Agenda item

To consider further the minute of the meeting of 15^th October under the heading “George Best Belfast City Airport Forum” which, at the request of Councillor Rodgers, was referred back to the Committee by the Council at its meeting on 3^rd November.

Appointment of Council Representatives

            The Committee Administrator reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 15th October, it had agreed that it be represented on the George Best Belfast City Airport Forum by the Chairman (or his nominee), together with an appropriate Officer.  However, that decision had been taken back at the Council meeting on 3rd November at the request of Councillor Rodgers.

            He explained that it had been thought that the appointment of Members to the Forum was a matter for the Health and Environmental Services and Development Committees.  However, at the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2005, following the Local Elections, Members had been appointed using the d’Hondt system of proportionality to a number of outside bodies, including the Belfast City Airport Forum.  These positions were to be held until the date of the Local Government Elections in June 2009.  At that time, Councillor Newton had been appointed to the Forum.

            He stated that the Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 19th August, 2005, had authorised the Head of Committee and Members Services to continue the application of the d’Hondt process to determine the filling of appointments to outside bodies during the current Council term.  Accordingly, in June 2006 when the Council had been awarded an additional seat on the National Association of Councillors Northern Ireland Region it had been filled by Sinn Fein, which was the Party Grouping entitled to the next vacancy under the d’Hondt system.  Therefore, although the George Best Belfast City Airport Forum had indicated that it wished Councillors from the Health and Environmental Services and the Development Committees to sit on the body, the d’Hondt process would have to be followed.  Accordingly, Councillor Newton would remain as one of the Council’s representative on that body and the additional seat would be allocated under d’Hondt to the Social Democratic and Labour Party Grouping.  In light of this, it would be necessary for the Committee to rescind its decision of 15th October appointing the Chairman (or his nominee) to the Forum, although the decision regarding the Officer appointment would not require to be changed.

            The Committee noted the information provided and agreed to rescind its decision appointing the Chairman (or his nominee) to the George Best Belfast City Airport Forum.

Community Group Representation

            The Director of Development reminded the Committee that, at its meeting on 15th October, it had requested information regarding the names of the representatives of the community groups which were represented currently on the Airport Forum and the process by which they had been appointed to the Forum.

            She informed the Committee that, under the original Airport Forum constitution, the undernoted representatives from community groups within the Council area had been appointed:

Fiona McKinley  –   Park Road and District Residents’ Association

Muriel Ellis          –   Sydenham Environmental Group

Lewis Lee           –   Inverary Environmental and Residents’ Group

            According to the Forum’s proposed revised constitution, community groups from East Belfast would be entitled to a maximum of three representatives and those from South Belfast one representative.  The groups would decide on who would represent them on the Forum and those persons would feed back to and represent the collective concerns of the groups.  She assured the Committee that the management of the Airport would not be involved in the process of nominating the individual community representatives.

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided by the Director.

Appointment of the Chairman and

Deputy Chairman of the Forum

            Arising from discussion on the previous matters, a Member expressed concern that the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Airport Forum would be appointed by the management of the Airport, rather than through a public appointments process.  He informed the Members that, when similar concerns had been raised at the meeting of the Health and Environmental Services Committee on 5th November, the Environmental Health Manager had undertaken to make the Airport Forum aware of that Committee’s views that the appointments of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman should be made using a public appointments process with expressions of interest being sought by way of public advertisement.  He requested that the Development Committee support this position. 

            The Committee agreed to support the position adopted by the Health and Environmental Services Committee in relation to the appointment of the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Airport Forum.