Agenda and minutes

No apologies were reported.

            The minutes of the meeting of 19th and 26th January 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 February, subject to the omission of those matters in respect of which the Council had delegated its powers to the Committee.

            Councillors Beattie, RM Donnelly, Ferguson, Garrett and Nic Bhranair declared an interest in respect of Item 2(l) Discretionary Payments in that they worked for or were associated with one of the applicants and left the meeting whilst the item was under consideration.

            Councillor Nic Bhranair declared an interest in respect of Item 2(n) Oireachtas Festival Update in that she was associated with the organisers and left the meeting whilst the item was under consideration.

            Councillor Smyth declared an interest in respect of Item 5(g) Response by NILGA in that his wife worked for the organisation and left the meeting whilst the item was under consideration.

            Several members sought clarification in relation to the items on Discretionary Payments and the Appointment of Members to the Board of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and were advised that, as Council appointees to those organisations, they would not be required to declare an interest and leave the meeting.

            The information contained in the reports associated with the following 14 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 fourteen items as, due to the nature of the items, there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42(4) and Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

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

            The Director of Finance submitted for the Committee’s consideration a report providing information on the financial position for Quarter 3 2023/24.

            He reported that, at the end of Quarter 3, the financial position for the Council had shown an underspend of £2.6m, representing 2% of the net expenditure budget, which could be attributed to employee underspends and savings from retendered contracts. The Quarter 3 Departmental forecast was an underspend of £2m, representing 1.2% of the net expenditure budget.  He pointed out that this forecast had fallen short of the targeted £3m of in-year savings required as part of the Finance Strategy to deliver a balanced budget.

            The Director went on to provide an update on the commitments to be funded, rate setting 2024/25, the medium-term financial planning, forecast reserves balance, rates finalisation and capital projects.

            The Committee:

·        noted the report and the continued adoption of the Finance Strategy throughout 2023/24.

·        agreed to set aside £1.6m from any in-year underspends and/or reallocation of reserves to fund the non-consolidated element of the pay and grading review if not agreed by TU’s before end of March.

·        agreed that reallocations of year end underspends will be considered as part of year end reporting.

            The Committee noted the progress on the work programme for the Organisational Reviews and Change portfolio and timescales going forward.

            The Committee considered a report providing recommendations to support the stabilisation of general operative resources in waste collection and to request authority to increase the driver and general operative establishment to implement a pilot solution for the difficult to access streets using smaller vehicles.

            The Members were advised that the report formed part of a wider piece of work, focused on stabilising resources in Waste Collection and planning for the future. The first activity undertaken in March 2023 was to stabilise the driver numbers.  The Committee had agreed to regularise temporary posts that had been in the structure for a number of years. Following that decision, work had continued to establish the issues impacting driver and operative resourcing requirements. This included confirming establishment numbers, recruitment, managing planned and unplanned absence, and longer-term workforce planning.

            The Committee noted the content of the report and agreed to increase the Resources and Fleet Establishment as follows:

·      14 permanent posts General Operatives for Waste Collection operations

·      1 permanent post Waste Transfer Station Operative

·      4 permanent posts General Operatives and 2 permanent HGV drivers for the pilot on difficult to access streets using smaller vehicles.

            The Committee considered a report which provided an update on work underway in relation to a Regeneration (Place Based Growth Proposition) Advocacy and Lobbying Report and a Regeneration Framework and to seek approval to advance a Lobbying and Engagement exercise. 

            During discussion, several Members expressed the view that a special meeting was required to consider issues such as the regeneration frameworks, city centre development and heritage assets.  A Member also requested that the issue of the Tribeca site, which had been considered by the Committee at its previous meeting, should be included on the agenda as a standing item.  In response to this the Chief Executive suggested that it might be more appropriate to include a broader city centre development update report as a regular item.  A further Member also requested that an update report on the possible purchase of the Assembly Rooms, which had previously been agreed by the Committee, be submitted to a future meeting.

            The Committee:

         i          Noted the update on the Regeneration (Place Based Growth Proposition) Advocacy and Lobbying Report, including the Briefing Summary Paper as attached and as reported to the City Growth and Regeneration Committee on 7th February 2024 and presented to Party Group Leaders Consultative Forum on 11th January 2024;

        ii          Agreed to advance the Advocacy and Lobby proposition, to include a direct advocacy with both the UK Government in Westminster, the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government and informed by a detailed stakeholder mapping, engagement plan and proposed lobbying strategy as referenced in the report;

       iii          Noted the update on the Regeneration Framework and its interdependencies with the Regeneration (Place Based Growth Proposition) Advocacy and Lobby work and that further Member engagement will be undertaken on the Regeneration Framework over the coming weeks; 

      iv          Noted the decision of the City Growth an Regeneration Committee of 7th February to write to the new Minister for Communities to welcome him to his position and call on him to work with all relevant stakeholders to achieve the conferring of regeneration powers to councils with the appropriate budgets within this Assembly mandate;

        v          Agreed that a special meeting be held to consider the regeneration frameworks, city centre development and heritage assets;

      vi          Agreed that an update report on the purchase of the Assembly Rooms be submitted to a future meeting; and

     vii          Agreed that a regular update on city centre developments be included as an item on the agenda.

            The Committee considered a report which provide Members with an update in respect of 2 Royal Avenue, including an overview of activity of the current Meanwhile Use; the outworking of the Operator and Feasibility Study into future sustainable use; LGBTQIA+ Hub and PEACEPLUS Funding for space on the upper floor; and Department for Communities funded capital works to the rear of the building, including a new entrance and activation onto Bank Square.

            The report provided details also of the pending Expression of Interest exercise to be undertaken in respect of the future use of the ground floor of the building and alignment to previously agreed Council objectives and the need for diversification of uses in the city centre and to ensure consideration was given to the sustainable future long term use of the building and, in light of the financial implications for the Council, details of that would be brought back to Members for consideration.

            In response to a question from a Member, the Director undertook to work with the Rainbow Project to discuss the development of a governance model.

            The Committee:

·        Noted the update on 2 Royal Avenue, including:

-       the background on principles for acquisition,

-       update on the current meanwhile use and the options and work undertaken to consider future uses including the need to consider the longer-term sustainability of the building and financial implications for Council,

-       update on the LGBTQIA+ hub application to PEACEPLUS for space on the First Floor (under Investment Area 1.1: Co-design Community Peace Action Plan);

·        Agreed to commence a without prejudice market wide Expressions of Interest (EOI) exercise for the ground floor at 2 Royal Avenue for both small occupiers to support and complement the current meanwhile use (until Dec 2024) and a ground floor occupier(s) for longer term post 2024, cognisant of the proposed first floor PEACEPLUS Funding application.

·        Noted the outcomes of the EOI on the longer-term use will be reported to a future meeting of Committee.

·        Noted the ongoing DfC funded capital works to the rear of the building including opening up of the space at the rear with a new entrance and activation onto Bank Square, improving the connectivity to and from Royal Avenue to Bank Square.

            The Committee considered a report which provided an update on the final draft of the Belfast Agenda strategic framework and supporting action plans for the period 2024-2028 and:

i.       endorsed the refreshed Belfast Agenda and supporting Action Plans (2024-2028);

ii.      noted that community planning partners have been asked to consider and confirm their organisational endorsement no later than 3 March 2024;

iii.     agreed that Party Group briefings on the Belfast Agenda will be offered to Members;

iv.     agreed that the key priorities emerging from the Belfast Agenda be discussed with relevant Northern Ireland Executive Ministers as part of the proposed all-party meetings to be sought (NB. separate report on the Committee agenda);

v.      noted the planned formal launch of the Belfast Agenda on 20 March 2024 and

vi.     agreed to provide organisational support in promoting the launch; and

vii.    noted the work underway to refresh the governance and programme management arrangements to align with new refreshed Belfast Agenda.

            The Committee authorised that the outstanding account of £3,701.61 (net of VAT) be written off, in accordance with Section M12 of the Council’s Financial Regulations.

            The Committee noted a report which provided an update on the implementation of the Hardship Programme for 2023/24, which sought to help alleviate the impact of the cost of living on vulnerable people across the city.

            The Interim City Solicitor advised the Members that, at its meeting on 26th June 2023, the Committee had agreed to authorise officers to begin the formal public consultation process on the draft Amenity Bye Laws.  The consultation was launched on 27 November 2023 on the Council’s online engagement platform for a period of 14 weeks and was scheduled to end on 4 March 2024.

            At the Council meeting on 4 December 2023 a Member had requested that the City Solicitor bring an update to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the process for submitting responses using the Council’s online engagement platform.

            The Interim City Solicitor advised that the Council used an online digital engagement platform “Engagement HQ” (which was branded “Your Say Belfast”) to carry out a range of public consultations. 

            This online engagement platform provided the Council with a number of tools to support early, transparent and ongoing dialogue when undertaking consultation and engagement exercises and for reporting back on evidence received both in terms of quantitative and qualitative information.   

            A number of queries have been raised in relation to the process around the submission of responses and the potential for respondents to submit multiple or duplicate responses to the same survey and these were addressed in the report.

            The Committee noted the contents of the report.

            The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee approved and adopted the minutes and recommendations from the Shared City Partnership Meeting held on 5th February 2024 including:

            Shared City Partnership Membership (Verbal Update)

·        That members note the verbal update and agree the approach provided by the Good Relations Manager.

            Good Relations Shared Learning Forum (Verbal Update)

·        The Partnership recommend to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee that it note the verbal update.

            The Executive Office Asylum Dispersal Funding Update

·        The Partnership recommend to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee that it notes the contents of this report and the risk to services to asylum seekers, if further Executive Office / Dispersal Funding is not provided and if there is a continued reduction in the Good Relations District Council Fund provided by TEO.

            Peace IV - Secretariat Update

·        The Partnership recommend to the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee that it notes the contents of the report and appendices.

            PEACEPLUS – Theme 1.1 - Local Action Plan Update

·        The Partnership recommend to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee that it note the contents of the report and appendices.

            The Committee considered a report which provided an update in to developing a corporate Irish Language Policy and seeking Members views on the current draft.

            During discussion, a Member submitted a number of additional comments which she requested to be included within the draft policy.  A further Member indicated that her Party would require a briefing on the draft before the final Policy was submitted. The Committee acceded to both requests and accordingly it:

·        Noted the informal consultation responses which have been received:

·        Approved the suggested amendments to the draft Policy;

·        Agreed that the further amendments circulated by a Member at the meeting be included in the draft;

·        Noted that a final draft would be presented to a subsequent meeting of the Committee for the purposes of public consultation once the Section 75 screening has been undertaken; and

·        Agreed that briefings be held on the draft policy for those Parties who so wished.

            The Director of Finance submitted a report providing details of the assessment of Discretionary payment applications received during January and February 2024, which sought agreement in relation to the award of the grant.

            The Committee:

1)     Noted the number of applications received and the total funding requested;

2)     Agreed the payment of grant to those who scored 50% and over; and

3)     Agreed that a further open call for funding take place in June and that groups which have already been awarded funding would not be eligible to submit an application for a further payment.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 19th January, it had agreed that the Council would begin charging for collection of waste from Purpose Built Managed Student Accommodation commencing on 1st April 2024; and noted that a further report would be brought to this month’s meeting setting out the charging details.

            Accordingly, the Committee considered a report in this regard and agreed to the charging mechanism as detailed in the report to be effective from 1st April 2024.

            The Members were reminded that the City Growth and Regeneration Committee, at its meetings in August 2023 and October 2023, had approved proceeding with the BID for Belfast to host the Oireachtas Festival and consideration of any subsequent financial commitments.

            The Oireachtas na Samhna festival had advised officers that, subject to final committee and council approval, the BID to host the event in 2025 has been reviewed and considered by its organising committee and board with a positive outcome to appoint Belfast as host city.

            The Committee noted the contents of the report and approved the proposed budget requirements as set out in section 3.8 of the report.

            The Members were informed that the Standards and Business Committee, at its meeting on 23rd January, had considered the following motion which had been received for submission to the Council on 1st February:

“This council believes that maintaining public trust in the democratic process is essential. A key part of this is ensuring that decisions are made openly and can subject to public scrutiny. Council recognises the concern that there is about the degree to which council, committee and working group discussions and decisions are being conducted in restricted session, and the wholesale redaction of documentation that accompanies these matters.

To help maintain public trust and ensure that the people of this city can be fully informed about how decisions that affect them have been reached, this council is committed to a policy of 'transparency by default' by which all meetings and documentation will be placed in the public domain as standard, with information or discussions only being redacted or restricted very specifically in relation to those issues which fall within the exemptions in the Local Government Act (NI) 2014. To that end, committee reports will, in addition to identifying the relevant exemption in the 2014 Act, also set out a rationale as to why information or discussions are to be restricted, when this is the case. 

Officers will also bring forward guidelines in relation to all council, committee and working group discussions and decisions which will enable this approach, to ensure maximum transparency while adhering to legislative requirements, ultimately making this organisation an exemplar public body in terms of transparency and openness.”

            The motion had been proposed by Councillor McKeown and seconded by Councillor Lyons.

            The Committee noted, in accordance with Standing Order 13(i), that Notices of Motion which commit the Council to expenditure must be referred to the appropriate committee for consideration and report. 

            The Committee noted also that the Notice of Motion had been received and agreed that a subsequent report would be brought to the Committee outlining a detailed consideration of the Motion and the potential costs implications. 

            The Members were informed that the Standards and Business Committee, at its meeting on 23rd January, had considered the following motion which had been received for submission to the Council on 1st February:

“This Council deplores those corporations that profit from protracted armed conflict and systematic violations of human rights, particularly in the context of Israel’s continuing brutal assault on the people of Gaza and escalating settler terrorism in the West Bank, Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, and other conflicts around the world. With this motion, the Council encourages companies to meet their obligations to avoid contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities, and to prevent or mitigate human rights abuses linked to their operations.

The Council is aware of the crucial role of local authorities and their public procurement procedures in ensuring respect for human rights by companies, as well as their obligations under widely accepted business and human rights norms – as laid down in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the Global Sullivan Principles (1999) – to promote respect for human rights by companies with which they do business.

The Council affirms that every endeavour is made to ensure that councils tender processes are consistent with the above principles, including under the Fourth Geneva convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and under customary international humanitarian law, prohibiting the importation or sale of goods or services originating in occupied territories.

This Council resolves to adopt a rights-based Ethical Procurement Policy (EPP) that takes fully into account existing obligations and standards. The EPP will incorporate widely accepted and precisely formulated international standards and explain clearly how the policy will be implemented. The primary aim of the EPP is to ensure that human rights obligations are properly acknowledged, observed and respected at all stages of the procurement process.”

            The motion had been proposed by Councillor Anglin and seconded by Councillor McCabe.

            The Committee noted, in accordance with Standing Order 13(i), that Notices of Motion which commit the Council to expenditure must be referred to the appropriate committee for consideration and report. 

            The Committee also noted that the Notice of Motion had been received and agreed that a subsequent report would be brought to the Committee outlining a detailed consideration of the Motion and the potential costs implications. 

            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 Notices of Motion for which SP&R Committee is responsible for.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       It is recommended that SP&R Committee:

·        Note the updates to all Notices of Motion that SP&R Committee is responsible for and

·        Agree to the closure of Notice of Motion 266, 269, 302, 320, 327, 331, 332, 336, 346 and 350 as referenced in Appendix 1 and paragraph 3.4 below.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Background

            At SP&R Committee on 25th October 2019, the following Notice of Motion was agreed:

            ‘That this Council notes that other Councils produce a monthly status report in relation to Notices of Motion; and agrees Belfast City Council adopts a similar practice and produces a monthly Notice of Motion Update which will be brought to each full Council Meeting, detailing the following:

1.     Date received

2.     Notice of motion title

3.     Submitted by which Councillor

4.     Council meeting date

5.     Committee motion is referred to

6.     Outcome of committee where Notice of 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 Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance at Committee was created and quarterly reporting to Committee commenced in March 2021.  Appendix 1 is the latest quarterly update showing all active Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance which SP&R Committee is responsible for.

3.3       Closure of Notices of Motion and Issues Raised in Advance

            At SP&R Committee on 20th November 2020, it was agreed that Notices of Motion could be closed for one of two reasons:

·        Notices of Motion which contained an action(s) that has been completed; and

·        Notices of Motion have become Council policy.

3.4       SP&R Committee are asked to agree that the following 10 Notices of Motion are now closed:

            Category 1 Recommended Closures:

·        Support for Striking Communication Workers Union ( Ref 269) – This NOM called on the Council to support the decision by communication workers to engage in strike action to lift pay. It asked the Council to write to senior management of Royal Mail, BT and Openreach encouraging them to present a fair, above inflation pay offer to workers and host an all-party meeting of Councillors, officers and representatives from CWU engaging in strike action. A response was received on 15th September 2023 and an all–party meeting is being arranged. Therefore it is recommended that this NOM is now closed.

·        Department for Infrastructure – Standards of Repairs to Roads and Footpaths ( Ref 320) – This NOM called on the Council to write to DfI to raise the issue regarding the standard of repairs to roads and footpaths. A response has now been received and is being taken forward as part of ongoing engagement with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3c

            The Committee was reminded that the Council had previously approved the visit of the Lord Mayor and the Chief Executive to Sejong, South Korea in connection with joint innovation initiatives with Belfast.

            The visit was set to take place from 25th April to 2nd May and would therefore clash with the May meeting of the Council.

            In order to accommodate the attendance of the Lord Mayor and the Chief Executive at both events, the Committee was being asked to consider the change of date of the Council meeting in May from Wednesday 1st May to Tuesday 7th May.

            This would in turn have a knock-on effect of the meeting of the People and Communities Committee and it was suggested that meeting be brought forward from Tuesday 7th to Thursday 2nd May.

            The Committee agreed that:

       I.          The Council meeting in May be moved from Wednesday 1st to Tuesday 7th May; and

      II.          The meeting of the People and Communities Committee be brought forward from Tuesday 7th to Thursday 2nd May.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1             The Department for Communities are seeking the views of Councils on the future contents of any proposed legislation dealing with Standing Orders, and in particular on the operation of call-in and what if any mandatory Standing Orders should be included in future legislation.

            The purpose of this report is to seek SP&R approval on the Council position which will then be issued to the Department for Communities pending ratification by Council.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

i.       note the background in relation to Standing Order Regulations

ii.      agree the Council position outlined at paragraph 3.5

iii.    note the list of decisions called-in since April 2015 and the status of each (Appendix 3)

3.0       Main Report

            Background

            The Department for Communities issued a letter on 31 October seeking the views of Councils on the future contents of any proposed legislation dealing with Standing Orders (Appendix 1). The Department is, in particular, seeking information related to the operation of the ‘call-in’ procedure, which provides a mechanism by which councils may reconsider decisions already taken.  The Council have been asked to identify and provide details of:

·        any issues with the current ‘call-in’ process;

·        how many decisions have been called-in since 1 April 2015;

·        what type of decisions were called-in;

·        on what grounds were they called-in; and

·        what the outcome was – decision upheld or overturned.

            The Senior Democratic Services Officer has collated the information on the numbers and status of all decisions called in since April 2015 which is presented at Appendix 3.

            An extension to the deadline has been provided until February 2024.

3.2       Background to Standing Order Regulations

            It was always the intention of the Department that they would introduce Standing Order Regulations in the Assembly which would include ‘mandatory’ standing orders which must be included in the standing orders of each of the 11 Councils.

            In the interim period before the establishment of the new Councils, the Department issued a set of Model Standing Orders which were adopted by all of the new Councils and remain the basis for the existing standing orders within each of the 11 Councils.  

            The Department previously tried in 2015 and again in 2016 to bring forward Local Government (Standing Orders) Regulations (NI) but both sets of draft regulations were negatived by the Assembly.  This was mainly due to a disagreement on the ‘merit principle’ in relation to decisions called in on ‘community impact’ grounds.

3.3       Current arrangements in relation to Call In and Qualified Majority Voting

            The procedures in relation to the ‘reconsideration of a decision’ (also referred to as ‘call-in’) are provided for by Section 41 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 and are outlined in more detail in the Councils Standing Orders (see Standing Order 48).

            2014 Act

            Section 41(1) of the 2014 Act indicates that the Council must make provision requiring reconsideration (or ‘call-in’) of a decision if 15 per cent  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4b

            The Committee considered correspondence dated 30 January which had been received from the Public Appointments Unit regarding the submission of Council nominees to be considered by the Permanent Secretary for the Department for appointment to the Board of the Belfast Harbor Commissioners.

            The letter indicated that there was currently three Councillors in post with one vacancy.  One Councillor had served two terms of appointment and could not be reappointed after 31 March 2024.  The remaining two Councillors were due to complete their first term on 31 March 2024 and the DfI Permanent Secretary had decided that he was minded reappointing them for a further term to ensure continuity on the Board.  If both eligible Councillors accepted the reappointments, then the DfI would be recruiting for two vacancies with the terms due to commence from 1 April 2024.

            Accordingly, the Council had been asked to nominate at least six Councillors for appointment for the remaining two places.

            In discussing the matter, a Member expressed the view that this was a step change from previous years when Councillors currently serving on the Board had to submit an application and be subject to an open and transparent recruitment process and this should apply to all nominees for the current term.

            Accordingly, the Committee agreed to defer consideration of the matter on the appointment of Members to the Board of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and requested that a letter be forwarded to the Minister for Infrastructure stating that it was the Council’s view that all 4 positions on the Board should be subject to an open recruitment/selection process as in previous years.

            The Interim City Solicitor submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1             Following a number of recent issues which have arisen in relation to restricted reports and uncertainty about when information can be discussed publicly, it was considered that a report setting out the following be brought to Committee:

·        The grounds under which information may be exempt from disclosure under The Local Government Act 2014; and

·        When information provided as part of a restricted report and discussion may be made public after a decision by a Working Group, Committee and Council.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        note the contents of this report; and

·        agree that a reminder is issued to councillors and senior management in relation to the contents of this report.

3.0       Main Report

            Background

3.1       Members will be aware that a Notice of Motion has been received in relation to transparency and a subsequent report will be brought to Committee in respect of same. This paper is intended to provide clarity for members and officers in relation to the present processes in relation to restricted reports and information.

3.2       The Local Government Act 2014 (‘the 2014 Act’) introduced provisions aimed at ensuring local government is more accessible, transparent and accountable.  The 2014 Act formalises the grounds upon which information can be restricted and the basis upon which press and public can be excluded during its consideration.

3.3       There is always a public interest in transparency and accountability, to promote public understanding of certain Belfast City Council matters.   However the public interest is not necessarily the same as what interests the public.

3.4       Whilst the categories of information that may be restricted under the 2014 Act appear broad, an assessment of whether the public interest in disclosure outweighs the reason for restricting the information may need to be made in individual cases. This assessment is undertaken by the senior manager, usually a Director, who is responsible for authorising the reports being sent to Democratic Services for publication. Reports will also be screened by officers from Democratic Services to ascertain if a report or associated documents should be restricted.

            The following points list the information and personal data that may be exempt from disclosure and provide examples covered by each.

1.      Information relating to any individual

This includes information that will identify and will obviously be about a person.  Data which identifies an individual, even without a name associated with it, may be personal data where it is processed to learn or record something about that individual, or where the processing of that information has an impact upon that individual in a personal, family, business or professional capacity.

2.      Information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual

Information on its own may not reveal an individual’s personal data; however, when linked to other information, it may reveal details about an individual.   In most cases an individual’s name together with some other information will be sufficient to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4d

            The Committee was advised that The Local Government Act (NI) 2014 required the Council and its community planning partners to make arrangements to monitor progress against meeting the objectives of the Belfast Agenda and the effectiveness of the actions taken in aiming to achieve those objectives. The legislation also required the Council to publish a report (Statement of Progress) assessing progress towards the outcomes and actions taken every two years.

            The third statement of progress was due to be published covering the period end of 2021-2023. In recognition of the significant pressures which local Councils, and community planning partners, had faced over recent months in recovering from a worldwide pandemic, responding to the cost-of-living crisis and managing significant fiscal and budgetary pressures, a light touch approach had been adopted to producing the statement of progress. It was also important to recognise the intensive focus over the past 16 months to co-designing the refreshed Belfast Agenda and underpinning actions plans for the period 2024-2028.

            Nevertheless, the statement of progress provided an opportunity for partners to update the public on the actions that had been undertaken or are ongoing through the community planning process. In addition, it demonstrated the impact of such actions on communities and local people as well as their contribution to the achievement of the ambitions and outcomes outlined in the Belfast Agenda.

            The draft statement of progress had been developed in association with and input from community planning partners and highlighted a number of case studies and noteworthy achievements showcasing the work of partners over the last 24 months.  The final draft statement of progress had been shared with community planning partners for final consideration and endorsement with feedback sought by 16 February 2024.

            The Committee:

         i          noted the statutory requirement for the Community Planning Partnership to publish a Statement of Progress (SoP) for the period 2021-2023;

        ii          noted the engagement undertaken with and input from community planning partners in developing the draft SoP; and

       iii          agreed that the final SoP be submitted to the Department for Communities.

            The Committee was advised that, following the recent restoration of the NI Executive and appointments made to the respective ministerial portfolios, there were a number of key issues which it was hoped would now be taken forward by the NI Executive and NICS Departments which would impact, and possibly benefit, Belfast (for example, Poverty Strategy, Childcare Strategy, Climate Action Plan, infrastructure investment plans etc).

            It was important that urgent engagement takes place with the incoming new Ministers on the key priorities, challenges and opportunities facing Belfast as well as encouraging greater collaboration with the Council in designing and delivering key programmes and informing future investment decisions. Real opportunity for Belfast to be seen as a test bed to accelerate delivery of key NI Executive ambitions around, for example creating jobs, supporting vulnerable people, creating shared communities, supporting children and families, maximising the potential of innovation to support growth and helping mitigate the impact of climate change whilst supporting green growth.

            It was therefore proposed that a series of Ministerial meetings be sought with an All-Party delegation from the Council to discuss the strategic issues for the city. It was proposed that the All-Party delegation would consist of Party Group Leaders (or their nominees) as well as the Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive and relevant Chief Officers.  Officers would develop supporting briefings which would set out the strategic issues, opportunities and considerations for these meetings.

            The Committee agreed that:

i.        meetings be sought with the incoming new NI Executive Ministers; and

ii.      Party Group Leaders (or their nominees) and appropriate officers would attend

such meetings.

            The Members were reminded that, at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 23 November, it was requested that officers write to Invest NI seeking clarification on its future plans for the former Mackie’s site within the context of housing led regeneration.

            A response had been received from Invest NI which advised:

“The lands that comprise Invest NI’s Forthriver Business Park were acquired and developed with the intent they would be used for industrial purposes. The land has been developed as a business park and is held in support of economic growth. Invest NI continues to actively promote it to investors for this purpose. The consideration, development and/or promotion of housing sits outside our remit, and we would oppose the release of current industrial zoned land given the shortage of the same in the immediate vicinity. Invest NI has consistently reiterated this position and will continue to do so.”

            The Committee noted receipt of the correspondence.

            The Director of Human Resources submitted the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To present the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and 3 year Action Plan to elected members.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Note the contents of this report.

3.0       Main report

            A cross departmental Health and Wellbeing Working Group which included trade union representation was established to refresh the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and develop a 3-year action plan. The strategy has been fully consulted on through the Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee (JNCC).

3.2       Health and Wellbeing Strategy Goals 

            The Strategy defines the type of organisation that the Council wants to be to support the health and wellbeing of our employees. That is, an organisation:

·        Where individuals feel valued and recognised for their contribution

·        With increased employee engagement/motivation

·        Where employees feel that they have the opportunity to develop

·        With reduced absenteeism

·        With good employee retention

·        Where employees are clear about their role

·        Where employees feel supported by their line manager

·        Where employees improve their physical and mental health

3.3       It is based on the four strands of Business in the Community’s Workwell Model. These are:

·        Better Work – Create good work and working conditions that enhance employee wellbeing.

·        Better Health & Wellbeing – Take a whole-person approach to wellbeing. The four pillars of wellbeing are physical, mental, financial and social health and wellbeing. All of which are inextricably linked.

·        Better Management – Make employee mental health ‘business as usual’ for all leaders and people managers.

·        Better Specialist Support – Take an inclusive and employee-led approach to providing support.

3.4       Implementation and communication

            Whilst the refresh of the strategy was ongoing, a programme of health and wellbeing activity was delivered and covered a range of topics including active travel, positive mental health, stress management, suicide awareness, finance, caring for carers and nutrition.

            The revised strategy builds on our existing policies and initiatives and provides a series of actions aimed at producing a more cohesive, structured and corporate approach to health and wellbeing across the council with activity meets the needs of the organisation and our employees. Corporate HR will work closely with Marcomms and departments to ensure that employees are made fully aware of the health & wellbeing initiatives that are available and provided with the opportunity to attend/engage in planned activities where possible.

3.5       A Health and Wellbeing Champions Network

            To help influence, drive and champion the programme of work, a network of health and wellbeing champions will be established. While the number of champions and role may vary across departments, roles and responsibilities will include:

·        acting as a role model for promoting positive health and wellbeing practice within your organisation, team and department  

·        linking in with the health and wellbeing leads or the person responsible for delivering the health and wellbeing strategy in the organisation

·        engaging with colleagues on health and wellbeing ideas/initiatives

·        signposting staff to the wellbeing support that is available providing support to health and wellbeing leads

·        encouraging  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

            The Committee considered the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       To provide the Committee with an update on the employability activity to promote inclusive growth through our role as an employer.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to

·        note the contents of this report

3.0       Main report

            Background

3.1       The Inclusive Growth Strategy recognises that as a civic leader and large employer in Belfast we can and should set a strong example for others in driving best practice around employment and that the Council can make real progress towards the achievement of the council’s inclusive growth ambitions by looking at our own employment practices and the job opportunities we create.  This report provides a summary of activity this year to date aimed at delivering on  these ambitions. 

            Ring fencing and programme of support for the long term unemployed.

3.2       In the Inclusive Growth Strategy, the council has committed to ring fencing entry level posts, where there is a high volume of posts to be filled, and support this through the provision of appropriate pre recruitment training programmes to benefit those furthest removed from the labour market.

3.3       As part of the current recruitment campaign to fill a number of General Operative vacancies and create a list of reserve candidates, 9 posts (25% of the permanent vacancies) have been ring fenced to candidates eligible to a complete a pre recruitment training programme. Corporate HR has worked with the Employability and Skills team in the Place and Economy Department to deliver the programme to participants nominated by the Council’s employability partner, Workforce. 

3.4       The eligibility criteria of the programme are as follows:

·        must live in Belfast (except the four nominations ringfenced to disability organisations)

·        must meet the employee specification for the job they’ll be applying for:

·        must have been unemployed or economically inactive for at least 6 months or work less than 16 hours a week.

3.5       The programme ran from 19 January to 24 January, comprised of classroom-based learning which included guidance on how to complete the application form and two days of work experience on the job. Nine out of 19 nominated participants completed the programme.  All 9 participants were invited to mock interviews on 13 February, but only 7 attended. All 9 participants were interviewed on 14 February and 5 have been recommended for appointment.

            Support for agency workers

3.6       In addition, job application and interview skills training has been offered to all agency workers currently engaged in the General Operative role. A total of 73 attended the full training course with 2 attending the mock interview element only.

            Participation in the JobStart Scheme

3.7       Following the success of the JobStart Scheme delivered in 2021/22, funding has been made available to the DfC through the Northern Ireland Office’s New Deal Funding Initiative for a new JobStart Scheme.

3.8       To engage in the programme, the Council must ensure that:

·        opportunities offered must not replace existing or planned vacancies or cause existing employees,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5e

            The Director of Human Resources submitted for the Committee’s consideration the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to outline options for a Belfast City Council apprenticeship programme including indicative costs.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to note the content of this report and determine next steps.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       The Inclusive Growth Strategy sets out the Council’s commitment to addressing current and future recruitment needs through apprenticeships from entry-level through to higher-level technical and professional qualifications. Apprenticeships provide a sustainable route into employment across all levels of the workforce and as a council we are committed to embedding apprenticeships within our workforce planning strategy.

3.2       The Council has not undertaken an apprenticeship programme in recent years and in line with our commitment as set out in the Inclusive Growth Strategy, SP&R Committee at it’s meeting of 20 October 2023, requested that a paper be brought to a future meeting on introducing a Belfast City Council apprenticeship programme and the potential cost implications.

            Previous apprenticeship programmes

3.3       When the Council previously recruited apprenticeships, these were  in traditional roles such as  Electricians, Joiners, Fleet Technicians, Plumbers, Gardeners and Painters. Our records indicate that since 2005, 38 apprentices were appointed into apprenticeship roles, 26 of whom went on to secure permanent posts in the Council with 2 currently  engaged in Fixed Term Contract posts.

3.4       At the end of an apprenticeship programme, if permanent vacancies existed and the number of qualified apprentices was equal to the number of permanent jobs, apprentices were appointed automatically to those posts. Where the number of vacancies was less than the number of qualified apprentices, the posts were ringfenced to the qualified apprentices, a selection process undertaken, and appointments made in order of merit. 

            Current funding arrangements

3.5       Belfast City Council does not have a central budget to fund apprenticeship programmes and previous apprenticeships have been funded by departments through realigning existing  staffing budgets. There is a desire across all departments  to explore apprenticeships and  address strategic workforce planning challenges. However, the absence of a corporate budget or funding to create new apprenticeship opportunities continues to be a barrier.  Elected Members will be aware that as a public authority, the Council is not able to access government funding for associated apprenticeship training costs, and while this presents an additional challenge, the main issue to be addressed going forward  is the direct salary costs.

            Potential areas to consider for a future apprenticeship programme

3.6       Elected Members asked officers to identify potential areas for apprenticeship programmes. Like many organisations, the Council has experienced difficulties in recent years in attracting applicants to certain roles and in particular, within technical areas where the current supply is not meeting employer demand.  Two potential areas identified are: 

·        CNS, Fleet & Resources ; auto electricians and technicians

·        Digital Services; cyber security, support and systems development.

3.7       Financial and Resource Implications

            The indicative salary costs for  an apprenticeship programme in the Fleet & Resources  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5f

            The Committee noted the correspondence received by the Council from NILGA in relation to the recent Department of Finance consultations on general revenue raising opportunities and the specific consultation on the revenue raising opportunities from the NI rates system.

            The Director of Property and Projects submitted for the Committee’s consideration the following report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/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 overall Physical Programme and is a rolling programme of investment which either improves existing Council facilities or provides new facilities.  This report includes a review of recently completed and underway physical projects, requests for approvals relating to the Capital Programme, and for approval to procure as required for the Physical Programme.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

·        Physical Programme Half Year Update - note the overall update on projects that have been completed recently and projects currently under construction at 3.1 to 3.5 below and in Appendix 1; and that the Property & Projects Department is happy to arrange a site visit to any projects that have been completed or are underway.

·        Capital Programme Movements - to agree the following movements under the Capital Programme:

o   IT Programme – F5 Access Policy Manager / Web Application Firewall project – note that a satisfactory tender return has now been achieved and that it is recommended that a maximum £30,200 is now allocated to this project.

o   City Hall External Christmas Tree project– move the project to Stage 2 – Uncommitted to enable development of an outline business case.

o   Dual Language Street Signs - Gaeltacht Quarterproject – add the project to the Capital Programme at Stage 1 – Emerging to allow a business case to be developed.

·        Fleet Programme 2024/2025 – note the agreed Fleet Programme for 2024/25

·        City Hall Statues – note the update on the programme of events to mark the installation of the two new statues in City Hall grounds of Winifred Carney and Mary Ann McCracken on Friday 8th March – International Women’s Day as outlined in 3.11 below.

·        Procurement process for 2024/25 Non-Recurrent Programme, Fleet Programme and Externally Funded Projects - agree that any necessary procurement processes (including the invitation of tenders and/or the use of appropriate ‘framework’ arrangements) be initiated for any Physical Programme projects in 2024/25 including Fleet Replacement Programme, non-recurrent programme and 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

3.1       Physical Programme

            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 Belfast Investment Fund (BIF), Local Investment Fund (LIF), Social Outcomes Fund (SOF) and Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund (NRF), as well as numerous physical programmes and standalone projects that we deliver for central government. Our funding partners include National Lottery Heritage  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

            The Committee:

                                     I.          Woodbourne Environmental Improvement Scheme – Asset Transfer - approved the transfer of 5 no. green spaces from the Department for Communities (DfC) to the Council upon completion of the scheme.  The asset would transfer at nil value and the Councill would receive revenue funding from DfC for maintenance of the asset for the initial three years.

                                    II.          River Terrace – Deed of Dedication - approved the completion of a Deed of Dedication to Urban Villages in respect of the works carried out as part of the redevelopment of the Lockhouse at River Terrace.

                                  III.          Boodles Dam, Ligoniel Park – Land acquisition and disposal - approved the land acquisition and disposal of plots at Boodles Dam to facilitate the Ligoniel Park Environmental Improvement Scheme.  Land and Property Services had assessed the transfer values and the result was a net consideration of  £4,105 payable from the Council to the Northen Ireland Housing Executive,

            The Committee:

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

·      approved the award of STAs in line with Standing Order 55 exceptions as detailed in Table 2 below;

·        approved the modification of the contract as per Standing Order 37a 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

Table 2: Single Tender Actions

            The Committee noted the contents of report which provided details of the delivery of the social value outcomes via the Council’s tender competitions awarded in accordance with the Council’s Social Procurement Policy.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Party Group Leaders’ Consultative Forum of 15th February.

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

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received from the Belfast Building Trust for the use of the Council Chamber on 3rd May 2024 for the Grand Final of the Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition.

            The Members were reminded that Committee approval was required for the use of the Council Chamber by an outside body. Although such approval was rarely sought, the Committee has previously approved the use of the Council Chamber for similar events.

            The Northern Ireland Schools Debating Competition was an annual event which been founded by the Lord Lieutenant, Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle, in 1993 to encourage mature debate and civic engagement amongst young people. Thousands of students had participated in the competition, with over 80 teams from across Northern Ireland entering annually. Topics ranged from foreign affairs to planning. It was organised as part of the civic charitable work of Belfast Buildings Trust.

            The Committee approved the application by Belfast Building Trust to:

·        use the chamber and function rooms, with no room charge applicable due to charity status; and

·        agreed to offer a tea and coffee hospitality reception.

            The Committee was reminded that requests for the use of City Hall grounds were normally dealt with under the authority delegated by the Committee to the Director of Legal and Civic Services using criteria agreed for this purpose. Occasionally, however, it was necessary to place such requests directly before the Committee and the request set out below falls into this category.

            A request has recently received from the organiser of the Belfast Photo Festival (BPF) to have a photographic exhibition in the grounds of the City Hall from 8th – 28th June, 2024.  The BPF was the visual arts festival of Northern Ireland and one of the leading photography festivals in the UK. In 2023 the festival had attracted 100,000 visitors across 24 city centre venues and was one of the city’s major art events.

            The Interim City Solicitor advise that, each year, the City-wide festival included the grounds of the City Hall as a primary location for both photographic exhibitions and other events and she provided details of previous events.

            Belfast Photo Festival had provided two exhibition proposals for the 2024 Festival and was seeking Committee approval for both; however, only one proposal would be chosen, and BFF would confirm the proposal they wished to host in the City Hall grounds.  The theme for 2024 was ‘Divergence’ and focused on photography’s ability to capture and reflect the world around us. BPF 2024 would explore how contemporary photographers were responding to and offering reimagining to overcome the profound polarity and divisions prevalent in our globalised world.

            The proposals were from two contemporary artists: Photo with a teddy bear by Polish artists Barbara Caillot and Aleksandra Karkowska; and Walking Back to Happiness by British Artist Maisie Cousins.

            The exhibition would be installed on the West and East Lawn of City Hall grounds on 8th June and dismantled on 28th June 2024. It would be free for members of the public to view daily in line with the opening times of the grounds.

            The Good Relations and Corporate Communications Units would review the exhibition images included in the proposal but presently no negative good relations implications have been identified which should stop the exhibition being hosted at the City Hall.

            The Committee:

1.      approved the request by Belfast Photo Festival to use City Hall grounds from 8 to 28 June 2024 to display a photographic exhibition as part of the Belfast Photo Festival; and

2.      authorised the exhibition in line with similar events previously approved by Council.

            The Committee considered a report regarding a request from a member of the public to illuminate the City Hall to mark the birthday of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins.

            The Members were reminded that requests for the use of the City Hall LED illumination system were managed by the Functions Management team which reviewed requests in line with criteria approved by the Committee.

            This request had been received from a member of the public who had noted that the City Hall was illuminated for HM King Charles’ birthday.  In recent years the Members had approved previous illuminations received from members of the public which did not meet the criteria, that is, 4 in 2021, 1 in 2022 and 1 in 2023.

            The Committee approved a request for the illumination of the City Hall to mark the birthday of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins on 18 April 2024.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Social Policy Working Group of 13th February.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meetings of the City Hall/City Hall Grounds Working Group of 8th and 14th February.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meetings of the Language Strategy Working Group of 26th January and 9th February.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the City Centre Working Group of 17th January.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Disability Working Group of 30th January.