Agenda and minutes

            Apologies for inability to attend were reported from Aldermen Browne and R. Newton and Councillors Hanna and Maskey.

            The minutes of the meetings of 3rd and 17th February 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 March.

            There were no declarations of interest.

            The Chief Executive submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report.

“1.0     Relevant Background Information

1.1Members will be aware that the NI Executive’s draft Programme for Government and Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland, contains a clear commitment to proceed with local government reform (Review of Public Administration as it is known), based on the 11 council model, with elections to shadow councils in 2014, and the establishment of the new 11 councils in 2015.  There is a commitment also to transfer key functions (e.g. planning, regeneration and community planning) to councils as part of the reform process. 

1.2In terms of the 11 council model, the Local Government Boundaries Commissioners’ final recommendations report published in June 2009 proposed that the new Belfast City Council would increase its population base from 277,000 to 320,000 (approximately).  The new Belfast boundary would incorporate parts of the adjoining Castlereagh Borough, Lisburn City and a small part of North Down District Council area.  The number of electoral wards, and therefore councillors, would increase from 51 to 60, with an average of 40 electoral wards for the other 10 new council areas.

1.3Subject to a Boundary Order being submitted for the consideration of the NI Assembly, the current position in regards to the proposed new extended Belfast boundary, as set out within the Boundary Commissioners’ recommendation report, would incorporate the following areas:

·        Castlereagh District – Tullycarnet, Gilnahirk, Braniel, Hillfoot, Merok, Cregagh, Wynchurch, Glencregagh, Belvoir

·         Lisburn City District – Colin Glen, Poleglass, Lagmore, Twinbrook, Kilwee and Dunmurry

·         North Down District -  inclusion of part of Cedar Grove, Knocknagoney

      A copy of the detailed Boundary Commissioners’ Recommendations report is available at http://www.lgbc-ni.org/index/publications/final_recommendations.htm. Copies can be made available to Members if needed.

      It is understood that the DoE are to submit for the consideration of the NI Assembly within the coming weeks a draft Local Government (Boundaries) Order laid in the Assembly which will give effect to the boundary changes.

2.0Key Issues

      Correspondence received from the

      Minister of the Environment

2.1Correspondence has been recently received from the Minister of the Environment, dated 15th February, setting out initial proposals for taking forward local government reform.  In his correspondence the Minister has requested that by the end of March 2012, councils should restore key aspects of the necessary implementation structures to support the operational delivery of the local government reform programme at the local level. These include:

(i)               11 voluntary Transition Committees - voluntary joint committees representing the 11 council groupings which will co-ordinate and oversee the reform programme; and

(ii)             Transition Management Teams – joint executive teams representing the council groupings and providing support and advice to voluntary Transition Committees

      The Minister outlined also his intentions in regards to:

(iii)       Regional governance arrangements - establish a Regional Transition Committee (RTC) to provide high level political leadership for the implementation of the reform programme. It is understood that membership will be comprised of the Minister  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

            The Committee was advised that correspondence had been received from the Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive Review Committee informing the Council of the initiation of a review of the size of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the number of Government Departments.  The Committee had been invited to submit its views on the review by Wednesday, 28th March, 2012.

            The Committee agreed that, given the potential political implications of the outcome of the review in terms of possible reductions in the number of Departments and/or MLAs, to refer the “call for evidence” to the individual Political Parties for consideration and for them to respond accordingly.