Agenda and minutes

            An apology was reported on behalf of Councillor Smyth.

            The minutes of the meeting of 22nd September were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council, at its meeting on 4th October, subject to the omission of those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee.

            Councillor Maghie stated that she had been made aware of a potential issue around the release of the funding for this project, which the Committee, at its meeting on 22nd September, had approved in adopting the minutes of the meeting of the East Belfast Area Working Group of 7th September.

            The Interim City Solicitor/Director of Legal and Civic Services confirmed that she would raise the issue with the relevant Council officer over the course of the meeting and provide a response in due course.

            (Councillor Ferguson declared an interest as soon as this matter had been raised, due to his involvement with Nettlefield and Glentoran Football Clubs, both of which were included in the LIF project from which the funding was being provided and left the meeting for the duration of the discussion.) 

            Councillor Beattie declared an interest in relation to agenda item 3g – Hardship Fund – Emerging Considerations, in that the organisation for which he worked delivered a number of programmes and left the meeting whilst it was under consideration.

            Councillor Whyte declared an interest in relation to agenda item 3c – QUB Civic Commitment to the South Belfast University Area, on the basis that he was a part-time Teaching Assistant at Queen’s University’s School of Economics and Management and left the meeting whilst it was being considered.

            The Committee acceded to a request from representatives of Conradh na Gaeilge and the Committee on the Administration of Justice to attend a future meeting to discuss their concerns in relation to the Council’s proposed language provision along the Springfield Dam section of the Forth Meadow Community Greenway and wider issues relating to the Equality Impact Assessment process and the Irish Language.

            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 Section 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

            (The Senior Democratic Officer, Democratic Services Officer and Democratic Services Support Assistant left the meeting whilst this item was under consideration.)

            The Committee was reminded that, following the creation in February, 2019 of the Legal and Civic Services Department, approval had been granted to undertake a review of the Democratic Services Unit, to ensure that it was fit for purpose in terms of delivering the Council’s governance arrangements.

            The Interim City Solicitor/Director of Legal and Civic Services reported that the review had now been completed and drew the Committee’s attention to a proposed staffing structure which would fulfil the aforementioned objective and provide those people currently employed within the Unit on a temporary basis with an opportunity to apply for permanent posts. She confirmed that extensive consultation had been undertaken with the Trades Unions, through the Departmental Trades Union Forum, and the staff affected and, accordingly, recommended that the Committee approve the new organisational structure for implementation.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation and agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting providing information on the salary grade attributed to each post within the structure.      

            The Director of Human Resources submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report providing an update on the number of employees on temporary contacts and agency assignees engaged by the Council and outlining the steps being taken to reduce the Council’s reliance on those two categories.

            She reported that, as at 30th September, 205 staff had been filling posts on a temporary basis, 125 of whom had substantive Council posts to return to when no longer required. The other 80 were fixed term contract employees who did not have a substantive post to return to. Between 1st July and 30th September, 23 staff had joined the Council on a temporary contract, with 10 having a substantive post and 13 being on fixed term contracts.

            She reported further that, as in the previous quarter, 259 agency assignees had been engaged by the Council at 30th September, 40 of whom were seasonal workers. She outlined the cost of employing agency assignees for the three-month period ending on 30th September and pointed out that this did not represent a financial burden, as it was met through vacant posts.

            The Director then stated that the Corporate Contract Manager, who had been in post since February, had established regular compliance and challenge meetings across Departments, with a view to driving down long-term agency usage and that data was being reviewed to assess the potential for creating some permanent flexible roles.

            She went on to remind the Committee that the Commercial Team within the Commercial and Procurement Service was working with Corporate HR to provide a comprehensive overview of the ‘status quo’ in relation to the managed service in place for the provision of temporary agency workers for a diverse range of job roles. In addition, further research into in-house employment agencies which may be used in other organisations was ongoing and a report on the findings from this initial exercise would be included in the Quarter 3 update and in the quarterly reports thereafter. She concluded by making reference to the People Strategy which had just been launched and by outlining the measures which were in place to support those staff applying for permanent posts.  

            After discussion, the Committee noted the information which had been provided and agreed that a report be submitted to a future meeting on the establishment of an apprenticeship scheme and on the number and Department of vacant permanent posts across the Council.

The Committee was reminded that Queen’s University and the Ulster University were each playing an important role in bringing about positive behavioural change in the South Belfast University Area by engaging in the inter-agency steering group and supporting the development of a shared action plan to address priorities such as crime, antisocial behaviour, community cohesion and the wellbeing of residents.

            The Director of City and Organisational Strategy reported that, as part of this work, Queen’s University was committed to becoming a ‘Civic University’, as a way of improving employment opportunities, addressing skills need, driving economic growth, improving public health outcomes and strengthening communities. The university was of the view that its transition to a Civic University should occur on a phased basis, with an initial focus being placed on the South Belfast University area.

            He went on to draw the Committee’s attention to a draft Civic Commitment, which set out a number of commitments and actions from Queen’s University to work with the Council, local communities and students to support those who regarded the university area of South Belfast as their home. A review of the draft document by Council officers had revealed no major areas of concern, other that the fact that any interventions or actions would be subject to resource availability and established processes. He added that the Ulster University was understood to be developing a similar charter and would be engaging with partners, including the Council, in the process.

            In response to a Member, the Director confirmed that the Council would discuss with the Community Planning Partnership, the universities and other agencies the potential for extending the initiative to other areas of the City, as a means of addressing antisocial behaviour and other issues.

            The Committee granted approval for the Council to be a signatory to Queen’s University’s Civic Commitment for the South Belfast University Area.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 4th October, had agreed that a report be submitted to the next meeting of the Committee outlining how organisational reviews were conducted and setting out a Terms of Reference, along with options for both an internal and an external review into the process.

            The Director of City and Organisational Strategy informed the Committee that the Continuous Improvement Unit played a fundamental role in supporting the design and delivery of change and improvement programmes, project management and business-as-usual organisational development activities. He reported that Audit, Governance and Risk Services had, in February, completed an assurance review of the Unit and had made a number of recommendations around programme design, programme governance, programme management and project management/benefits realisation.

            In response to those recommendations, quotations had, in August, been invited for external assistance to conduct a review of the Continuous Improvement Unit, in support of the continued evolution of the approach to organisational reviews and development, improvement and change. He provided details of the key deliverables which had been identified within the terms of reference for the review and confirmed that a contractor had now been appointed. A report on the outcome of the review would be presented to the Committee in due course.

            After discussion, during which the Director of City and Organisational Strategy provided an assurance that the contractor would be engaging with Members and those staff across the Council whose review had either been completed or was underway, the Committee noted the information which had been provided.      

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 26th June, it had approved the development of a £3.8m bid to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Regional Innovation Hub competition.

            The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Corporate Services reported that the Department was seeking to create a nationwide network of innovation hubs which would support industry, small and medium-sized enterprises and public agencies to fully exploit the commercial and innovation potential of 5G advanced wireless networks. Each successful local authority would receive capital funding to deliver a first programme between December, 2023 and March, 2025.

            She stated that the Council’s City Innovation Office had worked with the Belfast Region City Deal Partners to develop a bid, which had been submitted in September. She reviewed the main elements and structure of the Belfast Innovation Region’s proposal and pointed out that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology would be likely to make grant offers by mid-October, with the expectation that contracts would be signed and agreed by mid-November. It would then expect each local authority to be ready to agree a contract for funding and to commence programme delivery by the end of November.

            In view of the very narrow timeframe, a programme board had already been established, being chaired by the Deputy Chief Executive, which would, in the event of Belfast’s bid being successful, provide the Committee with updates on progress. Officers had, under the direction of the board, already commenced work with partners on the likely legal, procurement and contractual requirements. Should the Council be offered a contract in the coming weeks, the final terms of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s contract would also be presented to the Committee for approval. 

            After discussion, during which the Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Corporate Services confirmed that the Innovation Team would be working closely with the Economic Development Team to reach out to small and medium-sized enterprises, as part of the process, the Committee noted the information which had been provided. 

            The Director of City and Organisational Strategy submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report providing an update on some emerging developments relating to major funding programmes, including PEACEPLUS, the Shared Island Initiative and Levelling Up and outlining proposals for continued engagement with Members in developing a pipeline of potential candidate projects for emerging funding opportunities.

            After discussion, the Committee:

                               i.          noted that officers would be arranging a series of Party Group briefings to enable detailed discussions to take place in relation to possible funding opportunities and to inform the development of an agreed pipeline of corporate projects (funding priorities) which should be developed to an appropriate stage of maturity;

                             ii.          noted that the emerging pipeline of possible candidate funding projects would be presented to the Committee in November;

                            iii.          noted that the engagement with Members on a potential pipeline of project proposals would be a key element in developing a wider Funding Framework for the Council, cognisant of existing programmes, ensuring that projects were being proactively developed to bring forward for funding opportunities when announced, and that existing governance for these projects had already been established;

                            iv.          noted that a comprehensive report providing an update on the Council’s application and involvement under the PEACEPLUS programme would be presented to the Committee in November;

                             v.          noted the plans to provide training and awareness sessions for Members and the intention to roll-out funding alerts to local partners using the Grantfinder system;

                            vi.          authorised officers to continue to share awareness raising events in relation to funding opportunities with all Members, to act as a conduit with local groups and ensure coverage across the City;

                          vii.          noted that Council officers were continuing to engage with the Shared Island Unit and others to address the issues alluded to within the report in relation to the Shared Island Initiative and identify emerging opportunities; 

                         viii.          agreed that a letter be forwarded to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities expressing concern that Northern Ireland had not been included in the Long-term Plan for Towns Programme which had been announced on 1st October and pointing out that local councils had, in the absence of the Northern Ireland Executive, demonstrated their ability to deliver such programmes; and

                            ix.          agreed that there was a need for the Council to assist organisations in building the capacity required to avail of external funding opportunities.

            The Committee was reminded that it had, at a previous meeting, agreed to establish a Cost-of-Living Working Group to review previous hardship schemes and work to co-design an effective hardship scheme.

            The Head of Inclusive Growth and Anti-Poverty reported that the Working Group had met on two occasions and drew the Committee’s attention to draft proposals in relation to the Hardship Fund for 2023/24, based upon its discussions and direct feedback from Members. The proposals covered three main areas, namely, Focus of Support (Cohorts), Design Principles and the Emerging Funding Model.

            He pointed out that the funding being provided by the Department for Communities and the Council, through the hardship scheme and the underspend in the Covid Support Grant respectively, amounted to approximately £1,019,000, with the indicative budget allocation being as follows:

            The Head of Inclusive Growth and Anti-Poverty then pointed out that, whilst the Department for Communities’ Letter of Offer provided for a management fee for the delivery of the hardship fund, it was anticipated that this would apply to a minimal number of partners. There could also be other non-avoidable costs, relating to delivery infrastructure, for some delivery partners which would be kept to a minimum. Any such costs would, he confirmed, be inclusive of the overall funding allocations outlined above.

            He went on to state that discussions were ongoing with potential delivery partners in terms of the capacity to deliver the scale of support and funding in this financial year and there might, therefore, be a need to realign identified in-year underspends at very short notice. He added that the Cost-of-Living Working Group had highlighted the need for any emerging Hardship Scheme to be underpinned by an effective communications plan, setting out clear messages around the scope of the scheme, the support available and how it could be accessed and have clear referral pathways in place which were promoted across community partners. He concluded by recommending that the Committee:

                               i.          note the contents of the report, including the funding being made available to support the development and implementation of a Hardship Scheme for the 2023/24 financial year;

                              ii.          approve the proposed cohorts who should benefit from any such scheme, namely, children and young people (including those with special needs), families and/or individuals in emergency need, aging population and newcomer communities;

                            iii.          approve the proposed funding model as set out in the table above; and

                            iv.          delegate authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services and the Director of City and Organisational  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

            The Committee:

·        approved the public advertisement of tenders, as per Standing Order 37a, as detailed in Table 1 below;

·        approved the award of Single Tender Actions, in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions, as detailed in Table 2 below;

·        approved the modification of the contract, as per Standing Order 37a, as detailed in Table 3 below; and

·        noted the award of retrospective Single Tender Actions, in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions, as detailed in Table 4 below.

Table 1: Competitive Tenders

            The Committee considered further the above-mentioned minute of the meeting of 22nd September, which the Council, at its meeting on 4th October had referred back to the Committee to enable further information to be provided. An extract of the minute is set out below:

To consider further the minute of 22^nd September which was taken back to the Committee for further consideration.

Extract from minutes of:-

STRATEGIC POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

22nd September, 2023

_______

            The Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Corporate Services drew the Members’ attention to the additional information provided within the contracts report, following which the Committee agreed to affirm its decision of 22nd September to approve the award of the Single Tender Action, in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions.

Single Tender Action - Supply, Delivery and

Commissioning of Replacement Illuminate

Lighting Fittings and Ancillary Equipment

            The Committee noted that this item had been dealt with earlier in the meeting, as part of the Update on Contracts report.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Committee on the progress of all motions for which Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is responsible.

2.0             Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is recommended to:

                                         i.        note the updates to all motions for which it is is responsible; and

                                       ii.       agree to the closure of motions 7, 24, 25, 55, 73, 78, 93, 98, 108, 139, 163, 168, 169, 196, 198, 210, 213, 215, 237, 239, 247, 292, 295, 301 as referenced in paragraph 3.4 below.

3.0       Main Report

            Background

3.1       At the Committee meeting on 25th October 2019, the following motion was agreed:

            ‘That this Council notes that other Councils produce a monthly status report in relation to motions; and agrees that Belfast City Council adopts a similar practice and produces a monthly update on motions which will be brought to each full Council meeting, detailing the following:

1.      Date received;

2.      Motion title

3.      Submitted by which Councillor

4.      Council meeting date

5.      Committee motion is referred to

6.      Outcome of Committee where motion will be debated

7.      Month it will be reported back to Committee

8.      Other action to be taken.’

3.2       Following a review exercise, a new database containing all motions and Issues Raised in Advance at Committee was created and quarterly reporting to Committee commenced in March 2021.  The latest quarterly update showing all active motions and Issues Raised in Advance which this Committee is responsible for has been circulated.

            Closure of motions and Issues Raised in Advance

3.3       At the Committee meeting on 20th November 2020, it was agreed that motions could be closed for one of two reasons:

·        those which contained an action(s) that has been completed; and

·        those which have become Council policy. 

3.4       The Committee is asked to agree that the following 24 motions are now closed:

            Category 1 Recommended Closures:

·        Childcare Strategy (Ref no 7) – This motion called for the Council to agree to investigate options to co-create a Childcare Strategy for the city. It was agreed that a childcare strategy that is for Belfast alone would not be operational and outside the remit of the Council.  Council continues to engage with key central government departments and agencies through community planning and other structures to advocate the need to accelerate the finalisation and implementation of the regional strategy. Therefore, it is recommended that this motion is now closed.

·        Application to Ulster History Circle for a Blue Plaque ( Ref 108) – This motion called for an application to the Ulster History Circle for a blue plaque for Olaudah Equiano and to meet the costs for it’s implementation. A letter was issued to the Secretary of the Ulster History Circle who advised that this application has been discussed and declined on the basis that Mr. Equiano did not meet the criteria for a blue plaque. Therefore, it is recommended that this motion is now closed.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1             To update the Committee on the key recommendations emanating from the UK Future Cities Commission report and outline the Council’s current position in relation to the proposed recommendations.

2.1             Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to note the UK Future Cities Commission report.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       The UK Urban Futures Commission is an ambitious enquiry established to unlock the potential of the UK's cities. The Commission is led by the Royal Society of Arts in partnership with Core Cities UK and Lloyds Banking Group and aims to work with cities and citizens to develop a transformative national plan for their future.

3.2       The Commission has recently published a report ‘Unleashing the potential of the UK’s cities’ (see appendix 1) which was guided by three core questions:

1.      What are cities and what role do they play in our social, economic and environmental systems? What are the biggest challenges and opportunities – both now and in the coming decades?;

2.      In light of those challenges, what do we want and need them to be?; and

3.      How do we reach our vision for cities? What steps can we take now to get there?

3.3       The report produced a series of recommendations and actions for consideration of cities and national government, each of which are summarised in the tables below, alongside a brief summary of the Council’s current position against those specifically related to cities.

3.4       Recommendations for Cities to Consider

            The Committee approved the Council’s response (copy available here) to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ consultation on emission targets, carbon budgets and the Climate Change Committee's Advice Report.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the Committee to provide a management agreement which gives Visit Belfast reassurance of the Council’s commitment to continued support of the organisation as a strategic partner, subject to an annual funding agreement, and to approve the renewal of the Partnership Agreement with Translink and Visit Belfast for the operation of a ticketing area at the Belfast Welcome Centre. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

i.       approve the provision of an agreement that provides Visit Belfast with the reassurance that the City Council is committed to supporting the organisation up to 15th July 2033, albeit subject to an annual funding agreement from recurrent budget provision; and

ii.      approve the renewal of the Partnership Agreement with Translink and Visit Belfast for the operation of a ticketing area within Belfast Welcome Centre at 8-9 Donegall Square North, up to 31st March, 2026.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       Visit Belfast serves as the official DMO for Belfast, successfully promoting Belfast as a vibrant tourist destination to out of state, international & business tourism markets and managing various aspects of the tourism and visitor experience.

3.2       On 21st April 2023, the Committee approved the continued occupation of premises at 8-9 Donegall Square North by Visit Belfast to operate the Welcome Centre in the delivery of leisure marketing, business tourism and visitor servicing activity for Belfast and to extend the term of the existing Management Agreement for a period of 1 year from 16th July 2023 and year to year thereafter until a date no later than 15th July 2028, which is in line with the lease expiry held by the Council.

3.3       The Management Agreement is subject to an annual review of Visit Belfast’s annual business plan and project plan and approval of funding by the City Growth and Regeneration Committee.

3.4       Visit Belfast has advised Council officers of unfortunate unintended negative consequences to business and planning challenges that the 5 year stop date on the current management agreement poses.

3.5       In order to continue to work with Visit Belfast as our strategic delivery partner, which will assist in achieving the outcomes of the Belfast Agenda; the provision of a ten year agreement for the delivery of leisure marketing, business tourism and visitor servicing activity for Belfast and Belfast City Region creates greater confidence, stability and a level of security for staff retention and recruitment; generation of income from the private sector, other sources and from commercial activity; and reassurance to our wider tourism partners and industry.

            Rationale for Extension:

3.6       Positive Track Record: Visit Belfast has a proven track record of effectively promoting Belfast as a tourist destination and managing critical functions such as marketing, visitor information, and event coordination.

3.7       Consistency and Stability: A 10-year long stop date will provide stability and consistency in planning and executing long-term tourism strategies, helping to maintain and enhance Belfast's reputation as a world-class destination.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       On 1st March 2023 the Council agreed, in principle, to progress with dual language street signage in the Gaeltacht Quarter en block as a cost saving measure, subject to equality screening and when finance becomes available, with a report to be submitted to Committee in due course.

1.2       This decision was called in and subject to a barrister’s opinion which concluded that the call-in did not have merit. Party Group Leaders were advised of the barrister’s opinion via email on 7th July 2023 and were advised that officers would implement the decision and a report will be brought to a subsequent meeting of the SP and R Committee in due course outlining the result of an equality screening, the financial implications and any other associated matters.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to consider the contents of the report and to:

(a)    Consider the option to proceed with the erection of Dual language Street signs in the Gaeltacht Quarter in line with the process outlined in this report.

            If the Committee is minded to proceed with the process outlined in this report, then it is asked to:

(b)   Confirm the threshold for objections to this process which triggers the requirement for an application and engagement of the current full process for a specific street within the Gaeltacht Quarter;

(c)    Confirm if applications which are deemed subject to the full process due to the threshold of objections being met are dealt with after the existing applications received are processed;

(d)   Agree that this be added to the Capital Programme as a capital project; and

(e)    Confirm if those streets which form the boundary of the Gaeltacht Quarter will also be included as part of the area.

3.0       Background

3.1       In July 2022, the SP and R Committee agreed to adopt a new policy position in relation to Dual Language Street Signs taking into account the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. This provides for a single resident / elected Member / Developer being sufficient to trigger a street survey and the threshold for the percentage of residents required to respond positively being changed to 15%.     

3.2       During the Committee’s consideration of the draft policy, it was considered that separate arrangements would ultimately be developed with respect to streets within both the City Core and the Gaeltacht Quarter and that the Council would have the discretion to depart from the wider dual language street sign policy in respect of these two areas.

3.3       The Council agreed, in principle, on 1st March 2023 how applications for a second name plate in the City Core would be processed. It also agreed, in principle, to progress with dual language signage in the Gaeltacht Quarter en bloc as a cost saving measure, subject to equality screening and when finance becomes available. 

            The Gaeltacht Quarter

3.4       In 2010, Deloitte were commissioned by An Cheathru Ghealtachta Teo (  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

            The Director of Planning and Building Control referred to the fact that a number of dual-language street signs which had erected recently by the Council had been incorrect. She confirmed that those had now been rectified, existing signs erected under the new policy had been inspected for accuracy and robust measures had been put in place to prevent a recurrence.

            The Gatehouse, Templemore Baths

            The Committee approved the grant of a lease for office accommodation at The Gatehouse, Templemore Baths, Templemore Avenue, to Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) for a term of six years, at a rent of £10,000 per annum.

            Belfast Stories Site, North Street/Union Street

            The Committee approved the use of part of the vacant land on the Belfast Stories site by The Conservation Volunteers for meanwhile use, under a short-term agreement, with the terms to be determined by the Estates Management and Legal Services Units.

            Parkgate Avenue Car Park

            The Committee approved the renewal of the existing licence agreement with the Directors of Argento Contemporary Jewellery Ltd. for a right to pass/repass over the Parkgate Avenue car park, for a period of one year to 31st August, 2024, subject to the payment of a fee of £3,000 per annum. 

            Gasworks Estate

            The Committee approved the Linen Quarter BID’s request to initiate a tender process to design a public space intervention within the public amenity area at the Gasworks Estate, with details to be presented to a future meeting before any commitment was given to the project.

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The Council’s Physical Programme currently includes over 400 capital projects 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 includes stage movement requests relating to the Capital Programme, an update on Peace IV capital projects and an update on letters of offer received.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is requested to consider the following items on the Capital Programme:

·        IT Programme – F5 Access Policy Manager Project / Web Application Firewall - Agree that this project is moved to Stage 3 – Committed and agree that the necessary procurement processes (including the invitation of tenders and/or the use of appropriate ‘framework’ arrangements) be initiated with contract to be awarded on the basis of most economically advantageous tenders received and full commitment to deliver.

·        HWRCs and Civic Amenity Sites - Containers –Agree that this project is moved to Stage 3 – Committed and agree that the necessary procurement processes (including the invitation of tenders and/or the use of appropriate ‘framework’ arrangements) be initiated with contract to be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tenders received and full commitment to deliver.

·        Update on PEACE IV Capital Projects - Note the status of Black Mountain Shared Space Project and Shankill Shared Women’s Centre and the challenging issues and risks presented in paragraph 3.5.

·        Externally Funded Projects - Agree that necessary procurement processes (including the invitation of tenders and/or the use of appropriate ‘framework’ arrangements) be initiated for any Physical Programme projects including externally funded projects as required, with contracts to be awarded on the basis of most economically advantageous tenders received and full commitment to deliver.

3.0       Main Report

            Capital Programme 

3.1       Members will be aware that the Council runs a substantial Physical Programme which 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 Belfast Investment Fund (BIF), Local Investment Fund (LIF), Social Outcomes Fund (SOF) and Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund (NRF), as well as numerous capital programmes that we deliver for central government. Our funding partners include National Lottery Heritage Fund, SEUPB Peace IV, the Executive Office, DfC, DfI via the Blue Green Infrastructure Fund and Living with Water Programme, DAERA, Ulster Garden Villages, Levelling Up Fund (LUF) and others. When appropriate, the Physical Programmes Department is happy to arrange site visits to any projects that have been completed.

3.2       Members agreed that all capital projects must go through a three-stage process where decisions on which capital projects progress are taken by the Committee. This provides assurance as to the level of financial control  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

            The Committee noted that this report had been moved to Restricted Items and dealt with earlier in the meeting.

The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Shared City Partnership of 9th October, including the recommendations:

Belfast Stories

·        to note the presentation from the Strategic Lead on the Belfast Stories project.

Membership of Shared City Partnership

·        to note the update on the membership of the Partnership and agree that a temporary replacement be nominated for The Executive Office’s current representative.

Good Relations Programme

·        to note the quarterly update on the Good Relations Programme.

PEACE IV

·        to note the update on the PEACE IV Programme.

PEACEPLUS

·        to approve the PEACEPLUS Plan for submission to the Special EU Programmes Body and delegate authority to Council officers to make minor amendments to the Plan, where necessary, to ensure compliance with the assessment and funding requirements.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Party Group Leaders’ Consultative Forum of 12th October.

The Committee adopted the recommendations in respect of those applications received up to 9th October, as set out below:

The Committee approved an additional request for the use of the City Hall and the provision of hospitality for an event on 19th November to mark the annual World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Disability Working Group of 10th October.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the City Hall/City Hall Grounds Working Group of 11th October.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Cost of Living Working Group of 5th October.

To consider a request to illuminate the City Hall in blue and white in solidarity with the nation state of Israel and its people.

            Councillor Bunting, on behalf of Alderman McCullough, proposed that the City Hall be illuminated in blue and white, in solidarity with the nation state of Israel and its people.

            The proposal was seconded by Alderman McCoubrey.

Amendment

            Moved by Councillor Garrett,

            Seconded by Councillor Beattie,

      That we again endorse and repeat what we have already agreed by illuminating the building white as a strong symbol and call for peace in the Middle East.

      Let us go beyond that again by publicly stating (publishing) that Belfast City Council condemns the killing of civilians which has taken place on all sides and calls for a full and immediate ceasefire, with international intervention and leadership brought to bear in securing a lasting peace.

            At the request of Councillor Nelson, Councillor Garrett agreed to include within his amendment a call, firstly, for the establishment of a peace process, focusing upon democracy as a means for resolving conflict and underpinned by strong protections, in terms of human rights etc., and, secondly, for the release of all hostages.

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

            The amendment, as revised, was thereupon put to the Committee as the substantive motion and passed. 

            Prior to the conclusion of proceedings, the Interim City Solicitor/Director of Legal and Civic Services informed the Committee that, in relation to the matter which had been raised by Councillor Maghie under the adoption of the minutes, it had been confirmed that there was no issue around the release of funding for the project.