Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from the Chairman (Councillor D. Dodds) and Councillor Long.

            The Committee considered a report in respect of the 2009/10 update of the Council’s Corporate Plan/Value Creation Map.  A copy of the report is set out hereunder:

“RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION

      The purpose of this report is to ask Members to approve the 2009/10 Update of the Council’s Corporate Plan/Value Creation Map.

      As Members are aware, in June 2008, Members agreed the Council’s corporate plan for 2008-2011, setting out the Council’s vision for the city and its priorities for this period, based upon the needs and priorities of people in the city.  At the time, Members stressed that whilst the plan needed to set a clear strategic direction it also needed to have the flexibility to adapt to new challenges; therefore, it should be reviewed and updated annually to keep it relevant and to ensure the Council’s focus remains on the right issues.

      This report sets out the information that will be used to inform the update of the plan and some proposed amendments based upon what has been achieved over the last year and the changed external environment, particularly economic environment, in which the Council finds itself operating.

      It is intended that the information presented to Members at this meeting will be summarised in liaison with the Corporate Communications Section to produce an accessible, easily understandable document which will be used for communication with the public and staff at all levels across the Council.

KEY ISSUES

      Update Process

      Alignment

      When the Corporate Plan 2008-2011 was agreed by Members, it was understood that the challenging part remained – to align the resources and actions of the organisation towards the achievement of the objectives within the plan and to begin to implement a fairly ambitious agenda.  Members wanted to retain their focus on some of the biggest issues in the city such as safety, health improvement and good relations, but these were objectives which cut across all departments.  A key issue was whether a functionally structured and biased organisation would ever be able to effectively plan and deliver on a thematic basis.

      Good progress has been made -each service in the Council now has a Value Creation Map which is a service plan based upon the corporate plan, showing the ways in which services can contribute to those objectives so that thematic planning becomes integrated with service planning.  Departmental plans have also become more aligned to the objectives within the corporate plan.  The result of this is that Members can be shown the ways in which services are contributing to our corporate objectives so that they are not something different or remote or add-ons but features of what the services do.  This is illustrated in Appendix 1, which shows the Value Creation Map and the way in which services are contributing to the environment theme within the corporate plan.  This analysis is available for every service and each theme within the plan.

      A separate report on the departmental plans of the Chief Executive’s, Core Improvement, Corporate Services and Legal Departments are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2a

            The Committee was reminded that the Council’s Performance Management Framework required all Departments to prepare Plans which linked to both the Corporate and Service Plans.  The Plans for the Chief Executives, Legal Services and Corporate Services Departments and the Improvement Unit identified the actions, initiatives and events to be undertaken for 2009/2010.  Those Departments provided the support services in the corporate aim of “An organisation fit to lead and serve”.

            The contents of the Plans reflected the themes and objectives which had been set by the Members within the Corporate Plan 2008-2011 and had been aligned to and had helped inform the updated plan.  The nature of the actions within the Departmental Plans complemented the Members’ Plan for the City and had been placed in context with the Council’s Value Creation Map and included performance indicators and financial information such as the cost of delivering key services.  The Plans provided also a mechanism to enable the Committee and senior managers to performance manage the key work of the Departments in line with the Corporate Plan.  In addition, they should assist managers and officers in the relevant Departments to take decisions and allocate resources in line with the agreed objectives and activities.  Departments would provide regular updates to the Committee on the progress of their Plans and key work as appropriate.

            The Committee approved the Departmental Plans for the Chief Executives Department, Legal Services Department, Improvement Unit and Corporate Services Department for 2009/2010 and granted approval under delegated authority for the outlined activities to be undertaken.  A copy of the key achievements for 2008/2009 and the key actions for 2009/2010 as detailed in the Plans for each of the four Departments is set out hereunder:

“CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S

3.     DEPARTMENTAL KEY ACHIEVEMENTS 2008/2009

        Better Leadership

·         Implemented a programme of restructuring of the Belfast District Policing Partnership and its four Sub?Groups, including the organisation of an Induction Programme for all newly appointed District Policing Partnership Members and 16 Sub?Group meetings held in public.

·         Organised major, high profile events in the City, from alternative venues, during the refurbishment of the City Hall

·         Provided support for the Lord Mayor to deliver the ‘Belfast 2009’ message thereby enhancing the profile of the Council and providing civic leadership for the City

        Better Support for People and Communities

·         Held four Belfast District Policing Partnership General Forum for Discussion events in conjunction with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Community Safety Partnership

·         Secured award of £6.3m of European funding under measure 1.1 of the Peace III Peace & Reconciliation Programme

·         Supported over 70 local initiatives that promoted better community and race relations in the city through the provision of over £310,000 in grant-aid

·         Appointed a specialist post of minority ethnic/migrant workers’ officer

·         Successfully delivered the  bonfire management programme in 2008 resulting in praise from the police and emergency services since measurable outcomes included significant decreases in incidents of anti?social behaviour, substantially reduced numbers of call-outs from the emergency services and less damage to property.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2b

            The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to the Department of the Environment’s consultation paper on severance arrangements for Councillors:

“Purpose of Report

      To submit for the consideration of the Committee a report regarding the consultation document which has been issued by the Department of the Environment entitled ‘Severance Arrangements for Councillors’.

Summary of the Consultation Document

      Under the Review of Public Administration, the Executive has proposed severance arrangements as a way of recognising the contribution which long serving Councillors who choose to stand down have made to their local area and to Northern Ireland as a whole. It is also one of the preliminary steps for the reorganisation of Local Government in 2011.

      The consultation document puts forward a number of options for possible severance arrangements, including the calculation of the amount of money which could be paid to an individual Councillor, the timing of any scheme and how the associated costs should be met.

      Calculation of Award

      The Department has set out two options for how severance might be calculated. These are:

·         a set amount for each year of service as a Councillor

severance could be calculated at a set amount per year, with a possible maximum period of qualifying service. The examples given are £1,000 per year up to a maximum qualifying period of either 36 years (setting a cap of £36,000) or up to a maximum period of 25 years (£25,000) or a maximum period of 20 years (£20,000).

·         level of award grouped by a number of bands according to length of service

the level of the award could be determined under a banding system. The example given is Councillors who have served between eight and 10 years would receive £10,000, Councillors who have served more than 10 years but under 15 years would be awarded £15,000 and Councillors who have spent more than 15 years in Local Government would receive £20,000.

      Meeting the Costs of the Awards

      Again two options are suggested by the Department for meeting the costs involved. The first option is that, given that the reorganisation of Local Government is a Central Government initiative, the cost should be met by Central Government. The second option is that Local Government should meet the costs as severance payments are essentially recognition of long service by locally-elected representatives.

      Timing of the Scheme

      The Department has identified three possible options for the introduction of the scheme. These are:

·         in January 2010

·         in January 2011 prior to the Local Government Elections 

·         at the end of the current Local Government term in 2011.

      Eligibility

      The consultation document proposes that MLAs, MPs, MEPs and Members of the House of Lords be not eligible for severance. This has been the approach adopted by the Welsh and Scottish devolved administrations.

      The consultation document also asks whether:

·         next of kin should receive severance if a Councillor who has applied for payment under the scheme dies before the award is paid; and

·         Councillors who receive severance but return to Local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to an interim constitution for the Council:

“1.0       Purpose of the Report

1.1       This is an initial report on the Interim Belfast City Council Constitution. It is an introduction to its purpose and key themes. Although this report contains some detail on the issues that will be addressed in the Interim Constitution, it is not meant to be exhaustive.

1.2       The report is set out in six sections:

·         Background to the BelfastCity Council Interim Constitution

·         Purpose of the Interim Constitution

·         Relevant themes that will be addressed in drafting the Interim Constitution

·         Layout of the Interim Constitution: what we intend to achieve

·         Proposed timetable

·         Summary of decisions required

2.0       Relevant Background Information

            Belfast City Council continues to review its processes in order to modernise and improve its service delivery and democratic accountability. Part of this agenda has involved discussion of drafting a constitution for Belfast City Council.

            Full political engagement is fundamental to this process.

            This report aims to introduce the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to the preliminary research and proposals that will provide a platform for drafting a constitution for Belfast City Council.

3.0       Background to the Belfast City Council Interim Constitution

3.1       The concept of the Constitution was conceived to bring together into one document the guidelines and regulations which explain and govern how the Council operates; and to do so in a presentable and accessible way. It is considered that this will enable the Council to be more transparent and democratic, and will encourage and foster more efficient working practices.

3.2       The Constitution will be an Interim Constitution pending the recommendations of the Review of Public Administration and the new local government legislation in 2011. Following this, the Interim Constitution will become the Constitution of the new Belfast City Council.

3.3       The motivation for the Belfast City Council Interim Constitution is also informed by a wider context. A brief outline of this context is as follows:

            1.  Review of Public Administration

            The Policy Development Panel A (Governance, Community Planning and Central/Local Relations) of the RPA has raised the issue of a requirement for the new councils in 2011 to have a written constitution.

            In light of this Belfast City Council has the opportunity to:

(i)      Take a policy lead ahead of other councils in Northern Ireland in adopting the concept and practice of using a constitution. The BCC Interim Constitution example will provide a template for other councils across Northern Ireland to follow, as they look to accommodate the complexities of the new local unitary structures; and

(ii)     Play an important role in informing the RPA process and the development of legislation in this area through the Council’s experience of constructing and using a constitution.

            The progress of the RPA, and how it will affect councils and residents, can be unclear. The Interim Constitution will provide a space for Council Members, officers and residents to find out about – in plain English - the progress of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3b

            The Committee was informed that the undernoted request for the provision of hospitality had been received:

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            (Councillor Adamson declared an interest in this matter in that he was Chairman of the Somme Association.)

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Somme Association enquiring if the Council would wish to be represented at a Service of Remembrance for the men of the 16th (Irish) Division to be held in Guillemont, France on 3rd September, 2009.  The Committee was reminded that the Council normally authorised attendance at the Somme Pilgrimage in July to recognise the sacrifice of the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) Divisions and had already approved attendance at this year’s event.  The Pilgrimage included Services of Remembrance at both Thiepval and Guillemont.  That being the case, it was considered that there would be no added benefit accruing to the ratepayers of the City through attendance at this additional service.

            The Committee agreed to decline the invitation on this occasion and agreed further that a report on the event be submitted to a future meeting by Councillor Adamson, who would be attending in his capacity as Chairman of the Somme Association.

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Knockagh Joint Committee inviting Members to attend the Somme Remembrance Parade and Service at the Knockagh War Memorial, Monument Road, Carrickfergus on Saturday, 28th June at 10.40 a.m.  As part of the Service the Mayor from each of the City, Borough and District Councils within County Antrim had been requested to lay a wreath.  It was pointed out that the Committee had authorised attendance at previous events and had contributed financially towards the restoration of the Memorial.

            The Head of Committee and Members’ Services reported that the Committee routinely received invitations of this nature and granted authority for Members to attend.  However, it was the view that, rather than continue to report all such correspondence to the Committee, authority to accept such invitations, where there was no cost to the Council except minor travelling expenses, should be delegated to the Chief Executive.  The Chief Executive currently had such authority in the case of invitations to attend the Northern Ireland Disabled Ex-Servicemen’s Association Annual Church Service which was held in the Sinclair Seamen’s Church.

            Accordingly, it was recommended that:

(i)   the Committee authorise the attendance of any Member of the Council at the Service; and

(ii)  authority be delegated to the Chief Executive to accept in future years the invitation to attend the Service and other similar events, where there was no cost to the Council except minor travelling expenses.

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.

            (Mrs. R. Crozier, Head of Information Systems Belfast, attended in connection with these items.)

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Budget and Transformation Panel of 8th May.

            Review of Information Services Belfast

            The Committee was informed that the Budget and Transformation Panel had considered a report in relation to a review of Information Services Belfast and agreed that it be submitted to the Committee for approval.  A copy of the report in this regard is set out hereunder:

“Relevant Background Information

      In the past external IT work has generated significant income for the Council and subsidised internal IT costs by up to 25%. This contribution has dropped to 17% in 2007/2008 and to 14% in 2008/2009.

      At Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 9 January 2009 the Director of Corporate Services highlighted a significant downturn in income for ISB and the projected loss of income (in the region of £890,000) for the financial year 2009/2010.

      Committee supported the recommendation that a review be undertaken to determine how the service could be ‘right-sized’ by reducing expenditure whilst sustaining the quality of IT service.

      As part of the Council’s efficiency programme ISB has reduced costs and created savings wherever possible resulting in a lean operating budget.  This has made the realisation of further cost savings in areas other than staffing less achievable. As staff costs in ISB account for 60% of overall costs it was considered reasonable to commission BIS to examine ISB’s structure and the potential for a reduction in the number of posts to realise savings.

Key Issues

      ISB’s current structure has four portfolios: Customer Services, Internal Solutions, External Solutions and Infrastructure, all supported by a Commercial Support section.  Each portfolio has an establishment of a portfolio manager post. The service has been functioning with two portfolio managers supported by the Deputy General Manager and the Head of Service. The review presents an opportunity to review ISB’s management requirement with a view to flattening the management structure and reorganising the portfolios.

      In recent years ISB has changed the way resource is managed and in particular how work is allocated to projects within the service. Rather than having staff dedicated to specific applications, a number of staff are allocated from a resource pool with generic skills - keeping the balance right between supporting specialisms and increasing the ability to flex capacity according to demand. This presents an opportunity to review the size of the generic pool without impacting negatively on capacity.

      The creation of CTU and the changing needs of the service have changed the role of Commercial Support in ISB. It has moved away from the more traditional role of business support to one of creating and supporting a programme office and supporting the staff development and performance management needs of the service.

      In 2009 Reprographics section merged with ISB. It was agreed that the merge would deal initially with the physical move and that it would be appropriate to review the Reprographics function as part of this review.

      With the above factors in mind, the scope  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

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

(i)   the provision of a business intelligence tool at a cost of approximately £80,000; and

(ii)  support provision for the System Analysis and Programme Development (SAP), the Council’s new procurement and financial system, for a period of three years, the cost of which would be approximately £100,000 per annum.

            (Mr. A. Curran, Sustainable Development Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 24th April, it had agreed to defer consideration of a report in relation to the development of a staff travel smartcard to enable further information to be obtained.  A copy of the report submitted to the Committee on 24th April, together with a further report providing the additional information, is set out hereunder:

            Report of 24th April

      “Relevant Background Information

      This paper seeks Committee approval to contribute £6,000 towards a joint project with Translink to introduce discounted public transport ‘smartcards’ for travel to work.

      Employee (tax) benefits similar to those offered by the Council for the purchase of childcare vouchers and its Bike to Work scheme are available to employees who commit to using public transport for travel to work.  This is a HM Revenue and Customs sponsored scheme aimed to stimulate use of public transport, where individuals make ‘salary sacrifice’ payments towards travel to work costs.  The scheme was introduced in 1999 as part of the Finance Act under the Governments Green Travel Initiative.

      While schemes operate in many UK regions, the option has not yet been availed of in Northern Ireland.  The Council has worked closely with DRD Roads Service and the regional transport provider, Translink, in developing a proposal for trial in Belfast.

      Initial investigation of the scheme concluded that devising a programme for BCC employees only would not provide sufficient ‘critical mass’ to progress a project in Belfast.  In view of this, the Council convened a group of other large scale public sector employers in the city to seek a co-operative approach.  An agreement, in principle, has been reached with Belfast Health Trust, the Housing Executive and Queen’s University to pilot the scheme.  It was considered beneficial to have a private sector representative participate in the project which has been achieved with the involvement of Belfast City Centre Management/Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

      The organisations involved, to date, represent over 30,000 public sector employees working in Belfast with an additional 500 businesses represented by BCCM/Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

      The roll out of the pilot scheme would not, therefore, be restricted to BCC employees.

Key Issues

      The level of use of Translink’s ‘metro’ service in Belfast has increased in recent years. (23.8 million journeys in 05/06; 26.0 million journeys in 07/08)  However, the percentage of the population using public transport in the city remains low.  Almost 70% of employees in Belfast travel to work using private transport.

      Recent surveys conducted within BCC reveal low rates of uptake of public transport by Council staff.  This situation exists despite the fact that the majority of staff actually live in Belfast.  Sixty-five per cent of staff said they were willing to consider using buses for travel to work.  When asked what measures would encourage use of public transport the majority of staff responded the provision of discounted travel cards/season tickets.

      BelfastCity Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4c

            (Mrs. J. Minne, Head of Human Resources, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that the average number of days lost per full?time employee in 2007/2008 was 13.91.  Accordingly, at its meeting on 23rd May, 2008, the Committee had agreed an overall Council target reduction in absence of two days by 2010/2011, that is, to reduce to 12 the average number of days absence per full-time employee. 

            The Head of Human Resources reported that the work in relation to absence management had resulted in the reduction in sickness absence of four and a half days per full-time employee since 2005/2006 as shown below:

            The Head of Human Resources then made the following points:

·         at the end of the financial year 2008/2009 the average number of days of sickness absence per full-time employee had been 11.22 days;

·         the Council had reduced its absence by 5,618 days or 17.16% for the year;

·         during the year the figure had reduced by more than two and a half days average per person (2.66 days or 19.2%);

·         almost 40% of staff had no absence during 2008/2009 compared with 34.85% for the previous year;

·         13.34% of staff had been absent from work on a long-term basis (more than twenty consecutive working days) compared with 17.48% for the previous year;

·         long-term sickness absence accounted for 60.18% of the Council’s sickness absence in comparison with 70% for the previous year; and

·         Departmental sizes had a significant impact on the overall sickness absence figures.

            The Head of Human Resources then provided information in relation to the comparative figures for other Central and Local Government bodies.  She explained that, whilst the Council had exceeded the target of an average of 12 days sickness absence per employee by 2010, which had been set by the Members, that level of reduction would not be sustained over the next few years since many of the long-term absence issues had been addressed and the lower the absence rate the harder it was to reduce.  In order to sustain the downward momentum, it was recommended that the Council set a target of 10.50 absence days per person to be achieved by March, 2011.

            The Committee noted the year-end performance figures and approved the target of 10.5 absence days per person to be achieved by March, 2011.

            The Committee agreed to defer for one month consideration of a report in relation to the development of the Loughside Park to enable further information to be provided.

            The Committee was reminded that Crusaders Football Club had previously submitted proposals to relocate their ground from Seaview to a potential new stadium, together with ancillary sports based facilities, at either the Grove Park or the Valley Park Newtownabbey.  The Council had rejected the proposal to use the Grove Park for such a venture.  However, Crusaders’ preference remained a Belfast location and, since the Council’s decision to reject the proposal for Grove Park, they had developed further the Sports Village Concept.

            The Director of Improvement reported that Crusaders had now partnered with Newington Football Club, another North Belfast Club which had major difficulties with its ground, to develop a flagship project which would provide not only tangible benefits for both clubs but address also the major social issues of reconciliation and a shared space in deeply segregated North Belfast.  Whilst the proposal was still at the concept stage, it envisaged locating the Stadium/Sports Village on the North Foreshore.

            The proposed Sports Village complex would comprise a 4,000-6,000 seat stadium with restaurant and corporate function facilities, 70,000 square feet of commercial retail, office and educational facilities which would be aimed at sports?related businesses, a number of training pitches, a soccer dome and a 65-bed hotel, together with car and coach parking space.  The estimated cost of providing the facility was approximately £35 million.  In terms of land the proposal would require a minimum of 25 acres in the South West area of the North Foreshore site. 

            To date, the Crusaders/Newington partnership had received funding from the Strategic Investment Board to consider governance arrangements for the Sports Village model.  In essence a partnership with the Council was envisaged whereby Crusaders/Newington would raise the capital to undertake the scheme and the Council would provide the land.  The Sports Village would create some jobs and would provide a financial return which would be shared by the partnership or put back into the Sports Village.  The value of the Council-owned land would be reflected in a number of ways over and above the jobs and financial return outlined above.  There would be a community approach to the Sports Village which could address a number of the Council’s Corporative Objectives such as Good Relations, place shaping, younger and older people, healthy lifestyles, sport and tourism.  Therefore, the governance of the Sports Village would be separate from the clubs on a “not for profit” but “income generating” basis.

            The Council’s current position in regard to the North Foreshore was based on extensive community consultation at the time of the Big Lottery Bid for Giant’s Park, following which the Council had agreed to utilise approximately 21 acres for an Eco Business Park, 20 acres for Port-related warehousing and 7 acres for a Park and Ride site.  A planning application had been submitted based on the foregoing uses, together with waste and open space use on the remainder of the site.  Although progress had been made in regard to the firming up of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6b

            The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to proposed amendments to the Gasworks Estate service charge:

“Relevant Background Information

      At its meeting on 6th February 2009 the Strategic & Policy Resources Committee adopted the report and template of action proposed by BCC in response to the economic downturn prepared by the Development Department.

      It was undertaken to bring back to Members proposals on how Council will manage the difficulties faced by tenants of the industrial estates with one possible option to review service charges.

      Council directly undertake work and procure additional services aimed at maintaining the physical state and environmental quality of the Gasworks Estate. Excluding Amenity Areas the cost of providing these services is recouped from the various developers who are direct tenants of the Council.

      For a variety of reasons the annual service charge cost in the Gasworks Estate has increased quite significantly over the past few years. Whilst paid directly by developers these service charges are in turn passed onto the tenants/business who occupy the commercial premises in the Estate.

      Having reviewed the Economic Downturn Action Plan Update the Estates Management Unit has identified a number of specific proposals in relation to the Gasworks Estate service charge aimed at reducing the level of financial burden.

      Specific proposals and projected financial impact on the level of the service charge are set out in detail in Appendix 1 and include review of services provided, incidence of allocation of service charge, restructuring payment s to a monthly regime.

Key Issues

      Council are legally obliged through their Leases with individual developers in the Gasworks Estate to provide services aimed at maintaining the quality environment created within the Estate. Council recover costs from individual developers through the annual service charge on a ‘not for profit not for loss’ basis.

      Despite in many instances recharging the Estate service charge onto their occupational tenants approaches from various developers have recently been made to Council with a view to reducing the cost of services provided through Council (for example Ormeau Business Park and Cusp Ltd)

      Majority of Gasworks Estate occupiers pay a building service charge (payable to their developer/landlord) in addition to the Estate service charge payable to Council. Developers/landlords are constantly seeking to retain a level of competitiveness with other similar commercial city centre developments where, without any ‘estate’ charges, total occupational costs can be less.

      Letter of explanation detailing reasons for service charge increases is issued with annual statement of accounts which details specific reasons that have given rise to any significant increases.

      Water infrastructure within the Estate is not adopted by NI Water. Charges for water and sewerage, whilst metered at the entrance to the Estate, fall to be apportioned through the annual service charge. In this instance Council are merely recollecting fees on behalf of NI Water. The cost of water consumption accounts for one-third of this coming year’s annual service charge and represents the biggest increase in any single item of relevant expenditure.

      The annual service charge, payable in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6c

            In accordance with Standing Order 60, the Committee noted the details of property lettings and rents payable or collected in relation to a number of community facilities as agreed by the Development Committee.

            (Mr. T. Husbands, Head of City Events and Venues, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 24th March, 2006, it had granted authority for the installation in the grounds of the City Hall at Donegall Square East of the 60 metre high Belfast Wheel, with further extensions for the use of the grounds for the continued operation of the Wheel having been agreed by the Committee on 14th December, 2007 and 14th November, 2008. 

            The Head of Civic Events and Venues advised the Members that, to date, the Wheel had been popular with visitors, had attracted positive media attention and was seen by many city centre-based businesses as a key attraction for creating additional footfall in the city.  Due to the considerable success of the project, the operators of the Belfast Wheel, World Tourist Attractions, had requested that the Council consider a further extension for 24 months from 1st September, 2009.  He pointed out that this would require not only Council approval but an extension to the current planning consent, which would be sought from the Northern Ireland Planning Service.  There would be no additional cost to the Council.  However, the operator had agreed to pay to the Council £4,500 plus VAT per month for the additional period. 

            After discussion in the matter it was

Moved by Councillor D. Browne,

Seconded by Councillor Kirkpatrick,

      That the Committee agrees not to accede to the request to extend the use of the City Hall grounds for the Belfast Wheel for a further two years but that the operator be given an additional six months in order to enable him to identify an alternative location.

            On a vote by show of hands five Members voted for the proposal and twelve against and it was accordingly declared lost.

Further Proposal

Moved by Councillor P. Maskey,

Seconded by Councillor C. Maskey,

      That the Committee agrees to accede to the request and approves an extension to the period of operation for the Belfast Wheel in the grounds of the City Hall for a further twenty-four months from 1st September, 2009, subject to Planning Service approval being obtained.

            On a vote by show of hands ten Members voted for the proposal and four against and it was accordingly declared carried.

            The Committee agreed also to authorise the Head of City Events and Venues to undertake further negotiations in relation to the fees to be paid.

            In accordance with Standing Order 60, the Members were advised that the Parks and Leisure Committee, at its meeting on 14th May, had considered a report in relation to the potential disposal of lands adjacent to the site of the proposed new Lyric Theatre.  At that meeting, that Committee had agreed to the Council entering into arrangements for the contractor’s compound on the Council’s lands and the subsequent disposal of the lands to the Lyric Theatre by way of a 999 year lease.  The Committee had agreed further to the disposal at the full value of £43,250, as assessed by Land and Property Services, for the 0.47 acres of land.  That sum was to be deducted from the Council’s contribution of £1.25 million towards the funding of the Lyric Theatre redevelopment.  The disposal remained subject to approval by the Department of the Environment in relation to the Council’s obligations to obtain “best value” in accordance with the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972.  In addition, the Committee instructed that any future use be for open space purposes and that, should the Lyric ever wish to dispose of the land in the future, the Council should have the first option to acquire it.

            The Committee noted the decision of the Parks and Leisure Committee of 14th May regarding the disposal of 0.47 acres of land at the Lyric Wood to the Lyric Theatre on a 999 year lease for the sum of £43,250 which would be deducted from the proposed Council grant funding of £1.25 million agreed previously as a contribution to the Lyric Theatre’s redevelopment costs.

            The Committee was reminded that during March and April Members had taken part in a series of briefings on potential projects located across Belfast on a north, south, east and west basis.

            Given the benefits which had accrued from the briefings, it was recommended that further briefing sessions in this regard be held in June in order to provide Members with detailed feedback and the possible prioritisation of such projects. 

            (Mrs. H. Francey, Good Relations Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting of the Good Relations Partnership of 17th April and adopted the recommendations contained therein.

            (Mrs. S. Wylie, Head of Environmental Health, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members will be aware that the Council’s contribution to a Safer City is achieved through its leadership role in both the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and District Policing Partnership (DPP) as well as through the delivery of services by a number of departments.  Members have previously expressed concerns that there is considerable duplication between the work of both partnerships and consider that there should be a more integrated approach.  The current roles of each partnership are described below:

·         The District Policing Partnership

The District Policing Partnership (DPP) consists of a Principal DPP and four geographically based sub groups.  The DPP, which is made up of both Elected and Independent Members, has statutory responsibility for community engagement on policing issues, gaining the co-operation of the public with the police in preventing crime and in monitoring the performance of the police against the targets included in the Annual and Local Policing Plans. The Northern Ireland Policing Board provides for 75% of approved expenditure incurred by the DPP which consists mostly of Members’ allowances and staff salaries.  There is also provision for the advertising and holding of a significant number of public meetings to monitor police performance and a small amount to support local initiatives.  In the 2008/09 financial year, the total budget for the DPP was £511,000 of which the Council contributed £128,000.

·         The Community Safety Partnership

The Belfast Community Safety Partnership (CSP) brings together representatives from various agencies and sectors to work collectively on the delivery of programmes to help make communities safer.  Each of the political parties is represented.  The CSP has recently agreed a Safer Belfast Plan for 2009–2011, which prioritises four main themes: tackling anti-social behaviour; reducing alcohol fuelled violent crime; dealing with hate crime; and to help Belfast feel safer.  The Council receives funding from the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) on behalf of the CSP of £380,000 for programme work and £123,000 for staff per year (secured until end of March 2011). Partner agencies also make some contributions to particular programmes.

      On 20th March 2009, the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice issued a consultation document on the future of CSPs and DPPs - ‘Local Partnership Working on Policing and Community Safety: a way forward’, inviting initial comments on the general principles detailed in the paper by the end of April, with an extended timeframe to the end of May for more detailed comments. 

      At its meeting of 24th April 2009, the Committee agreed an interim response to the NIO, which stated that it is in agreement with the principle of creating fully integrated partnerships in the longer term and on taking steps as soon as possible to more closely align the work and approaches of CSPs and DPPs.  

Key Issues

      Safer City Workshop

      A Safer City Workshop for members was held on 6th April 2009 at which one of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8a