Agenda and minutes

No apologies were reported. 

            The minutes of the meeting of 24th and 30th April, were taken as read and signed as correct, subject to the amendment to the Minutes of 30th April under item 2.b) Request for Funding. The Committee noted that the funding decision which noted Mid Falls Alleyway Regeneration Scheme as the recipient would be amended to note the applicant, namely, St. James’ Community Forum.

            It was reported that the aforementioned minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meetings on 5th May, subject to the following amendments:

·         NICVA Summit 2026 (24th April) - the Council agreed that the decision be amended to provide that the Council contribute £20,000 of sponsorship to support the NICVA 2026 Summit event.

·         Notices of Motion - Quarterly Update (24th April) - the Council agreed that the decision be amended to provide that the Notice of Motion ‘Save West Wellbeing Suicide Awareness’ (ID 331) remained open.

·         Notice of Motion – Proposed City Ambassadors Scheme (24th April) - the Council agreed that the Notice of Motion be amended to include the following paragraph:

      “Proposals shall be brought back to the Committee in respect of addressing the gender imbalance amongst recipients of the Freedom of the City, including a process, in consultation with the women's sector, to identify four women who have made a lasting positive impact in Belfast, to be awarded the Freedom of the City as part of the International Women’s Day programme of events in March 2027.”

·         Bonfire Update (30th April) - the Council agreed that the decision in relation to the temporary fencing of bonfire sites, be referred back to the Committee for further consideration. 

·         Requests for Funding (30th April) - the Council agreed that the decision be amended to provide that the Director of Finance submit a report to the Committee which would outline how the remaining requests could be funded.

            Councillor R-M. Donnelly declared an interest under item 9.a) Minutes of Shared City Partnership, in so far as it related to PEACEPLUS in that she worked for an organisation which was funded under the Programme.  As the item did not become the subject of debate, she was not required to leave the meeting.

            In relation to item 3.a) Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, Councillor Murray declared an interest, in that he was employed by S.O.S NI who were a delivery partner of the Fleadh, as the related interests did not become the subject of debate, he was not required to leave the meeting.

            In relation to item 6.g) Call for Evidence by Criminal Justice Committee, Councillor Long declared an interest, in that his wife was the Justice Minister and left the meeting whilst the item was under consideration.

            Councillor Bunting declared an interest under item 3.b) Request for Funding, in that she was on the Committee of one of the of the applicants and left the meeting whist the item was under consideration.

            Councillor Doran declared an interest in relation to item 3.b) Requests for Funding, and 6.h) Summer Scheme Small Grant Funding 26/27 in that he was associated with some of the applicants and left the meeting whist the item was under consideration.

            In relation to item 3.d) Belfast Stories - Community Grants and 6.d) Belfast Child - Seamless Pathway for Children and Families, Councillor Smyth declared an interest in that he was employed by the Belfast Trust.

            The Chairperson welcomed to the meeting Mr. G. Roberts, Retail NI and Mr. L. English, Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) to the meeting.

             Mr. English stated that the Members of USDAW did not support the proposed extension to Sunday opening hours as outlined in the consultation. He provided an overview of the Survey which the USDAW had undertaken in May, 2026 and highlighted the impact the potential extended hours would have on family life, work-life balance, job growth and the economy. He highlighted that retail workers felt undervalued and there was no incentive to work longer hours. He also questioned how longer hours would be facilitated by the retail companies.

            Mr. Roberts provided an overview of why Retail NI did not support the extension to Sunday Opening Hours. He stated that there was a ‘poverty of ambition’ for the City and pointed out that there were other ways to animate the city. He questioned why a Working Group had not been set up to discuss the issues and the delay in bringing the consultation forward. 

            During discussion, the representatives answered a range of questions in relation to the survey responses, workers rights, alternative options and engagement with stakeholders.           

             After discussion, the Chairperson thanked the representatives for their deputation.

            The Committee noted the information provided by the deputation and that, where relevant, the USDAW would provide further survey data on the issues raised.

            The Chairperson welcomed to the meeting Ms. M. Connolly representing Belfast One and the Belfast Chamber of Commerce.

            Ms Connolly provided an overview of the support for the proposed extension to Sunday opening hours as outlined in the consultation. She stated that other locations already benefited from extended Sunday opening hours and highlighted the volume of weekend and cruise ship visitor and their needs.

            She described the animation activities that had been undertaken by Belfast One throughout the year. She suggested that businesses needed to have the choice to open if they wished.

            During discussion, she explained further the support for the consultation from retailers and hotels.

             After discussion, the Chairperson thanked Ms. Connolly for her deputation.

Noted.

            The information contained in the reports associated with the following eight items is restricted in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

      Resolved – That the Committee agrees to exclude the members of the press and public from the meeting during discussion of the following eight items as, due to the nature of the items, there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42(4) and Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

            The Members were advised that content of ‘restricted’ reports and any discussion which takes place during closed session must be treated as ‘confidential information’ and no such information should be disclosed to the public as per Paragraph 4.15 of the Code of Conduct.  

(Ms. L-A O’Donnell, Senior Manager - Culture and Tourism

attended in connection with this item.)

The Chairperson welcomed to the meeting Supt. G. Kirkpatrick representing the PSNI. Supt. Kirkpatrick provided an update on the Policing Plan for the Fleadh.

            The Director of Economic Development and Senior Manager, Culture and Tourism also provided an update on the planning to support the hosting of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast in August 2026.

            During discussion, Members raised a number of queries in relation to vulnerable people. The Chief Executive advised that an update would be provided in June on the issue.

            One Member suggested that a meeting should also be set up between the inner city communities and relevant agencies before the next Committee, to help alleviate concerns in relation to parking.

            In response to a Member’s question in relation to street vendor locations and licensing, the Director of Economic Development advised this would be investigated. 

            In relation to city dressing on arterial routes, the Director of Communications, Marketing and External Affairs advised that the potential costs would be reported back to the next meeting of the Committee.

After discussion, the Committee noted the progress to date on the development of the Fleadh Cheoil and that further updates would be provided on the issues which had been raised.

The Director of Finance provided an update on the outstanding requests which had been received by the Council for funding.

            During discussion, in response to a Member’s query regarding an update on a Sports Fund to deal with additional special sporting requests, the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services advised that this was being explored and the criteria would be submitted to a future People and Communities Committee for consideration.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Murphy,

            Seconded by Councillor R-M Donnelly,

      That the Committee agrees that an application process for the Discretionary Fund requests be implemented and capped to a maximum of £5k per applicant for requests that do not fit into any other Funding Streams, up to the amount of £290,742, and will be funded from the non-recurrent community capacity building monies included in the Growth Fund for 26/27.

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor I. McLaughlin,

            Seconded by Councillor Ferguson,

That the Committee agrees to fund the 47 discretionary funding support requests as outlined in the report and agrees that the funding, totaling £339,242, be allocated from the non-recurrent community capacity building monies included in the Growth Fund for 26/27.

            On a vote, three Members voted for the proposal and thirteen against and it was declared lost.

            The original proposal standing in the name of Councillor Murphy and seconded by Councillor R-M Donnelly was put to the meeting when nine Members voted for it and eight against and it was subsequently declared carried. 

            Accordingly, the Committee:

1.    Agreed that an application process for Discretionary Fund requests be implemented and capped to a maximum of £5k per applicant for requests that did not fit into any other Funding Streams. The Committee agreed that the fund, up to the amount of £290,742, would be funded from the non-recurrent community capacity building monies included in the Growth Fund for 26/27;

2.    Agreed for West Well Being to present to the Party Group Leaders to outline their request;

3.    Agreed to the holding of Party Briefings to review the Discretionary Fund policy.

The Committee:

i)              St George’s Market 1st Floor Restaurant – Lease renewal

·         Approved the renewal of a Lease to The Mount Charles Group Limited for the 1st Floor Restaurant Premises at St George’s Market.

ii)            Forth Meadow Community Greenway (Springvale Park) – Acquisition    of Lands 

·         Approved the transfer of c. 12.95 acres of land at Springvale Park, Springfield Road, on which Section 2 of the Forth Meadow Community Greenway had been constructed, from the Department for Communities to the Council.

iii)           Lagan Gateway Phase 2 Project

·         Approved the use of compulsory purchase powers should they be required to complete land assembly for the Lagan Gateway Phase 2 Project. 

iv)           Alexander Park – Easement

·         Approved the granting of a 99-year Easement to Alpha Housing Association for the installation of a storm drain and associated headwall within Alexandra Park, with the installation works to be undertaken by JAMDAC Developments Ltd.

            The Committee was provided with an update on the proposed award of Belfast Stories Community Grants strands 2 and 3 following completion of the application, assessment and moderation process.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor R. McLaughlin,

            Seconded by Councillor Beattie,

      That the Committee agrees to defer consideration of the report so that further information on the process could be provided to Party Group Leaders.

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor Bunting,

            Seconded by Councillor Doran,

      That the Committee agrees to the recommendations as outlined in the report to:

·         Award the recommended 5 creative project grants (up to £30,000) following completion of the assessment and moderation process;

·         Note the 12 small grants up to £10,000 approved under delegated authority; and

·         In light of the significant demand and high quality of submissions received, as outlined at 3.15, agrees to increase the fund for small grants utilising an additional allocation of £41,560 from the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) reserve to fund 4 additional projects.

            On a vote, eight Members voted for the proposal and eight against. There being an equality of votes, the Chairperson exercised her second and casting vote against the proposal and it was subsequently declared lost.

            The original proposal standing in the name of Councillor R. McLaughlin and seconded by Councillor Beattie was put to the meeting and passed.

            Accordingly, the Committee agreed to defer consideration of the report so that further information on the process could be provided to Party Group Leaders.

(Councillor Nelson in the Chair)

The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 13th May, the City Growth and Regeneration Committee:

i.       noted the contents of the report, which included progress to date on neighbourhood tourism development and the findings from the Neighbourhood Tourism Investment Programme;

ii.      agreed to defer consideration of the proposed strategic direction and phased delivery approach as set out within the Tourism Plans for North and South Belfast;

iii.     agreed that approval be sought from the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for the funding of £300,000 for neighbourhood tourism;

iv.     agreed that the approach to support neighbourhood tourism delivery would be outcome based and consistent with the existing approach adopted in East and West Belfast, with the delivery aligned to the Council’s neighbourhood tourism and cultural investment programmes and local area plans; and

v.      approved the continuation of funding to EastSide Partnership and Fáilte Feirste Thiar to support neighbourhood tourism delivery, coordination, and capacity building across the city.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Murray,

            Seconded by Councillor Nelson,

            That the Committee agrees that up to £300,000 be allocated from the growth fund to fund the Neighbourhood Tourism Programme in 2026/2027 on a non-recurrent basis, including £75k to each area of the city (North, South, East and West),  with delivery aligned to Belfast City Council’s neighbourhood tourism and cultural investment programmes and local area plans.

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor I. McLaughlin,

            Seconded by Councillor Doran,

      That the Committee proceeds with the recommendations as outlined in the report to:

·         agree that up to £300 000 is allocated from the growth fund to fund the Neighbourhood Tourism Programme in 2026/2027 on a non-recurrent basis, including £75k to both East and West Belfast with delivery aligned to Belfast City Council’s neighbourhood tourism and cultural investment programmes and local area plans; and

·         note proposals for the remaining funding to be allocated to North Belfast, South Belfast and Shankill, subject to agreement of strategic direction and phased delivery approaches and a further report to the City Growth and Regeneration committee on the tourism plan for the Greater Shankill area.

            On a vote, five Members voted for the amendment and thirteen against and it was declared lost.

            The original proposal standing in the name of Councillor Murray and seconded by Councillor Nelson was put to the meeting and passed.

            Accordingly, the Committee agreed that up to £300,000 be allocated from the Growth Fund to fund the Neighbourhood Tourism Programme in 2026/2027 on a non-recurrent basis, including £75k to each area of the city (North, South, East and West) with delivery aligned to Belfast City Council’s neighbourhood tourism and cultural investment programmes and local area plans.

The Committee was apprised of the proposed arrangements for 2026/2027 in relation to the extended cultural programme which had been established following a request from members in relation how they might address under representation of certain groups within previous rounds of funding.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Beattie,

            Seconded by Councillor Murphy,

      That the Committee agrees to defer consideration of the report to invite representatives from Seachtain na Gaeilge and Belfast Orangefest to a Special Meeting to present information on the inclusivity and equality of their events.

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor Bunting,

            Seconded by Councillor de Faoite,

      That the Committee:

1.    agrees to approve up to £100,000 towards an Extended Cultural Programme and to develop and issue Funding Agreements for 2026/27 as detailed in the report in relation to:

·      Seachtain na Gaeilge / Irish language week

·      Belfast Orangefest

2.    agrees to the additional funding of up to £20,000 for Belfast Pride, subject to legal advice, due diligence and funding agreement.

            On a vote, eleven Members voted for the proposal and eight against and it was declared carried.  The amendment was put to the Committee as the substantive motion and agreed.

            Accordingly, the Committee:

1.    Agreed to approve up to £100,000 towards an Extended Cultural Programme and to develop and issue Funding Agreements for 2026/27 as detailed in the report in relation to:

·            Seachtain na Gaeilge / Irish language week

·            Belfast Orangefest;

2.    Agreed to the additional funding of up to £20,000 for Belfast Pride, subject to legal advice, due diligence and funding agreement;

3.    Agreed the allocation of up to £35,000 to support the Lord Mayor’s Installation Event for 2026, taking recognition of the significance presented in hosting the Fleadh Cheoil in August and allowing to maximise the opportunity that this presented to engage with key stakeholders; and

4.    Agreed that officers submit a future report to the Committee to outline options for events currently or previously supported by the Extended Cultural Programme to be delivered on a recurrent basis and considered as part of the rate setting process for 2027/28, to include economic impact data on Belfast Pride from 2024 and 2025.

            The Committee noted:

1.    the update in relation to Phase 1 of the Governance Review;

2.    that Party Briefings would be arranged to discuss the key governance documents; and

3.    that updated documents would be brought to Committee in June for approval.

            The Committee was reminded that, the Council, at its meeting on 5th May had agreed that the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 30th April, 2026, under the heading “Bonfire Update” in relation to the temporary fencing of bonfire sites, be referred back to the Committee for further consideration. 

            After discussion, the Committee agreed to rescind its decision of 30thApril in relation to the Temporary Fencing of Bonfire Sites and agreed to delegate authority to officers in relation to the Health and Safety requirements and temporary fencing of bonfire sites at Benmore, Pitt Park, Cregagh Green, Tommy Patton Park and Orangefield Park.

            The Committee was provided with an update on the findings of the public consultation on the draft performance improvement objectives and presented with the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) 2026-27 for consideration and approval.

            The Committee approved the Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) 2026-27 as outlined in Appendix 2 of the report, for publication on the council’s website, subject to minor edits and formal ratification by the full council on 1st June, 2026. 

            The Committee considered a report regarding an update on the Workstyles Policy.

            The Committee was reminded that the policy had been implemented on the basis of an 18-month pilot and subject to review on a six-monthly basis throughout, with review points at the end of September 2023, March 2024, and September 2024.

            The corporate review measures were: building occupancy levels; customer complaints related to remote working; compliance with the 60% workplace / 40% remote strategy; and completion of the Homeworker and DSE self-assessment checklists and a pulse survey to gather participants’ views on the policy and its overall personal impact; the views of line managers, managing in a hybrid environment; and the impact on individuals, the Council, and its customers / stakeholders when individuals were working remotely and when working in the office.

            It was reported that consultation with management and trade unions on the revised policy took place in late 2025 / early 2026 and, at its meeting on 26th March 2026, the JNCC had approved the revised Workstyles Policy.

            In addition, the revised policy was reviewed by subject matter experts from legal services, digital services, information governance, insurance services, finance and corporate health and safety.

The Committee noted the contents of the report.

The Director of Planning presented the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The report sets out the results of the recent public consultation on the proposed designation of the Belfast City Council area as a holiday designation to enable extended Sunday Trading hours for larger retailers.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·         Note the results of the public consultation and additional direct responses received from stakeholders attached as appendices 3-7;

·         Note the issues and viewpoints expressed in the course of the public consultation process, as set out in section 3.5; and

·         Agree the implementation of the in-principle, council decision from July 2025 and designate the entire Belfast City Council area as a Holiday Resort designation under Article 6, paragraph (9) of the Shops Sunday (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. Any resolution passed by the council on 01 June would take effect from 01 July (i.e. one month after the date on which the resolution may be passed by council).

3.0       Main Report

3.1       At its meeting on 01 July 2025, the Council agreed, in-principle, to progress the Holiday Resort designation citywide under paragraph (9) of the Shops Sunday (Sunday Trading &c.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 (‘the legislation’), to be introduced on an ongoing basis commencing March, 2026, following further consultation and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including trade unions.

            Designation as a Holiday Resort

            Under paragraph (9) of the legislation, a Council may designate ‘any area in its district as a holiday resort’. This means that for 18 Sundays between 1 March and 30 September in any calendar year (apart from Easter Sunday) a large shop which has a relevant floor area exceeding 280 square metres) may open on Sundays in accordance with notice given to Council. Before making any designation, the Order is clear that a Council should consult those likely to be affected by the proposed designation.

            The council has consulted on the designation of the city centre as a holiday destination under the legislation on several previous occasions, most recently in 2019-20 but also in 2018 and 2017. On the previous occasions, there was engagement with a broad range of stakeholders including retailers (small and large); trades unions; statutory bodies; cultural sector; families; young people; tourism and hospitality representatives and transport providers.

            The issues behind the proposals to designate the city centre as a holiday resort were similar to the current position: ongoing challenges to city centre viability; a desire to accommodate a growing tourism audience and a recognition that there was limited retail and hospitality provision in the city centre on a Sunday morning, compared to other days of the week.

            The 1997 Order sets out in paragraph 10 that any resolution to designate a Holiday Resort can only take effect from a specified date, which must be at least one month after the date on which the resolution is passed. Should a decision be taken at this Committee, following due process the specified date on which the decision  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5c

The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this paper is to submit for the consideration of Members the ‘Belfast Child’ Strategy document for formal endorsement, following its consideration at the Community Planning Partnership on 16 April 2026.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

                                    I.        note the work undertaken by the Belfast Area Outcomes Group to develop ‘Belfast Child’ blueprint under the auspices of the Belfast Agenda commitments.

                                  II.        note that the Community Planning Partnership considered the Belfast Child document on 16 April 2026, and requested that individual partner organisations seek endorsement through their respective governance and decision-making processes.

                                 III.        note the next steps for the development of an associated action plan, to be brought back to the Partnership in due course; and

                                IV.        consider and agree that Council endorses the ‘Belfast Child’ blueprint, in principle, with any specific resource considerations emerging from the action plan relating to the Council brought back for members consideration and approval.

                                  V.        agree that the Chief Executive (or a nominee) attend the proposed launch event.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Members will be aware of the importance given within the Belfast Agenda to supporting our children and young people to reach their full potential and achieve the best educational outcomes and life chances possible. As part of the associated 4-year implementation plan, there is a commitment to ‘design a seamless developmental pathway’ for children and create a joint resourced delivery model’ for children aged 0-8 years.

3.2       In line with this commitment, the Belfast Area Outcomes Group (convened by the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust) has led the development of the ‘Belfast Child’ pathway framework’ which is attached at Appendix 1. This blueprint sets out a citywide vision to ensure that every child aged 0-8 years in Belfast can benefit from a seamless developmental journey. It’s built on a shared commitment to a whole-child, whole-family, and whole-community model, which creates support networks where families, communities, and services all play a crucial role.

3.3       This document shares the story of how a vision has been collaboratively designed, drawing on the wisdom of experts and the vast experience of Belfast’s community and government partners. Ultimately, this document provides a clear roadmap for how partners will work together to create an environment where every child in Belfast can truly thrive. The shared vision is that every child in the city is supported to realise their full potential through a clear commitment by agencies and services in Belfast to align, connect and collaborate around families. This collaborative approach aims to deliver the best possible outcomes for children.

3.4       The Belfast Child is intentionally ambitious. It seeks to build an integrated, city-wide support ecosystem capable of providing timely and effective intervention beginning at pre-conception and continuing until at least age eight. This represents the first stage of a journey that will, over time, extend to all children and young people under 18, aligning with the Belfast Agenda’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

(Ms. H. Morrissey, City Protection Manager and Mr. D. Bone,

City Service Manager, attended in connection with this item)

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to provide an update to Members on the outcome of the High Court Judicial Review in relation to Animal Welfare Services and to advise the Committee about new Animal Welfare legislation that the Department intends to introduce in April 2027.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to approve:

1.    Support to write to the AERA Committee (Appendix 1).

2.    The continuation of the existing Animal Welfare Service Delivery Model to March 2027 subject to the agreement of respective Councils within each region, to enable continued service delivery.

3.    Note that a review of future Service Delivery Options may be required depending upon the response from the AERA Committee.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Since April 2012, councils have held responsibility for the enforcement of the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011, in relation to non-farmed animals, namely companion animals and equines.

3.2       Region and Belfast which is a standalone region. The five regions employ a total of 10 Animal Welfare Officers (who are authorised to carry out work in all 11 council areas) and 5 administration staff across NI. Based on the contents of this report, members are asked to approve the continuation of the existing Animal Welfare Service Delivery Model to March 2027, subject to the agreement of the other councils to enable continued service delivery.

3.3       The Animal Welfare Service within councils was fully funded (approx. £1.25M per annum) by DAERA until August 2023, when DAERA advised that it was unable to continue to provide funding to support councils in relation to non-farmed animal welfare services.

3.4       A Judicial Review was then lodged in the High Court by Belfast City Council & Fermanagh Omagh District Council on behalf of SOLACE against DAERA, to challenge the Department’s decision to cease funding of the Animal Welfare Service.

3.5       The court found that there was a breach on the grounds of a procedural legitimate expectation. The Judge concluded that ‘the making of that decision by the Minister without giving advanced notice to the relevant Assembly Committee was in breach of a procedural expectation.’

3.6       The Judgement of the Court can be found at the following link: https://www.judiciaryni.uk/judicial-decisions/2025-nikb-58

3.7       Members are advised that the final Court Order required the following:

·         Before making any decision in respect of funding for non-farmed animal welfare services provided by district councils for the financial year 2026/2027 only, the Department must give such advance notice to the AERA Committee for its consideration and must notify councils once it has done so.

·         DAERA must reimburse the Councils’ full legal costs in relation to the Judicial Review.

3.8       At a meeting of councils CXs SOLACE on 6^th March 2026, it was agreed that councils would:

a)    Continue current delivery model for the Animal Welfare Service in 2026-27, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5e

            The Committee was reminded that, on 3 March 2026, the Justice Minister had introduced a draft Criminal Justice (Sentencing etc) Bill. The Bill was in response to a review that was undertaken by the Department of Justice in respect of sentencing in criminal matters in Northern Ireland.

            It was reported that, as a result of the review, the Department had identified a number of areas that needed to be addressed, one such area was the need to legislate for a new offence of assaulting a public worker.

            The City Solicitor highlighted that the new offence was very important to the Council as it was the first time that there was a differentiation in the legislation acknowledging public workers. The proposed offence identified the vital role that public workers, whether employed or engaged, have to ensure the delivery of public services and that all public workers should be able to carry out their functions without fear of violence, abuse or intimidation.

            The proposed Bill included the new offence at clause 37, assault of a public worker who was exercising one of their functions. The public worker can either be paid or unpaid and was defined as someone employed or engaged to a) provide a service to the public, b) perform a public duty, or c) deliver a public service.

            Clause 37 would deal with assaults that would fall within the threshold of common assault but under the new offence there was a higher sentencing maximum of 12 months custodial sentence as opposed to 6 months for common assault. Under the proposed Bill, assaults on public workers would be deemed to be indictable triable summarily offences and therefore were not subject to a summary only time limit of 6 months from the date of the offence for a prosecution to be laid before the court.

            It was reported that the draft Bill made provisions for an allegation of aggravation by reason of being committed against a public worker to be specified alongside a charge of a specified offence. If the offence and the allegation are proven, then the court must specify so and record the aggravation in the conviction.

            Any offender that was convicted and their offending was accepted to be aggravated by the fact that it was on a public worker would result in the seriousness of the offence being increased and this should be acknowledged by the sentencing court when sentencing the offender by explaining how this aggravation had affected the sentence imposed.

            The proposed offence of assault on a public worker and the provision for aggravation where an offence was committed against public workers were welcomed steps for the protection of public sector workers, including Council staff.

            The Council employs over 2000 workers that were required to deliver a wide range of public services on a daily basis, and the proposed legislation, if enacted, would only serve to strengthen the Council’s zero tolerance approach to assaults on staff whilst the increase in sentencing powers would act as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5f

(The Committee agreed to consider this item alongside 3.b) Requests for Funding)

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting in May, the People and Communities Committee had received an update on summer programmes supported by Neighbourhood Services, which included an update on funding provided through the Summer Scheme small grant programme. Following discussion, the Committee agreed that; ‘the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 22nd May, be requested to provide the maximum Summer Scheme Small Grants award to all organisations which had scored over 50 within the original assessment’.

            It was reported that the total budget required to award all applicants scoring over 50 100% of their requested eligible costs would be £214,418. This would require an additional budget of £45,874 and Neighbourhood Services did not have any available budget that could be used to cover this additional cost.

            During discussion, in response to a Member’s question regarding transportation to youth schemes, the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services advised that a report would be submitted to the People and Communities Committee once evaluation of this year’s summers schemes had taken place.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed that the additional budget required of £45,874 to award all applicants scoring over 50 100% of their requested eligible costs be approved from the Discretionary Fund Reserve.

            The Committee:

Capital Programme

·            Waterfront Hall - Chiller Units – Noted that a satisfactory tender return had been received; that the Director of Finance had confirmed that this project was within the affordability limits of the Council; and agreed that a maximum of £545,000 be allocated.

·            Waterfront Hall - Smoke Curtains – Noted that this project was being removed from the Capital Programme.

·            Drumglass Park SuDS Project – Noted that this project with DfI be added to the Capital Programme at Stage 1 – Emerging to allow the project to be developed.

Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund

·               Noted the update regarding NRF projects as outlined at 3.6 of the report.

Local Community Ownership Fund

·               Noted that the £1.5m Local Community Ownership Fund was launched on 20th May and that the Expressions of Interest process was currently open.

           The Committee:

·               Approved the public advertisement of tenders as per Standing Order 37a detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 1)

·               Approved the award of STAs in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions as detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 2)

·               Approved the modification of the contract as per Standing Order 37a detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 3)

·               Noted the award of retrospective STAs in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions as detailed in Appendix 1 (Table 4)

Table 1: Competitive Tenders

It was reported that approval was sought to sponsor the Diversity Mark Summit 2026 taking place at Titanic Belfast on 7th October, 2026.

It was highlighted that the investment required for this sponsorship was £3000, which included ten places at the summit and a seat at the Steering Committee, and would be met from the existing Organisation Development budget.

            The Committee agreed to the sponsorship of the Diversity Mark Summit 2026.

The Committee approved the minutes and recommendations from the Shared City Partnership Meeting held on 6th May, including:

Members Update – Red Cross Presentation

·         Shared City Partnership recommends that members note the presentation.

Good Relations Interface Programme

·         The Shared City Partnership recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee also note the contents of the report and agree the proposed approach detailed in the Shared City Partnership Minutes. 

Asylum Funding Update

·         The Shared City Partnership recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee notes the contents of the report.

TEO Framework for Race Relations Consultation – BCC Response

·         The Shared City Partnership agreed the draft response and recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee also note the contents of the report and approve the draft response for submission to the Executive Office.

The Committee noted that, in line with the consultation closing date of 3rd June, this would be submitted as a draft response, subject to ratification by Council on 1st June and any further comments or amendments at Council would be forwarded to the Executive Office.

PEACEPLUS – Local Community Action Plan Secretariat Update

·         The Shared City Partnership recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee note the contents of the report

Peace Plus Thriving and Peaceful Communities Thematic Update

·         The Shared City Partnership recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee note the contents of the report

Peace Plus Celebrating Culture and Diversity Thematic Update

·         The Shared City Partnership recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee note the contents of the report

Community Regeneration and Transformation Thematic Update

·         The Shared City Partnership recommends that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee note the contents of the report

Any Other Business

·         The Shared City Partnership thanked Mr. Gunn for his contributions to the Partnership and wished him well in his retirement.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the Party Group Leaders Consultative Forum of 14th May, 2026.

The Committee approved the recommendations as set out in Appendix 1 of the report:

The Committee also agreed to the request for filming of the John Luke mural by the Ulster Scots Commissioner.

The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the Language Strategy Working Group of 27th April, 2026.

            The Committee considered the request from Belfast One to hold two ‘Summer Cinema’ events on City Hall lawns on Sunday, 19th July and Sunday, 26th July, 2026

            The Committee:

1.    Authorised the use of City Hall grounds on dates noted above;

2.    Authorised the events to take place on the basis of submission of an event management plan and risk assessment to ensure delivery of safe public events; and

3.    Delegated Authority to the City Solicitor to agree an alternative date with Belfast One, if required, should issues arise for the 26th July screenings.

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received for a longer-term loan from Mimi Turtle, Chief Executive of The Strand Arts Centre for the loan of the Strand Cinema opening commemorative key and presentation box.

            It was reported that the key was not on general display in the City Hall and was currently in storage. The key was not believed to be of significant financial value but of course is of interest from a social historical perspective and was one of a number presented to Lord Mayors during the picture house boom of the 1920s and 30s in the collection.

            The Strand Arts Centre had confirmed they will have a museum grade cabinet in place for the display of historic artefacts and so the items display would be both appropriate and secure.

The Committee approved the request for the loan of the Strand Cinema opening commemorative key and presentation box by the Strand Arts Centre, subject to a legal agreement.

The Committee also noted that an update would be provided in relation to the Council’s letter to the Department for Communities regarding the funding for Strand Cinema.

            Councillor Nelson raised the issue of ongoing safety concerns in the City Centre. Several Members highlighted concerns regarding staff safety, business continuity, regeneration models and the need for engagement with communities, voluntary sector and government agencies.

            The Chief Executive noted that meeting with key stakeholders was scheduled to discuss the issues which had been raised. 

The Committee noted the concerns which had been raised regarding safety in the City Centre and the plans to address the issues. 

Proposal

Moved by Councillor de Faoite,

Seconded by Councillor Beattie, 

      That the Committee agrees towrite to the EU Commission and the British and Irish Governments to request that Northern Ireland be granted access to the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) for the ability to draw down on the available funding.

            On a vote, twelve Members voted for the proposal and four against and it was declared carried.