Agenda and minutes
PDF 151 KBContact: Mr Henry Downey, Democratic Services Officer 028 9027 0550
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Apologies Minutes: An apology for inability to attend was reported on behalf of Councillor McDonough-Brown.
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Minutes Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of 21st May were taken as read and signed as correct. It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st June, subject to the omission of those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee.
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: Councillors Beattie and Lyons declared an interest in respect of agenda item 2f – Assets Management, on the basis that they were on the Board of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, which was seeking to lease a portion of land at the North Foreshore from the Council, and left the meeting whilst that part of the report was being considered.
Alderman Kingston declared an interest in relation to agenda item 5f - Update on Research into the Response of the Council, Community and Statutory Partners during the first Covid-19 Lockdown, in that he worked on a part-time basis for the Forward South Partnership, which had been mentioned within the appendix to the report, and left the meeting whilst the report was being presented.
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Restricted Items Minutes: 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 these items as, due to the nature of the items, there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42(4) and Section 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.
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Finance Update Minutes: The Director of Finance and Resources submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report on the year-end financial position for 2020/21. He provided details of the available balances and the areas of expenditure which had been identified for 2021/22 and confirmed that, when those had been taken into account, £5.4 million would be available for re-allocation.
He went on to remind the Committee that, in 2018, it had agreed to establish a Summer Community Diversionary Festival Programme, with £500k being set aside for its delivery. The Programme was targeted at activities taking place in July and August and the application process, which involved an open call, took between three and four months to complete. He reported that, given that the uncertainty around the Covid-19 restrictions, an open call had not been advertised for this year and that it was the intention that the funding be retained, with a view to delivering the Programme later in the year, restrictions permitting.
Accordingly, he recommended that the Members of the Committee agree to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
i note the contents of the report and approve the 2021/22 balances;
ii agree that the year-end surplus of £5.4m be made available for re-allocation; and
iii retain the annual allocation of £500k for the Summer Community Diversionary Festival Programme, with a view to delivering the Programme later in the year.
The Members of the Committee adopted the recommendations.
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Non-Recurrent Re-Allocations Minutes: The Director of Finance and Resources reminded the Members that they had, earlier in the meeting, agree to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to agree that the year-end surplus of £5.4m for 2020/21 be made available for re-allocation, to progress emerging projects and essential projects which did not have a recurring budget.
Accordingly, he submitted for the Members’ approval the following proposals and confirmed that, if approved, specified reserves would be set aside to ensure that the funds were available for each proposal and would be managed by the relevant Responsible Officer:
Non-Recurrent Re-Allocations
Proposal 1
Moved by Councillor McLaughlin, Seconded by Alderman Kingston,
That the Members of the Committee agree, in principle, to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to reallocate the £500,000 which had been set aside for Reimaging Public Space under the Recovery investment proposal to the Belfast Bikes scheme and that a report on the revenue implications of that decision upon the rate-setting process be submitted to a future meeting.
On a vote, seventeen Members voted for the proposal and one against and it was declared carried.
Proposal 2
Moved by Councillor Lyons, Seconded by Councillor Heading,
That the Members of the Committee agree to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to defer the proposed refurbishment of the Waterfront Hall Toilets to enable a review to be undertaken of public toilet provision in the City centre and the Council’s parks.
On a vote, nine Members voted for the proposal and nine against.
As there was an equality of votes, the Chairperson exercised her second and casting vote against the proposal and it was declared lost.
Accordingly, the Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve the proposals for the re-allocation of the year-end surplus of £5.4m, as amended to reflect, in principle, the additional funding for the Belfast Bike Scheme, and:
i. to examine the potential for making available additional funding for open space and playground provision; and
ii. to write to the Department for Infrastructure to request that it intensify its programme of grass cutting and weed spraying across the City.
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Recruitment of Head of Inclusive Growth and Anti-Poverty Minutes: The Director of City and Organisational Strategy reported that Ms. Christine Robinson, the current Head of Inclusive Growth and Anti-Poverty, would be leaving the Council on 30th July.
The Members of the Committee paid tribute to Ms. Robinson for the contribution which she had made during her time in the Council and agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to agree: i that the post of Head of Inclusive Growth and Anti-Poverty be recruited on a permanent basis, using targeted and timely executive search;
ii that the selection panel comprise the Chairperson of the Committee (or her nominee), together with Councillors McLaughlin and Pankhurst, the Chief Executive (or her nominee) and another Council Director; and
iii that the Council introduce exit interviews for officers leaving the Council, with a report on how that process might be managed to be submitted to a future meeting.
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Appointment of Director of Planning and Building Control Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to note that, following a recent recruitment exercise, Ms. Kate Bentley had been appointed to the post of Director of Planning and Building Control.
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City Hall - Proposed Recovery Plan Minutes: (Mrs. S. Williams, Governance and Compliance Manager, attended in connection with this item.)
The Governance and Compliance Manager submitted for the Members’ consideration a report which provided an overview of plans for the operational recovery and preparation for a phased re-opening of the City Hall, following the latest relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions by the Northern Ireland Executive, which had come into effect on 24th May.
She pointed out that, whilst the relaxations would allow front-line services in the City Hall to re-open, key factors such as staffing resources and recruitment, prioritising the delivery of critical services and the fact that the building was a multi-purpose venue affected decision-making, planning and implementation.
She explained that, in order to work towards the full re-opening of the City Hall, it was recommended that Members adopt a phased approach, which would balance public safety, management, planning, compliance and adaptability. With that in mind, she submitted the following timeframe for approval, which would provide Senior Officers with time and resources to consult with the Corporate Health and Safety and Continuous Improvement Units to plan recovery for each service and the City Hall overall:
After discussion, the Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve, in principle, the timeframe for the re-opening of the City Hall, subject to those elements relating to the visitor exhibition and public and private tours being kept under review to determine if they could be opened earlier than planned and to an update report being submitted to the Committee on a monthly basis from August onwards.
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Assets Management Minutes: The report and minute for this item will become unrestricted when the contract process has concluded. |
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Belfast Destination Hub – Acquisition of Site Minutes: The report and minute for this item will become unrestricted when the contract process has concluded. |
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City Centre Property - Targeted Acquisition Minutes: The report and minute for this item will become unrestricted when the contract process has concluded. |
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Matters referred back from Council/Motions Minutes: Apologies were reported on behalf of Councillors Beattie, Keenan and Kennedy.
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Additional documents: Minutes: The Members were reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 4th May, had passed the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor McAteer and seconded by Councillor Magennis:
“Autism can cause significant social, communication and behavioural difficulties. The number of school age children with autism has soared in recent years. A total of 2,562 children were diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum last year across the north of Ireland. Five years previously the figure was 1,472. Children from social and economically disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to have autism - with boys three times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.
However, in Belfast thousands of children with suspected autism are waiting up to two years to get a diagnosis from the Belfast Trust. Early diagnosis and intervention is key to the future of these children and parents are distressed that valuable time is being lost while their children remain on waiting lists.
Many parents have had no option but to pay for private assessments which cost circa £1,400. All 5 of the norths health trusts now accept private referrals and this is leading to concerns about a two-tier health system that will see children from disadvantaged backgrounds left further down the waiting lists.
This Council asserts that, whilst the pandemic has affected autism services, all children with autism deserve to have timely assessments and the vital support they need at the earliest possible stage in their development. This Council will write to the Minister for Health to ask him to take all steps necessary to immediately tackle the unacceptable waiting lists for diagnosis of autism in children and to provide the necessary supports and interventions for their development.
Furthermore, the Council also commits to doing everything it can to ensure that we play our role in providing safe, appropriate and inclusive services and facilities for children with autism”.
The Senior Democratic Services Officer reported that a response to the motion had been received from Mr. Robin Swann MLA, Minister of Health.
The Minister had stated that he was acutely aware of the extensive waiting lists for autism assessments and the challenging circumstances which this presented for children, their families and carers. He recognised that this could have an impact upon their emotional health and wellbeing and on their personal development and education and acknowledged that this was unacceptable.
He had pointed out that he had publicly expressed concern that, in light of these waiting lists, families had felt the need to seek private assessment. Whilst this was a personal decision for some families, it was a prohibitive solution for many and he did not want systems and services where families felt that they must take this route. However, this was not a situation which was unique to autism assessment and there was much work to be done to improve waiting lists to access services across Northern Ireland generally.
The Minister had explained that he had, in recent months, taken a number of steps to address the need ... view the full minutes text for item 3a |
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Additional documents: Minutes: The Members were reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 4th May, had passed the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Maskey and seconded by Councillor O’Hara:
Equality for LGBTQI+ Community
“This Council recognises the struggle for equality by generations of people who identify as LGBTQI+, acknowledges the successful work of LGBTQI+ activists in eradicating elements of institutionalised discrimination and condemns the continued inequalities experienced by those who identify as LGBTQI+.
We endorse in full the recommendations of the LGBTQI+ advisory panel and welcome the timeframe for the LGBTQI+ strategy (December 2021).
The Council calls on all Ministers and Departments with responsibility to proactively and robustly implement all elements of the LGBTQI+ strategy, including with adequate resourcing and funding.
We call on the Executive to commit to equality, respect and human rights for all sections of our society in its actions, words and deeds.”
The Members were reminded further that the Council, at the same meeting, had also passed the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Flynn and seconded by Councillor De Faoite:
Ban on Conversion Therapy
“This Council supports calls for a ban on the harmful practice commonly referred to as conversion therapy.
The Council acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the Ban Conversion Therapy NI coalition, made up of LGBTQ+ organisations, mental health charities and faith groups which are united in calling for this ban.
The Council notes the 'Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK' which describes this practice as unethical, potentially harmful and not supported by evidence.
The Council further notes the Association of Christian Counsellors' stance regarding conversion therapy, which states that Reparative (or Conversion) Therapy does not fit within the ACC Ethics and Practice framework.
The Council agrees that it is fundamentally wrong to view minority sexual orientation or gender identity as something that needs fixed or cured and that any practice, including religious practice, that is conducted with a specific pre-determined outcome, such as changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, is harmful and denigrating, and must be banned.
The Council will, therefore, write to the Minister for Communities as follows:
· to support a legislative ban on conversion therapy in all its forms, before the end of the current assembly mandate;
· to state that there should be no special exemptions for religious organisations in implementing a ban on conversion therapy; and
· to state that any ban should clearly distinguish from safe and supportive therapies, delivered by suitable qualified and regulated professionals, that assist people to explore and better understand their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression.”
The Members were informed that a response had been received from Mr. C. Savage, Head of Equality and LGBT Policy Unit, which had addressed both motions on behalf of the Minister for Communities.
Mr. Savage had pointed out that the Department for Communities was responsible for taking forward the development of the Northern Ireland Executive’s LGBTQI+ Strategy under the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
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Governance |
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Arrangements for Future Council/Committee Meetings Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues
1.1 The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the Committee on the proposed arrangements for the holding of Council/Committee meetings in the short to medium term.
2.0 Recommendation
2.1 The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
1. agree the arrangements for the holding of the Special meeting of the Council on 1st July (Somme Anniversary);
2. consider and agree one of the two options for the monthly meeting on 1st July;
3. note the arrangements for the holding of Committee meetings from June to August; and
4. consider the proposal to commence full hybrid meetings from September.
3.0 Main Report Key Issues
3.1 The legislation is still currently not in place for the holding of remote Committees and it is anticipated that it will not be in place until just before the Assembly recess begins on 3rd July. Therefore, the Council will need to continue with the current arrangements, with Members meeting as a Committee and making recommendations to the Chief Executive to use delegated authority to implement those recommendations.
3.2 However, direction is sought from the Committee on the arrangements it wishes to put in place for the hosting of these meetings in the short to medium term, that is, in-person, remote or hybrid.
Council Meetings
3.3 The next Council meetings are scheduled to be held on 1st July:
Special Council - 1st July at 10.45 a.m. – Somme Anniversary
3.4 It is proposed that the Special meeting is held in-person, using the same arrangements as last year, with Parties attending using the previously agreed proportionality arrangement, with up to 18 Members in attendance in the Council Chamber based on Party strengths.
SF 5 Green 1 DUP 4 PBPA 1 ALL 3 PUP 1 SDLP 2 UUP 1
3.5 The meeting would be broadcast on the Council’s website, to allow other Members, the press and the public to view. It would not be a hybrid meeting. Accordingly, there would be a requirement for a minimum of 15 Members to be in attendance for the meeting to be quorate.
3.6 It should be noted that it may also be necessary for this special meeting to agree on a number of items of other Council business relating to the transaction of land, as this cannot be delegated.
Monthly Meeting – 1st July at 6.00 p.m.
3.7 There are two options:
1. revert to same arrangements that have been in place over the previous year, that is the meeting is hosted in the Lavery Room by the Lord Mayor, with the remainder of the Members attending remotely via Teams: or
2. use the same arrangements as the Special Council meeting held on 1st June, that is, hybrid, with simultaneous attendance in the Chamber (proportional representation) and online via Teams.
3.8 There would be no requirement ... view the full minutes text for item 4a |
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Belfast Agenda/Strategic Issues |
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Corporate Plan – Annual Delivery Plan 2021-22 Additional documents: Minutes: The Director of City and Organisational Strategy reminded the Members that, at the Committee meeting on 28th March, 2020, it had agreed a new four-year Corporate Plan, in line with the corporate planning process.
He explained that, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, all work on the Corporate Plan had been suspended for 2020/21 to enable resources to be redirected to the response effort. That work had now recommenced and an Annual Delivery Plan for 2021/22 had been drafted, a copy of which can be accessed here: https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s92513/Corporate%20Plan%20-%20Draft%202021-2022%20Delivery%20Plan.pdf
The Plan reflected the in-year deliverables against the priorities which had been agreed as part of the four-year Corporate plan, plus some additional priorities which had arisen in response to the pandemic, and had been structured around the following themes:
· Our Services · Economic Recovery · Community Recovery · Environmental Recovery · Strategic Planning Frameworks and · Organisational Foundations
He confirmed that a series of priorities had been identified for each theme, with each of those having a number of committed deliverables for 2021/22, and pointed out that, in addition to being provided with in-year reports on a number of priorities, the Committee would receive an overall progress report against all commitments in October, 2021 and a year-end report in April, 2022.
After discussion, the Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve the draft Corporate Annual Delivery Plan for 2021/22 and to examine the potential for including within the key deliverables investment in those independent recreation centres which were still under the ownership of the Council.
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Belfast Agenda – Continuing the Conversation Engagement Additional documents:
Minutes: The Director of City and Organisational Strategy informed the Members that the Belfast Agenda – Continuing the Conversation engagement process had been launched on 9th June to formally commence the review of the Belfast Agenda. The proposed engagement plan for this initial phase had been shaped by the sub-group of the Community Planning Partnership which was co-designing plans to review the Belfast Agenda.
He reported that the All-Party Working Group on Community Planning, which included a representative from each of the Political Parties on the Council, had on 20th May, received an update on the reconfiguration of the Delivery Boards, as well as the areas on which they were currently focussed. Members had, at that meeting, highlighted the fact that they would welcome greater participation in the community planning process and that they wished to formalise the aforementioned working group.
With that in mind, he drew the Members’ attention to draft Terms of Reference which stated that the purpose of the Working Group would be to support, influence, monitor and challenge the development of community planning in Belfast and related programmes and projects. Members were clear, however, that all significant decisions affecting the future direction of Community Planning in the City would be taken by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.
The Director went on to state that the initial phase of engagement sought to agree the short-term priorities which would form the focus of community planning activity over the four-year period from 2022-2026. An engagement plan which had been drafted had highlighted four flagship area-based, online workshops, as well as a further event which would seek to engage ‘seldom heard’ groups and communities of interest. It was anticipated that these events would be delivered in weeks commencing 26th July and 2nd August and, in the run up to them, officers from the Strategic Hub would also be delivering on line briefings outlining the background to the review and highlighting different ways for the public to get involved and have their say. They would also, subject to resources and availability, provide outreach support targeting specific communities.
He pointed out that, given the current restrictions, most of the engagement activities would be taking place online, with face-to-face engagement being introduced only if the regulations allowed. Libraries NI had agreed to encourage their users to complete a short postcard survey and it was hoped that Council facilities could be used as an additional channel for engagement. Officers were continuing to explore options to target child and young people through the planned Department of Education funded summer school schemes and a forthcoming regional event with the Common Purpose
The Director confirmed that Members would continue to be engaged throughout the engagement programme, through the All-Party Working Group on Community Planning, and a workshop would take place on 4th August via Microsoft Teams to allow them to reflect the views of their constituents from different areas of the City. Members had also have also been provided with a communications toolkit, containing resources and ... view the full minutes text for item 5b |
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Council Improvement Plan 2021-22 Additional documents: Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report
1.1 To update Members on the results of the public consultation on the draft Council improvement objectives and to present the draft Council Improvement Plan 2021 - 2022 for Committee approval and publication.
Recommendations
2.1 The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve the draft 2021-22 Council Improvement Plan, a copy of which can be accessed here:
https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s92530/DraftImprovementPlan20212022.pdf
As the Council is legally required to publish its improvement plan by 30th June, Members are also asked to authorise its publication on the Council’s website, subject to formal ratification by Council on 1st July.
3.0 Key Issues
We have a statutory duty to agree improvement objectives and produce an annual improvement plan by 30th June each year. The Improvement plan does not include everything that the Council plans to do that year, but instead focuses on a smaller set of key improvement priorities, as informed by resident priorities and evidenced by need. In March, the Committee approved six draft improvementobjectives, aligned to the Belfast: Our Recovery plan, which we issued for public consultation:
Our city
Summary of Consultation Responses
3.2 The consultation ran for a period of eight weeks and was hosted on our Your say Belfast engagement platform and promoted through the council’s social media channels. 21 responses were received with key results summarised below. (Note: we do not normally receive a large response to consultations of this nature.) The majority of those responding to the consultation supported the proposed improvement objectives as set out in the graph below.
3.3 Respondents were also given the opportunity to make comments and suggestions or to suggest other areas that they felt should be included as improvement objectives. Around half of all respondents submitted comments, which related in general to:
· Enhancing our green and public spaces
· Revitalising the City centre (including the need for pedestrianised streets)
· Improving public Transport
· Improving cycling provision
· Supporting and enhancing our culture, arts and heritage
· Supporting local businesses
· Improving dereliction and cleanliness
3.4 Although some of the issues raised by respondents are not the responsibility of council, we will forward all feedback to the Belfast ... view the full minutes text for item 5c |
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Update on the Development of the Inclusive Growth City Charter Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues
1.1 In March 2020, the Council’s Commitments to Inclusive Growth document was published. One key commitment was the development and implementation of an Inclusive Growth City Charter for Belfast. Since then a cross-Council team led by Strategy, Policy and Partnerships has been progressing the development of this charter, alongside an external business working group and the council’s Social Policy Working Group.
1.2 The purpose of this report is to provide an update on progress to date and note the proposed key next steps.
1.3 The draft charter and suggested next steps outlined in this report, were discussed at the meeting of the Social Policy Working Group on 25th May 2021.
2.0 Recommendations
2.1 The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
a) Note the progress to date in relation to the development of the Charter following a period of extensive engagement, including the suggested:
· Charter pledges and associated evidence requirements · Charter membership model - tiers, core pledges and accreditation · Charter membership resources and support
b) Note the proposed key stages of work going forward, including the following timescales proposed for delivery of the next key steps outlined below:
· Charter name / brand development and marketing plan - 14th June – 7th July · Digital content / website development - 7th July – 16th August · Second stage of engagement - 7th July to 7th September · Charter launch October/November 2021
c) Agree to the revised Inclusive Growth cohorts and note the next steps in disseminating this work across the organisation.
3.0 Main Report
Inclusive Growth City Charter
3.1 As highlighted in section 1.0 of this report a key commitment of the Council in working towards its aim of a more inclusive city was the co-creation of an Inclusive Growth City Charter for employers across the city – setting a city wide standard in relation to procurement, employment and civic/ neighbourhood engagement.
3.2 Engagement with businesses to date has shown that there is a strong appetite for such an initiative, which holds organisations to high standards in relation to adopting business practices which bring about added value to society. Research has shown that consumers and employees are increasingly making decisions based on business performance in these areas with some charters reporting an increase of up to almost 30% in registration applications over the last 6 months. This is thought in part to be due to the impact of Covid 19.
3.3 The Charter’s potential is reflected in it’s prominence within the city’s Recovery Document and it’s focus on working together to create a more inclusive Belfast underpins the Belfast Agenda and the Lord Mayor’s focus, of ‘ Our Belfast – a more inclusive, forward thinking and kinder city’.
3.4 It is closely aligned to other strands of work across the Council, focusing on creating more community wealth and adding social ... view the full minutes text for item 5d |
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Social Value Procurement Policy Additional documents: Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues
1.1 To seek approval from Members on the proposed Social Value Procurement Policy prior to it going for public consultation in July/ August 21.
2.0 Recommendations
2.1 The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
· approve the content and approach set out in the draft Social Value Procurement Policy, a copy of which can be accessed here:
and
· agree with the next steps set out in section 3.3 of this report, noting that officers will commence a process of targeted consultation to test the approach with the market – bringing final recommendations to the SPWG and Committee in September, 2021.
3.0 Main Report
3.1 Introduction/ overview
In line with the Belfast Agenda and Inclusive Growth Strategy the Council has defined social value in procurement as:
‘A commitment to using our influence and procurement power to help deliver the Belfast Agenda; to drive inclusive economic growth, improve the local environment and support vulnerable people – while ensuring the best possible value for money when purchasing goods, services and works for the people of Belfast’
In 2019/20, the Council spent circa £120 million on good, works and services. This level of expenditure can provide a boost to our local economy by (amongst other things):
· Supporting businesses and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector; · Providing employment opportunities; and · Generating additional money that can be spent in our neighbourhoods, high streets and local shops.
A lot of the services which we provide as a Council are statutory. However, there are many that are not, such as our ongoing investment in both local community and city landmark projects, our commitment to supporting our older, younger and vulnerable citizens and promoting our city to visitors through city events.
With this level of annual expenditure the Council recognises it should do more through our procurement related expenditure to deliver social value benefits.
In January 2016, the SP and R Committee adopted the Council’s social clause policy, which committed the Council to scope out all upcoming tender opportunities (focusing on those with a value of at least £250,000) to explore opportunities for securing social value returns by introducing social clauses.
Members have recognised the limitations with the current approach and agreed that it would be prudent to review the Council’s social clauses policy to consider moving towards greater alignment with the ‘Buy Social’ approach adopted by central government departments in June 2017.
Some of the current limitations of the Council’s current approach to social value include:
· Need for better alignment of social initiatives with Belfast Agenda and Inclusive Growth outcomes;
· An inconsistent adoption of the current policy with social value clauses predominantly used for construction works contracts with limited use in service contracts and no use in supplies contracts;
· A focus on employment clauses rather than wider community social considerations and/or environmental ... view the full minutes text for item 5e |
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Additional documents: Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report
1.1 To provide Members with an update on the research that was undertaken over the last 6 months to capture the work by the Council and others to the initial lockdown and subsequent response to COVID-19.
2.0 Recommendations
2.1 The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May 2021, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
- consider the contents of this report and make any comments on the findings;
- note that the report will be referred to the Living Here Board after approval from Council; and
- suggest to the Shared City Partnership what areas Members may wish to prioritise within the next steps section of the report, taking into account that £10,000 has been set aside within the Good Relations Action Plan 2021/22
3.0 Main Report
Background
3.1 Members will be aware that the Revised Good Relations Action Plan was agreed by Council at its August 2020 meeting and subsequently by The Executive Office. Within this revised plan, approval was granted for the Good Relations Unit to lead on the development of a piece of consultation and research on the successes of the response to COVID-19. Specifically, the research sought to capture how the response contributed to peacebuilding and to identify how this could be built upon.
3.2 Following a competitive quotation process, Blu Zebra LTD was appointed to carry out this project, working closely with Council officers and others within the community and statutory sectors. Extensive consultation and engagement was undertaken with a range of stakeholders, the list of which is contained within the report on pages 49-50. The full report is attached.
Report Findings
3.3 The research was undertaken within the context of the Council’s Good Relations Strategy, Resilience Strategy and the Community Plan, the Belfast Agenda. In summary, the report locates the response to COVID-19 within these strategies and explores how the intention of these strategies was borne out during the emergency response to the pandemic.
3.4 For example, the vision of our Good Relations Strategy is: ‘A Shared City - a city re-imagined, connected and resurgent delivering inclusive growth that leaves no-one behind’. In the response to COVID-19, the evidence shows that this was borne out in the response by the Community infrastructure across the City, an infrastructure that has been carefully built up over the past 25 years in a City emerging from Conflict. The relationships and inter-community networking meant that despite our continued physical division, people worked across boundaries to ensure that no-one was left without, or behind in the initial response.
3.5 The research looks at the response to COVID-19 through the lens of the themes within the Good Relations Strategy:
· Theme 1: Strong, Positive and Transformative Civic Leadership - Inclusive Governance with local community change makers
· Theme 2: Shared and Connected Spaces - a smart, connected city driven by inclusive and transformative place making
· Theme 3: Shared Services ... view the full minutes text for item 5f |
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Physical Programme and Asset Management |
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Update on Area Working Groups Additional documents:
Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve and adopt the minutes of the meetings of the South Belfast Area Working Group of 24th May, the North Belfast Area Working Group of 26th May and the West Belfast Area Working Group of 27th May.
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Update on Physical Programme Additional documents: Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues
1.1 The Council’s Physical Programme currently includes 140 capital projects with investment of £100m + via a range of internal and external funding streams, together with projects which the Council delivers on behalf of external agencies. The Council’s Capital Programme forms part of the Physical Programme and is a rolling programme of investment which either improves existing Council facilities or provides new facilities. This report provides:
- An overview of recently completed capital projects - Movements recommended under the Capital Programme - An update on construction industry supply shortages, implications and actions
2.0 Recommendations
2.1 The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
· Physical Programme overview - Note the update on projects that have been completed recently and projects currently in construction
· Move ‘IT Programme - Server and storage technology refresh’ to Stage 3 – Committed on the Capital Programme
· Move ‘IT Programme – Replacement Hardware for NIHE System’ to Stage 3 – Committed on the Capital Programme
· Issues affecting the construction industry – Note the update and mitigating actions being undertaken
· Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund – Note that a report will be brought forward in August
· Community Renewal Funding – note that an application for feasibility funding is being submitted under Communities and Place theme
3.0 Main Report
3.1 Physical Programmes Update: June 2020 to June 2021
Members will be aware that the Council runs a substantial Physical Programme. This includes the rolling Capital Programme - a multimillion regeneration programme of investment across the city which improves existing Council assets or provides new council facilities. The Council also delivers externally focused funding streams such as BIF, LIF and SOF, as well as numerous capital programmes that we deliver for central government. Our funding partners include NHLF, SEUPB Peace IV, the Executive Office via Social Investment Fund and Urban Villages, DfC, DfI, DAERA, Ulster Garden Villages and others. Over the past year, despite the pandemic, a large number of capital projects have been delivered successfully with a significant number started.
3.2 Recently completed projects include:
· Community projects: Launch ofGrace Family Centre, a new facilityfor childcare and counselling support, Cancer Lifeline – new headquarters for Cancer Lifeline in North Belfast, upgrades to Knockbreda Parish Church Hall, improvements to Greenway Women’s Centre and North Belfast Women’s Initiative and Support Project, Alleygates Phase 4 – over 180 alleygates across the city, St James’ Community Farm and allotment works at Ballysillan
· Open spaces, tourism and heritage schemes: Springfield Dam Park, Entries projects in the city centre, environmental improvements at Eastside Greenway Ballymacarrett, a new Changing Places facility and range of upgrade works at Belfast Zoo · Leisure, sports and play facilities: Renovations at Tullycarnett and Shore Road pavilions, new MUGA at John Paul II Youth Club, new changing facilities at Willowbank, improvements to the running track at Paisley Park and to pitches ... view the full minutes text for item 6b |
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Finance, Procurement and Performance |
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Audit and Risk Panel Annual Report to Committee Additional documents:
Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues
1.1 The Audit and Risk Panel is constituted as a working group of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. The purpose of the Panel is to provide an independent assurance on the adequacy of the Council’s risk management framework and associated control environment. The Panel also oversees the Council’s financial reporting process.
1.2 The purpose of this report is to provide the Committee with a summary of the key issues that have been considered and discussed by the Panel during the 2020/21 financial year, the assurances received and the areas requiring attention.
2.0 Recommendations
2.1 The Members of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to note the annual report of the Panel during 2020/21, as set out at Section 3, and approve the minutes of the meeting of 8th June.
3.0 Main Report
Key Issues
Summary of the work of the Audit and Risk Panel in 2020/21
3.1 Considering the importance of receiving independent assurance over the Council’s changed risk, control and governance frameworks during the Covid-19 pandemic, in September 2020 the Panel agreed the revised audit plan to ensure that audit work was focussed on the areas where assurance was most valuable. The revised plan covered:
· Key financial systems / income generating activity / expenditure controls · Key programmes / projects · Management of key corporate risks · Meeting external grant funding requirements · Governance arrangements
3.2 During 2020/21, the Panel met three times via MS Teams. The Panel did not meet in June 2020, as all meetings of working groups were cancelled from mid-March 2020 to August 2020, as part of our organisational response to the impact of Covid-19.
3.3 During 2020/21, the Panel considered audit plans and issues arising from audit activity, such as the findings, assurance levels and recommendations arising from audit work and the progress being made to implement audit recommendations. It also received regular updates on:
· the Council’s financial position, as set out in its financial statements · reports from the Council’s external auditors · risk management · business continuity · fraud, financial irregularity and whistleblowing investigations · governance related matters · financial control · health and safety · performance management · staff attendance.
3.4 The key assurances that the Panel received are as follows:
· the Council’s financial statements and annual governance statement, as prepared by the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Resources and his team; this provided a management assurance on the Council’s financial position
· the audited accounts and the associated external audit annual letters for 2019/20 (providing an opinion on the accounts) and report to those charged with governance (setting out control issues arising from the annual external audit), as prepared and presented by the Northern Ireland Audit Office. This provided an external assurance on the Council’s financial position for 2019/20. (The accounts for 2020/21 are to be prepared by the end of June 2020)
· the Head of ... view the full minutes text for item 7a |
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Additional documents: Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to: · approve the public advertisement of tenders, in line with Standing Order 37a, as detailed in Table 1 below;
· approve the award of Single Tender Actions, in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions, as detailed in Table 2 below;
· approve the modification of the contract term, as per Standing Order 37a, as detailed in Table 3 below;
· note the award of retrospective Single Tender Actions, in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions, as detailed in Table 4 below;
· approve the award of a contract, which had been omitted from the report, in relation to the Belfast-Dublin Economic Corridor, to work up areas of focus, including research and development hubs and skills programmes, with the Council’s contribution being £29,400; and
· note information which had been provided on historical spend for the hire of minibuses and coaches for Council events, which had been requested by the Committee at its meeting on 23rd April;
Table 1: Competitive Tenders
Table 2: Single Tender Actions
Table 3: Modification to Contract Term
Table 4: Retrospective Single Tender Actions
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Equality and Good Relations |
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Shared City Partnership Additional documents:
Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to note the minutes of the meeting of the Shared City Partnership of 7th June, including the recommendations:
i. that a workshop be convened in August to allow the Partnership to consider further the outcomes of the Members’ discussion on sectarianism within the City;
ii. that the initial key actions and next steps identified in this discussion be brought to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for noting;
iii. to endorse the responses made by the Refugee and Asylum Forum to the consultation on the Home Office’s Plan for Immigration;
iv. to agree the proposed ‘next steps’ as outlined in the report on groups aligned to those mentioned under the Good Relations Duty and the following 'Hate Crime Categories' - Disability, Transgender Identity and Sexual Orientation;
v. to note that a report would be submitted to a future meeting examining the possibility of extending the membership of the Shared City Partnership;
vi. to endorse the appointment of Ms. Ashley Roberts as the Community and Voluntary Representative on the Shared City Partnership, representing the East of the City; and
vii. to agree that the discussions and necessary approvals on the mitigations required by the projects, as part of Project Recovery, be progressed by the Programme Board and the SEUPB.
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Diversity Action Plans and Achievement of Diversity Chartermark NI - Silver Accreditation Additional documents:
Minutes: The Members considered the following report:
“1.0 Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues
1.1 To agree the budget and appropriate resources for the implementation of the Gender Action Plan (GAP) and LGBT+ Action Plan Year 1 activities.
2.0Recommendations
2.1The Members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to agree the proposed diversity action plans and associated year 1 costs.
3.0Main Report
Background and Context
3.1Our Equality and Diversity Framework outlines how we will tackle inequalities and promote diversity in our city. It is built around four key priorities:
A. Leadership, partnership and organisational commitment B. Understanding our communities through data and consultation C. Delivering services accessible to all D. Developing a skilled and diverse workforce
3.2It includes a series of actions to be delivered to help achieve these priorities and under Priority A, Leadership, Partnership and Organisational Commitment, the Council has committed to developing and delivering a Gender Action Plan, LGBT+ Action Plan and a Race Action Plan.
Gender Action Plan (GAP)
3.3Gender inequalities are deeply embedded in our social, economic and cultural systems. There is overwhelming evidence that women disproportionately experience disadvantage and discrimination, a reflection of historical unaddressed inequality, but also that inequalities have been exacerbated by austerity, welfare reform and by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics affirm the persistence of gendered inequalities, which continue to inhibit women’s life opportunities in Northern Ireland. Men will benefit from gender equality as they too face gender-specific issues such as lower life expectancy, bad health, lower education levels and are impacted negatively by rigid gender norms.
3.4The proposed GAP 21-24 in Appendix 1 has been developed following consultation with the Women’s Steering Group (WSG), the Women’s Network and the wider group of staff that attended a Gender Inequalities workshop in January 2021. The purpose of this workshop was to have a discussion involving staff of all genders around gender inequalities, including how we can act as allies for each other and to feed into future action planning.
3.5The feedback from the consultation process has been incorporated into the draft 3-year plan and also influenced the revision to the themes of the GAP to:
· Promoting gender equality in the council · Promoting gender equality in the community · Promoting gender equality in the economy · Promoting gender equality in the city
3.6Some actions from the 20/21 plan put on hold because of the pandemic, have been carried forward into the new plan, most notably the joint senior officer and elected member leadership development programme. WSG held a virtual workshop to review the programme for future delivery, particularly in light of the impact of Covid 19 and this will be delivered in the autumn of this year.
3.7In addition to the financial resources required, the plan also identifies the role that individual business units and departments have in delivery of the plan. Chief officers are asked to ... view the full minutes text for item 8b |
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Operational Issues |
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Party Group Leaders' Consultative Forum Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve and adopt the minutes of the meeting of the Party Group Leaders’ Consultative Forum of 10th June.
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Social Policy Working Group Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve and adopt the minutes of the meeting of the Social Policy Working Group of 25th May.
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Customer Focus Working Group Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve and adopt the minutes of the meeting of the Customer Focus Working Group of 20th May.
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Active Belfast Limited Board Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to note the minutes of the meeting of the Active Belfast Limited Board of 7th June.
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Requests for Use of the City Hall and the Provision of Hospitality Additional documents: Minutes: The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to adopt the recommendations made in respect of those applications received up to 7th June, 2021, as set out below:
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Requests for the Use of Council Premises Minutes: The Senior Democratic Services Officer reminded the Members that the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner was currently undertaking a review of Local Government Boundaries. The Commissioner was planning to publish her proposals in an accessible online format and, in order to accommodate those members of the public who may not have internet access, had asked the Council to place a computer in one of its facilities, such as a community centre.
In addition, the Commissioner would, at the end of September, be convening public hearings on the provisional proposals for each Council area. Given the current public health issues, it was likely that these would be held virtually rather than in person. However, she was hoping to convene an in-person hearing for at least a limited number of people and, therefore, had requested the Council to provide an appropriate venue. He pointed out that the Council had, in the past, in the interest of allowing wider access by the public, granted free use of a room in the City Hall for similar events.
The Senior Democratic Services Officer went on to state that, in January 2021, the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland had announced the commencement of the 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituency boundaries in Northern Ireland, in accordance with the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, as amended. The Commission had also recently published its Guide to the Review, which included information on the upcoming boundary review process and set out how members of the public, political parties and wider civic society would be able to share their views.
He explained that the publication of the Commission’s initial proposals and the first period of public consultation was planned for autumn 2021, with further periods of public consultation planned during 2022, in line with the statutory requirements. The Commission was required to make a copy of its proposals available for inspection by the public at specified places within each proposed constituency. During previous reviews, Public Display Points had been established in a range of public venues across all constituencies, including local council buildings and public libraries. This had ensured that there had been widespread access to the Commission’s proposals, in addition to them being made available on the Commission’s website.
He confirmed that the Boundary Commission was proposing to adopt a similar approach for the 2023 Review, although it was conscious of possible public health restrictions which may be in place in the autumn. It was, therefore, seeking approval, in principle, to establish one or more Public Display Points within Council buildings throughout the eight-week consultation period. Again, during the previous review, the Council had made available a space in the reception area of the City Hall to display the proposals.
The Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to approve the requests for the free use of Council facilities, as outlined, subject to all public health measures in place at the time being adhered to. ... view the full minutes text for item 9f |
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Issues Raised in Advance by Members |
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Illumination of City Hall - Canada Day (Councillor Long to raise) Minutes: At the request of the High Sheriff, the Members of the Committee agreed to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercise her delegated authority to:
i. illuminate the City Hall in red and white on the night of Wednesday, 30th June, to mark Canada Day on 1st July; and
ii. to hold an appropriate event to commemorate the 215 indigenous children whose remains had recently been found on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Colombia and all other children who had died in residential schools across Canada.
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