Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      At a meeting of the Development Committee on 16 January 2008, Members agreed to core fund Belfast City Centre Management Company (BCCM) £190,000 per year for two years commencing April 2008.

 

Key Issues

 

      The work of BCCM covers three areas:

 

-     Delivering BCCM city centre services

      BCCM delivers its own services, which add value to the City centre, examples include - City Centre Representatives, Café Culture Operating Agreements, City Beat Policing, Radio link, City Safe Crimewatch scheme and City Dressing, including the city’s Festive Lighting

 

-     Facilitating and assisting in the delivery of funders’ City Centre Initiatives

      BCCM work ‘on the street’ (when requested and as directed) to assist with initiatives such as the Belfast Business Awards, Evening Economy, Independent Retail Support, City Centre Performance Measurement, Belfast in Bloom, Waste Management, Streets Ahead and the reStore initiative.

 

-     Direct liaison with City Centre Businesses

      BCCM provide strong communication links between the private sector businesses in the City centre and Central and Local Government, leading to increased private sector funding of city centre initiatives and marketing.

 

      April 2008 to March 2010

 

      The BCCM Board has indicated to the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Committee, appreciation of Council’s funding of £190,000 per annum during the financial years 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. 

 

      BCCM report that these have been two very successful years, with the company’s business plans being delivered in full, save only a few projects which are delayed due to circumstances beyond the control of BCCM.

 

      Copies of the BCCM Performance Reports for 2008/2009 and the first three quarters of 2009/2010 are available on Moden.gov.  It is particularly noteworthy that during these two years BCCM has been able to use its core funding to leverage increased funding for specific City centre projects from other sources, increasing from £381,000 in 2007/2008 to:

 

      -     £710,000 in 2008/2009

      -     £590,000 in 2009/2010 (budgeted)

 

      The above figures include:

 

-     A substantial rise in funding obtained from retailers towards the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau’s (BVCB) marketing campaign for the City, rising from a previous annual high of £15,000, to £50,000 per annum in both of these two years.

-     £60,000 investment in new festive lights for the City provided by Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce

 

      Members are also asked to note that during these two funding years BCCM has successfully engaged with issues which were not originally tabled in their business plans, these include:

 

-     Bringing together the three membership organisations for public hire taxi drivers in the City into one forum, and agreeing a ‘Taxi Forum Agenda’ which is now being progressed with DoE and DRD Roads Service.  This has led to a positive working relationship with the drivers.  Early benefits included a marshaled and ‘agreed fare’ taxi service to the Tall Ships event.

 

-     Chairing the work of Orangefest and Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce in respect to delivering shop opening, city dressing and on-street animation.  Delivery of the high profile Retail NI 2009 Conference on behalf of Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce, which reinforced Belfast as Northern Ireland’s primary shopping destination and successfully highlighted the private sector’s strong feelings regarding the ‘Town Centre First’ lobby with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers.

-     Under the Chamber’s new President, harnessing some £100,000 each year towards a Belfast Chamber of Trade & Commerce Promotional Campaign.

-     At the Council’s request, provision of support to retailers in other areas of the City to deliver local Festive Lighting projects.

 

      Appendix 2 contains a draft Business Plan for the period 2010 to 2013, which includes a detailed action plan for the first year, 2010/2011 and is available on Modern.gov.  The BCCM Board wish to consider any recommendations or requests from the Development Committee before finalising and publishing this Business Plan.

 

      The BCCM Board recognise and state within the Business Plan that the Plan may need to be reviewed with core funders after the implementation of the Review of Public Administration.

 

      The Business Plan sets specific performance targets for each of BCCM’s ‘Activity Groups’ of:

 

      1.   Urban Management

      2.   Safer City

      3.   Character & Style

      4.   Economic Activity. 

 

      The attention of Members is drawn to the strategic objectives set-out in section 6 of the Plan and the specific targets set-out in the 2010/2011 Action Plan.  The Business Plan includes financial projections and the BCCM Board is not seeking any rise in funding from Council.  

 

Resource Implications

 

      Belfast City Centre Management Company is seeking confirmation of £190,000 per annum core funding for two years, to be reviewed annually, commencing April 2010.

 

Recommendations

 

      It is recommended that Members note the details of the BCCM Performance Reports for work to date and the Business Plan for 2010-2013.

 

      It is further recommended that the Committee approves annual funding for BCCM of £190,000 per year for two years, subject to annual review, commencing April 2010 and subject to activities and targets being met. 

 

Decision Tracking

 

      Subject to Committee approval of the recommendation to fund BCCM, an appropriate legal agreement will be drawn up between BCCM and BCC to allow for monitoring and allocation of funding.

 

Timeline:  April 2010                            Reporting Officer: Lisa Toland

 

Key to Abbreviations

 

      BCCM – BelfastCity Centre Management

      BVCB – Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau

      DoE- Department of the Environment

      DRD- Department for Regional Development”

 

            The Committee was advised that Messrs. Andrew Irvine, Billy McGivern and Paul McMahon, representing Belfast City Centre Management, were in attendance and they were admitted to the meeting and welcomed by the Chairman.

 

            With the assistance of visual aids, Mr. Irvine informed the Committee that Belfast City Centre Management would deliver additional services into the City centre on behalf of its core funders, which would contribute in a measurable way to a cleaner, safer and more accessible City.  It would do so by:

 

(i)   delivering direct services which would add value to the City centre, facilitate and assist the delivery of its funders’ City centre initiatives; and

 

(ii)  would liaise directly with City centre businesses.

 

            He highlighted a number of the actions which the organisation had delivered in the previous two years, including:

 

(i)   twelve meetings of City centre area focus groups;

 

(ii)  the annual Belfast Business Awards;

 

(iii)on-going liaison with all of the businesses affected by the Streets Ahead Project;

 

(iv)the provision of new festive lighting stock at a cost of £60,000; and

 

(v)  the appointment of the Cathedral Quarter Steering Group and Manager.

 

In addition, the Company had resolved issues with public hire taxis, chaired the work which Orangefest and the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce had undertaken regarding “The Twelfth 2009” in the City centre and had delivered, in partnership with the retailers, the festive lighting scheme for the Lisburn Road.  Mr. Irvine pointed out that, in undertaking this work, Belfast City Centre Management had increased significantly the amount of funding it had levered from other sources towards specific projects over and above the funding provided by the Council, as follows:

 

Year	Belfast City Council	Other
2007/2008	£140,000	£381,000
2008/2009	£190,000	£710,000
2009/2010	£190,000	£590,000

 

            Mr. Irvine reported that Belfast City Centre Management and the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau had agreed integrated actions for the 2010/2012 period which would result in Belfast City Centre Management delivering a high quality City product for the Council which the Visitor and Convention Bureau would market.  In addition, the Company would endeavour to raise during that period from City centre retailers £50,000 per annum for the Bureau.

 

            Mr. Irvine concluded his presentation by requesting that the Committee agree to provide the sum of £190,000 per annum to Belfast City Centre Management for the two years commencing 1st April, 2010.

 

            The representatives from Belfast City Centre Management then answered various questions which were put to them by the Members, following which the deputation retired from the meeting.

 

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to provide the sum of £190,000 per annum to Belfast City Centre Management for the two year period commencing 1st April, 2010, subject to that amount being reviewed on an annual basis.