Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported on behalf of Councillors Cobain and Mulholland.

            The minutes of the meeting of 12th and special meeting of 26th January were taken as read and signed as correct.

            It was reported that the minutes of 12th January had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st February with the following addition - “At the request of Councillor Brooks, the Council agreed to write to the Department for Infrastructure to highlight the necessity to improve the facilities and access to the Cregagh Glen, Castlereagh Hills, and suggest that it worked with its key stakeholders towards this objective.”

            No Declarations of Interest were recorded.

            The information contained in the reports associated with the following 5 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 Committee meeting during discussion on the following 5 items as, due to their nature, 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.

(Mr. R. Cregan, Director of Finance and Resources, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee considered a report, which had been prepared by the Director of Finance and Resources, in relation to the establishment of the District Rate and the compilation of the Estimates of Revenue Expenditure for the year 2021/2022.

            The Director outlined that the paper would not be subject to call-in as it would cause an unreasonable delay which would be prejudicial to the Council and the public’s interest in striking the district rate by the legislative deadline of 1st March, 2021.

            He referred to the cash limit for the People and Communities Committee for 2021/2022, as recommended by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 22nd January, and outlined the next steps in the rate setting process leading to the setting of the district rate by Council at its meeting in March 2021.

            Following consideration, the Committee noted the next steps in the rate setting process and: 

·        agreed that the report would not be subject to call-in, given that it would cause an unreasonable delay and would be prejudicial to both the Council and the public’s interests in striking the district rate by the legislative deadline of 1st March, 2021; and

·        agreed a cash limit for the People and Communities Committee for 2020/21 of £83,949,408 and the individual service cash limits.

            The Committee was reminded that the Strategic Policy and Resources, at its meeting on 31st July, had received an update on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Council’s financial position and a strategy to address the forecast deficit and the mitigation measures, which had and would be taken as the situation evolved.  It had agreed to continue to provide Members with a monthly update on the financial position and that the same report would be presented to the subsequent standing Committees for noting and to provide further information on ongoing work.

            The Committee noted the January 2021 financial update.

The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting held on 8th December, 2020, a report had been considered which provided an update concerning a previous request from a promoter who had sought permission to hold a Wild Lights event in Botanic Gardens.  The request had initially been approved at a meeting of the Committee held on 14th January, 2020, however, at the July 2020 meeting of the Council, following a request from the promoter to amend the dates relating to the initial request (due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions), it had been agreed that the decision be amended to enable an environmental impact assessment to be carried out.  Following this, the promoter had cancelled the 2020 event stating that the request had created potential operational and contractual difficulties but advised that he was still keen to run the event in future years, however, felt that a light impact assessment survey was unnecessary.

            At the December 2020 meeting, the Members had agreed that a briefing paper would be submitted to a future meeting in respect of the legislation that existed around bats and their habitats. 

            Subsequent to this, at the January 2021 meeting of Council, it was further agreed that the briefing paper would include a legal opinion as to whether the Council, having asked one promotor to carry out an environmental assessment for the use of Botanic Gardens, had set a precedent to require all future promotors to do the same and also include any relevant legal considerations which the Committee should be aware of in relation to the potential 24 hour opening of the Council’s Parks.

            The Members considered the report, following which it was:

Moved by Councillor Smyth,

Seconded by Councillor Flynn,

      “That the Council agrees to carry out an initial survey to see if and where bat roosts are in Botanic Park. Following which a report would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee detailing what measures would be put in place to protect any sites for the duration of the event and those conditions would be built into the licence for the event.”

            On a recorded vote, six Members voted for the proposal and eleven against, with one no vote and it was declared lost:

            The Members noted the legal opinions in regards to setting a precedent and also that the 24 hour opening of the Council’s Parks was permissible under the Council’s Bye-Laws. 

            In respect of the legislations pertaining to bats and their habitats, the Committee noted that, in the absence of assessments, officers would work with promoters to ensure compliance with all legal requirements, including legislation and it was requested that officers would ascertain the cost of a bat survey for future reference.

            Following discussion, the Committee agreed to vote on the recommendation in the report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Director of City Services provided the Committee with the details in regard to a request to undertake an exhumation at Roselawn Cemetery.

            The Members noted that the Department for Communities, the Public Health Agency and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council had been informed of the application and had granted permission, as required by the Burial Ground Regulations (NI) 1992.

            The Committee granted the exhumation request and agreed, given the sensitivity of the request and in an effort to prevent any further delay or distress to the family, to grant officers authority to proceed with the relevant paperwork in advance of the March Council meeting to ensure that the exhumation could take place as soon as possible.  

            The Committee referred to a report which considered a request from Southcity Resource and Development Centre that were seeking support for St Simons Hall.

            The Director of Neighbourhood Services advised that in normal circumstances any approach for community revenue support would be directed via the Council’s Community Development Grants programme, under the revenue grants programme.  The Committee was reminded Committee that, due to the Covid pandemic, it had taken the decision not to proceed with an open call under this programme for 2021/22 and instead had agreed to extend existing funding contracts for the 2021/22 financial year.

            The Members noted that the normal grant route was therefore not available to the organisations and, as a result of a previous implied decision of a previous committee around potential Council support with revenue costs, the Members were asked to consider a one off bridging support grant as a contribution towards the revenue costs associated with opening the building. 

            The Committee noted that officers had assessed the application from the organisation and it was compliant with the eligibility criteria required for community development grants and included eligible costs associated with the running of the building.  It further noted that a formal application for any potential future grant funding would be required when the grants programme reopened in Autumn 2021.

            The Committee agreed the provision of a one off ‘Bridging Support’ to Southcity Resource and Development Centre for revenue costs associated with St Simons Hall, pro rata from the date of opening of the facility in 2020 to the current year end and an award in line with the agreed allocation model for existing grant holders for the 2021/22 financial year.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting held on 10th November, it had agreed that the Council write to the Department for Infrastructure to request that it prioritise the design, funding and competition of its public consultation regarding the installation of lighting on the Comber Greenway.

            The Democratic Services Officer informed the Committee that a response had now been received from the Infrastructure Minister.

            The Minister had stated that she was keen to see more people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle on the Greenways and she agreed that one of the ways to do this might be to provide lighting.  She continued, however, that there was a number of factors to be considered before a decision could be taken in relation to lighting and this included both financial and environmental considerations. 

            She advised that the Department had completed a preliminary design for lighting of the Comber Greenway and it hoped to be in a position to carry out a public consultation on the proposed design in the spring.

            The Minister had concluded by welcoming the ongoing discussion between officials around the future development and management of the Comber Greenway, stating that she recognised that both the Department and Belfast City Council needed to work as a partnership, to seek to remove the barriers for people who want to walk, wheel and cycle more and to improve the attractiveness of the Greenways as a community facility. 

            The Committee noted the information which had been provided.

            The Committee was reminded that, at the Council meeting on 1st February, the following motion, which had been proposed by Councillor Michael Collins and seconded by Councillor Matt Collins, had, in accordance with Standing Order 13(f), been referred to the Committee for consideration:

“Council notes with alarm the invasive odour which has pervaded in the Collin area of West Belfast for several years.

This has caused extreme concern amongst residents, who have been expected to simply put up with this odour, with little or no action from the DAERA minister to address the issue.

The odour has been traced to the Mullaghglass landfill site in Collin. Immediate action must be taken to ensure this odour does not persist, and a comprehensive study should be carried out by DAERA to ensure the air quality in Collin is of a safe standard.

Council resolves to write to DAERA minister Edwin Poots to this end, urging him to assess and allay any concerns about air quality residents have because of this odour, and to take immediate action to eradicate this invasive smell coming from the Mullaghglass site.”

            Councillor Michael Collins addressed the Committee and outlined the context of the motion and a number of other Members spoke in support of the motion.

            The Committee adopted the motion and agreed to write to the DAERA Minister seeking the Department take immediate action to eradicate the invasive smell coming from the Mullaghglass site.

            (Mr. I. Harper, Building Control Manager, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       Belfast City Council has been engaged in a partnership with the Department for Communities (DfC) and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) in the delivery of the Affordable Warmth Scheme (AWS) since 2014.

1.2       The scheme aims to address fuel poverty for the most vulnerable households in the city by targeting those households that meet certain criteria, as identified by Ulster University to provide home improvement measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, replacement boilers and new double glazed windows. While it is a targeted scheme, self-referrals are also considered. To qualify for the scheme occupant’s income must be below £20,000 (gross).

1.3       The purpose of this report is to give Members an update on the AWS, including the ongoing engagement with DfC at SOLACE level, and outline a request from DfC regarding the Service Level Agreement for 2020-2021.

1.4       In September, Members confirmed their commitment to the scheme but also the need for adequate funding to be provided. The Director of Planning and Building Control wrote to DfC confirming the level of surveys that could be provided with the current staffing resource.

1.5       Members also agreed to write to the Department requesting a meeting with the Minister for Communities to discuss the scheme.  Following written request, DfC have replied confirming the ministers diary commitments mean  it is not possible to arrange a meeting, but that David Polley, Director of Housing Supply Policy can meet with Members to discuss the scheme.

1.6       There have been ongoing communications between DfC and councils, both at SOLACE and senior management level. 

1.7       DfC have requested that councils sign the Service Level Agreement (SLA) for 2020-2021 and have confirmed that further engagement will take place to finalise the SLA for 2021-2022.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to consider:

1.     The offer from DfC for David Polley to address the Committee

2.     The request from DfC to sign the Service Level Agreement for (in year) 2020-2021 and

a)     – agree to sign the SLA with a caveat outlining the concerns around targeted ratio and funding or

b)     - decline to sign the SLA and wait for a revised version for the next financial year 2021-2022 in which the outstanding issues are addressed to the satisfaction of the council, and

3.     Note the ongoing work to agree a suitable Service Level Agreement for 2021-2022.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues and current position

            Current position

3.1       An update report was provided to Members in September, at which point the DfC had set the target number of referrals at 44. The Service continues to work with only one member of AWS staff, supported by Building Control Business support staff to help with the workload, in particular the customer contact.  The BC Service is not in a position to continue to subsidise the scheme with its own Business  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The Committee will be aware that at its previous remote meeting of 12th January 2021, the Director of City Services provided an update paper to the Committee concerning progress with a range of ambient air quality projects that City and Neighbourhood Services Department staff are progressing. Amongst those projects is the development of new Air Quality Action Plan for the city covering the period 2021-2026. The Committee is advised that Council’s current Air Quality Action Plan concluded at the end of 2020.  

1.2       During the meeting of 12th January 2021, the Director of City Services advised the Committee that a subsequent paper would be brought forward at the next meeting of the Committee, further outlining the development process for the new Action Plan and providing to Members an overview of the various outline actions that have been proposed by the Council’s competent or relevant authority partners and other organisations represented on the Air Quality Action Plan Steering Group.

1.3       This paper serves therefore to present this information to the Committee, by way of a further update, to enable Members to consider how the Plan will be developed and the various outline actions that have been proposed to comprise the new Air Quality Action Plan.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is requested to

·        Consider the proposed outline actions for inclusion within the new Air Quality Action Plan 2021-2026 for the city, provided in an Appendix available via mod.gov.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       The Committee will be aware that as a consequence of the various ambient air quality review and assessments, updating and screening assessments and progress report that have been completed for the Belfast City Council area, the Council has, to date, declared four Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) across the city for exceedances of the air quality objectives for nitrogen dioxide, with a principal current focus on achieving and maintaining the annual mean objective for nitrogen dioxide of 40gm^-3. Source apportionment studies conducted for the city in general and specifically for the AQMAs have revealed that the exceedances of the nitrogen dioxide objectives are principally as a consequence of road transport emissions. 

3.2       The ‘ribbon’ style AQMAs encompass arterial road transport routes into, and out of the city, and therefore include the M1 Motorway / A12 Westlink corridor, the Ormeau Road, the Upper Newtownards Road and the area from Cromac Street to the junction with East Bridge Street and from East Bridge Street to the junction with the Ravenhill and Albertbridge Roads and Short Strand.

3.3       In accordance with the provisions of Part III of the Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002, once an AQMA has been declared, a council is required to develop an Air Quality Action Plan in pursuit of the relevant air quality objectives. The Action Plan is required to draw upon those actions that the council itself can take, as well as those from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The Committee is advised that the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have recently commenced a consultation exercise, in the form of a public discussion document, into a new Clean Air Strategy for Northern Ireland.

1.2       DAERA have stated that the purpose of the public discussion document is to provoke discussion towards policy options that could contribute to meeting the challenges associated with achieving outcomes 2, 4 and 12 of the Northern Ireland Civil Service ‘Outcomes Delivery Plan’, ‘we live and work sustainably - protecting the environment’, ‘we enjoy long, healthy, active lives’; and ‘we give our children and young people the best start in life’ respectively.

1.3       This report therefore serves to provide to Committee for consideration, proposed responses to the 29 questions that DAERA have posed throughout the seven thematic chapters of the Clean Air Strategy for Northern Ireland Public Discussion document.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1      

·        The Committee is requested to consider proposed responses to the 29 questions posed by DAERA as part of the public discussion process, summarised in Appendix 1 to this report and detailed in full within Appendix 2.

·        The Committee is further requested to recommend that Appendix 1 and 2 responses be both submitted to DAERA by the Belfast City Council consultation deadline of 15th March 2021.

3.0       Main report

            Key Issues

3.1       In commencing a public discussion exercise into options for a new Clean Air Strategy for Northern Ireland, DAERA have advised that clean air is vital for human health and for our natural environment but increasingly, research is showing that the effects of ambient air pollution on human health are more complex and widespread than previously thought.

3.2       To that end, DAERA have advised that within Northern Ireland, we face similar issues with ambient air pollution to the rest of the UK and Europe; most notably, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) found in urban areas, arising principally from road traffic and particularly from diesel engined vehicles.

3.3       The Committee will be aware that the Council has declared four Air Quality Management Areas across the city encompassing major arterial road transport routes for exceedences of Air Quality Strategy objectives for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). The AQMAs cover the M1 Motorway / A12 Westlink corridor, the Ormeau Road, the Upper Newtownards Road and Cromac Street to the junction with East Bridge Street and then from East Bridge Street to the junction with the Ravenhill and Albertbridge Roads and Short Strand.

3.4       The Committee will also be aware that the Council has developed a series of Air Quality Action Plans for the city, in pursuit of the  nitrogen dioxide air quality objectives, incorporating actions from our competent authority transport partners including the Department for Infrastructure, Translink, Northern Ireland Railways, Sustrans, the Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association, etc. The Council has also included information  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

            The Committee was advised that the Department of Health had developed its draft mental health strategy for Northern Ireland available here.  Following the pre-consultation exercise, the Department of Health had now developed its draft strategy which it was consulting on. The consultation had opened on 21st December, 2020 and was scheduled to close on Friday, 26th March, 2021at 5.00 p.m.

            Several Members of the Committee welcomed the draft Council response that had been prepared by Council officers. They referred to the importance of addressing mental health issues and noted that the pressures of the ongoing pandemic had further exasperated many of these problems.

            The Director concurred and advised that, as with the pre-consultation response, the Council had made the case within its response that the new strategy, and the structures associated with it, needed to integrate and align with community planning structures to ensure that both regional and local impact could be maximised.

            The Members were also advised that the recommendations contained in the ‘Elephant in the Room’ report that had been jointly prepared by the Belfast and NI Youth Forum be fully considered and further considered as part of the implementation plans for the strategy. 

            The Committee approved the draft consultation response available here and agreed that, subject to Council ratification, it be submitted by the 26th March deadline.

            The Committee was reminded that City and Neighbourhood Services worked in partnership with a number of organisations and some of this had developed through the provision of annual financial support to deliver against agreed outcomes.

            Many of the partnership arrangements were historical and had been rolled on from year to year and were not as part of an open call or other funding processes.  The Members were reminded that, in the context of the Belfast Agenda, it had previously been agreed that an independent review of these arrangements would be conducted to assess if they continued to deliver value.  Completion of the review had been delayed as a result of the ongoing pandemic but the final report was expected in February 2021 and further engagement with the Members on the recommendations would take place in due course.

            To ensure the continuity of service delivery for the organisations, it was recommended that funding support remained the same for 2021/22 as in 2020/21.  This would give sufficient time for consideration and implementation of the review recommendations.

            The Committee agreed the funding allocations to Belfast Hill Partnership, Lagan Valley Regional Park, Outdoor Recreation NI (ORNI), Keep NI Beautiful (KNIB) and Mary Peters Trust based on the recommended levels provided in the report and to further consider the recommendations of the review of partnership funding arrangements at a future meeting.

            The Director of Neighbourhood Services reminded the Committee that Welfare Reform Mitigation Funding was, in addition to wider financial support to the independent advice sector from DfC, allocated through local Councils as part of the wider DfC Community Support Programme.  He then drew the Members’ attention to correspondence received from Advice NI, which referred to the fact that the Equality Impact Assessment on the 2021/22 draft budget stated that the £1.5m regional Welfare Reform Mitigation Funding would no longer be available within the proposed DfC budget and would therefore not be available to Councils to support local service provision. 

            The Committee noted that, if the draft budget was to be agreed, it would result in £293,925.88 not being provided to Belfast City Council for it to help mitigate against the potential impacts of Welfare Reform and for enhanced service provision, as had been the case in 2020/21.

            A number of Members expressed concern at this development and noted the importance of local advice services, particularly at this time given the hardships that many people faced as a result on the ongoing pandemic.

            The Committee agreed to write to the Communities Minister to highlight the Committees concern in regard to the proposed £1.5m reduction in funding to the independent advice sector.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to update Members on the results of the resident survey carried out amongst households surrounding the currently closed Knockbreda Park pedestrian entrance to Cherryvale Playing Fields and to present options as to next steps.

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

                                          i.     Note the results of the residents’ survey

                                        ii.     Consider options and agree next steps.

3.0       Main report

            Background

3.1       Following a request from Councillor Long, at People and Communities Committee on 3rd March 2020, the Committee agreed to commence a consultation process with the immediate neighbours and stakeholders regarding the potential re-opening of an entrance gate into Cherryvale Playing Fields from Knockbreda Park. An initial 100 surveys were posted to households within the immediate vicinity of the gate. (a copy of which is attached to the agenda at Appendix 1; Survey Questions – available via mod.gov)

3.2       This existing gate has been closed for 20+ years. It is Council Officers’ understanding the gate was previously closed due to concern from residents regarding anti-social behaviour in the vicinity of the gate at the time. A recent report concerning ASB in the Playing Fields now shows a record of 12 incidents over a 24 month period.

3.3       At the People and Communities Committee meeting on 11 August 2020, Councillor De Faoite requested that officers arrange a site meeting to allow Elected Members the opportunity to meet with various user groups to discuss any relevant issues regarding the Playing Fields. A site meeting was held on the 3rd September 2020 and involved Elected Members, representatives from Friends of Cherryvale and various sports users of the facility. Belfast City Council Officers provided an update on works that were taking place within the Playing Fields.  Officers also provided an update that 100 households within the immediate vicinity of the gate had been sent a questionnaire asking for their views concerning the potential re-opening of the gate.

3.4       At a further People and Communities Committee meeting, on 8th September 2020, Councillor Kelly requested the survey be widened to incorporate additional residents. Following discussion it was subsequently decided to extend the survey scope to a 400 metre radius (i.e. approximately within a 5 minute walk) from the gate. This is the distance Fields in Trust set as a standard to access a local park on foot.  Extending the survey to include all households within a 400m radius of the gate resulted in a total of 1378 households being sent a survey to complete.  Of those issued, 509 surveys were returned (36.9%).

            Survey Results

3.5       An analysis of the responses was undertaken.  Key findings from the survey responses include:

·        459 or 90.2% of all respondents stated that they use the playing fields with 50 respondents, or 9.8%, stating they do not use the facility.

·        The survey asked: ‘Would you be in favour of the gate being opened during regular park opening times?’ Over  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

            The Committee considered a report in relation to a request from Bloomfield Gospel Hall seeking permission to deliver their weekly Sunday evening services as a series of ‘Gospel Drive-Ins’ at Dixon Park each Sunday from 28th March to 29th August 2021, 6.45 p.m. – 7.45 p.m.

            In addition to this request, they were also seeking permission to host their annual Gospel outreach event at Dixon Park during the month of June 2021.  This would involve a gospel drive-in with local people attending in cars each day for a period of 4 weeks from 31st May to 25th June, 7.45 p.m. – 8.45 p.m. (Monday – Friday) and Sunday 6.45 p.m. to 7.45 p.m. 

            The Committee was advised that the event would be set up on the tarmac area at the rear end of the main carpark and would cause little or no disruption to other park users.  The front carpark would remain open to members of the public.

            The Committee granted approval to Bloomfield Gospel Hall to hold weekly Sunday evening services and a series of “Gospel Drive-Ins” at Dixon Park, subject to the completion of the appropriate Event Management Plans and satisfactory terms being agreed by the  Director of City and Neighbourhood Services and on the condition that the Event Organisers:

·        resolve all operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction;

·        meet all statutory requirements including Public Liability Insurance cover, Health and Safety, and licensing responsibilities;

·        consult with adjoining public bodies and local communities as necessary; and

·        adhere to Government Covid19 Regulations in place at the time of the event.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report

1.1       The purpose of the report is for Members to consider a report by the Belfast City Airport outlining its ongoing bird control management and to consider a request from Belfast City Airport (BCA) to gain access to Victoria Park to carry out pricking of greylag geese eggs. This is part of an ongoing control programme in line with their Wildlife Hazzard Assessment and the Civil Aviation Authority licensing requirements. 

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       Members are asked to:

                                          i.          Note the report from Belfast City Airport on Bird Control Measures at Victoria Park;

                                         ii.          Consider permissions requested to enter Victoria Park to facilitate the continuation of pricking of un-hatched greylag goose eggs under licence issued by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). This intervention to control birds in the flight path to the airport is a requirement of the airport’s Civil Aviation Authority licence; and

                                       iii.          Instruct officers to work with legal services to issue a relevant licence for a period of 3 years which will be subject to annual review in advance of renewal.

3.0       Main report

3.1       At the 6th of October meeting, the Committee considered a Notice of Motion and agreed to review permission to BCA to enter Victoria Park for the management of un-hatched eggs under licence from the NIEA. 

3.2       It was noted that the ongoing control programme had significantly reduced the greylag goose population in the park and that the decision to grant permission was taken a number of years ago. 

3.3       As such, officers were instructed to review the decision and produce a report for Councillors toconsider options before the next confirmation of the permission is granted.

3.4       In response to officer request for detailed supporting information, the Airport has prepared a report which outlines their bird control programme over a number of years.

3.5       Table 1 presents an overview of ongoing bird control measures at Victoria Park: Source BCA report.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1       The outcome of irresponsible behaviours of some dog owners has an impact on the presence of dog fouling in some of our public spaces in the City. The purpose of this report is to provide the update requested by Members on the work that is carried out by the Community Awareness Team and the Dog Warden Service to tackle the issue of dog fouling and responsible dog ownership since the last update in August 2019.

1.2       This report also updates members on the Notice of Motion of discussed at People and Communities Committee on 3 March 2020 which detailed that:

            ‘This Council notes:

·        the high number of complaints and the frustration of residents regarding dog fouling;

·        that cleansing, signage and bins to address the issues come at considerable cost to ratepayers, as well as being a public health risk; and

·        that other councils have piloted and adopted new methods for tackling persistent

·        problems, notably DNA testing on dog fouling;

            The Council agrees, therefore, to undertake its own scoping exercise of DNA testing and to bring back recommendations on whether it is something that could be adopted for Belfast.’

2.0       Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to

·        Note the contents of the report.

3.0       Main report

3.1       Dog fouling and irresponsible dog ownership go hand in hand and can impact the quality  and amenity of our neighbourhoods.  Clearly, whilst the majority of dog owners exercise responsible dog management, there are a small number of owners who have less regard for this and this can have an impact on areas in the city.  This requires on going re direction of our resources to address in terms of its removal from the streets, as well as providing a wide range of education and awareness programmes together with the use of fines where infringements are detected.

3.2       Councils are required to provide the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) with statistical information on a wide range of dog control service areas for example: dog licences, complaints regarding stray dogs, dog attacks and dog warden enforcement actions. This information is provided by Councils on a quarterly basis, collated and held by DAERA. It is then referred to by Councils and DAERA when providing responses to dog related information requests from the media, the public and animal welfare stakeholders. https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/council-dog-summary-statistics

3.3       The Dog Warden Service  as part of their role deploy routine monitoring patrols, to detect dog fouling incidents, however, it is widely recognised that the problem of dog fouling cannot be addressed solely by enforcement intervention.  Members will also be aware that an important role of the Dog wardens is carrying out other statutory investigative work related to attacks and complaints around this. Our dog wardens also respond to complaints for example straying, licencing issues, noise issues and how dogs are managed in open spaces.  To encourage a change in behaviour, a wider programme supporting responsible dog  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17b