Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from the Chairman (Councillor Hargey) and Councillors Jones and Reynolds.

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1.0  Relevant Background Information 

         The first in this year’s series of corporate planning workshops was held on the 17th August in the Group Space (Ulster Hall) and attended by 30 Councillors plus Chief Officers. 

         The workshop was facilitated by Councillor Jon Huish.

         There were two sessions:

·         one about ‘place-shaping’ and potentially ‘game-changing’ projects that Members wanted to see delivered in Belfast on a NSEW and CityCentre basis.

·         one about the corporate themes – leadership, economy, environment, people and communities and improving services.

      This report sets out the direction given by Members at the workshop to guide further development of the corporate plan 2012-15 together with progress in developing the ‘investment package’ which members wish to use to communicate the Council’s commitment to tackling the effect of the economic downturn in the city. 

      A summary of the feedback provided by Members at the session on 17th August has been circulatedfor the Committee’s information, together with a initial draft outline of how an investment or stimulus package might be developed and presented. It is very much a first draft for Members consideration and direction, with additional work to refine its messages ongoing.

2.0    Place-shaping

2.1    Identification of projects

         The projects selected by Members for further focus fall into two categories – green, which are underway and amber/red which are at various stages of readiness from being ‘ideas’ to having fairly well established concepts. 

         Members asked that a process should be delivered to take these projects forward.  Members wanted to progress those projects which were ready to move forward but also to get other projects to a state of readiness where they might avail of potential funding opportunities or be the subject of advocacy by Members for funding.  In order to do this Members are asked to consider two steps – agreeing principles for taking projects forward and agreeing the process of engagement with Members around this. 

         Process in taking decisions about project investment forward

         At the workshop Members considered the steps that necessary to take a project from concept through to delivery, including concept design and agreement, potential funding arrangements; detailed design and costings; political approval, planning permissions; project planning, procurement,  contract management and delivery. 

         The next stage is therefore for Members to further consider the projects listed, testing them against the various stages of project delivery and providing further direction for officers.  In order to guide this process it is suggested that a set of principles be established so that scarce resources can be effectively targeted at realisable projects. 

         These principles will need to consider a number of issues such as:

·         concept plan

·         feasibility

·         design

·         funding

·         need for balance of funding across city

·         need to deliver against Council objectives

         In order to take forward further consideration of both the projects and the principles it is recommended that a set of the City Centre, North, South, East, West joint officer/Member working groups is established, these working groups will report back  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2a

            The Committee was advised that the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland had published its Provisional Proposals Report for the 6th Review of Parliamentary Constituencies on 13th September.  The report set out for public consultation the boundaries and names of the proposed new constituencies.  The Democratic Services Manager reported that the Council had, in the past, when previous reviews were being conducted, agreed to display the report and constituency maps in the Reception area of the City Hall in order to inform the public and to assist those interested to submit responses to the consultation.  Accordingly, the map and report had once again been displayed in that area on 13th September.  He explained that the Council’s accepted practice when considering consultations on proposed changes to electoral boundaries was not to make a corporate response but rather to leave it to each of the Political Parties to respond.  That was due to an acceptance that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to reach a consensus on a matter where there was likely to be different or opposing views taken by the various Parties.

            Accordingly, he recommended that the Committee:

·         grant retrospective authority for the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland’s Provisional Proposals Report for the 6th Review of Parliamentary Constituencies to be displayed in the Reception area of the City Hall with effect from 13th September; and

·         refer consideration of responses to the consultation to each of the Political Parties on the Council.

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.

            The Committee adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Member Development Steering Group held on 30th August.

            The Committee was advised that the undernoted requests for the use of the City Hall and the provision of hospitality had been received:

            (Mr. G. Copeland, City Events Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0    Purpose

1.1    This purpose of this report is to update Strategic, Policy & Resources on the current status of BCC related London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic activity.  The report is also seeking approval from Members for: the installation of the Olympic and Paralympic emblems on the City Hall; for the hosting of the Paralympic Flame Festival at City Hall and for the selection of two Olympic Torch bearers which the Council has been offered by London 2012.

1.2    A number of reports have been taken to Council over the last number of years in regard to plans for the 2012 year.  Therefore, the planning process has started on the events programme for the year.

2.0    Background

2.1    London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games

         There are a number of strands relating to the London 2012 Games connected to Belfast.  These are highlighted below.

2.2    Pre-Games Acclimatization and Competitions – There will be details confirmed on these issues in the near future as the information is currently embargoed. It should be noted that this process has been facilitated by the work of the Council’s Sports Development Unit, alongside DCAL, Sport NI and a variety of regional sports bodies.  The output of this process would see significant numbers of international athletes either using Belfast for pre-Games competitive events and or making the city their home for pre-Games acclimatization. However, at the current time, Australia has issued a letter of intent and Hungary & Canada are considered potentials.

2.3    Olympic Torch Relay – In May 2011 it was announced that Belfast will be part of the UK Olympic Torch Relay.  The Northern Ireland Olympic Torch Relay will culminate in Belfast on the 6 June after a three day tour across the region. The route for the Belfast leg has been selected by LOCOG 2012 with no input from BCC Officers and is not open for change as the final selection of both the route and torch bearers rests with the London 2012 Olympic Games

         organisers.  The plan is to welcome the arrival of the Olympic Flame to City Hall, on the evening of the 6 June.  The cortege would be met by a range of performers, some of which will be supplied by LOCOG.  However, there will be a cost to Council, which is currently estimated at circa £50,000.  This money would be found within the agreed finances for the City’s overall 2012 activity and have matched funding from other bodies such as NITB; DSD and Sport NI.

2.3    Olympic Torch Bearer Nominations – Along with the Relay there was also an opportunity for the general public and a range of sporting and non-sporting individuals to be nominated to carry the Olympic flame through Belfast.  The public selection of these individuals closed at the end of June 2011.  However, the Council now has the opportunity to nominate two individuals to carry the Olympic flame.  These nominations must be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 19th August, it had considered correspondence which had been received from the Ulster Orchestra Society Limited which had indicated that the status of the Council representation on the Board had been changed from that of a “representative” to that of an “observer”.  The Committee had agreed that, in the first instance, the Chairman and the Council’s current representative on the Board meet with representatives of the Ulster Orchestra Board to discuss that change of status.

            The Democratic Services Manager reported that the Council’s representative on the Board (Councillor Maskey) had since had a discussion with Mr. Declan McGovern, the Chief Executive of the Ulster Orchestra, and had raised with him the concerns which had been expressed by the Members at the meeting of the Committee.  The Town Solicitor/Assistant Chief Executive had also had a subsequent discussion with Mr. McGovern for the purpose of clarifying some of the background issues. 

            Mr. McGovern had explained that, following the appointment of a new Chairman to the Ulster Orchestra, a major review had been carried out in relation to its governance.  That included the appointment of a consultant to carry out a good governance review.  Out of that review, a number of recommendations had been made, one of which was that there were too many directors and that the Board should be reduced from fourteen to seven members.  The review had concluded also that there needed to be a reduction in the number of Board meetings and that there was a need for the members of the Board to receive full training. 

            The Democratic Services Manager explained that a key recommendation arising out of the review was that any member of the Board who represented a funding organisation should not be a formal director, but rather should have status as an “observer”.  However, as an observer, that individual would still receive all Board papers and have the right to participate in discussions at the Board meetings, but would not have any formal right of voting.  Mr. McGovern had explained that that recommendation had been made in order that there could be a Board of Directors which was deemed to be completely independent in terms of its formal decision making.  The Chief Executive of the Ulster Orchestra had been keen to reiterate that those individuals with observer

status would have access to the same information as other Board members.  He had also pointed out that the governance proposals had been fully supported by the Arts Council, which was a primary stakeholder, and that the reality was that almost all decisions of the Board were taken by consensus and it was rare that a vote was required.

            The Democratic Services Manager pointed out that the Council itself would be looking at its own governance issues over the next few months and that the Town Solicitor/Assistant Chief Executive would be leading on the matter with a report being submitted to the Committee in relation to the creation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            In accordance with Notice on the Agenda, Councillor Mac Giolla Mhín raised the issue of Best Practice Visits to Irish Medium Initiatives.  He outlined the background to the Irish language community, the numbers enrolled in the Irish Medium education establishments, the investment in economic development in the Gaeltacht Quarter and other initiatives and suggested that a number of Best Practice site visits be arranged for the month of October to the following locations:

·         Colaiste Feirste Secondary School, 59 Beechview Park;

·         Cultúrlann Building, 216 Falls Road;

·         An Droichead, 20 Cooke Street; and

·         174 Trust, 174 Antrim  Road.

            The Committee agreed to undertake the Best Practice site visits as outlined and that these be arranged over lunchtime periods, that the High Sheriff, Mr. Ian Adamson, be invited to attend and that a further report exploring Best Practice visits in general be submitted to the Committee in due course.

            The Committee was advised that the National Association of Councillors was holding a weekend Conference and Annual General Meeting from 14th till 16th October in the Hallmark Hotel, Carlisle.  The conference aimed to tackle public disorder and discuss delivering community safety by considering the importance of community policing and the benefits of a stronger more visible police presence in communities.  The matter of alcohol-related problems and the issues of crime disorder which could arise out of that would also be examined.  The approximate cost of attending would be £654 per delegate.

            The Committee authorised the attendance at the National Association of Councillors Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, the Council’s representatives on the National Association of Councillors (Northern Ireland Region) and a representative of each of the Parties on the Council not represented by the aforementioned Members.

            The Director of Finance and Resources submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 19 August, the potential for unutilised funds becoming available for re?allocation was highlighted. A review of the forecast year end position has confirmed that up to £2m, in the context of the overall financial position of the organisation, is available for re-allocation. The reason for funds becoming available is due to slippage in a number of capital projects and a reduced vehicle replacement requirement.

      The purpose of this report is to agree the principles to be used to determine the re-allocation of the funds and to present options for utilisation.

Key Findings / Issues

      Principles

      It is recommended that the following principles are adopted by Members to allocate the unutilised funds:

1.      They are used to support one-off initiatives rather than on-going expenditure. This means there will be no negative impact on the rate setting for 2012/13 and beyond.

2.      For any agreed revenue projects, the money must be spent by 31 March 2012.

3.      There are a number of initiatives which the council is committed to delivering but are currently unfunded. These initiatives should have first call on the available finances.

4.      Money may be allocated to reserves for specific future use.

5.      Priority should be given to initiatives which have a direct benefit to the city and its ratepayers.

      Options

      Commitments requiring funds

1.      £54,000 to finance the winter gritting materials and equipment required by the Parks Service as agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 19 August 2011.

2.      £160,000 to finance the potential purchase of property adjacent to the Reverend Robert Bradford Memorial Park as agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 19 August 2011.

3.      Members are aware that the council has agreed to extend the opening hours of Roselawn Crematorium. This means that the service will be in operation during hours of darkness. At present suitable lighting is not available along the entrance avenue. It is recommended that £60,000 is set aside to finance the installation of suitable lamp standards and luminaries.

      Future Commitments requiring funds

1.      The council has agreed to host or compete for a number events over the period 2012/13 - 2015/16. In 2012/13 the Titanic Centenary celebrations and the World Irish Dancing Championships will require funding of £400k and £200k, respectively. In addition, in 2013/14 the World Police and Fire Games and the All-Ireland Irish Dancing Championships will require a total of £600k. As these events are non-recurrent in nature it is recommended that a specified reserve is created in order to build up a pot of money which will cover the additional finance required. This means that the events can be funded without having to increase the district rate. In the first instance it is recommended that £600,000 is placed in a specified reserve to cover the 2012/13 expenditure.

      Additional Initiatives

1.   The underspend provides an opportunity to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

            The Committee noted the contents of a report which provided a summary of the key findings of the review of procurement in Belfast City Council.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1       Relevant Background Information

1.1    Land & Property Services (LPS) is an executive agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel.  It is responsible for maintaining the valuation list of all properties in NI and the billing and collection of rate bills.

1.2    The Council receives 74% of its income from the rate.  The performance of the rating system is therefore critical to the financial performance of the Council. For this reason at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 18th March 2011,   Members agreed a suite of progress indicators which would be used to monitor the performance of both the council and LPS in various areas of rating activity.  These indicators relate directly to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LPS and Belfast City Council and the Committee also agreed that quarterly performance reports on the progress of the indicators should be presented to the Committee.

1.3    At their meeting the Committee were also advised that in order to make the performance information more useful and help identify areas for improvement that the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) would provide benchmark information from GB authorities to use for comparison purposes. Paragraph 2.3 (below) provides information on progress to date on benchmarking activity.

1.4    The information from quarter 1 of this year has now been collated from data supplied both by LPS and the Council’s Building Control Service.  In addition the IRRV produced benchmark data based on a selection of GB Local Authorities that have similar population and property counts to Belfast. These Councils are then analysed against the Nobel indicators and the GB Deprivation Analysis to make sure they are as close a match as possible.

2       Summary of Performance

2.1    The quarter 1 performance report is attached at Appendix II and provides full details of each indicator including definition, data, benchmark information, analysis and actions for improvement.  A summary of the key issues is outlined below.

2.2    A number of the indicators are reported on annually and are therefore not included in this quarter’s report. In addition, a number of the indicators continue to be refined to ensure that they are defined and reported on in a manner that supports analysis and improvement.

2.3    In the coming months, BCC and LPS officials will meet with IRRV to ensure that the benchmark information is as close as like-to-like as the different situations in Northern Ireland and Great Britain allow. The discussions will allow us to ensure that the benchmarking process is robust and transparent.

2.4    The time taken to process the information required to issue a rates bill

         LPS has written to council officials (Appendix III) to highlight issues with the original data they had provided for the two indicators relating to this area.  They have now requested that this data is withdrawn from the quarter 1 report.

2.5    The collection of rates

         In quarter 1 the LPS collected 31% of the rate compared to a target of 36%.  This is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0    Purpose

         The purpose of the report is to inform Members;

·         of the potential to secure funding for capital projects from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Tourism Development Scheme (TDS)

·         of the deadlines which are associated with applications to the fund;

·         and to seek agreement on applications for projects within the deadlines set by DETI and NITB

2.0    Background

         ERDF

2.1    The European Regional Development Fund aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions. In short, the ERDF finances:

·         Direct aid to investments in companies (in particular SMEs) to create sustainable jobs;

·         Infrastructure linked notably to research and innovation, telecommunications, environment, energy and transport;

·         Financial instruments (capital risk funds, local development funds, etc.) to support regional and local development and to foster cooperation between towns and regions;

2.2    The current ERDF Programme runs until 31 December 2013. This in effect means that for a project to be eligible for funding, all approvals must be obtained and match funding committed by 31 December 2013, however actual spend on the project can be incurred beyond this date so long as all expenditure is completed by 31 December 2015.

2.3    The Programme in Northern Ireland is administered by the SEUPB, however DETI acts as the Managing Agent for a major element of the programme, the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme which is designed to support the creation of sustainable employment particularly in the SME Sector.

2.4    When the BSP was originally devised a ‘Local Economic Development (LED)’ Measure was included within the programme. This equated to a sum of £22m which was ring-fenced for applications from local Councils. In order to access this funding projects had to be led by a local authority and match funding of 50% made available from other public sources. At the outset it was envisaged that this match funding would come from the local authority.  Since the commencement of the programme in 2007 there has been a limited drawdown from the fund,  mainly due to the fact that Councils have not been in a position to make match funding available. Belfast City Council has been the exception and has drawn down an average of £600k per annum over the period to match fund its economic development programmes.

2.5    In order to maximise the drawdown from the BSP Invest NI agreed last year to match fund any application from councils which aligned with its corporate objectives. In effect this means that Councils can obtain 75% external funding for any project which meets the criteria for the fund and is aligned with Invest NI objectives. Despite this incentive the financial pressure being experienced by councils has meant that the BSP fund is still substantially under-committed. 

         TDS

2.6    The Tourism Development Scheme is essentially the programme devised by NITB to allocate capital funds made available from the Executive Budget to tourism related capital projects. The TDS is a competitive process and requires applicants to make  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The purpose of this report is to consider the appropriateness of the current management structure within the Property and Projects department in the context of the changing needs of the organisation.

      The Property and Projects department was created by the council in September 2009 on the back of an independent report on the governance of major projects which highlighted the need to formalise the effective management of major project risks. Members agreed that a Director of Property and Projects post be created with responsibility for:

·         Facilities Management (Facilities, Property Maintenance and Vehicle Maintenance).

·         Asset Management

·         Estates Management

·         Capital Programme

·         City Investment Strategy

·         Procurement

      Currently, a Head of Facilities Management and principal officer grade in each of the functional areas support the director.

Key Issues

      Since the department was created in September 2009 the needs of the organisation have changed significantly in two key areas – the scale and complexity of physical projects which the council is becoming increasingly engaged with, and the role of procurement in delivering efficiency cash savings.

      Scale and complexity of physical projects

      In terms of the city investment strategy, members have expanded the role of the council to not just being a funder of projects but also to be the facilitator of project development with a range of partners across the public, business and community sectors. At present, the Property and Projects department is engaged in the development of over 30 potential partnership projects.

      In addition, the council has taken on responsibility for the delivery of the Connswater Community Greenway.  Members have indicated their desire for the council to use its project delivery experience to support the development of a number of agreed schemes across the city to enable them to bid for funding from council funding streams such as the city investment strategy, and local investment fund and external funding such as ERDF, Peace III and the social investment fund.

      Consequently, the majority of the section’s time is now being spent on the development of city investment projects and the delivery of Connswater Community Greenway.

      Role of Procurement

      The council has agreed efficiency targets of £2m for each of the next two years. The efficiency programme is a key element of the financial strategy of the organisation and the savings it generates supports the additional investment in capital projects while at the same time keeping the district rate as low as possible. Procurement is a key strand of the efficiency programme and members have already considered today an independent report which recommends that a more strategic approach is required if further procurement savings are to be delivered. The report also recommends that a Head of Procurement post should be created.

Key Recommendations

      It is recommended that a new head of service post is created in the Property and Projects department. This post would be responsible to the director for the council’s procurement function and the Project Management Unit. The post holder would be responsible for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Budget and Transformation Panel.

(to follow)

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Audit Panel of 14th September.

            The Director of Health and Environmental Services reported that, following the successful pilot of the Fuel Stamps Scheme in early 2009, the Committee had agreed to roll out the Scheme across the Belfast City Council area.  It was estimated that 38% of households in Belfast were currently in fuel poverty.  To help people, particularly older people, budget for expensive Winter oil bills, the scheme enabled residents to purchase £5 savings stamps from local shops, garages, credit unions and some local Council facilities.  To date, almost 69,000 stamps totalling over £334,000 had been sold to the public through the Scheme.

            The Director pointed out that the annual operating cost of the Scheme was £45,000 which included  administration, printing and promotion costs.  The cost of the Scheme was funded through the Council’s thematic budget allocation and, given the nature of the expenditure, it required the Committee to grant authority under Section 115 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 to incur the expenditure.

            After discussion, it was

      Resolved – That the Committee grants authority under Section 115 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 to incur expenditure of £45,000 during 2011/12 on the Fuel Stamps Scheme, it being the opinion of the Committee that the expenditure would be in the interest of, and would be of direct benefit to, the District and the inhabitants of the District, with the Committee being satisfied that the direct benefits so accrued would be commensurate with the payment to be made.

            The Committee granted authority for the commencement of a tendering exercise and delegated authority to the Director of Property and Projects, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, to invite and approve the invitation of applications for inclusion on a Select List and the submission of tenders in respect of Mechanical Service Installations for a period of one year, with an option to extend for a further two years.  The estimated annual value of the contract was £500,000.

            The Committee was advised that when undertaking improvements to the M1 Motorway the Department of Regional Development had acquired lands from the Council by way of two Vesting Orders on 2nd August and 15th November, 2004, respectively.  Whilst compensation had been paid to the Council in relation to one of the Vesting Orders, compensation for the other had been withheld pending the Council proving that it had held title to the land.

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that, following protracted negotiations, it had been agreed that a compensation sum of £143,000 plus statutory interest be offered for the Council’s fee simple interest in the second area of land acquired by the Department of Regional Development by virtue of a Vesting Order dated 15th November, 2004, and he recommended that the Committee accept that offer.

            The Committee agreed to accept the compensation as outlined.

            The Committee was reminded that, as part of the City Investment Strategy, it had agreed to co-ordinate the acquisition of lands to allow the Connswater Community Greenway to proceed.  It was reported that an area of land at Linen Gardens had already been acquired by the Council, with a further area located adjacent to it having been agreed for sale to the Council.  However, within those areas of land, Northern Ireland Water required an area consisting of 275 square metres to construct an underground mechanical screen as part of its existing combined sewer outfall at that location.  Following discussions between Council officers and McAdam Design, the project managers for the Connswater Community Greenway, it had been established that the Northern Ireland Water proposals could be accommodated without conflict with the Greenway.  As the structure was located underground and the area would not be fenced off, access would still be available to the general public.  Council officers had agreed, subject to the Committee’s approval, to sell that portion of land to Northern Ireland Water by way of a 99 year lease for a one-off premium of £3,000 plus payment by Northern Ireland Water of the Council’s reasonable legal fees.

            The Committee granted the approval sought, subject to detailed terms to be agreed by the Estates Manager and a suitable legal agreement to be drawn up by the Legal Services Section.

            The Committee was advised that the former Parks Committee, at its meeting on 11th January, 1990, had agreed to lease approximately 38 acres of golf course at the Ormeau Park to the Ormeau Golf Club for a term of 30 years.  A lease to that effect between the Council and the Club had commenced on 1st July, 1990.  In addition, the former Client Services (Parks and Amenities) Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 13th November, 2001, had agreed to lease an additional portion of public land extending to 0.56 acres by way of a Supplemental Lease dated 1st April, 2004.  Under the terms of the lease the rent was subject to a review every seven years and was to be ascertained by the District Valuer (Land and Property Services).

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that, following discussions between the Trustees of the Club and Land Property Services, agreement had been reached to revise the current rent of £12,500 per annum upward to £13,750 per annum, with effect from 1st July, 2011, payable for the seven year period of the lease.

            The Committee approved the proposed revised rent of £13,750 per annum.

            In accordance with Standing Order 46, the Committee was advised that the Development Committee had approved the extension of existing lease and licence arrangements for the premises listed hereunder:

            Benview/Ballysillan Play Centre

            The licence agreement with Benview/Ballysillan Tenants’ Association to be renewed for a further 12 months with effect from 1st July, 2011, with the Council paying a rental amount to the Tenants’ Association of £4,025.56 for the Council’s partial use of its facility.

            Loop River Play Centre

            The licence agreement with the 26th Scout Group be renewed for a further 18 month period from 1st July, 2011 at a cost of £190 per week.

            Belfast Education and Library Board/Clarawood

            Community Association – Anne Napier Centre

            The lease for the Anne Napier Centre between the Belfast Education and Library Board and the Council and the sub-lease between the Council and Clarawood Community Association be renewed for a further two years with effect from 1st July, 2011, subject to the revenue grant allocation to the Association being sufficient to meet all related costs.

            Walkway Community Association

            The lease for the site at 1-9 Finvoy Street with Walkway Community Association be renewed for a further five years with effect from 5th November, 2010 at a revised rent of £475 per annum.  In addition, the Council was to renew its lease with the Department of Regional Development, Roads Service for the site at 1 Finvoy Street for a further five years, subject to a rent of £1, if demanded.

            Percy Street Lease

            The licence agreement with the Lower Shankill Group Welfare Committee in respect of the Percy Street Community Centre be changed to a lease agreement similar to other independently managed centres, such as the Grosvenor and Shaftesbury Recreation Centres, at a rent of £1,550 per annum with effect from 1st April, 2011.

            The Committee endorsed the recommendations of the Development Committee.

            In accordance with the authority delegated to him, it was reported that the Director of Property and Projects had let the following units at Smithfield Market:

·         Unit 2 – Desmond McKenna, 2 Mulroy Park and Ibraham Salami, 54 Stranmillis Wharf, Belfast at a cost of £208 per month for the purpose of retailing watch and jewellery repairs and sales

·         Units 9/10 – Gary McCann, 11 Knock Eden Park, Belfast, at a cost of £910 per month for the purpose of retailing camping and outdoor equipment;

·         Unit 34 – Gary McCann, 11 Knockeden Park, Belfast, at a cost of £395 per month for the purpose of retailing camping and outdoor equipment;

·         Unit 38 – Brenda Herald, 72 Duneden Park, Belfast, at a cost of £395 per month for retail of dressmaking, stitching and garment repairs.

Noted.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.      Relevant background information

1.1    In 2010 the Committee agreed to participation in a conference ‘Urban Promo’ in Venice, Italy as part of promoting Belfast in Europe.  The conference and associated seminars aims to promote innovation in public, private partnership and to boost investment in cities by exchanging knowledge experience. 

1.2    An exhibition consisting of 30 large panels highlighting the story of physical development in Belfast since the early 1990s was produced for the event with some of the images since being used at Member workshops. 

1.3    Besides the exhibition a number of presentations were made by Belfast City Council; Titanic Quarter; PLACE, University of Ulster, FAB and Ard Architects who had largely been responsible for pulling the exhibition together.  The event was also supported by the British Council as an additional event linked to the Venice Biennale, a major art and architecture event held on a regular basis. 

1.4    The Mayor of Venice hosted an evening for the board of event and the Italian press showcased the conference in several different articles. 

2.      Key Issues

2.1    The largely Italian audience was quite impressed at the amount of physical development that had taken place in Belfast in a 15 year period.  The Neapolitan Campania region undertook a low key visit to Belfast earlier this year and paid for a number of the Belfast participants to speak in Naples in May 2011 particularly in regard to private sector engagement and alternative funding mechanisms. 

2.2    The organisers of the Venice event have since awarded Belfast a prestigious Urbanistica International prize 2011 for ‘Best Balance of Interests’ ie private, public and community in regeneration.  The award is to be presented on 9 November 2011 in Bologna during Urban Promo 2011, Belfast representatives are invited to attend. 

2.3    A special issue of the journal Urbanistica published by the Italian Urban Institute dedicated solely to Belfast will be published in December and circulated across Italy and further afield. 

2.4    In addition SOLACE (Society for Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers) would like to make a short film in relation to this work for their annual conference in Edinburgh in October as part of their ‘thought leadership’ features.  These features are used to demonstrate areas of excellence in local government by those seeking to improve social and economic regeneration. 

2.5    A lot has been made of this exhibition and regeneration story outside of Belfast but nothing in the City itself.  

2.6    With the development of the proposed investment package before Christmas and the publication in Italy in December it is proposed to host the exhibition in City Hall in January. 

2.7    There would also be an opportunity to host a conference on the place shaping agenda now being formulated by Council to engage the wider development and regeneration sector and to present the Councils ideas.  It may also be useful to invite the Italian experts to give an independent view of how Belfast has and is developing. 

Resources  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

            The Committee was advised that an offer had been made to donate to the Council an historic clock which had first been used to regulate the Albert Clock and then placed in the City Hall to set the timepieces which were located in the building.  In the early 1970’s the clock had been considered redundant and had been sold by the Council to the person who had been contracted to look after its clocks.  His family was now offering to donate the piece to be returned to the City Hall. 

            The Chief Executive explained that regulators were precision timepieces often used to time astronomical observations or adjust more workaday clocks to keep the best possible time.  The regulator dated back to the 1860’s and had been signed by F. Moore, who had premises located at the bottom of High Street, including his own observatory, and whose business included the supply of navigational chronometers to ships, as well as looking after the Albert Clock.  The clock had a significant historical connection to the City and a very close association with the Council from the construction of the Albert Memorial 1865-69 until the 1970’s.  It was in excellent condition having recently undergone professional conservation. 

            The Committee agreed to accept the donation by means of a formal transfer of title process, that a small ceremony hosted by the Lord Mayor be held to acknowledge the generosity of the family and the sum of £300 be provided to cover the associated costs.

            (Mrs. H. Francey, Good Relations Manager, attended in connection with these items.)

            After discussion, the Committee agreed that the minutes of the Historic Centenaries Working Group of 6th September be referred back to the Group for further consideration.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Good Relations Partnership of 12th September and adopted the recommendations in respect of the Bonfire Management Programme in relation to the delivery mechanism and level of annual funding in the sum of £50,000 for 2012.

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1.0    Relevant Background Information 

1.1    At the Council meeting on 1 September 11, Alderman Ekin proposed:

         ‘This Council can demonstrate true civic leadership by agreeing to tackle one of the biggest problems which affects all of the citizens of the City, that is, the continued existence of the so called “Peace Walls”.

         These walls performed a necessary security purpose in the past in the several interface areas of the City but now serve to increase alienation and to inhibit regeneration and development of those very same areas and the time has now come to seek to move towards their removal.

         The Council agrees to take the lead in devising a strategy which seeks to move towards the removal of a number of these walls within the current Council term. This strategy should be inclusive and include the direct involvement of all appropriate organisations from the business, public and voluntary and community sectors, with the wishes and needs of those people who live in the interface areas being paramount.’

         The proposal was seconded by Councillor Kyle.

         In accordance with Standing Order 11(e), the Lord Mayor indicated that the matter would be referred to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee without debate.

1.2    Previously, at the monthly meeting of the Council 3 March 2008, Councillor Maginness had proposed:

         ‘Belfast City Council resolves that it is now time to begin to work towards the reduction and the ultimate removal of the so called ‘peace walls’ and barriers that presently divide our City.

         To this end, the Council therefore agrees to establish a working group to explore ways and means to initiate such a process and to report back with proposals by September, 2008.’

         The proposal was seconded by Councillor Long and the matter was referred to the Good Relations Steering Panel without debate.

         At that time, the Good Relations Steering Panel integrated a series of actions related to working in interface areas into its Peace and Reconciliation Plan 2009-2011 as well as the Good Relations Plan.  Over £1.5m was spent on initiatives focussed on work at the interface during the first phase of the Council’s Peace III Programme.

2.0    Key Issues

2.1    Drawing from a series of research reports, it is clear segregation has significant costs in the city.  This includes the distortion of labour markets, the inefficient use of services and facilities, significant urban blight and poverty. The ‘diseconomies of segregation’ are borne disproportionately by the most disadvantaged communities.  All of this projects a negative backdrop as Belfast presents itself as an outward looking and modern location for living, investment and tourism. 

         Health and well-being are inextricably linked to community cohesion. Health tends to decline (with premature mortality and increased morbidity, particularly in stress related conditions) in communities where levels of interaction are low and where people feel insecure. 

2.2    From the outset of the Council’s good relations work, it was acknowledged that social divisions in Belfast were deep-rooted and that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28a

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, at its meeting on 1st September, agreed that the undernoted Notice of Motion which had been proposed by Councillor Kingston be referred to the Committee for consideration and report:

      “The Council notes that this year marks the 400th anniversary of one of the English language’s most pre-eminent books – the King James Version of the Bible.

      The Council recognises that this publication combined an accuracy of translation with an authoritative and poetic use of language which has made it the most widely used version of the Bible, with over one billion sales. The Council recognises also the significance of the role which the King James Bible played in the development and the global spread of the English language, with a richness of expression which has enhanced our language and continues to do so to this day.

      The Council commends those churches and groups in Belfast and elsewhere which have organised events and activities in recognition of the 400th anniversary of this treasure in the Christian heritage of our country and requests the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to give consideration as to how the Council might also recognise this important and historic anniversary.”

            The Good Relations Manager reported that, in order to provide the Committee with proper information, some initial consultations had been held with Councillor Kingston and Mr. John Doherty from the Bible Society Northern Ireland, with a view to looking at how best to mark that anniversary should the Committee decide to adopt the Motion.  She explained that there were a number of events being planned by several churches and groups in Belfast to mark the anniversary.  Therefore, to complement those events that were happening at a community level, the option of delivering a lunch?time event in the City Hall had emerged as a potentially appropriate way to mark that anniversary.  In consultation with the Bible Society Northern Ireland, that event could take the form of a selection of the following activities:

·         contributions of biblical phrases that still held good in the Belfast speech today;

·         a shared reading of a passage of the Bible by senior church representatives in Belfast

·         a display of items associated with the King James bible, such as different historical versions, ancient Greek and Hebrew texts, an audio display, along with other translations;

·         locating the King James version of the Bible within the historical chronology of Bible translations.

            The display could remain within the City Hall for a short time after the event. 

            The Good Relations Manager indicated that up to a maximum of £1,500 would be required to organise and run the lunch-time event to cover the cost of refreshments and the transport and positioning of artefacts.  It might be possible to fund the event from the Good Relations budget, 75% of which could be recouped from the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister through the District Councils Good Relations Programme.  It that were not possible, then the costs could be met from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1    Relevant Background Information

1.1   As Members are aware, Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs) will be established as new statutory bodies under the Justice Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and should be in place by April 2012. 

1.2   To move this process forward the Department of Justice (DOJ) is consulting on the implementation of PCSPs and has asked for responses on 3 key areas in this consultation, namely:

1.      Details of what should be contained in the code of practice for the operation of PCSPs (and in the case of Belfast, District Police and Community Safety Partnerships);

2.      Processes for the designation of statutory bodies on the partnership;

3.      A Draft Code of Practice on the appointment of Independent Members

1.3   Party group briefings were held in August in order to formulate a response for approval at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in September.  The draft response to the consultation is attached as Appendix 1.  It should be noted that DOJ has agreed to consider the Committee’s response following this meeting, despite the fact that the original deadline was 13th September 2011. the full consultation can be found at

        www.dojni.gov.uk/...consultations/...consultations/consultation_on_the_implementation_of_pcsps-2.pdf

1.4   The Committee should also note that a further report on the new PCSP structure will be brought to the October meeting of the Committee, asking for a decision on the number of members who should sit on the PCSP and also the process for making political nominations to be made to the partnerships.

2      Key Issues

2.1   There is recognition by all parties that the existing processes surrounding the functions of the DPP are bureaucratic for both Members and officers.  There was a general consensus that resources, both financial and human, should as far as possible be used for local service delivery to tackle community safety issues and effective engagement at community level. 

2.2Draft Response – Summary

      A draft response is provided at Appendix A. the key issues highlighted Include:

2.2.1    Belfast Code of Practice – We are proposing that, due to the unique make up of Belfast, there should be a separate code of practice and that the code should take the form of a flexible framework, with an outline only of roles and responsibilities, good practice guidelines and minimal reporting requirements.  This would mean that the detailed procedures could be developed locally.

2.2.2    Administrative procedures - We strongly recommend a significant shift from the mandatory / formal requirements of the existing Code Of Practice (COP) to a more flexible and locally determined approach which will allow local partnerships to assign the bulk of their resources to tackling ASB, crime and community safety issues, rather than resources being over committed to administrative functions.

2.2.3    Local communities – The response proposes that local communities are at the core of the new partnership arrangements.  It is therefore essential that the Belfast Code of Practice facilitates a locally determined relationship with communities which is responsive and provides effective service delivery at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

            The Committee was advised that a major International Conference entitled “Ageing Globally – Ageing Locally” was taking place in Dublin on 2nd and 3rd November and would be hosted by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland.  The Conference would host international experts as well as leading researchers and professionals from the ageing sector in Ireland and would explore a number of issues, including how different countries addressed challenges and opportunities of population ageing, why global ageing mattered to Ireland and how policy makers, business and service providers could best plan for changing demographics.

            The Director of Health and Environmental Services explained that the event would promote the value and role of ageing-related research specifically for policy and practice.  Learning from the Conference would support the development of integrated approaches through the Belfast Healthy Ageing Strategic Partnership and its links to the Belfast Strategic Partnership/Belfast Health Development Unit.  One of the confirmed speakers was Sir Michael Marmot, Chair of the Commission on Social Determinants (World Health Organisation).  The cost per delegate of attending would be approximately £450.

            The Committee approved attendance at the conference of the Chairman of the All-Party Reference Group on Older People (or her nominee), together with an officer from the Health and Environmental Services Department.

            The Committee agreed to defer consideration of a response to the above?mentioned consultation document to enable Political Party briefings to be undertaken by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.