Agenda item

Pursuant to the Committee’s decision of 14^th May, to receive presentations from the Belfast Regeneration Office and the Area Partnership Boards.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Under the Renewing Communities Programme each Area Partnership Board (APB) has been resourced to, and tasked with, producing a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) for their area by the Department for Social Development (DSD).  Each APB has engaged a consultancy team to support them in this work which is due for completion in June – September 2008.  Whilst each APB is at a different stage in development, efforts are being made to co-ordinate activity across the frameworks.

      Engagement with Councillors in each partnership board area has been pursued directly by the APBs.  Some Councillors are participating on the steering groups of the SRFs whilst others input through the APB meetings and consultation processes.  Minister and MLAs have been engaged to a varying level dependent on the approach taken by the APB and the stage of development of their SRF.

      Members will be aware that at the Development Committee meeting of 14 May, the Committee agreed to receive presentations from BRO and the Area Partnership Boards on the subject of Strategic Regeneration Frameworks.

Key Issues

      The SRFs are due for completion during summer 2008, after which time they will be submitted to the Minister for Social Development.  It is important to note that there are no specific resources committed for implementation of actions arising out of SRFs beyond those monies committed by DSD/BRO for the preparation of the SRFs.

      Substantial staff support has been committed to working with the APBs, their consultancy teams and DSD/BRO in the SRF preparation process.

      Each APB will submit their final SRFs to Council for consideration and endorsement which is likely to take place post summer.  However, in advance, each APB along with BRO are seeking an opportunity to appraise Committee of key issues arising in each area before the finalisation process.

      In its civic leadership role, Belfast City Council undertakes tasks relating to coordination, exerting influence and acting as an advocate.  Using Council’s convening authority, BelfastCity Council frequently brings organisations together to agree an overall vision and accompanying strategy or plan.  With the advent of community planning coming to Councils as a result of the recent RPA announcement, Belfast City Council will have a statutory duty to prepare an agreed strategy for its area.  In advance of this, Belfast City Council is currently engaged in the preparation of a new corporate plan which will consider how Council can best fulfil a strategic leadership role in city-wide planning.  In this regard, Council will be considering how the SRFs should be linked or encompassed as part of city-wide planning processes.

      Presently under the SRF process it is apparent that APBs are highly supportive of Council taking a lead role in city-wide planning.  The APBs are eager that the SRFs are utilised and incorporated into any emergent city-wide plans.  BRO are currently reflecting on their view of joining up the SRFs and city-wide planning processes.

      In order to initiate discussions on how all 3 organisations can work positively together on integrated city planning, a workshop was held at officer level on 3 March.  Options for strategy alignment between all bodies are being further examined through a sub-group and will be brought back to Members for further consideration in due course.

Recommendations

      It is recommended that Committee receive presentations from BRO and the Area Partnership Boards on the Strategic Regeneration Frameworks.

Key to Abbreviations

      SRFs – Strategic Regeneration Frameworks

      APB – Area Partnership Board

      DSD – Department for Social Development

      BRO – Belfast Regeneration Office”

            The Chairman welcomed the following persons to the meeting:

Messrs. T. Mackey and M. Murray, representing the North Belfast Area Partnership Board;

Ms. E. Newberry and Ms. A. McMurray, representing the East Belfast Area Partnership Board;

Ms. A. McAleese, representing the South Belfast Area Partnership Board;

Mr. N. Rooney and Ms. C. Persic, representing the West Belfast Area Partnership Board;

Messrs. T. Scott and J. Redpath, representing the Greater Shankill Area Partnership Board; and

Messrs. M. McAvoy and M. O’Donnell, representing the Belfast Regeneration Office.

            Mr. Mackey indicated that he would be addressing the Committee on behalf of the various Partnership Boards.  He informed the Committee that the Boards valued the participation of both Members and officers from the Council in their work and congratulated the Council on the initiatives which it was undertaking across the City and, in particular, the Arterial Routes Programme.  He pointed out that the five Boards were of the view that the various Government Departments would need to commit to the findings contained within the Strategic Regeneration Frameworks to ensure that improvements were made to the services which were provided to the residents across the City.

            He pointed out that there had been considerable debate as to whether one or five Frameworks should be produced but the Boards had concluded that it would be better for Belfast as a whole if, eventually, one overarching plan for the City were to be produced since common and City-wide themes were emerging from each Framework, including a desire for each area to re-connect with the rest of the City.  This overarching plan would include the specific needs of certain areas of the City.  However, as each Board was required to submit its draft Framework to the Department for Social Development in the near future, five documents were currently being produced.  He pointed out that each of the Frameworks had been prepared with the aim of influencing the Government’s expenditure programme over the next eighteen to twenty?four months.

            Representatives from the five Area Boards then advised the Members of the major items which would be contained within their respective Frameworks.

            During discussion in the matter, Members expressed concern that, as had happened with previous plans and initiatives, Government Departments had not set any money aside to implement the recommendations contained within the Strategic Regeneration Frameworks.  The point was made that, although the Council was in a similar financial position to Government Departments in that it was operating an extremely restricted budget, it had still managed to undertake work across Belfast which had been appreciated by the communities.

            In response, Mr. O’Donnell from the Belfast Regeneration Office indicated that the implementation of the recommendations contained within the Strategic Regeneration Frameworks would be carried out over the longer-term.  He explained that, when the plans had been completed, there would be engagement with the various Government Departments to ensure that the issues raised were used to assist the Departments to develop their budgets and plans for the various areas. 

            During further discussion, several Members suggested that the Boards should consult also with the private sector to encourage entrepreneurs to engage with and invest in the work being undertaken by the various Partnership Boards. 

            In conclusion, Mr. Mackey indicated that the five Boards were working together for the benefit of the City and that, whilst it would be fair to say that some of the representatives shared the cynicism which the Councillors had expressed regarding whether Government funding would be forthcoming to ensure that the Regeneration Frameworks were undertaken, the Boards were hopeful that there would be useful and co-ordinated inter-Departmental co-operation to ensure that the plans contained within the Frameworks were delivered.  He also indicated that the Boards were keen for the Council to champion their work and hoped that it, together with the Boards, might succeed in influencing Government Departments’ spending.

            The Chairman thanked Mr. Mackey and the other members of the deputation for their presentation and for the information which they had provided. 

            The representatives from the Partnership Boards thanked the Committee for receiving them and retired from the meeting.

            Following discussion, the Committee agreed to note the report and the information which had been provided by the representatives of the five Area Partnership Boards.