Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Councillors Adamson and Lavery.

            The minutes of the meeting of 24th September were taken as read and signed as correct.  It was reported that those minutes had been adopted by the Council at its meeting on 4th October, subject to the amendment of the minutes under the headings:

(i)   “Belfast Telegraph Roadshow” to provide that no charge be levied on the Belfast Telegraph for the use of the City Hall; and

(ii)  “Use of the City Hall Grounds – Poster for Tomorrow Exhibition” to provide that those images relating to hanging be displayed in Room 130b located off the Robing Room on the first floor of the City Hall.

            The Committee was reminded that, as part of the Review of Public Administration process, a Transfer of Functions Working Group had been established, which comprised of senior officials from both central and local government and was chaired by the Chief Executive of Belfast City Council.  Its purpose was to examine the package of functions which were proposed to be transferred from central to local government and to provide greater clarity in terms of the scope of the transferring functions; the resources, or otherwise, attached to the functions; and to examine those operational issues which needed to be addressed prior to the transfer.

            The Chief Executive reported that that work had cumulated in the development of an initial draft baseline report which gave detailed consideration to those issues relating to each of the transferring function areas.  The report contained a number of critical issues, which related particularly to resources, which needed to be resolved in advance of any formal transfer of functions.  He pointed out that the recent deferral of a decision by the Northern Ireland Executive in respect of the future of the Review of Public Administration and the subsequent decision to hold elections to 26 and not 11 Councils in May, 2011 had further reinforced the uncertainty in regard to the transfer of functions.

            He stated that there was clearly a need for a continued political conversation in respect to any future prospect of transferring functions, the scope of such transfer and the operational and financial implications for Councils.  As part of its deliberations on the future of local government reform, it would be important that the Executive reaffirmed its commitment to the transfer of functions from central to local government and provided clarification on the proposed timetable for implementation.  Given the current economic climate, the pending departmental budgetary cuts and growing pressures on the public sector to do more with less, there was an opportunity to reconfigure the conversation with central government departments to focus on the need for and benefits of service integration at the local level.  There was a need also to explore potential scope for greater co-design and co-delivery of services.

            The Chief Executive reported that, in an attempt to initiate and/or inform such discussions, the Transfer of Functions Working Group had prepared the aforementioned report which provided an update on discussions to date, outlined the key outstanding issues which still needed to be addressed and presented a case for the need for greater service integration.  The report recommended also that consideration be given to the initiation of a number of integrated area-based pilots which would being together, for example, regeneration, planning, community development and economic development.  Such an approach would go towards strengthening the relationship between central and local government and could offer a managed response to dealing with the budgetary pressures facing the entire public sector whilst limiting the impact on services.  It would be the intention that the Transfer of Functions Report, subject to any proposed revisions by the Members, would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

            The Committee was reminded that, in order to facilitate the Review of Public Administration reform process, voluntary Transition Committees had been established in each of the proposed new eleven Council areas.  In terms of the Belfast Voluntary Transition Committee, it had been agreed that the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee would undertake that role with a second Committee meeting scheduled each month to deal with Transition-related business.

            The Chief Executive pointed out that the Transition Committees had been established to work towards setting up the new eleven Council model through the undertaking of the required preparatory work to facilitate the convergence of amalgamating Councils and the transfer of functions from central to local government.  That was intended to pave the way for the Statutory Transition Committees to be established in early 2010 in order to take key decisions in advance of the new Councils coming into effect in May, 2011.

            In order to support the work of the voluntary Transition Committees, the Department of the Environment had allocated a £150,000 annual transition grant to fund Members’ Allowances for participation on those Committees, that is, £2,700 Member Allowance per annum, the temporary appointment of a Change Management Officer and any support costs directly associated with the Review of Public Administration transition process.  The Chief Executive informed the Committee that he had received recently a letter from the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, MLA, informing Councils that, given the absence of clarity on the way forward for the Review of Public Administration and the current financial pressures facing the Department, a decision had been taken to suspend the funding for voluntary Transition Committees with effect from 31st October, 2010.  The Minister had indicated also that the funding for Change Managers would continue up until 31st March, 2011 in order to support Councils in their endeavours to find potential efficiency savings and that the established Review of Public Administration implementation structures, for example, the Strategic Leadership Board and Policy Development Panels, would be stood down with immediate effect.

            He reminded the Committee that, while the decision to schedule a second monthly meeting of the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee had been predicated on dealing with transition/modernisation-related business, the Members might wish to consider retaining the two meetings per month until the end of the financial year as scheduled.  That would provide the Committee with further scope to consider important corporate issues such as the development of the new Corporate Plan, financial planning and efficiency, capital programme, city investment, performance management, organisational development, alongside other routine Committee business.  Alternatively, the Committee might wish to consider reverting back to the position prior to the establishment of the Voluntary Transition Committee whereby there would be only one scheduled Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting per month.

            After discussion, the Committee:

(i)   noted the removal of funding for the Council’s Voluntary Transition Committee with effect from 31st October;

(ii)  agreed that a letter be issued to the Environment Minister outlining the Council’s concerns  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

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

“Relevant Background Information

1.1       The Council is statutorily obliged to set a district rate by 14 February every year.  It is important to note that the rates bill received by ratepayers contains two principal elements.  The first is the district rate which is set and received by local Councils.  The district rate accounts for 45% of the total rates bill.  The second element is the regional rate which is set and received by the Northern Ireland Executive and this accounts for the remaining 55%.  In terms of the district rate, this provides 74% of the total funding of Council activities; the remaining amount comes from fees, charges, derating support and specific grants.

1.2.      The rates bill, including both the district and regional elements, is levied by the Land and Property Service (LPS) which is an executive agency of the Department of Finance and Personnel.  Rates are a property tax, based on the valuation (the NAV) of how much the property would be rented for in the case of business premises, and how much it would be sold for (capital value) in the case of domestic premises.

1.3.      Each year, normally in November, the LPS will issue to local Councils an estimate of how much it expects to raise from the total rate collected from their area.  This amount is known as the estimated penny product (EPP).  Economic conditions obviously play a major role in the growth or decline of the rate base.  In times of economic prosperity the rate base will normally rise, whilst in times of recession the rate base will fall as businesses close and the level of bad debt increases.  However neither of these things happen immediately as it takes time for new properties to be put on the rate base and similarly it takes time for properties to come off the valuation list.

1.4.      Members will note that the amount to be collected by way of the rate is always an estimate.  This means that once the rate is actually collected for the year of account, an actual penny product (APP) will be established and a finalisation figure will be provided by the LPS to the Council.  This will mean either that less has been collected than estimated, in which case the Council will be required to pay money back to the LPS, or more has been collected than estimated, which means that the LPS will pay a balance payment to the Council.  Members will be happy to note that the finalisation figure for 2009/10 has now been received from the LPS and shows a slight positive surplus of around £200k.

1.5.      Apart from the notification of the EPP and APP the other main variables in setting the rate are the agreement of:

(i)      the departmental estimates

(ii)     the level of the capital programme

(iii)    the level of the city investment strategy

(iv)   special contingency budgets, eg Waste Plan  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

1.0       The purpose of this paper is to outline the current status of the Capital Programme and to seek approval for a number of urgent schemes.  The report will also provide Members with an indication of potential future schemes that could proceed depending on Members’ decisions relating to the level of rate and the amount of loan finance it would support.

Context

1.1       In order for a capital scheme to get underway in accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders and Financial Regulations two fundamental decisions are required by SP&R Committee:

(a)     Departmental Committees will consider schemes and request the SP&R Committee to approve the scheme as part of the indicative capital programme and

(b)    the SP&R Committee must separately make available funding for the scheme as part of the Council’s overall financial planning – through agreeing the level of the rate and/or through agreeing some other type of funding packages such as Grant Aid

            Depending on the type of project there may be a number of other Committee and Council decisions such as particular options, grant submissions etc, associated with the financing of the project.

            The Capital Programme therefore consists of three types of projects:

1.2       Committed and funded

            These are projects that have been approved by the Departmental Committee, Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and Council and for which loan funding has been made available through provision in the rates or other means.  The vast majority of these schemes are underway and will be completed in the next few years.  At list of the current committed and funded schemes has been circulated for the information of the Members.

1.3       Committed but not yet funded

            These are projects which have been approved by the SP&R Committee and Council but for which funding in terms of rate increases to support borrowing have not yet been agreed.  A proposal to make provision of £700k is built into the zero rate scenario, which if accepted would permit these schemes to proceed.  Schemes included here are projects deemed necessary in the coming years eg cemetery provision, mercury abatement at the crematorium, Dunville and Woodvale Parks etc.  A list of these schemes has been circulated. 

1.4       Uncommitted and unfunded

            These projects are schemes that the various standing committees and departments would like to progress.  The projects are being worked through the Gates process which challenges the need, the scope and addresses necessary economic appraisal issues should the SP&R Committee give approval to fund loans.  The process to date has refined this list of schemes and further decisions are needed by Members on prioritisation and the implications for the setting of the rate.  A list of these schemes has been circulated.

2.0       Finance Position

2.1       The committed and funded projects loan requirement will be £45m by 2011/12.  If the committed and unfunded projects are also funded the loan requirement would rise to £62m by 2015/16 based on current estimates of project  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

            The Committee agreed that a report in relation to the City Hall – Major Works Programme be submitted to a future meeting.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      As discussed at Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 24 September, there is a potential forecast underspend of £2.9m in 2010/11. Given the early stage of the year it was agreed that up to £1.9m of this underspend is subject to debate at this stage, with any remaining underspend considered at a later point in the year, when the financial position is clearer.

      In terms of the utilisation of the £1.9m forecast underspend to be discussed at the moment, it was agreed that Members would take into account:

(a)     that this is an in year underspend which should be utilised to support one off revenue initiatives rather than ongoing revenue expenditure, to avoid an implication for the 2011/12 rates setting exercise; and

(b)    in order to maximise the benefit for the 2011/12 rates setting exercise, it would be preferable if such one off revenue initiatives either pulled expenditure forward into 2010/11 from 2011/12 (eg. invest in reserves in 2010/11 rather than as part of 2011/12 rates setting etc ) or lowered the cost base of the council in 2011/12 (invest to save type initiatives); and

(c)     the monies must be capable of being planned for and spent by 31 March 2011

      It was agreed that Strategic Policy and Resources Committee would consider a report on specific proposals for the utilisation of the £1.9m underspend at its meeting on 22 October 2010 and Members were asked to liaise with officers regarding any such proposals.

Key Issues

      Proposals for Utilisation of £1.1m of the 2010/11 Underspend

      A range of proposals have been developed for the consideration of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee which would utilise some £1.1m of the underspend. These are set out in the table below and are described more fully in the appendix which has been circulated for the information of the Members.

      As set out in Appendix 1, the specific utilisation of the Investment proposals would be worked up with the relevant Standing Committee, if approval is given by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee to proceed on this basis.

      Implications for Rates Setting for 2011/12

      Together these saving proposals are estimated to make some £700k savings available for consideration as part of the 2011/12 rates setting process and would provide additional services in relation to local areas and derelict properties. For information, £700k of savings could finance £7m of capital expenditure. Given the mid point of the year, approval is sought for the above proposals so that the savings can be achieved for 2011/12 and/or the services provided by 31 March 2011.

      Consideration of the Remaining £0.8m Underspend at this time

      Strategic Policy and Resources Committee agreed on 24 September that up to £1.9m  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

            The Committee approved the minutes of the meeting of the Budget and Transformation Panel of 14th October.

            The Committee noted the contents of a report which provided details in relation to the Council’s current debt position, together with proposals for improvements to the billing and collection of outstanding accounts.  The Committee noted also the advice of the Town Solicitor regarding the provision of services to companies whose directors were also directors of a company in liquidation which owed amounts to the Council.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report which had been submitted by the Director of Property and Projects in relation to the City Investment Strategy:

“1.0     Relevant Background Information 

1.1       There is no doubt that the current economic climate and budgetary pressures (squeeze) facing the entire public sector within Northern Ireland will have an adverse impact upon the future level of investment within the City.  It should be noted that central government departments are anticipating cuts of 8% in flat cash term over the next CSR period, which will amount to around 20% in real terms.  The biggest cut however is anticipated in capital expenditure with reductions of up to 40% being anticipated over the period.  This will undoubtedly affect the level of public investment in the city.

1.2       City investment is important in terms of the City tax base (i.e. rates), the Council’s principal source of income.  Investing in necessary infrastructure also provides a platform for growing the City’s economic competitiveness, while the rates growth allows enhancement of public service delivery and further improvements to quality of life.

1.3       Despite the recent economic downturn, the Council has continued to invest in the development of the City including, for example, the recent refurbishments of the City Hall and Ulster Hall as part of its capital programme, and continued investment in new and improved facilities and services (e.g. leisure, community development, community safety, waste and recycling, parks and open spaces, supporting good relations etc.).  The Council has also developed a City Investment Fund to support major projects that will leave a lasting legacy for future generations. 

2.0       Key Issues

2.1       Belfast has benefited substantially from the amount of private and public investment in the city over the past 5 years.  However the present recession, coupled with the cut in public expenditure, poses a real threat to continued investment.  In these circumstances real civic leadership is now required from the Council to engage with Government and work with individual departments in a mutual endeavour to support further investment in the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the city.

2.2       The commitment of the Council in investing in the continued development of the City was highlighted with a recent notice of motion moved at Council by Councillor Rodway on 5th October, - ‘This Council acknowledges that the United Kingdom is facing the most severe economic downturn for many decades and that, in such times, there is an obligation on the Council to retain its vision of strategic, equitable and sustainable development of the City.  To this end, the Council recognises that adequate funding needs to be made available in the medium to long term and accordingly agrees to plan for year upon year increases in the Council reserves’.  It was agreed that the Notice of Motion would be passed to the Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

2.3       Two important levers which underpin the Council’s continued investment within the City is its Capital Programme and City Investment Fund.

            1.   Capital Programme

·         Funded through rates  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11a

            The Committee was reminded that at the Council meeting on 4th October, the undernoted Notice of Motion had been proposed by Councillor Rodway and seconded by Councillor W. Browne:

      “This Council acknowledges that the United Kingdom is facing the most severe economic downturn for many decades and that, in such times, there is an obligation on the Council to retain its vision of strategic, equitable and sustainable development of the City.  To this end, the Council recognises that adequate funding needs to be made available in the medium to long term and accordingly agrees to plan for year upon year increases in the Council reserves.”

            In accordance with Standing Order 11e, the Motion stood referred without discussion to the Committee.

            The Committee noted the details of the Motion and that this would be taken into account in considering the Council’s Revenue Estimates and Capital Programme.

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

(i)   manned security guarding for Council-owned properties, at a cost of approximately £885,000 per annum, for a two-year period, with an option to extend for a further one year period;

(ii)  stewarding of events, in the sum of approximately £60,000 per annum, for a period of two years, with an option to renew for a further one year;

(iii)a first response/key holding service for a period of two years, with an option to renew for a further one year period.  The approximate cost of which would be £16,000 per annum; and

(iv)the supply and delivery of stationery supplies and computer print consumables for a maximum period of three years.

            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 considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The Committee, at its meeting on 20th August, agreed that a report be submitted for its consideration concerning the possible extension of the d’Hondt system of proportionality to the offices of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor.

      The Council has for a number of years accepted the principle of proportionality for the allocation of places on Committees and on outside bodies and for the allocation of Chairmanships and Deputy Chairmanships of Committees and these arrangements are included in the Council’s Standing Orders.  However, the election of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor is not currently included in the proportionality arrangements and it could be argued that it would be in keeping with the principle of proportionality to extend the scheme to cover the Civic Dignitaries.  If the Committee were minded to include these positions within the proportionality arrangements, then it would be necessary to do so at the beginning of a Council Term.  Elections to the new Council are expected to be held in May, 2011.

Key Issues

      Unlike the appointment of Members to Committees and outside bodies, or the allocation of Chairmanships and Deputy Chairmanships of Committees, the election of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor is subject to statutory regulation.  Section 11 (1) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 makes it a requirement for these positions to be ‘elected’ annually by the Council and, in order to fulfil this requirement, it is necessary for the election of the Lord Mayor and the Deputy Lord Mayor to appear as separate items on the summons for the Annual Council Meeting.  The introduction of proportionality to the process cannot override this legal obligation. 

      The Committee would, however, be entitled to establish a protocol as to how the election of the Civic Dignitaries should be administered.  After the Local Government Elections, officers meet with the Party Group Leaders to decide on the allocation of Committee places, the appointment of Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Committees and the appointment of Members to outside bodies.  At the moment, these appointments are dealt with in separate ‘pools’ and the d’Hondt system is used to allocate the order of choices to Party Groups, based upon their strength within the Council.  Should the Committee so wish, the identification of the Party Groups entitled to nominate Members to fill the positions of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor on an annual basis for the full 4-year term could be determined as a separate ‘pool’ at the same meeting of Party Group leaders.  This would give 8 places (4 Lord Mayors and 4 Deputy Lord Mayors) over the 4-year term.

      As pointed out earlier, the Member allocated to each position each year would still require to be formally ‘elected’ at the Annual Council meeting and the protocol cannot prevent a Member of Council from nominating a different Member at the Annual meeting.  In such circumstances, a vote would have to be taken at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

            The Democratic Services Manager submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      Members will recall that the Committee, at its meeting on 22^nd January, 2010, agreed in principle to the provision of a system to facilitate the live streaming of Council meetings on the internet, subject to a further report setting out the costs being submitted for its consideration in due course.

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 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. 

      However, the Committee will be mindful of the current challenging financial environment and the need to exercise prudence and to challenge costs which are to be incurred by the Council.

      If Belfast City Council decides to proceed with the live streaming and archiving of Council meetings it would be the first Council to do so in Northern Ireland and would be showing leadership to other Councils.

      Whilst it remains vital that Belfast City Council continues to develop its progressive approach to the traditional forms of communications, it would now appear to be appropriate for the Council to consider investing more time and resources in new channels of communications, particularly with younger and older audiences which are regarded as harder to reach.

      Following initial research, primarily with the Northern Ireland Assembly and DublinCity Council, in respect of their live streaming and archiving systems, it has been identified that there is a diverse range in relation to the type of systems available.  The following outlines the options which are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

            The Committee was reminded that elections to both the Local Councils and to the Northern Ireland Assembly were scheduled to be held in 2011.  In addition, a national referendum would also be held regarding the introduction of changes to the method of voting at General Elections.

            The Democratic Services Manager stressed the importance of these events being co-ordinated as much as possible.  The current position was that the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly would be held on the first Thursday in May, that is, 5th May, 2011.  The Northern Ireland Office had indicated that the setting of the date for the Local Council Elections would be included in a General Amendment Order which would be led before Parliament in the Autumn.  It was anticipated that that date would also be set for 5th May, 2011.  The date of the national referendum would appear in the Bill to be introduced to Parliament and, again, it was anticipated that the referendum would also be held on the same date.  That would mean that Thursday, 5th May, 2011 would see elections to both the Local Councils and the Northern Ireland Assembly, together with the holding of the national referendum.

            He pointed out that, until the dates of the election and referendum had been confirmed, it was difficult to predict what might happen at the close of poll.  However, assuming that all three events were held on 5th May, then it was anticipated that all papers from the two elections and the referendum would be held in a secure location overnight.  On the morning of 6th May all ballot boxes would be opened for the verification process to take place.  When that had been completed the ballot boxes for the two elections and the referendum would be separated and, potentially, taken to different count venues.

            The timing of the referendum count would have to be the same throughout the United Kingdom and was still being considered by the Chief Counting Officer.  Any decision reached might impact on the timing of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Local Council counts.  Setting the referendum count aside, it was anticipated that the Assembly count would commence on the afternoon of Friday, 6th May and be completed by the evening of Saturday, 7th May.  The Local Council counts would commence on the morning of Monday, 9th May, and in Belfast, conclude on Tuesday, 10th May.  As indicated earlier, the decision of the Chief Counting Officer with regard to the timetable for the counting of the referendum might impact upon the other timings.

            The Democratic Services Officer pointed out that a General Amendment Order was expected to be laid before Parliament in November to establish the date of the Local Council Elections.  It was anticipated that the Order would also make some changes to the law governing Local Elections.  At the moment, the extent of those changes was unknown.  A further report would be presented to the Committee once details had become available.  In addition, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

            The Committee was advised that the National Association of Councillors was holding its Annual General Meeting and Conference in Leeds from Friday, 26th until Sunday, 28th November.  The theme of this year’s conference was “Working with the New Coalition Government.”  The conference would consider how local government could best work in partnership with the new administration at Westminster in order to maximise benefits for its citizens.  The conference would also include a “Question Time” session which would consist of a panel of members of parliament from all the major Parties and a leading journalist.  The cost per delegate of attending was approximately £615.

            The Committee authorised the attendance at the Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, the Council’s representatives on the National Association of Councillors, Northern Ireland Region, the Democratic Services Manager (or their nominees) and a representative of the Party Groupings on the Council not represented by the aforementioned Members.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report in relation to land at Slievegallion Drive:

“Purpose

      To consider the decision of the Parks & Leisure Committee of 14 October 2010 in relation to land at Slievegallion Drive.

Relevant Background Information

      A report was taken to the Parks & Leisure Services Committee on 14 October 2010 regarding the site of the former Social Security Offices at Slievegallion Drive which adjoins Council owned land at Slievegallion Drive.

      That report set out the various issues in relation to an initial expression of interest previously made by the Council to LPS in respect of this site, with a view to potentially developing this site together with the Councils existing land, for the purpose of a 3rs generation Gaelic hybrid pitch, changing facilities and car parking.  This was on the basis that further detailed consideration would be required in terms of working up costs, ascertaining its strategic fit with the emerging Pitches Strategy and affordability and prioritisation within the Council’s Capital Programme.

      However, the NIHE via their nominated Housing Association is also interested in acquiring the site for social housing purposes and North & West Housing Association has been nominated to develop the site in the event that they can acquire the lands.  DSD have indicated that funding would be available for site acquisition in this financial year although North & West Housing Association have indicated that as their acquisition would be subject to planning and appointment of design team etc it is essential that they commence this process within the next couple weeks

      Given the site’s suitability for housing, LPS have confirmed that the value of the site will be based on housing value and not open space/recreational values.  The indicative site valuation provided by LPS is £1M/£1.25M.  It should also be noted that there are considerable differences in level between the Council’s land & the subject site, which would result in significant increased development costs & a requirement for retaining structures as well as ball stop & additional perimeter fencing.

      Detailed costings to acquire & develop this site can only be prepared when there is more clarity on nature & specification of any facilities to be provided and an agreed valuation for the site. However, indicative figures at this stage would indicate a cost of circa £3.5/£3.7M which reflects that the land value will be based on housing land values; development of a 3^rd generation hybrid pitch (with additional costs due to level differentials between the two sites), retaining structures, changing facilities, and demolition of the existing offices.   In addition, empty rates would be payable in respect of the social security offices pending demolition.

      LPS have advised that a Ministerial Briefing was held recently in respect of this site and following this it was agreed that, in light of the two competing interests, a timetable must be put in place to ensure that the decision making process of assessing which interested party has the greatest need is completed as soon as possible.  LPS have advised that the Council are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

            The Committee was advised that the Parks and Leisure Committee, at its meeting on 14th October, had approved the grant of a 99 year lease to Northern Ireland Water to allow them to install two cabinets, a large access cover and a ventilation shaft adjacent to the main gates in Ormeau Park.  The total area of the land to be leased, including a short access path, which was to be installed by Northern Ireland Water, was approximately 42 square metres and the company had agreed to pay the Council a sum of £500 for the grant of the lease.

            In accordance with Standing Order 60, the Committee approved the grant of the 99 year lease to Northern Ireland Water and granted the right-of-way access.

            In accordance with Standing Order 60, the Committee was advised that the Parks and Leisure Committee, at its meeting on 14th October, had agreed to approve the grant of a short-term temporary Licence Agreement to Ms. M. Hunter for the use of part of the Ormeau Park Bowling Pavilion, subject to the Agreement operating no later than March, 2011.  The use was required for a childcare playgroup on three mornings per week at a Licence fee of £110 per week.

            The Committee approved the terms outlined.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0       Relevant Background Information

1.1       The City Hall is the most prestigious building in the city of Belfast and is one of the most instantly recognisable symbols of the city. It has a unique, iconic status and is very much seen as the ‘heart of the city’. Constructed at the turn of the 20th century, it was opened officially in 1906 and celebrated its centenary in 2006. It was closed temporarily in October 2007 for a period of 2 years for an £11m refurbishment programme and was reopened in October 2009.  It is a Grade A listed building. 

1.2       The City Hall is a working building which is in daily use as the civic headquarters of the Council. One of its key uses is to facilitate the 51 Elected Members of the Council in their role as civic leaders for the city. It also provides an office base for approximately 200 staff as well as offering a number of services to the public including a new exhibition area, visitor information point and coffee-shop. It also houses the Birth, Deaths and Marriages suite. 

1.3       The building has three prestigious function rooms, namely the Great Hall, the Banqueting Hall and the Reception Hall, all of which are heavily booked for both civic and non-civic functions.  These rooms typically generate around 600 functions per annum, attracting over 30,000 guests each year. There are also exhibitions occasionally held in the City Hall.  The grounds of the City Hall are frequently used for high profile public events including the Christmas and Spring Continental markets. The City Hall is open to the public Monday to Saturday and offers public tours with tour numbers and participants increasingly significantly over the past number of years

2.0       Key Issues

2.1       The City Hall is the Council’s most high profile and impressive asset; however, due to historic reasons and with the passing of time the lines of accountability and responsibility for the use and management of the building and its grounds have become blurred. There are no explicit, transparent policy frameworks in place for a number of key areas in relation to the management of the City Hall including –

-     the booking of functions rooms which has led to a degree of confusion over who is responsible for what – for both internal and external events. 

-     the charging for room hire

-     the catering of events

-     the use of the grounds

            This lack of clarity re accountability and responsibility is a high risk for the Council.

2.2       Many of the functions held in the City Hall are non-civic and booked by external organisations.  In such circumstances, approval is based on compliance with a number of fairly general and somewhat dated criteria.  Members will note that complaints have recently been received from the commercial sector, asserting that providing free access to the City Hall is unfairly and unnecessarily depriving local businesses of commercial opportunities. 

2.3       At present there is no income generated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24.

            The Committee was reminded that the Council, as part of the City Investment Strategy, had agreed to co-ordinate the acquisition of lands to enable the Connswater Community Greenway programme to proceed.  The Council would secure rights over the land needed for the Greenway and would be responsible for the management and maintenance of that land and any assets on it.  The Greenway would have to be accessible for forty years to comply with the Big Lottery Fund letter of offer, although the intention was to secure rights for longer if possible.  Subsequently, the Big Lottery Fund had agreed to the Council becoming the employer and authority had been granted by the Committee, at its meeting on 24th September, for the Chief Executive to sign the transfer agreement on the Council’s behalf.  The contract for the construction of the Greenway had been awarded to SIAC/Galliford Try and it was intended that the Council would become the employer and take ownership of the contract by November, 2010.

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that the first phase of construction would be from Cregagh Glen to Montgomery Road, with work programmed to commence on 1st December, 2010.  Under the terms of the contract, the Project Manager needed to be in a position to hand over the land within the extent of works for that section to the contractor on that date.

            It was reported that there were two areas of land which had been identified as being required to help complete the Greenway route and associated landscaping:

(i)   the first was an area of 2.54 acres of land at Cregagh Glen and Council officers had agreed to purchase the land from a Mrs. Rea at a cost of £14,115.  At this stage, Mrs. Rea’s solicitor had not been able to provide Legal Services with title to a portion of the lands and they would need to do further title checks prior to accepting a statutory declaration to the effect that Mrs. Rea and her predecessor in title had occupied the said lands to the exclusion of all others since 1920.

      Since there might not now be enough time before 1st December, 2010 to complete the conveyancing and put in place the statutory declaration, officers had proposed that the Council take a Licence to allow the contractor to access the land with effect from 1st December, 2010.  The Licence would terminate on formal completion of the acquisition of the land from Mrs. Rea; and

(ii)  an area of 0.534 acres of land at Glen Side, off the Upper Knockbreda Road.  Council officers had agreed to purchase that area of land from Castlereagh Borough Council for £8,010.  On checking the title it had become apparent that the developer of adjoining land had wrongly registered part of Castlereagh Borough Council’s land within the adjoining folio.  Both Parties had recognised the error and were taking steps to have the matter rectified, following which the land would be transferred to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

            The Director of Property and Projects submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“Purpose of Report

      The purpose of this paper is to update Members on the reopening of the Peace III Priority 2.1 ‘Creating Shared Public Spaces’ call for capital projects.

Relevant Background Information

      Last month’s Strategic P&R Committee was informed that SEUPB intended to reopen the call for bids under Priority 2.1 ‘Creating Shared Public Spaces’ of the Peace III programme. Members are asked to note that SEUPB formally reopened this call on 1st October with a closing date for applications on MONDAY, 17th JANUARY 2011.

      Under this priority SEUPB is seeking strategic physical project submissions that can be easily recognised as a Peace III project after the programme completes in 2015.  The central issue that projects need to demonstrate is their ability to deliver peace and reconciliation outcomes and to be iconic, transformational projects that would provide a lasting legacy to the PEACE III programme. All monies under this call have to be committed by December 2013 and spent by 2015 so the timescales are extremely tight for capital projects.

      Members agreed last month that it was important that the learning from the previous rounds of Peace III applications is taken on board if any new projects are submitted under this reopened call. The application process is an onerous one and the Council weakens it chances of success with the submission of multiple bids. It was therefore agreed that the Council should only submit 1 or 2 very well defined projects under this call in order to maximise its  chances of a getting a successful application under this call. 

      Members were also reminded that previous Council led submissions have failed on their capacity to be iconic, transformational and have had an insufficient focus on peace and reconciliation. Therefore it is vital that any projects which are submitted under this call need to –

-     clearly demonstrate their peace and reconciliation outcomes

-     be iconic and transformational

-     provide a lasting legacy to the Peace programme in Northern Ireland,

-     clearly identify the need for the project and be fully worked up and costed

      Members also agreed to the establishment of a short term Member Group to develop an influencing strategy and make use of the existing Member experience with SEUPB.

      Members will recall that the Council submitted 4 applications under the last call for this Priority in November 2009. Of these 3 were rejected by SEUPB – the Sports Village at the North Foreshore, the North Belfast Cultural Corridor and the Gasworks Bridge while the Girdwood Community Hub application was deferred pending further information.  Members are asked to note that work on the Girdwood Hub submission is continuing.

Key Issues – Reopening of the call 

      Update on Projects

      Following the SP&R Committee meetings in August and September and the Party Group briefings on the new Corporate Plan in early September, Members have identified a number of projects that could potentially be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

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

            The Committee approved and adopted the minutes of the meeting of the Good Relations Partnership of 15th October.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The Committee will be aware that this long-awaited document Cohesion, Sharing and Integration (CSI) was launched by the First and Deputy First Ministers at the end of July 2010 for public consultation.  The draft programme outlines the proposed framework for co-ordination across Government Departments for action against sectarianism and racism and aims to ‘build a shared and better future for all based on fairness, equality, rights, responsibilities and respect’.

      The CSI document lists a series of goals for achieving this future, including, in summary:

·         addressing physical divisions at interfaces

·         ensuring the safety of vulnerable groups

·         tackling visible manifestations of racism and sectarianism

·         zero tolerance for hate crime attacks

·         promoting equality and tackling disadvantage

·         providing shared spaces

·         celebrating cultural diversity

·         better frameworks for dealing with parades and protests etc.

      The intention is that the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFM/DFM) will drive the agenda by co-ordinating input from all government departments and agencies (e.g. councils, community and voluntary sector) involved in its delivery. The importance attached to the programme by the Executive is signalled by the fact that its implementation will be overseen by a Ministerial Panel chaired by OFM/DFM Ministers and cross-departmental activities will be co-ordinated through a Senior Officials’ Steering Group.

      The paper lists a number of ‘themes for action’ which include:

·         ensuring that good relations considerations are embedded in all government policy making

·         reducing and eventually eliminating segregated services

·         addressing interfaces and encouraging shared neighbourhoods.

Key Issues

      This corporate response is in the format set out by the OFM/DFM and was compiled from comments received from a number of Departments, since the CSI document refers to a wide range of issues – people and places, young people, community safety, local communities etc. 

      A series of public meetings was held as part of the consultation process and the Belfast meeting attracted an audience of over 100, despite it being held on a wet Monday evening.  This level of attendance reflects the widespread interest in the proposals and general support for greater dialogue, agreement and joint working in tackling these serious issues, which continue to erupt into open violence, as demonstrated in events in Belfast over the past summer. 

      Members will be aware from media comments that the CSI document has already been widely criticised as being very aspirational in nature, full of good intentions and impressive sound bites^[1] but light on detail regarding detailed mechanisms of delivery and incorporating few references to timescales or resources.  There are many references to survey results e.g. from the NI Life & Times, rather than hard data on the actual cost of division and dual provision. 

      The paper stresses the need to share space and services and concentrating on the potential economic benefits of greater sharing of public facilities in an era of increasingly scarce public resources could be more clearly highlighted.  Last week, Owen Paterson, Secretary of State, said at a Conservative Party Conference fringe meeting that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

            (Mrs. S. Wylie, Director of Health and Environmental Services, attended in connection with these items.)

            The Committee was advised that the Department of Justice was currently in the process of developing a Justice Bill for Northern Ireland and had issued a consultation document on the Equality Impact Assessment for the proposed Bill.

            The Committee agreed to the holding of a briefing session on the draft Justice Bill and that a Senior representative of the Department of Justice be invited to that meeting to provide an overview of the relevant aspects of the draft Bill.

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      On 27 May 2010, the Northern Ireland Executive published a second Sustainable Development Strategy entitled ‘Everyone’s Involved’. In doing so, the Executive determined that the Strategy should function as a high-level, enabling document to be used to inform the decisions and actions of those groups progressing the sustainable development agenda across Northern Ireland. Within Northern Ireland, responsibility for sustainable development rests with the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM).

      Within the Strategy document, the Executive identified a range of organisations that have a critical contribution to make towards sustainable development, including district councils. By way of amplification, the Strategy refers to the local authority statutory duty to promote sustainable as articulated via Section 25 of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006, which requires councils to exercise their functions in the manner best calculated to promote the achievement of sustainable development.

      The Strategy contains also a range of priority areas for action as follows:-

1.   Building a dynamic innovative economy that delivers the prosperity required to tackle disadvantage and lift communities out of poverty.

2.   Strengthening society so that it is more tolerant, inclusive and stable and permits a positive progress in the quality of life for everyone.

3.   Driving sustainable long-term investment in key infrastructure to support economic and social development.

4.   Striking an appropriate balance between the responsible use and protection of our natural resources in support of better quality of life and a better quality environment.

5.   Ensuring reliable, affordable and sustainable energy provision and reducing our carbon footprint.

6.   Ensuring the existence of a policy environment that supports the overall advancement of sustainable development in and beyond government.

      In order to ensure an appropriate commitment towards these priority action areas, OFMDFM has developed a supporting Implementation Plan, outlining specific actions to be taken by central government departments, local authorities and a range of other non-governmental organisations.

      The Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is advised that the draft Implementation Plan, which has been issued for consultation, is not a finished document but instead comprises a detailed list of individual actions presented in spreadsheet format. OFMDFM has indicated that this is an interim arrangement, designed to stimulate discussion around what the final Implementation Plan should contain. Accordingly, OFMDFM has

requested that consultees consider the suitability of actions to be undertaken by government departments, district councils and non-governmental bodies. In addition, consultees have been invited to propose metrics for measuring progress towards sustainable development.

      OFMDFM has requested that consultee comments be forwarded using a standardised response template and has advised that they are to be received by 29 October 2010.

Key Issues

      In order to ensure that the local government contribution is recognised appropriately within the Implementation Plan, Solace and NILGA requested that the Council’s Sustainable Development Manager represent all 26 Councils on the Ministerial led Sustainable Development Strategy Implementation Plan Steering Group.

      The Steering Group is an informal and ad-hoc  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

            A Member referred to the recent death of the father the former Head of Committee and Members’ Services, Mr. L. Steele, and to the death the Leading Northern Ireland Press Photographer, Mr. John Harrison, MBE.

            The Committee agreed that letters of condolence expressing its sympathies be forwarded to Mr. L. Steele and to the family of Mr. John Harrison.