Agenda and minutes

An apology for inability to attend was reported on behalf of Councillor McCann.

            The minutes of the meeting of 6th November 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 December.

            No declarations of interest were recorded.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. J. Begley, Project Manager at Advice NI, to the meeting.

            Mr. Begley outlined the details of the Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) NI project which aimed to empower local communities to take charge of their energy generation and consumption, promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. He explained that the project focused on reducing energy costs, addressing fuel poverty, and supporting sustainability. This included developing Energy Master Plans for four communities, implementing a renewable energy project and establishing the SEC model as a pathway to help the NI Government achieve its Climate Action goals. The project emphasised community collaboration through town hall meetings, energy-saving talks, and school visits, while also providing advice on retrofitting, energy audits, and renewable technologies.

            The Members were advised of how the project had made significant progress, including study visits to retrofitting centres and renewable energy sites, school visits engaging 120 students, and community events with nearly 2,000 participants. Outreach efforts had included food bank partnerships, monthly clinics, conducting energy audits for households and community buildings and developing Energy Master Plans.  The SEC initiative planned to expand its efforts under "SEC 2.0," continuing to foster cross-border partnerships and furthering its mission to create sustainable energy solutions for local communities.

            In response to a Member’s question, he stated that the project was predominantly about maximising engagement and encouraging as many people as possible to consider more sustainable energy choices.

            The Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, thanked Mr. Begley for his presentation and he retired from the meeting.

Noted.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. B. Rankin, Sustainability and Energy Manager at Choice Housing, to the meeting.

            He provided the Members with details of its sustainability and retrofitting programme. He outlined that Choice managed over 13,000 homes with 30,000 tenants, 45% of which was in Belfast.  He stated that Choice reinvested all its surpluses to benefit the community. Between 2022 and 2025, it had achieved a number of significant milestones, including a 21% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions, it had invested over £5million in energy efficiency and carbon reduction, and had generated over 1,500 MWh of electricity from solar PV systems. It had also improved the energy efficiency of its housing stock, with 87% of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) rated Band A-C and all new homes achieving SAP ratings of A or B. Notable projects included deep retrofits of homes to achieve EPC Band A, landlord solar PV and battery trials, and community initiatives like the Riverdale Community Garden.

            In regards to questions about the deep retrofit projects, Mr. Rankin explained that they were more of an innovative exploration, as the costs were hard to justify.

            He answered a number of Members’ questions regarding their biodiversity plan, swift boxes, wildflowers, fly-tipping and maintenance schedules. 

            He emphasised that the main obstacle in not being able to implement retrofitting or energy saving measures in its housing stock was tenants declining access to their properties for works to take place.  He stated that often they would offer to decant tenants to other properties for a short period in order to undertake multi element works.

            The Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, thanked him for the update provided.

Noted.

            The Chairperson welcomed Mr. C. McKinney, Wild Belfast, and Dr. R. Black, Queen’s University, to the meeting.

Mr. McKinney explained the concept of transforming Belfast into a “National Park City”, blending the principles of traditional National Parks with urban environments to foster a better relationship between communities and nature. He outlined that, in 2025, Chattanooga in Tennessee was recognised as North America’s first ever National Park City, and the fourth worldwide.  He outlined that the idea of a National Park City was a way to reimagine urban spaces, emphasising the importance of green spaces, outdoor learning, reduced pollution, and improved well-being.  He stated that the idea had come to the fore during Belfast 2024. 

The Committee was advised that the Universal Charter for National Park Cities outlined that the movement's goals included enhancing lives, health, relationships with nature, and promoted sustainable practices like locally grown food and responsible consumption.

He outlined the steps required to achieve National Park City status, which included research, campaign registration, creating a charter, and securing support from local authorities and communities.  He emphasised the need for inclusivity, collaboration, and the development of policies to protect and enhance nature, culture, and public spaces.

The Members were advised that the benefits of Belfast becoming a National Park City included providing a platform for civic collaboration and marketing the City with a distinct message. The campaign would seek to align with existing city strategies, such as the Climate Action Plan and Biodiversity Action Plan, while encouraging grassroots involvement and partnerships with statutory and non-governmental organisations

Dr. Black explained that her doctorate had focussed on Belfast children, aged 7-13 years old, who lived beside interfaces and wanted more space to play.  She highlighted that the children wanted more natural space, such as green space and plants to encourage bees.

During discussion, a Member requested that officers would provide information which identified green space across the city, minus any 3G or 4G pitches.

A number of Members representing the Titanic District Electoral Area emphasised that there was very little green, play space in their area.  One Member stated that the recent installation of stones in Tommy Patton Park had unfortunately meant that some children from the nearby Mitchell House School, who were in wheelchairs, could no longer use the space.  She requested that accessibility be at the forefront of any decision-making in respect of progressing the project. Mr. McKinney confirmed that this would be the case as one of the core aims was that access would be for everyone, at anytime.

In response to a Member’s query, Dr. Black provided the Committee with an example of how co-design and strong and continuous community engagement had been integral to the reimagining of the Grosvenor bonfire site.

The Climate Commissioner expressed that it was important that the City and Neighbourhood Services Department be involved in the discussions around National Park City.

The Chairperson thanked the representatives for attending the meeting.

After further discussion, the Committee:

·         noted the presentation;

·         agreed that Climate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2c

            The Climate Commissioner presented the Committee with the following report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       To update Members on the completion of the Belfast Net Zero Pathfinder project.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       The Committee is asked to note:

                                I.      the successful bid for a third round of funding from Innovate UK (£150k) for a new project ‘Enhancing the viability of low carbon heat networks’ to be completed in partnership with the Energy Systems Catapult, SONI and NIE Networks by the end of March 2026;

                              II.      the project builds on a feasibility study for a City Centre low carbon heat network as well the outputs of the previous Innovate UK funded project and that the project was one of only six projects approved for funding and there is a strong interest from Innovate UK in the project outcomes;

                             III.      the five work packages: 1) Further development of the portfolio PPA model for rooftop solar ESC and market testing; 2) An economic appraisal of the PPA model and the thermal storage component of a heat network; 3) Development of an off-takers forum and soft market engagement; 4) Legal review and a procurement roadmap stress tested with heat network developers and aligned with the future regulations for the heat network; 5) UK-wide dissemination and communication of findings to assess the potential to replicate the approach in other parts of the UK.

                            IV.      the project will be overseen by a Steering Group comprising BCC, ESC, NIE, SONI, NIHE and the Department for Economy;

                              V.      the planned site visit to an operational heat network in Leeds on 27th February 2026 and the forthcoming request for nominees to attend the site visit.

3.0       Main Report

            Background

3.1       The new project follows on from the Pathfinders Net Zero Living project which ended on 31^st July 2025 (Committee were updated on this in October 2025). The project will strengthen delivery pathways for a city-centre heat network and rooftop solar which are two of the priority projects identified in the Belfast Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP). It will be delivered in partnership with the Energy Systems Catapult (ESC), SONI and NIE Networks with additional support from AECOM (who developed a feasibility study for a city centre network) and Bird and Bird (who have been advising on the route to market). The project timeframe is very tight with delivery scheduled for the end of March 2026.

3.2       The project builds on a feasibility study for a City Centre low carbon heat network as well the outputs of the previous Innovate UK funded project: the market readiness assessment and off-taker engagement; the development of portfolio PPA approach to scale rooftop solar; the route to market and a communities opportunities assessment.

3.3       This new project will address a number of local and regional barriers to achieving net zero ambitions: market immaturity and procurement complexity around complex decarbonisation projects; grid constraints and high levels of wind curtailment prevalent in Northern Ireland; off-taker concerns around the price of low carbon heat,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.