Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Crozier and Newton.

            The minutes of the meeting of 22nd August were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 1st September, subject to:

(i)    the amendment of the minute under the heading “August, 2008 Flooding Update” to provide that the Council seek explanations from the Department for Regional Development regarding maintenance issues around the drainage in the Hillsborough Drive area and many similar areas across the City and that assurances be sought from the Department that a high-level maintenance regime will be introduced and adhered to across the City; and

(ii)    the omission of the minute under the heading “Minutes of Meeting of Audit Panel – Staff Policy” which, at the request of Councillor Rodway, was taken back to the Committee for further consideration.

To consider further the minute of the meeting of 22^nd August under the heading “ Staff Travel Policy” which, at the request of  Councillor Rodway, was taken back  to the Committee for further consideration at the meeting of the Council on 1^st September

            (Mrs. H. Louden, Head of Financial Services, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered further the minute of the meeting of 22nd August under the heading “Staff Travel Policy”.  A copy of the minute in that regard is set out hereunder:

      “The Panel considered the undernoted report:

‘Relevant Background Information

      A report was tabled at the 11 March 2008 meeting of the Audit Panel advising Members that a taskforce group had been established to Review the Approval and Control Processes and Travel Policy with the following objectives:

      Objectives

1.   To review current approval and control processes and the travel policy

2.   To identify improvements to both processes and policy which matches the new financial systems, takes account of the human resources strategy and workforce development plan’s needs and which provides for continuous improvement

3.   To ensure that the new processes enable improved access to information which enables improved on?going scrutiny of value for money and greater accountability, both internally and externally.

      A progress report was tabled at a meeting of the Audit Panel on 13 May 2008. The Audit Panel requested that the proposed policy be tabled for approval at this meeting.

Current Position

      Members of the Audit Panel will be aware that Belfast is by far the largest Council in Northern Ireland. In order to provide quality, value for money services to the ratepayers of the city employees need to have their knowledge and skills developed to help build organisational capacity.  Training and developing staff is also important in motivating employees and in retaining their knowledge and skills in the organisation.

      Included within the Council’s workforce development plan are the key themes of leadership development, skills development and organisational development. These reflect the key workforce development themes at a national level.

      Frequently employees need to look outside Northern Ireland to access these improved skills and knowledge. This is done by going on study visits to similar sized Councils in Great Britain, attending training courses, conferences and seminars which are not available in Northern Ireland. These new skills and knowledge can be transferred to other employees in the Council which may reduce the need for other staff to attend an event.

      Employees also travel outside Northern Ireland to promote the city as an excellent place to invest in and to attract tourism.  There is evidence to support the substantial economic returns for the city in engaging in this type of activity.

      The Council has successfully attracted in excess of £8million in European funding to support a number of initiatives which would not otherwise benefited the city. It is mandatory in most European funded projects to attend meetings in Europe and to have European partners to compliment the work of an initiative. The travel costs to Europe and the cost of any employees attached to a project are partly funded by the programme.

      There is a risk associated with being too restrictive with staff travel with employees not attending relevant conferences, study  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1c

            The Committee considered the undernoted report which provided an update in relation to the Review of Public Administration:

1.0       “Relevant Background Information

1.1       The Review of Public Administration concluded on 13th March 2008 when the then Minister, Arlene Foster MLA announced the final recommendations with regard to local government reform in Northern Ireland. In her speech, the Minister stated that the current 26 District Councils would be reduced to 11 and a range of additional functions would transfer to Councils.

2.0       Key Issues

2.1       Members will accept that the RPA is rapidly approaching a critical stage in its implementation whereby consideration is being given to the exact nature of the functions (and the resources that support them) which will be transferred from central to local government.    There are a number of issues which Members should be made aware of in terms of the RPA process moving forward.

2.2       Critical Path

2.2.1    It is important to recognise that the key driver for the RPA process over the next 6 months will be the need to meet the legislative timetable.  The critical path works back from the Local Government Bill which will give affect to the new local government structures.  The key milestones in the RPA process are outlined below:

·         Boundaries Commissioner appointed   - July 2008

·         Instructions to legislative Counsel – August 2008

·         Report of Boundaries Commissioner -  June 2009

·         Local Government Miscellaneous Bill – Mid 2009

·         Establishment of Statutory Transitional Committees

·         Report of District Electoral Area Commissioner -  July 2010

·         Local Government Legislative Bill in place - January 2011

·         Local Government Elections -  May 2011

2.3       Delivery Structures – SLB and Policy Development Panels

2.3.1    In terms of delivery structures, the Department of Environment has established a two-tier model consisting of a Strategic Leadership Board and three Policy Development Panels (PDP’s).  The Strategic Leadership Board should fulfil the role of Council by providing overall direction to the process and the Policy Development Panels should fulfil the role of Council Committees.

2.3.2    Each of the PDPs has met at least once and they have started to identify the key areas of work which need to be taken forward.  The scope of the issues to be addressed by each of the three PDPs is extensive.  Furthermore, many of the issues are cross-cutting and impact upon each other.

2.3.4    The current membership of the PDPs and the officer support is allocated from both local government generally and Belfast City Council specifically.

2.3.5    A series of task and finish officer working groups will be established to drive forward key strands of work attached to each PDP and the Council has put forward officer nominations for these working groups.

2.4       Developing a Change Programme for Local  Government Reform

2.4.1    There are a number of strands of work currently underway which seeks to provide greater clarity on the necessary process for the effective implementation of the RPA including the development of a detailed programme of work, the articulation of appropriate delivery structures and, importantly,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2a

            The Members were reminded that there had been ongoing discussions with regard to the Council’s relationship with and engagement within the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, with the Members having expressed concerns in terms of the level of capacity within the Association, the subscription contributions being sought from the Council, the value-for-money received and the lack of representation on the Association’s Executive.  During April, an All-Party Deputation had met with representatives of the Association to discuss the Council’s concerns in more detail.  While it had been agreed generally that the Association had made some progress in addressing the majority of issues identified by the Council, there were two areas in which further action was still required.  Firstly, the value-for-money received and secondly representation on the Executive Committee.  Subsequently, the Association had submitted a formal response to the Council outlining proposals on how those issues could be addressed.

            At its meeting on 23rd May, having considered the response submitted by the Association, the Committee had agreed to:

(i)    seek two additional places for the Council’s Elected Members on the Association’s Executive;

(ii)    a Council official being designated as a Northern Ireland Local Government Association Liaison Officer who would attend Executive meetings of the Association in an observer capacity;

(iii)   authorise payment of the outstanding 50% of the Council’s subscription fees for the period 2007/2008; and

(iv)  inform the Association that the Council would be willing to pay an annual subscription of £79,230 (excluding VAT) in respect of the period 2008/2009, which would be proportionate to the percentage of the Northern Ireland population in the Belfast City Council District Electoral area.

            The Association had been informed of those decisions and they had been considered by its Executive Committee during June.  The Executive had agreed that the Council would be allocated two additional places on the Executive, with the appointments being determined through discussions between the Association’s Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin Party nominating officers and the Council’s Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin Party Group Leaders.  In addition, the Executive had agreed that the Council would have a dedicated Liaison Officer who would have the option to attend the Executive meetings as an observer.

            With regard to the subscription proposed by the Council, the Association had raised concerns regarding the potential inequity of the proposal for other Member Councils within the Association and had noted that the current subscription model had been negotiated a number of years ago as part of the constitution of the Association.  It was the Association’s intention to review the current subscription system in 2010 in the context of the membership of the new constituent Council’s post-Review of Public Administration.  The Association had therefore requested that other options be considered, with a view to reaching in the interim period a joint accommodation which balanced the proposed reduction in the Council’s annual subscription and the need to provide an equitable service to all constituent members.  The Association had suggested that consideration be given to the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2b

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The role of the Council Improvement Board has been raised recently at both Committee and Council meetings and this report addresses key issues for Member consideration.

      The establishment of a Council Improvement Board (formally Member Improvement Board) was agreed by the Policy and Resources Committee in June 2005.  The role of the Board in the first instance was:

·         To provide political direction and leadership for the improvement and efficiency agenda

·         To provide political support in terms of party groupings and committees for the delivery of the improvement and efficiency agenda

·         To hold officers to account for the delivery of agreed improvement and efficiency actions

·         To track and monitor the achievement of agreed financial savings

·         To become involved at an early stage in discussions about how the organisation can best serve the city and improve the lives of its citizens

·         To engage with peer members and peer councils from other jurisdictions in order to learn from their experiences and inform the improvement/efficiency agenda

·         To make the Council ‘Fit for Purpose’ to enable the Council to deliver pre and post RPA

      Support for the CIB to deliver on the above was provided through the establishment of a Core Improvement Team (CIT) the focus of the CIT workload was initially on the priorities of Customer Focus, Governance, Performance Management, Resource Allocation and Planning and People Management.

Membership of the Board

      The Policy and Resources Committee agreed that the Board should consist of the six Party Group leaders / or their nominees and the chairmen of the five main committees.  The rationale for this was that the Board would have both a direct link into all of the political parties as well as the principle Committees.  The appointment of Chairmen was also endorsed in that parties have an additional seat on the Board relative to the D’Hondt allocation of Committee Chairmanships.  It was subsequently approved that parties could replace Chairmen with Members who have a particular interest in change and improvement as this would not upset that balance.  The membership of the Board therefore consisted of 11 members i.e. Six Party Leaders and the five ‘Chairmen’ places.

Council Improvement Board Achievements

      The Council Improvement Board met approximately on a monthly basis between September 2005 and June 2007 to lead and oversee all aspects of the Council’s Improvement Agenda in line with its role detailed above.  The Board was a key driver for change across the organisation challenging many of the Council’s internal processes which were preventing it from becoming a modern local authority as identified in the I&DeA review.  For example this has led to:

Ø      The implementation of an efficiency agenda delivering £4m savings to the organisation subsequently passed to the ratepayer

Ø      Revisions to Governance and the decision making process – reducing the number of committee meetings by more than 50% from 275 to 127

Ø      Changes to how we manage and report on our finances – aligning financial planning to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2c

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

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.

            The Committee was advised that the National Association of Councillors was holding its Annual Conference in Bournemouth from 10th till 12th October.  The theme of this year’s Conference was “Communities in Control – Real People, Real Power”.  The Conference would consider the implication of passing power into the hands of local communities and how to generate vibrant local democracy.  It would provide Members with an opportunity to hear from a number of expert speakers, participate in interactive question and answer sessions and hear of best practice in other Local Authorities.  The Council had been a member of the National Association for a considerable period of years and had been represented at previous conferences.  Those Members who had attended had found it to be a valuable opportunity to increase their awareness of Members’ issues and to be able to discuss with other Councillors from across England, Scotland and Wales issues of mutual interest and concern.  The total cost per delegate of attending was £674.

            It was recommended that the Committee authorise the attendance at the National Association of Councillors’ Annual Conference of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman, the Council’s representatives on the National Association of Councillors, Northern Ireland Region, the Head of Committee and Members’ Services (or their nominees) and a representative of the Party Groupings on the Council not represented by the aforementioned Members and approve the payment of the Conference fees and appropriate allowances in connection therewith.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 22nd August, the Director of Corporate Services had informed the Members that the rates finalisation for the financial year 2007/08 had resulted in the Council owing the Land and Property Services agency £4,128,553.40.  At that meeting it had been agreed that the Party Group Leaders and the Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee should meet to discuss initially the implications of the 2007/08 rates finalisation on the 2008/09 budget and the rates setting process for 2009/10.  A number of key factors had arisen:

            2007/08

            The £4,128.553.40 clawback would have to be met from reserves.  That meant that the Council’s reserves now stood at £4 million.  Best practice would indicate that for a Council the size of Belfast the ideal reserve position should be £10 million.

            2008/09

            The projected rates finalisation for 2008/09 would result in a clawback of £700,000.  However, that projection did not include additional rate income which would accrue from Victoria Square and vacant property inspections.  When those had been included the projection would be a marginal positive outcome for 2008/09.  Work had been carried out to assess the impact of inflation and the level of current expenditure on the 2008/09 year-end position.  It was agreed that a revised year-end position would be provided to the Committee after the half-year results had become available in November.

            2009/10

            A preliminary projection for 2009/10 would indicate that, in order to stand still, a minimum rate increase of 5% would be required.  The Party Group Leaders had indicated that an inclusive rates setting process for 2009/10 would be required which would consider both financial and Council priorities at the same time.  They had indicated that briefings should be provided to all Members of the Council through the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and the Departmental Committees on an ongoing basis as part of the rates setting process.

            The Party Group Leaders had recommended that a special meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, to which all Members of the Council would be invited, be held in October in order to discuss rates issues and to provide representatives from the Land and Property Services agency with an opportunity to attend.  The key areas for discussion would include:

·         the accuracy of the current rates estimating model;

·         vacant properties;

·         debt management;

·         the accountability of the Land and Property Services Agency and the development of a Service Level Agreement with the Council; and

·         changes to rating policy and regulations.

            Following the special meeting, the Committee could then decide how it might wish to engage with the Minister for Finance and Personnel in order to advise him of the Council’s proposals on how the current process might be improved.

            Accordingly, the Committee:

(i)    noted the current financial issues facing the Council;

(ii)    agreed to receive a revised year-end position after the half-year results had become available;

(iii)   agreed that rates briefings be provided to all the Committees as outlined above;

(iv)  agreed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to three proposed consultation responses related to the Review of Domestic Rating:

“Relevant Background Information

      The purpose of this report is to submit for the approval of the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee corporate responses to three consultation documents produced by the Department of Finance and Personnel on the area of rates.

      Members will be aware that following the restoration of devolution the Executive undertook to carry out a review of the new domestic rating system which had been introduced in April 2007.  This is the latest in a series of consultations which have been produced with the aim of improving the domestic rating system. The current consultations focus on three policy areas –

1.      the proposed introduction of a rates deferment scheme for home owning pensioners

2.      improving data sharing powers to facilitate increased rate relief uptake

3.      the introduction of green rebates

      Copies of the three consultation papers, along with an associated initial integrated impact assessments and a privacy impact assessment are available on the Review of the Rating Policy website at www.ratingreviewni.gov.uk. The closing dates for the consultations are 16, 19 and 26 September respectively; therefore, the responses will be sent to the Department of Finance and Personnel with the caveat that they are subject to the approval of the Committee and ratification by the Council, amended versions will then be submitted if necessary.

      An overview of the main proposals in each of the consultation documents is highlighted below -

1. ‘A Rates Deferment Scheme for home owning pensioners’

The consultation document outlines proposals to introduce a deferment scheme for home owning pensioners, using the equity in their home as security. The proposals would provide eligible home owning pensioners (aged 65 and over), with the possibility of deferring rates subject to certain conditions including minimum equity levels and it being their main residence.  This would help home owning pensioners who are ineligible for means tested rate relief or housing benefit.  It should be noted that this is not a new form of relief or another allowance but it provides a payment choice allowing rate bills to be conditionally postponed.  The consultation document examines the specific policy issues of introducing such a scheme including the eligibility criteria, the equity levels needed for deferment, interest charging, information gathering and the interaction between deferment and other rating measures and relief options.  The consultation paper also explores the potential financial impact of the proposed scheme.  It is anticipated that the legislation governing the rates deferment scheme will be in place by August 2009.

2. ‘Data Sharing’

One of the key issues to emerge from the Executive’s review of the domestic rating system was the low level of take up of reliefs. An Executive commissioned study suggested that improved data sharing between government agencies could better target advice towards those most likely to qualify for the various rate reliefs (lone pensioner allowance, disabled persons allowance and the means tested  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4b

            The Committee granted authority for the commencement of tendering exercises and delegated authority to the Director of Improvement, in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation, to accept the most advantageous tenders in respect of the following:

(i)    supply of broken stones and screenings for the period from 1st April, 2009 till 31st March, 2010;

(ii)    provision of taxi services for the period from 1st April, 2009 till 31st March, 2010, with the option to renew for a further two years;

(iii)   supply of uniforms and clothing for the period from 1st September, 2009 till 31st August, 2011.

            Provision of Minibus/Coach Hire Services

            The Committee deferred consideration of the commencement of a tendering exercise for the provision of minibus/coach hire services to enable further information to be provided.

            Protective Clothing

            The Director of Core Improvement pointed out that the Council spent approximately £350,000 on clothing, footwear and gloves.  Council officers were gathering information currently in order to put in place a co-ordinated contract which would potentially generate substantial savings based on presenting to the market an aggregated tender.  Accordingly, it would be necessary to extend the existing contracts for gloves and protective clothing for a period of six months to enable the co?ordinated clothing contract to be put in place and he sought the Committee’s approval in this regard.

            The Committee granted the approval sought.

            The Committee agreed that a Capital Programme update be considered at the special meeting to consider rates issues which had been agreed earlier in the meeting.

            (Ms. J. Minne, Acting Head of Human Resources, attended in connection with these items.)

            (Mr. J. Heyburn, Principal Consultant, Business Improvement, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 22nd August, it had agreed to the establishment of a post of Senior Corporate Health and Safety Manager, subject to further information being submitted to the Committee on the associated costs.

            The Committee was reminded that the post had been considered necessary in order to:

·         address the implications of the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007;

·         implement the majority of the recommendations arising from the corporate review of health and safety arrangements which had been undertaken by the Audit, Governance and Risk Services Section; and

·         realign the work of the Insurance Unit and the Workplace Health Unit.

            The new post had been evaluated by the Business Improvement Service at a salary grade of PO7, which represented an annual salary cost of £40,101 (bottom point) to £42,686 (top point).  The former post of Workplace Health Manager was vacant currently and the recommendations from the previous report had included the deletion of that post.  That post had been graded at salary scale PO6 but the postholder had been in receipt of an honorarium payment which had lifted the grade to the top point of PO7.  Therefore, there were no additional financial implications arising from the creation of the new post.  There would be short-term savings in so far as the old post had been paid at the top point of PO7.

Noted.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Purpose of report:

      The purpose of this report is to provide members with additional information on the  widening the scope of the council’s work experience scheme, on a pilot basis, to include the provision of unpaid work experience placements for ex?offenders[1].

Relevant background information:

      In August, Committee deferred a decision to widen the scope of the council’s Community Outreach Programme to include the provision of placements for ex-offenders.

      Members requested further details on:

1.      extending the provision of placements for ex?offenders to include those who would be referred by the Youth Justice Agency (YJA);

2.      the implications for the council in respect of Access NI issues

Key Issues:

      Work experience for ex-offenders referred by the YJA

      The YJA is concerned with restorative justice aimed at giving young people (aged 10 to 18 years) the opportunity to understand and make amends to their victims for the consequences of their offending and to take steps to stop future crime.

      Following discussions with the YJA the following was confirmed:

1.      while the YJA works with young people between the ages of 10 to18 years, the council would only be asked to provide placement opportunities for those aged between 16 to 18 years.

2.      the ex-offenders seeking unpaid placements with the council would be deemed suitable to carry out ‘service in the community’ and would be deemed low to medium risk e.g. criminal damage, disorderly behaviour. No individual deemed to be high risk e.g. with a previous or present sexual offence or serious offence of violence would be seeking a placement with the council.

3.      The nature of the offence would be shared with us and all the factors of the particular case would be taken into account before placement within the council.

4.      The placements would require supervision at all times and an allocated worker from the YJA would hold quarterly reviews with the appropriate council line managers. However, more frequent contact arrangements can be made, if required.

1.      YJA would prefer that, where appropriate, the ’service’ would be carried out in the placements own community.

2.      The main areas of interest for placements would be Parks, Community Safety, Waste Management, Cleansing and Leisure. It is anticipated however, that as a pilot, the placements will initially be based in Parks.

3.      YJA has initially requested up to five placements per year. It is expected to be one to two days per week (depending on individual circumstances), until the ‘service in the community’ is completed.

4.      If required by the council, the YJA will carry out awareness training with relevant council line managers.

5.      In accordance with legal advice on insurance arrangements, a risk assessment will be undertaken to ensure that the work experience duties are suitable for the person concerned, appropriate supervision is exercised depending on the nature of the work, location etc, and compliance with all health and safety legislation is in place.

Implications in respect of Access  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

            It was reported that, in accordance with Standing Order 55 and the authority delegated to him, the Director of Corporate Services had authorised the appointment of a number of persons who were related to existing officers of the Council.

            The Committee noted the appointments.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report regarding the future use of the City Hall:

“Relevant Background Information

      The current Council will be historically the last Council of the current BCC organisation.

      The current Council has also been both courageous and farsighted in taking the tough decision to undertake a major refurbishment, involving a disruptive decanting exercise and major expenditure.  In considering the future use of City Hall it is important that this Council continues to clearly focus on the future and to set the tone for the City and the new organisation post 2011.

      Symbolically the use of the building in terms of political, public and office uses will be important in terms of the overall leadership and vision Council wishes to set.

      In its deliberations on refurbishing City Hall Committee took into consideration a number of issues including health and safety; opportunity to resolve major items of work; minimisation of potential future maintenance problems to reduce cost growth and also the possible opportunities for more public use of the building.

      To date there has been a definitive Committee decision as to location of Party Rooms however a number of other location decisions now required to ensure the scheme finishes on target and budget.

Key Issues

      The building work in City Hall is now well underway with decisions regarding floor boxes, partition walls etc having to be taken.  To ensure the works are kept to programme and within budget a Committee decision is now required as to future use of City Hall and which parts of the council organisation return to City Hall.

      Members have agreed that it is important to have customer facing services in City Hall and to ensure the building is best utilised in terms of its political function, it’s public role and as an administrative headquarters.  There is now a once in a lifetime opportunity to get this balance right and allow for future flexibility.

      Such decisions need to be made in the light of the changing local government scenario as envisaged by RPA ie:

1.      There are likely to be boundary changes for BCC with additional workload from neighbouring boroughs together with new functions from various NICS Departments and Agencies.

2.      The current Council organisational structure will have to change to accommodate these new functions, boundaries and additional staff.  In fact the Council organisation is changing now as we prepare for RPA with more centralisation of transactional activity for efficiency purposes eg Better Business Project and as we extend the role of the Council to address social ills eg Safer City.  An additional pressure for restructuring is a number of succession planning issues that will arise at Director level over the next 18 months.

3.      Customer Focus will become a greater priority for Council driven by central government; Councillors seeking greater value for rate payers and increasing expectations and demand from citizens.

      In view of the above and in order to give us some built in flexibility for the future it is proposed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

            (Mr. W. Francey, Director of Health and Environmental Services, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to the process for consulting the local community in regard to the possible provision of land for an arc21 residual waste treatment facility:

“Purpose of the Report.

      To present recommended options to the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee (the Committee) on the process for consulting the local community on the possible transfer of land at the North Foreshore to arc21 for the purposes of building and operating a residual waste treatment facility; namely a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facility or an Energy from Waste (EfW) facility.

Relevant Background Information.

      At its meeting on 22nd August, the Committee considered a report on the proposed transfer of land at the North Foreshore to arc21 for potential use for development of a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facility or an Energy from Waste (EfW) incineration facility. The report had highlighted the timescale constraints faced by arc21 concerning the inclusion of sites in its site selection process and its stated position that a delay in the decision on the availability of the land beyond September 2008 could prevent delivery of the project in time to avoid non-compliance fines. Following discussion the Committee decided that, to take an informed decision, there should be consultation with the local community to establish whether location of an EfW incinerator on the site would be appropriate.  A copy of the relevant extract from the minutes from 22nd August has been circulated. The Committee’s decision was approved by the Council at its meeting on 1st September.

      The Chief Executive wrote to arc21’s Chief Executive on 2nd September to inform him of the Council’s decision and to confirm that the Council would be unable to decide on the availability of the proposed site during September.

      The matter was reported to the arc21 Joint Committee at its meeting on 4th September. The Joint Committee considered the main consequences of delay and adopted a recommendation to wait until early December for confirmation of the Council’s decision on site availability.  It also agreed that baseline environmental studies be commenced, up to a maximum cost of £10,000, so as to prevent avoidable delay in the project delivery date.

      Officers have looked at options for consulting local people and a recommended approach to the consultation, with options for its geographical scope, is set out below.  The following recommendations take into account a number of issues including equality considerations and best practice consultation and engagement processes.

Key Issues.

      Equality Considerations

      The Equality Officer has considered the project and does not believe that the decision on disposal of land for such purposes will have an adverse impact on any of the Section 75 groups and therefore recommends that the policy can be screened out.  (Members are also asked to note that the wider Arc 21 Waste Management Plan has been subject to consultation and EQIA).  However, she has made the point that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6b

            Exchange of Land Carr’s Glen Linear Park

            The Committee was advised that the former Parks and Cemeteries Services Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 7th November, 2006, had agreed to an exchange of lands between the Council and the Belfast Education and Library Board to facilitate the redevelopment of the Boys Model School at Carr’s Glen.  Following further discussions with representatives of the Board, it had been agreed to amend the detail of the land exchange.  The recommended land areas were considered by officers from both the Education and Library Board and the Council to represent a better solution because the original proposal would have created a dead-end path on Council-owned land, which could have become a gathering place with the ensuing possibility of anti-social behaviour which might have spilled over into the school grounds, while the revised proposal created a shorter boundary and eliminated the dead-end path and therefore reduced the possibility of creating a gathering space adjacent to the school boundary.

            The Director of Core Improvement pointed out that it would now be necessary to alter again the proposed lands to be transferred and he sought the Committee’s authority to conclude the negotiations in this regard.

            The Committee approved the exchange of lands with the Belfast Education and Library Board and authorised the Director of Core Improvement to agree the revised boundaries, subject to the completion of appropriate legal agreements.

            Proposed Acquisition of Land at Eversleigh Street

            The Committee was informed that the Parks and Leisure Committee, at its meeting on 14th February, had agreed, in principle, to accept the acquisition of land at Eversleigh Street, off My Lady’s Road, from the Housing Executive at nil cost but subject to:

(i)     the land being used to provide a play facility;

(ii)    an agreement being reached on the scheme design;

(iii)   external funding being secured; and

(iv)   the Council managing the completed facility and becoming responsible for routine maintenance and equipment replacement as necessary.  In addition, the Council would be required to carry public liability insurance for the facility following completion of the works.

            In accordance with Standing Order 60, the Committee noted the acquisition of the land.

            CityCemetery Gate Lodge (Fox’s Lodge)

            The Members were informed that the former Parks and Cemeteries Services Sub-Committee had agreed previously to dispose of the dwelling known as Fox’s Lodge which fronted the Whiterock Road at the City Cemetery.  The proposed disposal was to be through a Development Brief, preferably by way of a 25 year lease, although longer?term arrangements would be considered.  The primary objective contained within the Development Brief was to achieve restoration of the Lodge and the adjoining buildings in a sensitive manner which respected the architecture of the original building and the nature of the immediate surroundings in the City Cemetery.

            The Director of Improvement pointed out that the former Parks and Cemeteries Services Sub-Committee, at its meeting on 3rd May, 2007, had agreed that any monies raised from the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c

            (Mr. G. Wright, Head of Facilities Management, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that, as part of the Buildings Upgrade Programme, the Stables building located in the Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park had been refurbished.  The project had been designed and managed by the Property Maintenance Unit and the work had now been completed.  The upper tier of the building now housed the Conservation Unit of the Parks and Leisure Department, while the restaurant area, which was located on the ground floor, had been franchised and was operating successfully in providing a much-needed facility for visitors and tourists.

            The Head of Facilities Management pointed out that, while the building has been brought back into use successfully and was an attractive and financially viable property, the most notable feature of the project was that the site had become the first Council property to achieve a potentially zero carbon footprint.  This had been achieved using sustainable technologies and demonstrated in a very practical and visual way the Council’s commitment to sustainability and civic management.  He explained that the project had been entered for consideration under the highly prestigious Specify Construction Excellence Awards 2008.  Over seventy submissions had been made in respect of those awards, most of which where submitted by large private-sector construction companies.  The Council had been informed that the Stables project had been short-listed in two categories, that is, Restoration and Environmental Sustainability.  This was a very significant achievement for the Unit, since the project was the only public-sector finalist in both categories.

            The winners in each category would be announced at the annual awards event which would take place on 9th October at the Culloden Hotel.  The Head of Facilities Management stated that, in the circumstances, it would be appropriate for the Council to take one table at the event and that the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman (or their nominees), together with the relevant officers involved in the design management of the project, be invited to attend and he recommended accordingly.  The total cost would not exceed £500 plus VAT.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting of the Good Relations Partnership of 5th September.

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

            The Committee was informed that correspondence had been received from Rear Admiral Philip Jones, Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, enquiring whether the Council would agree to the affiliation of HMS Duncan, the Royal Navy’s newest Type 45 Destroyer which was currently under construction in the United Kingdom, to the City of Belfast.

            The Committee was advised that if Belfast were to accept the offer the City would share a joint affiliation to the ship with Dundee City, though the name of the ship would not be changed to reflect either affiliated City.  A number of benefits would accrue to the City.  Firstly, the historical connection, since Belfast had not had a formal relation to a Royal Naval vessel since the HMS Belfast.  Secondly, the creation of a formal affiliation to HMS Duncan would allow Belfast to be promoted as the vessel toured the globe.  Thirdly, the link with the Destroyer would see the ship and its crew of 195 make regular visits to Belfast.  Such visits would not only have civic opportunities but provide economic returns from crew expenditure during their stay in the City.  Fourthly, the creation of a formal relationship with HMS Duncan would allow Belfast to further develop its historical maritime connections, including links to other countries with operational naval vessels such as the Irish Naval Service.

After discussion, it was

Moved by Councillor Rodway,

Seconded by Councillor W. Browne,

      That the Committee agrees to accept the offer for the affiliation of HMS Duncan to the City of Belfast.

            On a vote by show of hands four Members voted for the proposal and four against.  There being an equality of votes, the Chairman exercised her second and casting vote for the proposal and it was accordingly declared carried.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

Purpose

      To present to the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee a suggested response to the Northern Ireland Executive’s consultation ‘Delivering the Bamford Vision’ and to bring to the attention of Members details of the Executive’s proposals for implementing the findings of the Bamford Review.

      Background

      In October 2002, the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) initiated an independent review of the law, policy and service provision affecting people with a mental health problem or a learning disability – now referred to as the Bamford Review.  The review produced a series of 10 separate reports between June 2005 and August 2007.  Together these reports contained almost 700 recommendations, many of which have already influenced policy and service developments.  This consultation document represents the Northern Ireland Executive’s response to the Bamford Review.  It sets out the Government’s long term vision for improving services for people with a mental health problem or a learning disability and its proposals for achieving this over the next 10-15 years.

Summary of the Consultation

      The Bamford Vision

      The NI Executive has ‘accepted the thrust of the Bamford recommendations’ and has adopted the Bamford vision, which aims to:

·         promote the mental health and wellbeing of the whole community and in parallel decrease the prevalence of mental ill-health through preventative action;

·         value those with mental health needs or a learning disability by asserting their rights to full citizenship, equality of opportunity and self-determination;

·         provide a legislative framework, based on principles which protects the dignity and human rights of people with a mental health problem or a learning disability; and,

·         reform and modernise services in a way that will make a real and meaningful difference to the lives of people with mental health needs or a learning disability and their carers and families.

      To make this vision a reality, the NI Executive will seek to provide:

‘Person-centred, seamless community-based services, informed by the views of service users and their carers, making early intervention a key priority and protecting and promoting people’s mental health.’

      Delivering the Vision

      The consultation document explains how the Government intends to deliver the Bamford vision through:

·         Coordinating structures across the NI Executive

·         Legislative Reform

·         Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (including domestic violence)

      It also explains how this will be delivered in the Health & Social Care Sector, with particular focus on:

·         Learning Disability and Autism

·         Adult Mental Health

·         Children and Young People’s Mental Health

·         Older People’s Mental Health and Dementia

·         Alcohol and Substance Misuse

·         Forensic Mental Health Services

      Key Actions and Targets

      The key actions and associated targets are summarised below:

·         Establish the Health and Social Care Task Force by March 2009.

·         Establish the Bamford Monitoring Group by September 2009.

·         Introduce new mental health legislation and new mental capacity legislation by 2011 and 2014 respectively (to protect the rights of people unable to make their own decisions about their mental health treatment and other health, care and financial and property issues)

·         Reviews of inpatient  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8b