Agenda and minutes

Apologies were reported on behalf of Councillors Cobain and Nelson.

            Councillor Bunting declared an interest under item 2.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 2.b) Requests for Funding, in that he was associated with some of the applicants and left the meeting whist the item was under consideration.

            The information contained in the reports associated with the following four 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 four 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.  

            The Committee was provided with an update in respect of a number of potential bonfire sites across the City.

            Broadway Industrial site

Proposal

            Proposed by Councillor Murphy,

            Seconded by Councillor Beattie,

      That the Committee agrees to serve an abatement notice on the Broadway Industrial site given the issues which had been raised in relation to the location of the Bonfire and the environmental concerns regarding the asbestos on the site, subject to legal advice.

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

            Adam Street site

            Proposal

            Proposed by Councillor O’Neill,

            Seconded by Councillor Murphy,

      Resolved - That the Committee agrees to write to the Department for Communities, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department of Finance regarding the need for regeneration of the site and highlight the interventions that are required.

            Temporary Fencing of Bonfire Sites

            TheLead Officer – Community Safety outlined the following six requests for temporary fencing of bonfire sites in the city for consideration: Benmore, Flora Street, Pitt Park, Cregagh Green, Tommy Patton Park, Orangefield Park.

            Proposal

            Proposed by Councillor Murphy,

            Seconded by Councillor O’Neill,

      That the Committee agrees not to proceed with temporary fencing of the six bonfire sites.

            On a vote, ten Members voted for the amendment and eight against and it was declared carried.

            Accordingly, the Committee:

·         Agreed to serve an abatement notice on the Broadway Industrial site given the issues which had been raised in relation to the location of the Bonfire and the environmental concerns regarding the asbestos on the site, subject to legal advice;

·         Agreed to write to the Department for Communities, the Department for Infrastructure and the Department of Finance regarding the need for regeneration of the site at Adam Street and highlight the interventions that are required; and

·         Agreed not to proceed with temporary fencing of the six bonfire sites.

            The Director of Finance provided an overview of forty-three requests which had been received by the Council for funding.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Beattie,

            Seconded by Councillor O’Neill, 

      Resolved – that the Committee agrees, in relation to the request which had been received at its meeting in March, to fund Glór na Móna - £200k for Croí na Carraige from the Discretionary Fund, and to fund Mid Falls Alleyway Regeneration and the Alleyway Scheme across the City - £100k from the Alleyway Transformation Fund.

            During discussion of the Alleyway Transformation Fund, the Director of Resources, Fleet, Transport and Open Spaces and Street Scene reminded the Committee that a report would be submitted to future meeting to outline the business model of the existing Alleyways scheme and the new Alleyways programme (developed in accordance with the Bloomberg’s processes), to ensure all of the Alleyway Projects were sustainable.

            Accordingly, the Committee:

·         agreed to fund Glór na Móna - £200k for Croí na Carraige form the Discretionary Fund, subject to due diligence;

·         agreed to fund Mid Falls Alleyway Regeneration and the Alleyway Scheme across the City - £100k from the Alleyway Transformation Fund, subject to due diligence;

·         agreed to fund the 126th Girls Brigade - £1,500 towards the core costs of delivering a residential programme;

·         agreed to defer the remainder of the funding requests so that further information could be received.

The Committee considered an update on a number of strands within the Housing Led Regeneration Programme which had been agreed by the City Growth and Regeneration Committee on 15th April 2026.

The Committee:

                  I.    Noted the reports which had been considered by the City Growth and Regeneration Committee on 15th April, 2026 in relation to the Housing Led Regeneration Programme, as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 of the report, with City Growth and Regeneration Committee agreement to the recommendations set out within the appended reports;

                 II.    Noted the previous Committee approvals in relation to the identified sites being brought forward for housing led regeneration purposes and the updates within the City Growth and Regeneration reports, and set out in the report, on the proposed delivery route for each of these sites; and

               III.    Noted that further detailed reports would be brought back to both the City Growth and Regeneration and Strategic Policy and Resources Committees in respect of all the proposals across the Housing Led Regeneration Programme as the work progressed.

            The Strategic Director of Neighbourhood Services presented a report on the Belfast Physical Activity and Sports Development Strategy (PASD) and the proposed process to deliver on the strategy via accompanying action plans, together with an update on the development of the Belfast Playing Pitches and Outdoor Sports Facilities Strategy which would be one of the key drivers to delivering on the overarching PASD.

            The Director of Neighbourhood Services explained the consultation process which had been undertaken in relation to the item.

            During discussion, Members raised several points in relation to pitch access, demand data of other sports that required pitches and the engagement with their sporting bodies, support for displaced teams, and the need for a list of existing pitches in the intermediate football league, and the status of the UPSURGE project.

            One member requested that Belvoir Football Club be added to the South Belfast Implementation Plan.

            In response to a Member’s question regarding the usage of Victoria Park, the Director of City and Neighbourhood Services advised that further information would be provided in due course.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Murphy,

            Seconded by Councillor O’Neill, 

      Resolved – that the Committee agrees to write to the Minsiter for Communities to engage with the IFA in relation to the impact on Football Teams on the level of pitches available and request that interventions be made.

            Accordingly, the Committee:

Belfast Physical Activity and Sports Development Strategy (PASD)

                      I.     Noted the contents of the report and final draft PASD which had went through a formal consultation;

                    II.      Agreed on the overall elements of the PASD and that officers would develop more detailed implementation plans and accompanying monitoring Framework to deliver on the strategy; and

                   III.      Agreed that the Council publish the new strategy.

Belfast Playing Pitches and Outdoor Sports Facilities Strategy

                  IV.      Noted the contents of the draft pitches strategy and approved that this document goes to formal consultation which would also consider any equality implications;

                    V.      Noted the implementation programme as already agreed by Committee 4th February, 2026 (Appendix 4); 

                  VI.      Agreed that officers explored external funding opportunities as they arose and submit applications as appropriate in support of the projects in the implementation programme;

                 VII.      Noted that Belvoir Football Club be added to the South Belfast Implementation Plan.

            The Committee also agreed to write to the Minister for Communities to engage with the IFA in relation to the impact on Football Teams on the level of pitches available and request that interventions were made. 

            In accordance with Standing Order 14, the Committee agreed, as the meeting had been held later than seven clear days before the meeting of the Council, that the minutes of the meeting be submitted to the Council on 5th May, 2026, for ratification.