:

·        Future Fossil Fuel Development (No 26) - the Member has been provided with an update on this request and is content with the advice provided. This issue is now recommended for closure.

·        Portacabin at Wedderburn (No 32) – request withdrawn by Member.

·        Proposal for pedestrian crossing at new BCC play park on Upper Dunmurry Lane (No 38) - correspondence has been issued to DfI with a formal request for pedestrian crossing on Upper Dunmurry Lane beside the BCC carpark.

3.6       Financial & Resource Implications

            There are no additional financial implications required to implement these recommendations.

3.7       Equality or Good Relations Implications/Rural Needs Assessment

            There are no equality, good relations or rural needs implications contained in this report.”

            Following a query from a Member regarding the Littering NOM (no 76), the Director of Neighbourhood Services undertook to liaise directly with the Member directly to discuss the progress of the BOSS strategy.

            The Committee noted the update report in respect of the Notices of Motion / Issues Raised in Advance and agreed to the closure of the following 2:

• Future Fossil Fuel Development (no 26); and
• Portacabin at Wedderburn (no 32),

            It was agreed that the proposal for a pedestrian crossing at the new Council Play Park on Dunmurry Lane (no 38) would remain open to enable officers to ascertain if a response had been received from the Department for Infrastructure. 

            The Committee further agreed, due to current workload pressures on Council staff, that the Notice of Motion Quarterly Update report could move to a six-monthly update.