Agenda and minutes

The Chief Executive submitted the summons convening the meeting.

            No apologies were reported.

Strategic Policy and Resources Committee   

            Councillors R-M Donnelly, Duffy, Groogan, McCabe and Verner declared interests in the ‘Shared City Partnership’ item in that they worked for, or were associated with, organisations which had applied for PEACEPLUS funding.  Since the item did not become the subject of debate, the Members were not required to leave the meeting.

            Councillors Beattie, Canavan, Carson, M. Donnelly, Duffy and Groogan declared interests in the ‘Social Supermarket Fund’ item in that they were associated with organisations which had applied for support under the fund.  Since the item did not become the subject of debate, the Members were not required to leave the meeting.

Standards and Business Committee

            The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor McCormick) declared an interest in the item ‘Stranded Dreams Report launched by Anaka Women’s Collective’ in that he worked for an organisation which provided funding to the collective.  Since the item did not become the subject of debate, the Member was not required to leave the meeting.

People and Communities Committee

            Councillor Bradley declared an interest in the item “Belfast City Tribunal Service”, in that her employer was the current contract holder and she left the room when the item was under discussion.

Moved by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Murray),

Seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor McCormick and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the monthly meeting of the Council of 1st May, be taken as read and signed as correct.

            Councillor R. Brooks congratulated the Bloomfield Community Association on the recent announcement that it was to receive Capital Investment for a full rebuild.

            Councillor I. McLaughlin congratulated Woodvale Youth Academy Girls Football Team who had won their first competitive tournament, the Seaview Bank Holiday Soccer Tournament, less than ten weeks after coming together as a team.

            Councillor McKeown thanked Ms. Bríd Ruddy and all the residents who had worked so hard to create the new Wildflower Alley in the south of the City.

            Councillor McCabe paid tribute to Anthony Cacace, who had recently won the IBO Super Featherweight World Title and requested that the Lord Mayor would send a letter of congratulations.

            Alderman Copeland paid tribute to Mr S. Smyth and Mr. G. Stevens, both of whom had lost a child to cancer, who had both worked tirelessly to encourage young people to sign up and donate stem cells.

            The Lord Mayor congratulated Ms. L. Cameron, Business Relationship Manager, on the recent birth of her daughter.

            The Chief Executive advised the Council that a request to film parts of the Council meeting had been received from a number of media outlets.

            The Council acceded to the request.

            The Chief Executive drew the Council’s attention to a report which identified the following persons who had been nominated by the Nominating Officer of each Political Party to the Council’s Standing Committees and to the (District) Policing and Community Safety Partnerships for 2025/2026:

Strategic Policy and Resources Committee

City Growth and Regeneration Committee

People and Communities Committee

Licensing Committee

The Lord Mayor reviewed his year in office, which he stated had been an incredible honour.  He outlined that he had been privileged to be the first openly gay Lord Mayor of the City and that he had been proud to represent his community through his work.  He thanked the Deputy Lord Mayor, the two High Sheriffs which he had worked alongside, Council staff, his Political Party and his partner, family and friends for all of their support and wished the incoming Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor every success for the year ahead.

            The Deputy Lord Mayor reflected on his year in office and paid tribute to the Lord Mayor, the two High Sheriffs, his Political Party, his family and Council staff for the valuable assistance which they had provided.  He paid tribute to his wife and his two young daughters and stated that he was looking forward to spending more time with them again.  He stated that he had been grateful to have worked with a number of important charities during his time in office, including the Alzheimer’s Society, the Mary Peters Trust, Women’s Aid and Friends of the Cancer Centre.  He wished the incoming Lord Mayor and Deputy Mayor well in their forthcoming term of office.

            Representatives of all the Political Parties paid tribute to the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord for the manner in which they had fulfilled their duties during their year in office.

            The Chief Executive reminded the Council that it had, earlier in the meeting, approved the Positions of Responsibility for 2025/2026 and that Councillor Kelly had been nominated to serve as Lord Mayor.

            Accordingly, Councillor Kelly was installed in Office for the period to end on the date of the annual meeting of the Council in 2026.

            Councillor Kelly thanked her Political Party for nominating her to serve as Lord Mayor.  She stated that she was honoured to be the first female Democratic Unionist the second ever female Unionist Lord Mayor of Belfast.  She paid a special tribute to the late Christopher Stalford MLA, who had not only been her political mentor, but also a close friend.  She paid tribute to the previous Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor for the manner in which they had carried out their duties. She stated that she was looking forward to the year ahead and to working with the Deputy Lord Mayor and the High Sheriff.

(The Lord Mayor, Councillor Kelly, in the Chair.)

            The Council was again reminded that earlier in the meeting Councillor Doherty had, under the Positions of Responsibility for 2025/2026, been nominated to serve as Deputy Lord Mayor.

            Accordingly, Councillor Doherty was installed in Office for the period to end on the date of the annual meeting of the Council in 2026.

            He paid tribute to the previous Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor, thanked his Political Party for nominating him, thanked his family and friends for their support, and outlined his main objectives for his term in office.  He stated that he was looking forward to the year ahead, to listening and learning, and to working with the Lord Mayor and the High Sheriff.

(The Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Doherty, in the Chair.)

            The Chief Executive drew the Council’s attention to a report which identified the following persons who had been nominated by the Nominating Officer of each Political Party to the Council’s Standing Committees and to the (District) Policing and Community Safety Partnerships for 2025/2026:

Strategic Policy and Resources Committee

City Growth and Regeneration Committee

People and Communities Committee

Licensing Committee

            Moved by Councillor Brennan,

            Seconded by Councillor Murphy,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 23rd and 30th May, 2025, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Amendment

City Hall Income Generation Project

            Moved by Councillor Collins,

            Seconded by Councillor McDowell,

      That the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 23rd May under the heading ‘City Hall Income Generation Project’ be rejected.

            On a vote, two Members voted for the amendment and fifty-three against and it was accordingly declared lost.

Adoption of Minutes

            The minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 23rd and 30th May, 2025, were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor R. Brooks,

Seconded by Councillor McKeown,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 6th May, be approved and adopted.

Amendment

Play Service Rental Agreement

            Moved by Councillor Doran,

            Seconded by Councillor Bunting,

      That the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 6th May under the heading ‘Play Service Rental Agreement’ be rejected and accordingly the Council agrees to extend the current play service rental agreement with the Benview Residents Association for a further period of five years.

            On a vote, twenty Members voted for the amendment and thirty-eight against, and it was accordingly declared lost.

Amendment

Belfast City Tribunal Service

            Moved by Councillor Collins,

            Seconded by Councillor Groogan,

      That the decision of the People and Communities Committee of 6th May under the heading ‘Belfast City Tribunal Service’ be referred back to Committee for further consideration, with the Tribunal Service to be invited in.

                  On a vote, twenty-six Members voted for the amendment and thirty-two against and it was accordingly declared lost.

Adoption of Minutes

            The minutes of the proceedings of the People and Communities Committee of 6th May, 2025, were approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor I. McLaughlin,

Seconded by Councillor Duffy and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee of 7th and 28th May, be approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Doran,

Seconded by Councillor Smyth and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Licensing Committee of 21st May, be approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor Murphy

Seconded by Councillor Carson and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Planning Committee of 13th May, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Moved by Councillor M. Donnelly,

Seconded by Councillor R-M. Donnelly,

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Climate and City Resilience Committee of 8th May, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Council Climate Action Plan

            At the request of a Member, the Council agreed that a section be added to the Action Plan, including key recommendations and findings, to examine the environmental impact of segregation in the City.

                  Adoption of Minutes

            Subject to the foregoing amendment, the minutes of the proceedings of the Climate and City Resilience Committee of 8th May, 2025, were approved and adopted.

            Moved by Councillor Flynn,

            Seconded by Councillor R. McLaughlin and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Standards and Business Committee of 22nd May, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

            Moved by Alderman Rodgers,

            Seconded by Councillor Ferguson and

      Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings of the Standards and Business Committee of 22nd May, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

Moved by Alderman Lawlor,

            Seconded by Alderman McCullough,

“That this Council recognises the unique skills that are held by Armed Forces services leavers; recognises that many veterans can face disadvantages compared to the general population, arising from military life, when accessing services and as such, this Council commits to signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant immediately.”

            On a vote, twenty-eight Members voted for the motion, twenty-nine against and with three no votes, it was accordingly declared lost.

            In accordance with notice on the agenda, Councillor R-M. Donnelly proposed the following motion:

“That this Council notes that the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement recognises the birth right of all the people of the north to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both;  recalls that, in November 2013, the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution recommended to give citizens residing outside the 26 counties the right to vote in presidential elections; further notes that Irish citizens living in the north can stand for, and be elected as, President of Ireland but cannot vote in presidential elections; and calls on this Council to write to the Irish Government and ask that they implement the recommendation of the Convention on the constitution with regards to voting rights in presidential elections, thereby extending the right to vote in elections for President of Ireland to all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland.”

            The motion was seconded by Councillor Brennan.

            On a vote, forty-one Members voted for the proposal and seventeen against and it was declared carried.