Issue - meetings

            The Committee considered the undernoted report.

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Members on Belfast City Council’s Shared Island Development Fund supported projects which are progressing in partnership with Dublin City Council and Cork City Council.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Members of the Committee are asked to:

                                            i          Note that Belfast, represented by Belfast City Council, has been liaising with both Dublin City Council and Cork City Council in the development of projects under the Shared Island Development Fund.

                                          ii          Projects must be led by a Local Authority from the South of Ireland, working in partnership with a Local Authority from Northern Ireland.

                                         iii          Three projects have been funded to date through the Shared Island Development Fund:

·        Dublin/Belfast Circular Economy Initiative (€250k)

·        Cork/Belfast Climate and Docklands Initiative (€90k)

·        Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Initiative (€150k)

                                        iv          A detailed report on the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Initiative will be provided separately from this report.

                                          v          Further opportunities through the Shared Island Community Climate Action Programme and Creative Ireland programme are being explored at present with contacts in Dublin, Cork and Galway, with further updates to be provided should these opportunities progress to become funded projects.

                                         vi          A further scheme to support EV charging for sports clubs is currently open with expressions of interest to be presented through governing bodies. This process is taking place independently of the Local Authority to Local Authority projects referred to above, however is relevant to the development of the Belfast EVI Strategy and ongoing discussions on the introduction of additional EV charging points in the city.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Background

3.2       Belfast City Council has been liaising with both Dublin City Council and Cork City Council in the development of projects under the Shared Island Development Fund. Projects must be led by a Local Authority from the South of Ireland, working in partnership with a Local Authority from Northern Ireland. Three projects have been funded to date through the Shared Island Development Fund:

1.      Dublin/Belfast Circular Economy Initiative (€250k)

2.      Cork/Belfast Climate and Docklands Initiative (€90k)

3.      Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Initiative (€150k)

            These projects are described in more detail below.

            Dublin and Belfast Circular Economy initiative

3.3       Dublin City Council in partnership with Belfast City Council (BCC), are striving to make their respective cities leaders in the transition to a circular economy. The successful proposal under the Shared Island Fund will involve undertaking a feasibility assessment to enable the development of capital projects in Dublin and Belfast that support the expansion of the circular economy island wide leading to a Connected Circular Economy. At present, Dublin and Belfast are developing their circular economy ecosystems and have established strengths and partnerships that will contribute to identifying challenges and opportunities to be explored and addressed in the feasibility assessment.

3.4       The project aims to develop an implementation plan for realising a Connected Circular Economy that builds on the existing strengths of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7