Agenda and minutes

            An apology for inability to attend was reported from Councillor D. Dodds.

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

“Relevant Background Information and Purpose of Report

      Members will recall that at the November meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, the following process was agreed for setting the district rate and agreeing the estimates for 2010/11.

The purpose of this report is to:

·         update Members on Department Committees discussions on the revenue estimates;

·         agree the domestic and business district rate for 2010/11;

·         agree the key messages associated with the setting of the rate; and,

·         agree a way forward in terms of forward financial planning in the organisation.

Key Issues

      A. Rates Update

      The table below summarises the decisions already made by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in relation to the estimates and the district rate for 2010/11 at its meetings on 11 December 2009 and 8 January 2010.

(i) Departmental Estimates

      At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 8 January Members agreed the cash limits for committees as follows:

            Strategic Policy and Resources               £28,501,263

            Health and Environmental Services        £43,057,644

            Parks and Leisure                                      £30,792,206

            Development                                              £22,743,507

            Town Planning                                                   £27,710

      The decision to agree the cash limits also included approval for efficiencies for 2010/11 totalling £2,001,969 and led to an increase in the district rate of some 0.59% arising from departmental estimates.

      Since the last Strategic and Policy Resources Committee, each department committee has considered and agreed its revenue estimates in terms of the above cash limits.

      (ii) City Investment Strategy

      At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 11 December 2009, Members agreed to an additional £1m of funding for the City Investment Strategy.

      (iii) Current Capital Programme

      At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 8 January 2010, Members agreed to increase capital financing by £1.67m in order to cover current capital programme commitments. In addition, it was agreed on 11 December 2009 that a maximum of £1.0m of the investment in reserves may be redeployed to finance new capital commitments, when capital plans are agreed.

      (iv) Reserves

      At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 11 December 2009, Members agreed to set aside £2.5m as a contribution from the rates to reserves along with a further £2m from the voluntary redundancy exercise and the efficiency programme, with a maximum of £1m of this to be potentially invested in the capital programme when capital plans are agreed.

      (v) Thematic Budget

      The allocation of the thematic budget for 2010/11 has been agreed by Members as follows:

            Older People                                                      £82,000

            Health & Well Being                                        £100,000

            Safer City                                                          £140,000

            Better Care for the Environment                    £78,000

            Children and Young People                          £100,000

      B. Setting of the District Rate 2010/11

      Based on the decisions outlined above Members are requested to agree a district rate increase of 7.81% for 2010/11. Based on the Estimated Penny Rate Product of £4,888,730 provided by LPS this means that the domestic district rate for 2010/11 is recommended to be 0.2929p and the non-domestic rate to be 25.5849p.

      The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.  Relevant Background Information

1.1       Members will be aware that under existing arrangements the Council has only limited resources in terms of what it can bring to City Investment.

1.2       To date the Council has played its part through:

-     the Capital Programme which is totally rate funded and restricted to Council assets

-     the City Investment Strategy/Fund which is funded by rates and capital receipt and has to date realised £154m of investment in City assets for a Council commitment of £16m

-     a series of City promotional events and research activities on best practice

-     input to and support for relevant planning and transport policies

-     considering long run maintenance commitment for public financed projects undertaken by others eg Connswater Greenway

-     convening various forums where key players from the private, public and community/voluntary sectors can come together to focus on the future of the City

-     mustering political consensus to lobby Ministers and the Assembly.

1.3       While these activities have had a certain level of success, the Committee in its response to a City Investment Framework paper in November, accepted that further work was needed in regard to alternative funding mechanisms and how the Council might work better with public and private sector partners. 

2.   Key Issues – Funding Mechanisms

2.1       It is not unique that Belfast is considering other ways to attract and finance investment as many other Cities in the UK and Europe are in a similar position eg:

2.2       Price Waterhouse Coopers have recently published a major report for the Core Cities Group – ‘UnlockingCity Growth Interim Findings on New Funding Mechanisms’. 

2.3       The All Party Urban Development Group has completed an inquiry into City Regeneration entitled ‘Regeneration and Recession – Unlocking the Money’ which also looks at new financing tools.

2.4       ‘Closing the Investment Gap in Europe’s Cities’ by the Urban Land Institute again looks at various methodologies through which new investment can be channelled. 

2.5       HM Treasury is pursuing a ‘Total Place’ initiative that is attempting to map and redirect all public spending ie Whitehall Departments, Local Authority and National Health Service in particular localities such as Birmingham, with a view to getting a better return for the public. 

2.6       There are a range of mechanisms considered in the above publications but they all have one thing in common and that is the need for a clear view of where the City’s Leaders want the place to go. 

2.7       Partnership is tricky and complicated; it is slow; has conflicting agendas and needs to have flexibility for a longer term programme so it is important that Members continue to spend time on considering what they believe is best for the City and build for example upon the N/S/E/W debates.

2.8       While City leadership and strong strategic oversight are the primary considerations the mechanisms or vehicles for delivery of city investment is also an important issue to consider.  In simple terms  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2b

            The Committee was reminded that a number of projects had been submitted to the Special European Union Programmes Body for funding under Peace III Priority 2.1 – Creating Shared Public Spaces.

            It was reported that two of the bids, that is, the Public Service Centre (Community Hub) at Girdwood and the Crusaders and Newington Sports Village at the North Foreshore, had been successful during an initial assessment and would now be progressed to the economic appraisal stage.  Due to the large volume of applications received, the other two projects, namely, the North Belfast Cultural Corridor and the Gasworks Bridge, were still at the preliminary assessment stage, the outcome of which would be known in due course.

            As part of the next stage, the Special European Unions Programmes Body had appointed consultants to undertake the economic appraisals.  Following completion, the findings of the appraisals would inform the overall score applied to the applications, a final decision on which was expected in late Spring, with any successful projects expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Noted.

            The Committee was advised that Libraries Northern Ireland had issued a consultation document entitled “Meeting the Demands for a Modern Public Library Service within Northern Ireland – Stage 1: Greater Belfast Area” and was seeking comments thereon.  The public consultation process would take place from 7th January till 5th March and would be supported by seven public meetings, an equality impact assessment and a questionnaire process.

            The Committee agreed that a special meeting be held to receive representatives from Libraries Northern Ireland in relation to its consultation document on the Strategic Review of Libraries in the Greater Belfast area.  It was agreed also that officers should consult with the relevant stakeholders, including the Party Groupings on the Council, in order to prepare a briefing paper for the special meeting.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0        Relevant Background Information

1.1Discussions are ongoing within the NI Executive with regard to the future progress of the RPA process and the associated reform of local government.  Members will be aware that the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots MLA is locked in ongoing negotiations with Ministerial colleagues within the NI Executive on a number of outstanding issues including the proposed new council boundaries; the release of the draft Local Government (Reorganisation) Bill; and securing the necessary funding for the reform programme.

1.2If there is no political agreement around these critical issues secured within the coming weeks, then the already tight legislative timetable would not be unachievable and the local reform programme could be at significant risk. At a meeting of the RPA Strategic Leadership Board in December, the Environment Minister indicated that there would be clear direction given on the way forward in early 2010 (i.e. imminently).

2.0Key Issues

2.1Continuing Engagement in Developing the Way Forward

2.1.1      NILGA has recently written out to all councils, dated 17th December 2009, seeking initial views on the undernoted issues.

(i)    Developing an acceptable model to facilitate regional collaboration - given the unanimous opposition within Local Government to the PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) proposal to establish a centralised Business Services Organisation, the Environment Minister has sought views on what alternative options are available to secure greater collaboration among councils and realise potential efficiencies and improvements within local government;

(ii)   Consideration of the provision of funding from local government to support reform – in order to inform and facilitate future Ministerial and Executive discussions on funding, the Environment Minister has sought the views of local government as to what elements of the reform programme, if any, would it be reasonable for local government self-fund.

2.1.2      On receipt of initial comments from councils, NILGA would intend to initiate a further consultation process in early February 2010 on its emerging views.

      Enabling Collaboration

2.1.3      The NILGA correspondence makes reference to the establishment of an enabling body such as an Improvement Agency to facilitate collaboration among councils.    It is suggested that the Council may wish to indicate that it would not be favourable, at this stage, to the establishment of another new body, however, would recommend that further consideration be given to identifying existing mechanisms within local government through which greater collaboration could be achieved e.g.

·         Collaboration across council clusters on an informal basis

·         Collaboration across council clusters on an formal basis (i.e. Joint Committees)

·         Collaboration with other partnership bodies (Total Place)

·         Delivery of services on a Lead Council or Centre of Excellence basis

·         Building on existing models of collaboration, eg Arc 21

2.1.4      Clearly, any collaborative approach being considered must be subject to a robust ‘value for money’ test for participant councils.

2.1.5      The current financial and efficiency pressures facing the local government and wider public sector will undoubtedly act as a compelling driver for encouraging greater collaboration where real benefits, greater value  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            (Mrs. D. Thornton, Principal Solicitor, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee was advised that the Department of the Environment’s Local Policy Division had issued for consultation on 2nd November, 2009 the draft Local Government (Contracts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.  The proposed regulations contained within the consultation document were essentially technical in nature and set out certain requirements in relation to the certification of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) type contracts.  The purpose of the regulations was to clarify the legal power of District Councils to enter into such contracts.

            The Director of Legal Services had confirmed that there was nothing in the draft regulations which would raise any concerns or controversy for the Council.  It was understood that the regulations had been considered by arc21, which had indicated that it was content with the drafting of the proposed regulations, subject to a minor revision to ensure that the provisions as set out within the regulations applied to the two Joint Committees, arc21 and SWamP, which had already been establishment pursuant to separate regulations.  It had been suggested also that it would be useful if the proposed Contracts Regulations made provision for a pro-forma certificate in order to ensure consistency of administration.

            It was recommended, therefore, that the Council respond to the Department of the Environment in a similar fashion, stating that it was content with the draft regulations as set out within the consultation document.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 11th December, 2009, it had authorised the attendance at the Northern Ireland Local Government Association Annual Conference on 18th and 19th February of the Chairman, the Deputy Chairman and the Head of Committee and Members’ Services (or their nominees), as well as the Council’s representatives on the Association.  It was pointed out that, given the focus and content of the conference, in addition to the attendance of the Members as outlined, it would be beneficial for an appropriate number of relevant senior officers to attend the event to enable them to engage in the debate around the future of Local Government and consider any associated organisational consequences.

            In addition, the Northern Ireland Local Government Awards Ceremony, which aimed to recognise exceptional performance and achievement by both officers and Members, would be held on the Thursday evening.  Correspondence had been received recently from the Association indicating that the Council had been shortlisted as finalists in three categories, that is, Best Local Authority Service Team - Community Safety; Best Sustainable Development Initiative – Lord Mayor’s Big Clean-up; and Best Improvement Project – Building Control Partnership and the Ulster Hall Redevelopment.  The Council had been provided with two complimentary places per category shortlisted and it was suggested that the Chairmen and the Deputy Chairmen of the relevant Committees, namely, the Development and Health and Environmental Services Committees, might wish to attend the Ceremony.

            The Committee noted that the Council had been shortlisted as finalists for four projects in the Local Government Awards and authorised the attendance:

(i)     at the Annual Conference of an appropriate number of relevant officers based on a business case being completed in line with the Council’s Travel Policy; and

(ii)    of the Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Development and Health and Environmental Services Committees at the Gala Dinner Awards Ceremony.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members will recall that on 1st December, 2009 the Council considered the undernoted Notice of Motion.

      Live Streaming and Archiving

      of Council Proceedings on the Internet

      ‘This Council recognises that there is a need to encourage wider interest among the public, and particularly young people, in the affairs of the Council.

      One means of creating enhanced awareness and participation would be to follow the lead set by the Northern Ireland Assembly and authorise the live streaming and archiving of Council proceedings on the Internet.

      To this end, the Council directs that the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee give consideration to this matter in terms of constraints, benefits and costs with a view to bringing a recommendation to the Council at an early date.’

      In accordance with Standing Orders, the motion was referred to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

Key Issues

      The live streaming of the Monthly Meetings of the Council would enable anyone who has access to the internet to watch and listen to the proceedings as they take place.  The process of archiving the video footage of the meetings would enable individuals to view past meetings via the internet at any point in time.  The constraints, benefits and costs of providing such a service are set out below:

      Constraints

      There is nothing in legislation which would prevent the live streaming and archiving of Council Meetings and the Director of Legal Services has confirmed that there would be no impediment to such a course of action.

      There would be aesthetic implications in the installing of cameras in the Council Chamber.

      Benefits

      The Committee is reminded that, at its meeting on 23rd May, 2008, it adopted a set of recommendations of the Audit Panel in relation to a Code of Governance for the Council. Part of that Code committed the Council to ‘taking informed, transparent decisions which are subject to effective scrutiny…..’ It is certainly the case that the live streaming and archiving of Council Meetings would be in line with this commitment.  Furthermore, the Council's promotion of a Customer Focus approach commits it to providing the public with as much information as possible about the Council’s decision-making processes and the live streaming and archiving of meetings would be consistent with such a customer focussed service delivery.

      The Council is in the process of developing a number of strategies around improving services and information for its customers in terms of consultation and engagement.  New technology is the link between all these strategies. Citizens want news and information and in particular access to services 24 hours a day. The ‘nine to five’ culture of service delivery is a thing of the past and it is vital that the council adopts a digital approach and maximises the use of modern technology to provide the full range of services and information on-line.  

      New technology can also assist elected representatives to perform their functions even more effectively.  It can enable the organisation to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

            The Committee adopted the recommendations set out in the appendix to the report regarding the requests for the use of the City Hall and the provision of hospitality.

            (Councillor Adamson declared an interest in this item in so far as he was Chairman of the Association and took no part in the debate.)

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Somme Association enquiring if the Council wished to be represented on the 2010 Pilgrimages to the Somme, France from 28th June until 2nd July and to Gallipoli, Turkey in March.

            The Committee authorised the attendance on both the Somme Tour and the Gallipoli Pilgrimage of a representative of each of the Party Groupings on the Council and the Chief Executive (or his nominee).

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 9th October, it had, in authorising the use of the Building Control Service to verify the status of new vacant properties and investigate returned rates bills, agreed that a letter be forwarded to the Minister of Finance and Personnel expressing concern that the Council had to pay for an exercise which should be undertaken by Land and Property Services.

            The Head of Committee and Members’ Services reported that correspondence had been received from the Office of the Minister for Finance and Personnel, indicating that whilst he had noted the Council’s concerns it was not possible, given the current budget pressures, for funding to be provided for this exercise.

Noted.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Purpose of report:

      The purpose of this report is to seek approval to engage with the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) and Bryson Charitable Group in the provision of work experience to disadvantaged young people from across the city.

Relevant background information:

      In February and May 2008, the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed to widen the scope of the Council’s Community Outreach Programme and engage with the Citywide Employability Consortium (CEC) to develop pre-employment training for the long term unemployed on a pilot basis for one year.   To date the council has facilitated five site visits and 10 work experience placements. An evaluation of this year’s programme will be carried out before moving into the next year of the programme. 

      The Council has recently been approached by DEL and Bryson Charitable Group to engage in another programme for the long term unemployed. This programme provides disadvantaged young people (aged 18-24), who have been unemployed for more than one year, temporary waged work experience lasting up to 26 weeks. The Council has been asked to facilitate up to 60 placements and 10 graduate placements.  The proposal is based on employing disadvantaged young people from across the city in projects of public value which will have a social impact across all BelfastCity Council wards. It will potentially provide a pathway into the labour market by offering paid work experience, employability, training and personal development. 

Key Issues:

      Potential benefits for participants

      The key benefits of this programme for the participants will be:

·         Access to 26 weeks paid work experience at a time when one in three people in Northern Ireland under the age of  25  is unemployed

·         Access to at least one accredited  training course and other training and development

·         A focus on key growth employment areas such as environmental services, waste management and leisure.

·         Access to broad experience in the day to day activities in areas such as street cleansing, waste collection, waste management and parks.

·         A personal benefit assessment,  carried out by the lead contractor  to ensure clients are financially better off in employment

·         Assistance with job search and provision of ongoing  support

·         Securing permanent employment is the main focus of the programme, not just training

      Potential benefits for Belfast City Council 

      The benefits for the council include:

·         Civic leadership and corporate social responsibility - addressing  unemployment in the city in  the economic downturn

·         A direct link between the proposed project and the council’s strategic themes. 

·         Projects, not currently financially viable could be delivered with no cost to the Council.

·         The Council is not required to provide any funding

      PotentialBelfastCity Council projects

      Discussions have taken place with departments and the following potential projects have been identified:

·         Green butlers- to encourage householders to consider re-using and recycling as opposed to disposal

·         Replanting in parks

·         Policy development- carrying out background research on topics such as waste collection, health and wellbeing

·         Projects to enhance the Council’s response to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6a

            The Committee was advised that in 2000 the Council had acted as a facilitator on behalf of the Old Belmont School Preservation Trust for the purchase of the former Belmont Primary School Building from the Education and Library Board. 

            The Committee agreed to extinguish the leasehold interest from the Education and Library Board to the Council and from the Council to the Trust to enable the Trust to purchase the freehold of the site.

            The Committee agreed to defer consideration of a request to hold a major event on Saturday, 8th May, 2010 in Giant’s Park to enable the relevant risk assessment, management plan and event management plan to be completed and submitted to the Committee for consideration.

            (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 15th January, including the expenditure associated with the launch of the Re-Imaging Community Programme Exhibition to be held in the City Hall in March.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The 2006 Stern Review concluded that the scientific evidence for climate change is now overwhelming and that climate change should be regarded as a serious global threat demanding urgent global action. Lord Stern’s views have been echoed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) whose Fourth

Assessment Report concluded that global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities and now far exceed pre-industrial values. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has been identified as the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas, with global concentrations having increased from a pre-industrial value of around 280 ppm to 386 ppm in 2009. Moreover, the annual carbon dioxide concentration growth rate was larger during the last 10 years than it has been since the beginning of continuous direct atmospheric measurements.

      Recognising the Stern Review’s call for prompt action, the Council’s 2008-2011 Corporate Plan has identified reducing the city’s impact on climate change as a key priority within the strategic theme of ‘Better care for Belfast’s environment - a clean, green city now and for the future’. In terms of indicative actions supporting this key priority, Council committed to the adoption of a Declaration on Climate Change for the city and to the subsequent development of a prioritised action plan to address the causes and consequences of climate change within Belfast in collaboration with outside bodies and local communities. Accordingly, the Council formally subscribed to the Eurocities’ Declaration on Climate Change at the Eurocities’ Annual General Meeting in Stockholm on 28^th November 2009.

Key Issues

      Development of a Climate Change Action Plan for Belfast

      Reflecting upon the principal sources of greenhouse gas emissions within Northern Ireland, the 2008 DoENIState of the Environment Report identifies carbon dioxide (CO₂) as the most prevalent greenhouse gas with 34% of emissions arising from energy generation, 33% from transport, 18% from residential sources, 9% from businesses, 4% from industry and agriculture and the remainder from the public sector.

      In order to develop an effective prioritised Climate Change Action Plan for the city, it is suggested that the Council would have to demonstrate civic leadership by developing initially actions to minimise greenhouse gas emissions associated with its own activities. The Council would also have to identify how its Departments could contribute individually towards the Action Plan through their everyday business activities. Furthermore, the Council would also need to consider how its services and functions could be adapted to account for the predicted future impacts of climate change within Northern Ireland.   

      The Climate Change Action Plan would also have to include a range of measures to reduce emissions across Belfast associated with energy generation, transport and residential premises and businesses, etc. Developing such actions would require the Council to foster partner working with a range of government Departments including, for example, those with responsibility for the environment, transportation, energy and housing. It would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9a