A committee is a group of councillors appointed by the Council which meets to review, scrutinise or make decisions on a range of functions within its particular remit.
The Council currently has eight committees, the members of which were appointed at the annual General Meeting of the Council on 5 June 2019.
Each of the committees consists of 20 councillors, with the quorum (the minimum number of councillors required to be present to transact business legally) of each committee being one quarter of the membership, that is, 5 members.
Committees are constituted to reflect, as far as practicable, the different political parties into which the members of the council are divided. The posts of chairperson and deputy chairperson are allocated on basis of the d’Hondt method of filling positions of responsibility as set out in Part 3 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.
Click on the links below to find details of the membership and other information relation to a particular committee:
The City Growth and Regeneration Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, policies, programmes and projects directed to the regeneration and growth of the city in the context of the outcomes agreed in the community and corporate plans and other corporate strategy.
This includes:-
• Influencing and contributing to regional regeneration and growth strategies and activities
• Developing and implementing city-wide economic strategies and policies
• Managing and maximising the impact of major physical developments in the city
• Coordinating and promoting major city wide events
• Sourcing and providing support to attract and utilise European and other grants which contribute to the growth of the city
• Providing support for economic development initiatives
• Supporting the development of culture, heritage and the arts
• Working with other agencies to promote Belfast as a key investment and tourism opportunity
• Developing programmes and actions to support local businesses and attract inward investment
• Managing the Council’s markets and maximising their benefit to the city
• Influencing and contributing to strategies and policies affecting skills, employability, transportation and energy in the City
• Overseeing the delivery of the following services
Economic Development, Urban Development, Tourism, Culture and Arts, European and International Relations, City Markets, City Events, Belfast Castle, Malone House, Belfast Zoo and the transferring car parks
The Licensing Committee shall be responsible for the consideration of all matters pertaining to policy and legislation in relation to licensing issues. The Licensing Committee shall have delegated authority for determining the following matters:
(i) The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1985
Entertainment Licences
Applications for the grant of outdoor licences
Applications for the grant, renewal, transfer or variation of licences where objections are received
Suspension and revocation of licences
Applications for a waiver to permit entertainment involving striptease or nudity.
Sex Establishments
Applications for the grant of licences
Applications for the renewal, transfer or variation of licences
Revocation of licences
(ii) The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 (as amended by the Betting and Gaming (Northern Ireland) Order 2004).
Applications for the grant of amusement and pleasure permits
Applications for the renewal of amusement permits where adverse representations have been made
Registration of Societies in relation to the running of lotteries.
(iii) Street Trading Act (Northern Ireland) 2001
Designation of streets or part thereof
Applications for the grant of licences
Applications for the renewal, transfer or variation of licences where objections are received
Revocation of licences
Setting of licence fees
(iv) administration of the provisions of the Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and the Registration of Clubs (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 relating to entertainments and liquor licensing in licensed premises and registered clubs.
(v) Licensing of Pavement Cafes Act (Northern Ireland) 2014
Applications for the grant, renewal or variation of licences where adverse representations are received.
Compulsory variation of licences.
Revocation of licences.
Setting of licence fees.
Suspension of licences except where in the public interest the Director of Planning and Place, in consultation with the City Solicitor, considers that there are particular circumstances which make it necessary to suspend a licence immediately.
(vi) such other licensing matters as the Director of Planning and Place considers appropriate to be addressed by the Licensing Committee.
(vii) The Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Act NI 2016
The Licensing Committee assumes responsibility for determining those applications for a house in multiple occupation and should only consider objections to an application in instances where the objector would be materially affected by the existence of a House in Multiple Occupation; where variation of a licence is required, in the determination of a fit and proper person check, and in the revocation of licences, except where in the public interest the Director, in consultation with the City Solicitor, considers that there are particular circumstances which make it necessary to suspend a licence immediately.
Whilst the Committee has full delegated authority in relation to licensing decisions it may reconsider any decision referred to it by the Director of Planning and Place in consultation with the City Solicitor.
The People and Communities Committee is responsible for the development and implementation of strategies, policies, programmes and projects aimed at improving life at a local level in the context of the outcomes agreed in the community and corporate plans and other corporate strategy. This includes:
• Developing and delivering programmes, events and activities to promote health, safety and well being at a local level
• Administering and enforcing the Council’s powers and duties under the Public Health Acts and all environmental health and building related legislation and regulations
• Securing and providing adequate provision for the recycling, treatment and disposal of commercial and domestic waste including bulky waste and the collection and disposal of abandoned motor vehicles.
• Exercising the Council's powers for improving local environmental quality in relation to housing legislation, Managing controlled waste, emergency planning and community safety and anti-social behaviour, clean neighbourhoods and other environmental or regulatory issues not falling within the remit of any other Committee.
• Managing, maintaining and maximising the benefit of the Council’s parks, pitches, playgrounds and other public spaces as well as community centres and other indoor facilities
• Developing and implementing activities to ensure the delivery of corporate strategies and initiatives in respect of the promotion of health and physical activity, environmental protection, community safety and other such areas under the domain of this Committee
• Overseeing the delivery of the Council’s frontline services and associated community assets including
• Overseeing the delivery of the Council’s frontline services and associated community assets including:
Environmental Services; Cleansing; Waste Management; Parks and Cemeteries service (excluding zoo, Malone House and Belfast Castle), Neighbourhood and Development Services; Community Services, Community Safety and Emergency Planning.
Information about the Planning Committee
Please note: all meetings of the Planning Committee are open to the public. If you wish to speak at the Planning Committee, you must have previously made representations to the Planning Department in respect of an application.
If you wish to request to speak, please contact Democratic Services setting out the planning reasons you wish to raise. Please note that the deadline for requests to speak is 48 hours prior to the date of the meeting:
· Web Form: Submit your request to speak to committee
· Email Democratic Services: democraticservices@belfastcity.gov.uk
The Planning Committee is responsible for all of the Council’s planning functions, except those matters which are delegated to officers or reserved to full Council.
Specific responsibilities include:
Exercising the Council’s powers and duties in relation to local planning policies, plan strategies, the statement of community involvement and any other development plan documents in conjunction with the Strategic Policy and Resource Committee who will consider all of the said policies and plans to ensure that they are consistent with the broader strategic objectives of the Council;
Reconsideration of local planning policies, plan strategies, the statement of community involvement and any other development plan documents in respect of which the Strategic Policy and Resource Committee considers to be inconsistent with the broader strategic objectives of the Council;
Deciding on applications for planning permission and whether to impose any condition, limitation or other restriction on an approval, consent, licence or permission;
Revoking, amending, modifying or varying any approval, consent, licence or permission;
Determining any matters related to the exercise of permitted development rights as set out in the Planning (General Development) Order (NI) 1993 or any other legislation relating to such rights;
Exercising the Council’s powers and duties in relation to development control;
Determining applications for the display of advertisements and whether to impose any condition, limitation or other restriction on such advertisements;
Determining applications for planning permission or consents for listed buildings and exercising any related powers and duties; including the revocation or modification of such a consent;
Exercising the Council’s powers in relation to the preservation of trees;
Dealing with any other planning related matter that a meeting of Council or any other Committee considers appropriate to be referred to the Planning Committee;
Responding to consultations on local planning policies, plan strategies the statement of community involvement and any other development plan documents in adjoining authorities;
Responding to consultations issued by the Department for Infrastructure, or any other Department, in relation to planning matters;
Responding to consultations in relation to regionally significant or major applications to be determined by the Department for Infrastructure.
The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the Council through the development of its corporate plan and other key corporate and cross cutting strategies and policies. It will also ensure effective use of resources and value for money for ratepayers, and oversee the Council’s relationship with a number of key agencies and partners.
This includes:-
• working with partners to lead the development of the community plan
• supporting the development, implementation and monitoring of the Physical Investment Strategy
• developing and implementing the organisation’s Good Relations and Equality Strategies
• allocating resources based on the corporate and city priorities
• managing and monitoring performance against the achievement of the council objectives and those agreed in the community plan
• developing the council’s finance strategy and all matters relating to its implementation including; all revenue and capital financing and borrowing, the annual revenue and capital budgets and the rate to be levied, monitoring of financial performance
• developing the council’s organisational development strategy and all matters relating to its implementation including; governance and organisation structures, organisational improvement initiatives, member and officer capacity building and monitoring of organisational performance
• developing the internal strategies to ensure the smooth running of the council including; asset management, procurement, grants, human resources, ,diversity, communications and accommodation
• managing and maintaining the corporate land bank and city assets, including the City Hall
• agreeing the Local Development Plan with the Planning Committee
• overseeing the delivery of the internal council services listed below;
Human Resources; Corporate Communications; Legal Services; Democratic Services; Corporate Policy and Strategic Planning; Finance and Performance; Digital Services and Audit Governance and Risk Services. Property and Projects will also report on Procurement; Contract Management; Programme Management; Estates Unit and Facilities Management . Good relations will also be the responsibility of this committee.