Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Campbell, C. Maskey, Rodgers and Rodway.

            The minutes of the meetings of 8th and 22nd January 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 February, subject to:

(i)     the amendment of the minute of 22nd January under the heading “Review of Public Administration” to provide that the Committee receive at its next meeting a detailed report on the Council’s engagement with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association and the associated benefits and detriments to the Council of continuing membership; and

(ii)    the rejection of the decision of 22nd January under the heading “Rock Concert in Giant’s Park” agreeing to defer consideration of a request to hold a proposed event at that location; the Council accordingly agreed to permit the site at the North Foreshore to be used for the proposed event, subject to:

(a)   a risk assessment plan and event management plan being completed to the satisfaction of the Council’s Events Advisory Panel;

(b)   those plans, which would include all appropriate licensing and health and safety requirements, being submitted to the Licensing Committee at its meeting on 17th February (to which all Members of the Council would be invited);

(c)   the Licensing Committee having the delegated power from the Council to give formal approval to the holding of the event, subject to it being satisfied as to the foregoing requirements; and

(d)   the completion of an appropriate legal agreement to be prepared by the Director of Legal Services.

            The Chief Executive reminded the Committee that the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, was negotiating currently with Ministerial colleagues within the Northern Ireland Executive regarding the Review of Public Administration Local Government reform process and progressing the necessary legislation, including the Local Government Boundaries (Northern Ireland) Order and the Local Government (Reorganisation) Bill.  Discussions were ongoing also in relation to how the reform programme would be funded.  It was understood that, if no legal agreement around those critical issues were secured within the coming weeks, then the already tight legislative timetable would be unachievable and the Local Government reform programme as proposed could be at significant risk.  He pointed out that, as a result of the recent Hillsborough Agreement, a Cross-Party Ministerial Working Group had been established to undertake a trawl of all Executive business, which would include the Review of Public Administration, with a view to recommendations being made on how progress could be achieved on all outstanding matters by the end of February.

            The Chief Executive referred to a speech which had been made by the Environment Minister at the previous day’s Northern Ireland Local Government Association Conference in relation to collaboration across Councils.  The Minister had indicated that Councils would be given one week to commit to collaboration and efficiency savings arising from the creation of a single Waste Authority and a new Business Service Organisation or plans for the Reform programme would be at risk.  The Chief Executive explained that Councils generally were of the view that it was not necessary for an additional level of bureaucracy to be imposed by way of the new Business Services Organisation.  Rather, the Councils’ opinion was that real and substantial efficiencies could be achieved through voluntary co?operation.  He pointed out that there were a number of collaborative programmes which the Council was involved in currently through Information Services Belfast, the Legal Services Department and its association with arc21 and a number of other opportunities which the Council would be investigating in due course.

            The Committee noted the current position in relation to the Review of Public Administration, endorsed officers exploration of collaborative opportunities with other Councils and noted that suggestions in this regard would be taken forward through the Efficiency Plan which would be brought before the Committee.

Engagement with Lisburn and Castlereagh

            The Chief Executive explained that, not withstanding that a final decision had yet to be taken on the new Local Government Boundaries, the Council had entered into a process of discussion and engagement at both Member and officer level with the voluntary Transition Committee and Transition Management Team of Lisburn and Castlereagh Councils.  To date there had been two meetings of the Joint Transition Committees, at which a high-level joint programme of scoping work had been agreed.  That work was essential to enable the relevant baseline information to be captured in relation to assets, liabilities, staffing and service delivery standards in order to inform future political discussion.  It had been agreed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Relevant Background Information 

1.1       At the Council meeting on 1st February 2010 it was agreed that a report on the Council’s engagement with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association and the associated benefits and detriments to the Council of continuing membership be submitted for the consideration of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

2.0       Key Issues 

2.1       Members will be fully aware of the ongoing discussions over the past number of years in regards to the Councils continued involvement and relationship with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA).

            Role of NILGA

2.2       The Council recognises the need for a strong Local Government Association (LGA) which is focused on its core business of advocating on behalf of local government on regionally significant policy issues and facilitating engagement between central and local government.

2.3       There is no doubt that NILGA has played a central role in the RPA process to date, supporting the ongoing work of the Strategic Leadership Board and Policy Development Panels to inform the work of the legislative programme.  This work is substantially complete and the focus will now switch to implementation of proposals.  This work will impact directly on resources and delivery of services at the level of the new Councils.  It is therefore essential that this work is owned by and driven by the councils themselves, through the locally elected representatives, who will be responsible for setting the rate and ensuring that the appropriate facilities are provided and services delivered.

2.4       To deliver low rates, better services and a success of the reform programme, we therefore need to ensure that the energy, experience and expertise which resides within councils is fully mobilised to drive forward the implementation/operational aspects of the RPA.

2.5       NILGA has also established a large number of Member and officer Working Groups (e.g. e-Gov, European, Waste Management, Planning, Health and Environmental, Economic Development etc) to consider key policy areas. The Council is engaged on each of these groups.

2.6       There is a risk that NILGA (via its Working Groups and Committees) is duplicating work already being undertaken by councils e.g. BCC has its own internal expertise, capacity and support across these important policy and operational issues. While not undervaluing the role of such groups, there is a general view within the council that there is limited added value gained through its participation.  It must be recognised however that some of the smaller councils may find benefit.

            Subscription fee and cost structure

2.7       Given the current financial pressures, the Council is committed to the implementation of an efficiency programme with places greater scrutiny on budgets and spend.  All services are being asked to demonstrate value for money.  Similarly, any subscription paid by the Council to a third party should be reviewed within the context of its value for money.

2.8       Members will be aware that the Committee had taken a decision to pay a reduced subscription fee to NILGA of £76,230 for 2009/2010 (and not £106,000 requested  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3b

            The Director of Legal Services reported that the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Regional Development Committee was proposing to make a new Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and was seeking comments in relation to its proposals.  He advised the Members that he had convened a group of officers to carry out a detailed review of the draft Bill and the clauses which were contained therein.  However, it would appear that there was nothing in the draft Bill which would raise any concerns and necessitate the Council making any specific submission.

            He explained that the Bill was intended to address two particular issues, namely, the introduction of traffic restrictions and road closures to enable road works to take place; and the prohibiting or restricting of the use of roads for the holding of special events.  In relation to the carrying out of works on roads, the Bill would introduce a permit scheme arrangement whereby permits, which would be made and granted under regulation, would set out the provisions under which the road works would be carried out.  The provision enabling the closure of roads would be of particular interest because the function of allowing events on roads would be vested in Councils.  The legislation was essentially a forerunner to the introduction of the Review of Public Administration, since it had always been envisaged that the Review would involve the transfer of particular roads functions from central to Local Government, including the ability to make provisions for the holding of certain events on roads, including, for example, the Hallowe’en celebrations and the Christmas lights switch-on.  The Director indicated that there was a minor issue regarding the closure of roads for temporary fairs and sporting events and he wished to make a response to the Regional Development Committee in this regard.

            Several Members expressed the view that there was a need for utility companies to collaborate when carrying out repairs and other works on roads.  In addition, following the undertaking of the aforementioned works, there was a need for the reinstatement works to have a uniform level of quality assurance specified.

            The Director indicated that the legislation in relation to the permit scheme would address such issues as collaboration between utility companies undertaking road works and he undertook to forward the comments in this regard as part of the Council’s response to the consultation exercise.

            The Committee agreed to this course of action.

            (At this point in the meeting, all officers present, with the exception of the Chief Executive, the Director of Finance and Resources, the Director of Legal Services and the Business Improvement Consultants, left the room while this item was being discussed.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, 21 August 2009 granted approval for a trawl for voluntary redundancies (VR) as part of an organisational rightsizing exercise in preparation for the 2010/11 rate setting process.

      Committee was advised in November 2009, that as a result of this trawl, 64 applications had been received for VR and these were being evaluated against criteria/principles previously agreed by SP&R Committee.

      On 11 December 2009, Committee was advised that:

·         The 64 applications had been individually assessed against the payback period and criteria agreed by Committee and 25 applications were potentially acceptable.

·         The one off cost to the Council of releasing these 25 staff would be some £2.3 million. It was estimated that this initial investment would lead to staff savings of some £1 million each and every year (i.e. leading to £5m after 5 years), after making the structural changes needed to facilitate the release of some staff.

·         The estimated costs of implementing the VR exercise could be accommodated within the financial position for 2009/10.

      Members agreed to the voluntary redundancy exercise within the following parameters:

1.      25 staff to be released at a cost of £2.3M with a pay back of 2.3 years and a saving over 5 years of £5m.

2.      Net saving of £1M to be achieved in 2010/11;

3.      Total cost to be no more than £2.3M with a payback period of no more than 2.3 years;

4.      Supernumerary staff to be managed in a time bound manner and resolved by the end of the financial year;

5.      Reviews to be conducted and implemented in accordance with BCC HR policies and procedures;

6.      Trade Unions to be fully consulted and agreement sought in relation to all releases and structural changes;

7.      Further reports to be made to Committee on the progress of this exercise with final structures being reported to Committee for notation;

8.      Implement the completed Building Control review, given the costs and savings which have already been identified; and

9.      Delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance and Resources in consultation with the Budget and Transformation Panel, to release staff on voluntary redundancy, subject to the principles set out above and the final staff structures being established to achieve the savings required in the areas below:

·         Chief Executives and Legal Services Department;

·         Financial Services (considering future direction of efficiency and performance management) and BIS;

·         Parks and Leisure Business Support; and

·         Parks and Leisure Operational Management

·         Property Maintenance within Property and Projects

·         Building Control (previously reported to Committee Dec 2009)

      In addition, these reviews also support the strategic direction of the Council. 

Key Issues

      Since the 11 December 2009, the affected  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

            The Director of Legal Services reported that the Department of the Environment was undertaking a consultation exercise in relation to its proposals to make an Order for the purpose of dealing with indemnities for Members and officers.  The purpose of the proposed Order was to clarify the present uncertainty which existed in relation to the power of District Councils in Northern Ireland to provide indemnities to Members and officers for any personal liability which they might incur arising from actions or decisions taken by them in the course of their official duties, particularly where Members and officers had became involved with external bodies to which they had been appointed by their Councils.

            The Director indicated that the Department had set out a number of questions for consideration by consultees and draft responses to those questions, which he commended as the Council’s response to the consultation, were set out hereunder:

      “BelfastCity Council response to the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland consultation on the draft Local Government (Indemnities for Members and Officers) Order (NI) 2010.

Question 1:    Do you agree that Council should be able to indemnify all or such of their members or officers as they determine for liabilities incurred when they are acting by virtue of their membership of, or employment by, their councils and for the purpose of their councils?

                        The Council agrees that the power to indemnify specific individuals should be at the discretion of each council and should apply to circumstances in which members or officers act by virtue of their membership of, or employment by, their councils and for the purposes of their councils.

Question 2:    Do you agree with the above circumstances or are there other circumstances in which councils would want to provide indemnities and which should be covered by the 2010 Order?

                        The Council is content with the power set out in the draft legislation which provides that an indemnity may be provided in relation to any action of, or failure to act by, the member or officer in question, which:

(a)     is authorised by the council ; or

(b)    forms part of, or arises from, any functions conferred upon that member or officer, as a consequence of any function being exercised by that member or officer -

(i)      at the request of, or with the approval of the council, or

(ii)     for the purposes of the council

Question 3:    Are the restrictions on councils’ power to provide indemnities proposed above appropriate?

                        The Council is content with the suggested provisions.

Question 4:    Do you agree that the Department is right to:

-     limit indemnities from council reserves to situations where individuals have acted honestly and in good faith?

-     permit councils to insure against the risk that indemnities might be called upon?

-     prohibit councils from providing indemnities, either directly or through insurance, for the cost of starting proceedings for defamation?

                        The Council agrees that indemnities should not be provided where the action by or the failure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Purpose of Report

      To submit for the consideration of the Committee a report regarding proposed changes to the information which is published annually on the Council’s website relating to Members’ allowances and expenses.

Relevant Background Information

      The Former Policy and Resources (Members) Sub-Committee at its meeting on 4th August, 2003 agreed the nature and format of information to be published on the Council’s website relating to Members allowances, mileage claims and details of costs incurred by attending conferences and undertaking visits.

      The Sub-Committee approved the publication under the following headings:-

      Allowances

            Basic

            Attendance

            Special Responsibility

      Conferences/Visits

      Subsistence        (including the cost of accommodation and out of pocket expenses)

      Travel                   (by public transport or car)

      Conference Fees

      Travel Expenses

      Mileage, etc. to and from meetings

      The Sub-Committee agreed also that explanatory notes should be published in relation to each of the proposed headings outlining the nature of each payment and indicating that all of the costs were in accordance with relevant legislation, Council policies and procedures, that Allowances were subject to the normal Income Tax and National Insurance deductions and that expenses associated with attendance at conferences or for travel were related to the costs actually incurred and should not be considered as being of a financial benefit to Members.

      The Sub-Committee agreed also that locally-held training sessions and meetings such as boards of outside bodies, since they were part of the routine work of Councillors and were clearly distinguishable from conferences should not be included among lists of conferences attended.

      It was agreed that the information would be updated on an annual basis and that prior to publication each Member would be circulated with the information applicable to them personally to allow verification of the information being provided.

Current Position

      In accordance with the Sub-Committee’s decision, the information as authorised has been published on the Council’s website each year in June and has been included in the Council’s Publication Scheme. 

      Publication of the information in this manner has removed the need for the Council to respond to individual requests for information which the public is entitled to receive in regard to the above-mentioned items under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  It also permits the information to be collated on the basis of a full financial year which results in more consistent and accurate reporting of the financial information.

Key Issues

      Over the past number of months several Freedom of Information requests have been received from individuals seeking information about Members’ allowances and expenses.  It has been the practice to refer these individuals to the Council’s Publication Scheme and the information published annually.  Recently one such individual asked for the response to be reviewed on the basis that the information provided was not complete and not sufficiently up-to-date. 

      Having conducted a review as required under the Act, the Director of Legal Services concluded that publication of such information on an annual basis was not unreasonable, however, it was determined that the nature of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5b

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

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 11th December, it had considered a report concerning correspondence which had been received on 8th December from the Minster for Education inviting the Council to make nominations to the Transitional Board of the Belfast Education and Library Board, pending the establishment of the new Education and Skills Authority.  The Minister, in order to comply with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, had requested that two nominees be put forward for each of the four places to which the Council would be entitled.  The names of the eight nominees were to be sent to the Department by 16th December.

            The Head of Committee and Members’ Services pointed out that Members had been given two options to consider.  The first option had been to determine the Council’s representatives using a one-off selection process based on d’Hondt which resulted in the undernoted choice sequence:

SF                -  Choices 1, 5 and 7

DUP      -      Choices 2, 6 and 8

UUP      -      Choice 3

SDLP    -      Choice 4.

            The second option had been to take the view that the Council, at the commencement of the Council term, had already nominated fourteen representatives to the Belfast Education and Library Board using the d’Hondt process and if the Minister wished to reduce this figure from fourteen to four she should make her selections from that pool of Councillors.

            The Committee had agreed to nominate only four Members to the Belfast Education and Library Board and, based on the use of a one-off d’Hondt selection process, these had comprised one Member from each of the four main Party Groupings on the Council, that is, Sinn Féin, the Democratic Unionists, the Ulster Unionists and the Social Democratic and Labour Party Groupings.

            A letter advising the Minister of the Council’s decision and the names of the four nominees, Councillors Convery, Hartley, Rodgers and Rodway, had been emailed to her officials on 14th December.

            The Head of Committee and Members’ Services reported that further correspondence from the Minister had been received by the Council on 17th February.  In her letter, the Minister reiterated the need for the Council to nominate at least two nominees for each vacancy, claiming that to do otherwise might hold up the selection and appointment process.  She requested that the names of further nominees be forwarded to her by 19th February.

            The Head of Committee and Members’ Services indicated that the Committee had two options to consider.  Firstly, it could decide to confirm its original decision to nominate four Members only, or secondly, it could agree to provide four additional nominees based on the next four choices under the one-off d’Hondt process which had been run in December.  This would result in two further nominees from each of the Sinn Féin and Democratic Unionist Party Groupings, that is, choices 5 and 7 for Sinn Féin and choices 6 and 8 for the Democratic Unionist Party.

            The Committee agreed to affirm its decision  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5d

            The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting of the Budget and Transformation Panel of 9th February.

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Audit Panel of 15th February.

            The Committee was advised that a request for financial assistance had been received from the City of Belfast Youth Concert Band in relation to a tour of the United States of America.  The cost of the tour was approximately £90,000 and, while Members of the Band would be paying the majority of the expenses, sponsorship from third parties was being sought.

            A legal opinion had been obtained and the Council could, if it so wished, use Section 115 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 to make financial contributions of this nature.  The Committee had made similar donations to the Band and to the City of Belfast Youth Orchestra in the past and it was recommended that funding in the sum of £5,000 be awarded to the City of Belfast Youth Concert Band in respect of its tour of the United States of America.

            The Committee adopted the recommendation and

      Resolved – That expenditure of £5,000 in respect of the aforementioned tour be approved under Section 115 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, it being the opinion of the Committee that the expenditure would be in the interest of, and would bring direct benefit to, the District and the inhabitants of the District, with the Committee being satisfied that the direct benefit so accruing would be commensurate with the payments to be made.

            (Ms. R. Crozier, Head of Information Services Belfast, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee granted authority for the commencement of a tendering exercise for a cost-effective corporate information technology middleware solution, a software system which enabled the transmission of information between computer systems and electronic forms, at a cost of £50,000 for the initial purchase, with annual support costs of £10,000.  The Committee noted that the tenders would be evaluated using pre?determined criteria.

            The Chief Executive advised the Committee that the town of Belfast had been established formally by the grant of a charter by James I on 27th April, 1613, so in 2013 it would mark its 400th Anniversary.  That had prompted a renewed interest in the City’s history and the undertaking of important research, the findings of which were not yet available to the public.  Queen’s University of Belfast, in conjunction with the Liverpool Press, had proposed the production of a new multi?author history of Belfast, which would be edited by Professor Sean Connolly and modelled in part on the highly successful 800th anniversary history of Liverpool.  The last comprehensive history of Belfast had been published in the 19th Century.

            The new book would be comprehensive, be well illustrated and accessible and cost £15 for around 400 pages in the paperback edition.  For the first time, the history of Belfast from pre-history to the present would be addressed by a series of distinguished authors.  The book would enhance civic pride and citizen ownership in connection with the story of Belfast, past and current.  The book would be available in Autumn, 2012.  The financial model which had been proposed was based on each of the three partners providing £15,000.  Queen’s University was providing substantial input in terms of staff time and was seeking additional research funding externally.  The Council would receive a 12% royalty on each copy sold, which would recoup the costs if the print run was completely sold.  Additionally, the Council would receive 150 soft bound copies and 100 hard cover copies.

            Accordingly, it was recommended that the Committee agree to:

(i)   enter into a partnership with the Queen’s University of Belfast and the University of Liverpool Press to publish the 400th Anniversary History of Belfast; and

(ii)  provide £15,000 as the Council’s contribution to the costs of production and publishing.

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.

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

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The Committee may recall that, during its meeting of October 2009, a number of questions were raised by individual members in respect of matters concerning the security unit. These questions related to the provision of CCTV in the City Hall, working conditions in the Control Room and more general issues surrounding the unit’s operations. As a consequence, the Head of Facilities Management agreed to bring a report in early 2010 updating the Committee on all relevant issues and the relevant details are set out below.

      Industrial Relations

      Members will recall that a package of changes to numbers, working hours, duties, locations, pool cover, pay & grading and contractual overtime arrangements etc. was developed and put to staff by way of ballot in late 2009. The Security Officer grade (30 staff) voted overwhelmingly to accept the proposal and it was duly implemented. The Control Room grade (8 staff) initially rejected the proposal - largely due to issues around the requirement for some modest lone-working in the new shift structures - but in a subsequent ballot have recently also voted to accept the package, which has now been implemented. These changes will not only result in enhanced efficiency and flexibility but will also reduce overall overtime expenditure by approx. £75,000 per annum.

      CCTV infrastructure

      Most of the CCTV cameras in place inside the City Hall until 2007 were removed during the recent refurbishment. The opportunity was also taken at that time to enhance cabling in order to permit the use of IP-based CCTV cameras (meaning that the images could be viewed using standard internet protocols from anywhere with a broadband connection) and a provision of £225,000 was made in the capital programme to purchase replacement cameras and associated infrastructure and hardware. However, in the light of emerging financial constraints and the consequent need to re-prioritise the projects within the capital programme, the CCTV item was removed following discussions with the then Director of Corporate Services.

      This in turn meant that, for a relatively brief period of time, the building has had to operate with a ‘skeleton’ CCTV system which is limited in coverage and is clearly not ideal. However once this situation arose it became necessary to consider possible alternatives, and it has been identified that the BCC Waste Transfer Depot at Duncrue has a modern, relatively new and fully functional CCTV control matrix and associated equipment which has recently been decommissioned, as this property has now transferred to the corporate land-bank.

      We have sought and obtained permission to transfer this CCTV equipment to the City Hall, and this will allow us to provide CCTV coverage both inside and outside the building, providing coverage almost as comprehensive as before, and for a revenue cost of just £18,000 (including the purchase of some new high-resolution monitors etc). This equipment is IP-compatible and will therefore allow us to improve the system over  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7a

            It was reported that, in accordance with Standing Order 55 and the authority delegated to her, the Director of Finance and Resources had authorised the appointment of a number of individuals who were related to existing officers of the Council.

Noted.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      This report has three purposes:

(i)      to seek approval to apply for loan sanctions which are required for a number of capital schemes which are currently underway;

(ii)     to seek approval to hold party group briefings on the development of a process for the future prioritisation of capital projects; and

(iii)    to seek approval to progress four new schemes which are dependent on time bound funding

Key Issues

      (i) Loan Sanctions

      Members will be aware that there are four main ways to pay for schemes in the capital programme – grants, loans, capital receipts and revenue contributions.  In the case of loans, the Council must apply to the Department of Environment for a loan sanction. 

      At this point in time, 11 schemes totalling £5,925,750, which Members have previously agreed to progress, now need loan sanctions in order to ensure that the council’s cash flow position is sustained at acceptable levels.  A list of the schemes which require loan sanctions is provided at Appendix 1. 

      Members should note that the principal and interest payments on these loans have already been budgeted for as part of the rate setting process. 

      (ii) Prioritisation of the Future Capital Schemes

      Members will be aware that there are a number of proposals for new capital schemes which have yet to be considered by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.  The Director of Property and Projects has progressed these schemes through the ‘starting gate’ element of the ‘gates process’.  This means that the outline business case for each scheme is challenged in terms of business need and how it will contribute to meeting the priorities of the organisation.

      The gates process, however, only prioritises individual schemes and does not take into account the issue of affordability.  In essence, the Council will not be able to afford to do all these schemes which get through the first stages of gates process and therefore the Council needs to develop ways to prioritise schemes in the context of affordability.  It is therefore recommended that, on the return of the Director of Property and Projects, party group briefings are held to discuss the development of a prioritisation framework for future capital schemes. 

      (iii) Time Bound Grant Funded Schemes

      Within the list of new capital scheme proposals, there are four schemes which are dependent on grant funding which must be accessed before the end of March 2010 otherwise the funding opportunities will be lost. These Schemes have already passed the ‘starting gate’ part of the ‘gates process’ and permission is now sought to progress the schemes immediately to tender and implementation stage so that the grant funding can be accessed.  The council contribution to these schemes for 2010/11 would be financed through the £1m (yields £10m of borrowing) which the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed to hold in reserve for new capital schemes as part of the 2010/11 rate setting process. 

      These  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8a

            The Committee agreed that a special meeting, to which the Members of the Development Committee would be invited, be held in order to:

(i)   receive a presentation on the proposed Titanic Signature Project construction process;

(ii)  discuss the Memorandum of Understanding and associated governance arrangements; and

(iii)receive an update on the emerging proposals with regard to marketing and tourism activities in 2012 around the Titanic Product.

            The Committee agreed further that Party Group briefings on the Memorandum of Understanding should be undertaken.

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

            The Committee was advised that a request had been received for the use of the City Hall East Lawn on 29th April for one evening only as the venue for the opening act of the “Festival of Fools” event.  The Council’s Culture and Arts Unit felt that the event would offer a number of benefits, including:

·         providing a positive opportunity for people to come together in a celebratory atmosphere in a shared space;

·         providing a platform for the Council to raise awareness through the media of what it is doing to position Belfast as a City of Festivals; and

·         increasing footfall in the City centre, thereby helping to support the evening economy.

            The Festival was supported financially by the Council through an annual grant which was administered by the Culture and Arts Unit and, if approved, it was anticipated that the event would attract an audience of approximately 200-300.  All additional stewarding would be provided by the organisers at their expense and no access to the main building was required for the event itself, although the organisers would require access to an area of the building for changing facilities.  From a practical point of view, there would be minimal disruption to the normal routine within the grounds and there were no potential clashes with other scheduled events.

            The organisers would be required to provide the usual necessary assurances in that:

·         an appropriate level of indemnity in respect of loss, damage or personal injury would be provided for the Council;

·         the impact on the normal operation of the grounds would be minimal;

·         all incidental costs associated with the event, including additional stewarding costs, would be borne by the organisers; and

·         the lawns would be kept intact in so far as possible and any damage made good where necessary.

            The Committee agreed to accede to the request by the Belfast Community Circus for the use of the City Hall grounds for the purpose outlined, subject to the Director of Property and Projects being satisfied as to the level of indemnity and other necessary safeguards and obligations being provided by the organisers.

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

            The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting of the Memorabilia Working Group of 4th February.

            The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting of the Good Relations Partnership of 12th February and adopted the recommendations in respect of the following:

            Peace III Shared Cultural Space –

            Open Call for Projects in Line with

            Action 3.1 City of Festivals

            The Committee adopted the Partnership’s recommendation to approve:

·         implementation of the City of Festivals Programme and the publication of an open call for proposals for Shared Cultural Space Festival events in line with the assessment criteria;

·         the allocation of approximately £20,000 towards the development of the framework for sharing and associated festivals action plan and the delivery of an exchange programme; and

·         the Terms of Reference for external consultancy support in the assessment of the applications received at a cost of approximately £5,000.

            Templemore Avenue Artwork

            To provide funding, not to exceed £5,000, for the cost of an artist, community engagement and materials, 75% of which would be recouped under the District Council’s Good Relations Programme through the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, for the removal and replacement of a mural at Templemore Avenue.

            International Women’s Day

            The approval of expenditure of up to £3,000 associated with the holding of an International Women’s Day event on 8th March, 75% of the costs of which would be recouped under the Good Relations Programme through the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

            Networking Event

            The costs associated with the holding of a small reception for a networking event being organised by the Good Relations Unit which would be held on 2nd March.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      In September 1999, the Policy & Resources Committee agreed that a large number of plaques, previously displayed in the Robing Room and Reception Hall, should be moved to the East Entrance area, following the refurbishment of the Robing Room.  At that time, the Head of Civic Buildings reported that there were over 200 plaques in the City Hall collection, most of which had been presented to the Council by visitors; he noted that the collection was only going to increase.  He reported that they had been displayed at an inappropriate height and in no particular order and the Committee agreed that they should be grouped under Cities and Organisations, Naval and Regimental themes and repositioned in the East Entrance/East Staircase area.

      In 2002 an Advisory Panel of external experts was established to examine ways of achieving a more favourable balance of artworks and artefacts within the City Hall.  The Advisory Panel made a number of recommendations, reported to the Policy & Resources Committee in February 2003, including one that stated that ‘the large numbers of plaques in the east Entrance should be archived; they are of little historical or artistic value and could be replaced by items of greater merit’.

      In February 2004, the Policy & Resources Committee agreed that the plaques under the headings of Cities and Organisations (located on the ground floor East Entrance) should be archived but deferred consideration of those under the headings Naval and Regimental (located on the landing area of the staircase).

      All the remaining plaques (i.e. Naval and Regimental) were removed during the major refurbishment of the City Hall and at its meeting on 16 October 2009 the Memorabilia Working Group agreed that any decision to relocate them should be considered within the wider context of City Hall memorabilia and the fact that the East Entrance area had now been designated to be used for community exhibitions; the Working Group agreed that the plaques should not be replaced in the interim. 

      The decision of the Working Group not to replace the plaques was discussed at the meeting of the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee on 23 October and became the subject of a vote, when the Committee agreed to refer the question of the plaques back to the Memorabilia Working Group for further consideration.

      The Council, however, at its meeting on 2 November 2009, agreed that the plaques should be replaced on a temporary basis and that the Memorabilia Working Group give consideration to their location on a permanent basis.

      At the end of November, when the Remembrance Day commemoration events were over, the plaques were removed.  This led to discussion and a vote at the meeting of the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee on 11 December, since the Council minute had not defined what was meant by “temporary” and there had been genuine confusion over the issue.  The Committee was informed that, given the debate that had taken place at the Committee’s meeting on 23  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9c

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

Purpose

      To bring to the attention of the Strategic Policy & Resources Committee details of a further “Excellence and Choice” consultation by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (the Trust) on its future service delivery, this time in relation to Learning Disability Services in Belfast, and to present a draft response for further comment and endorsement.

Background

      Towards the end of 2008 the Trust issued the consultation: “New Directions: A Conversation On The Future Delivery Of Health And Social Care Services In Belfast” which set out its strategic thinking regarding future service delivery generally.  This consultation document builds on the thinking set out in New Directions and outlines the strategic direction and plans for the future of learning disability services in Belfast and at MuckamoreAbbey Hospital.  Some consultation has already taken place with people with learning disabilities and their families in developing the strategy. The purpose of the paper is to seek views on the strategic direction for adult learning disability services from the wider population.

Key Issues - Strategic Context

      Policy

      The regional policy for learning disability services is set out in the Equal Lives report (2005), developed as part of the Bamford review on mental health and learning disability, and in the subsequent Implementation Action Plan (2009) which sets out the Government’s proposals on how to take forward the recommendations of Equal Lives.  The strategic direction of the Belfast Trust as outlined in the consultation paper is in line with the recommendations in the government’s Action Plan.

      The Equal Lives report highlighted that people with a learning disability in Northern Ireland do not enjoy equality of opportunity and that they are often excluded from the opportunities that other citizens enjoy. 

      Financial Implications

      The Equal Lives report made 74 recommendations and the cost of implementing these in full was estimated at approximately £175 million over a fifteen to twenty year period.   Initially an extra £17m has been secured by the Minister of Health to begin this process over the 3-year period 2008/09 to 2010/11.   The Belfast Trust’s share of this is almost £3.8m.  The Belfast Trust currently has around £52m available annually from the Health and Social Care Board to support the delivery of adult learning disability services. However, the Trust has to achieve efficiency savings of 3% a year from 2008 – 2011 as well as managing an underlying deficit. This equates to £5m efficiency to be achieved over the 3-year period for adult learning disability services.   The Trust recognises that there will be challenges in delivering its vision for Learning Disability Services in the current financial climate and that the implementation of some of the proposed elements will rely on appropriate levels of funding being secured.   The Trust therefore aims to make the best use of existing resources and any new funding to invest in more modern services and achieve efficiencies in order to deliver the services that people with learning disabilities have said  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10a