Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1        Relevant Background Information

 

            Members will recall that the following process has been followed for setting the district rate and agreeing the estimates for 2012/13.

 

Apr	Budget Panel and SP&R	Indicative rate, efficiency target and overview of efficiency programme
Jun	Budget Panel and SP&R	Year End Report Agree Efficiency Programme
Aug	Budget Panel and SP&R	Issue guidance on estimates and medium term financial plan to Departments Q1 Finance Report
Sep-Oct	Budget Panel and SP&R	Update on Rates Position Update on Medium Term Financial Plan Capital Investment Programme
Nov	SP&R	Further update on rate to highlight key issues & scenario analysis Q2 Financial Report
Dec	Budget Panel and SP&R	Discuss and finalise option for rates position taking into account Medium Term Financial Plan, capital financing strategy and treasury management strategy
Jan	SP&R   Department Committees   SP&R	Recommendation to Council on district rate and medium term financial plan
Feb	Council	Agree district rate Q3 Finance Report

 

1.2       At the meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 9 December 2011 the recommendations approved by Members in relation to the 2012/13 revenue estimates included the following:

 

·        Officers should prepare the departmental cash limits report based on a reduction of £713k.

·        A stepped increase of £1m for the waste plan should be included in the estimates.

 

1.3       The purpose of this report is to present the cash limits for Departmental committees and the estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for 2012/13. An outline of the key priority actions for 2012/13 for each committee has also been included as appendices to the report.

 

1.4       The level of additional capital investment provided for within the rate and the related investment programme will be the main item of business of Budget and Transformation Panel on the 11 January 2012, after which recommendations on the capital investment element of the rate, the Estimated Penny Product and the level of District Rate will be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources meeting on the 20 January 2012.

 

2          Key Issues

 

            Cash Limits For Department Committees and the Estimates for SP&R Committee

 

2.1       One of the key tasks for Members is to agree the estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and to set cash limits for the department committees. The following section of the report provides an overview of the estimates for 2012/13 and more detail is provided in the appendices to this report.  The table below summarises the movement in departmental estimates from 2011/12 to 2012/13.

 

	SP&R	H&ES	P&L	DEV	TOWN	TOTAL
						PLAN
	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000	£’000
2011/12 Estimate	31,674	40,624	22,906	19,715	27	114,946
Increase in costs	1,272	1,549	429	125	0	3,375
Cash Savings	-1,034	-2,609	-169	-259	-17	-4,088
2012/13 Estimate	31,911	39,564	23,166	19,581	10	114,232
Inc/Dec £	238	-1,060	260	-134	-17	-713

 

 

2.2       The departmental estimates are budgeted to decrease by £713k on the 2011/12 net expenditure. The reduction in departmental estimates is mainly due to:

 

·        £2.3m efficiencies have been taken out of the budgets as agreed by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 4 November 2011;

·        £1.7m of savings in landfill disposal costs arising from reduced tonnages and the reduction in gate fee; and

·        A pay rise has not been factored into the budgets for the third year running.

 

2.3       The reduction in departmental estimates has been achieved despite significant financial pressures on departmental running costs including increased employers superannuation contributions (£634k), fuel and utility cost increases (£374k), roll out of inner city food waste collection (£603k), new legislation (£527k) and loss of external income (£1m).

 

2.4       When the agreed stepped increase in the Waste Plan of £1m, agreed at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting on the 9 December 2011, is added to the departmental estimates, the overall increase in the estimates is £287k which as advised to members at the 9 December 2011 meeting equates to an increase of 0.22% on the District Rate.

 

2.5       The following cash limit and revenue estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and the cash limits for the Departmental Committees are presented for approval.

 

2.6       The estimates have been subject to scrutiny and challenge by the Finance and Performance Section to ensure that they have been developed in compliance with the corporate guidelines issued in August 2011, taking into account the key financial risks and confirming that the planned efficiencies of £2.3m have been identified and removed from the estimates for 2012/13.

 

2.7       On this basis the Director of Finance and Resources is satisfied that the estimates presented below, should provide adequate financial resources to support service delivery and the council’s key actions for 2012/13 and that reasonable consideration of the financial risks to the council has been made in the preparation of the estimates.

  

            Strategic Policy and Resources Committee

2.8       A spending limit of £31,911,465 is recommended for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in 2012/13. This represents an increase of £238k or 0.75% over last year. The increase in costs has been driven by a rise in uncontrollable expenditure in terms of superannuation (£252k), impact of new legislation (£180k) and the loss of external income, mainly from other local authority and NIHE work by ISB (£460k) and North Foreshore electricity generation (£300k).

 

2.9       The impact of these cost increases has been largely offset by the generation of £1.0m of savings and additional income. This includes £300k of savings in ISB which have been delivered through a systematic rigorous budgetary challenge on all areas of expenditure including licences, postage and telephones. Further information on the departments within the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee is included in Appendix 2 and the main areas of expenditure and changes from 2011/12 are summarised in Appendix 3. A summary of the proposed priority actions for the Committee, which will be funded by the 2012/13 estimates, is also included in Appendix 4.

 

            Health and Environmental Services Committee

2.10     A spending limit of £39,563,459 is recommended for the Health and Environmental Services Committee in 2012/13. This represents a cash reduction of £1,060k or 2.61% on the 2011/12 net expenditure position.

 

2.11     The reduction in net expenditure has been achieved despite the department incurring major uncontrollable cost increases including £143k in employer’s superannuation contributions, a £187k reduction in government grant and other income, £120k of reduced income for valuation surveys undertaken for Land and Property Services and increased fuel costs of £270k. The estimates also include £603k of costs arising from the roll out of inner city food waste collection service in 2012/13 plus additional enforcement costs of £347k in support of the new Dog Control and Clean Neighbourhoods legislation and for the implementation and delivery of new waste management contracts which will ensure compliance with landfill and recycling targets.

 

2.12     The effect of these cost increases has been offset by significant cost reductions across the department totalling £2.7m. This includes £967k of efficiencies agreed as part of the corporate efficiency programme and reductions of £1.7m in landfill disposal costs. These efficiencies and cost reductions have enabled the department to reduce its overall net expenditure by just over £1m.

 

2.13     The main areas of expenditure and changes from 2011/12 are included in Appendix 5 and a summary of the priority actions for the Department, which will be funded by the 2012/13 estimates, is included as Appendix 6.

 

            Parks and Leisure Committee

2.14     A spending limit of £23,166,040 is recommended for the Parks and Leisure Department in respect of the financial year 2012/13. This represents an increase of 1.14% on the previous year. The main items of expenditure of the department are outlined at Appendix 7 and the key priorities for the department for 2012/13 are summarised in Appendix 8.

 

2.15     Additional expenditure of £70k has been included in the estimates to support the development of community engagement and community events within Parks and the Olympic legacy programme. The department will also incur additional costs of £255k for employer’s superannuation charges and based on current projections, a further £104k will be required for gas and water charges. Two leisure centres were closed for essential maintenance during 2011/12 and there will therefore be increased fees and

 

            charges income from these centres in 2012/13 given that there will be a full year of trading. However it is anticipated that leisure centres, as a whole, will not experience any growth in income for 2012/13.

 

2.16     The department has made savings of around £169k as part of the efficiency programme which has limited the net expenditure increase for the department to £260k. The efficiencies include an increase in the Zoo income for 2012/13 of £14k and increased Cemeteries and Crematorium income of £120k. This reflects the increases to charges for non-residents as per the Parks and Leisure Committee decision in February 2011.

  

            Development Committee

2.17     A spending limit of £19,581,534 is recommended for the department in 2012/13 which represents a decrease of £134k or 0.68% on last year. The main items of expenditure are outlined at Appendix 9 and the key priorities for the department for 2012/13 are summarised in Appendix 10.

 

2.18     The cash reduction in running departmental net expenditure has been achieved through the generation of £259k of savings as part of the efficiency programme. This has enabled the department to absorb additional superannuation costs of £59k and the net loss of external income of £79k and still deliver a reduction in overall net expenditure of £134k. The department will also undertake an increased number of events during 2012/13 which will be funded from the reserve set aside in 2011/12. 

 

            Town Planning Committee

2.19     Provision for expenditure by this Committee during the coming year is £10,000, this is a reduction £17k on the previous year arising from a critical review of budgets for the committee.

 

            General Reserves

2.20     As part of the requirements of the Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011, the Director of Finance and Resources should report to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the adequacy of the council’s reserves position.

 

2.21     The council’s general reserves are forecast to be at least £10.3m by the end of 2011/12. This is in line with the council’s reserve strategy which requires general reserves to be at a minimum of £10m. The Director of Finance and Resources is therefore satisfied that the reserves position is adequate for the council and will not require enhancement through the district rate in 2012/13.

 

3          Recommendations

 

3.1       Members are requested to:

 

(a)     Approve the cash limit and revenue estimates for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for 2012/13

 

(b)     Approve the following departmental cash limits for 2012/13:

 

·     Health and Environmental Services Department £39,563,459

·     Parks and Leisure Department £23,166,040

·     Development Department £19,581,534

 

(c)     Agree that the general reserves will not be enhanced through the district rate in 2012/13.

 

(d)     Note that the level of additional capital investment provided for within the rate and the related stimulus package will be considered by the Budget and Transformation Panel on the 11 January 2012 after which recommendations on the capital investment element of the rate, the Estimated Penny Product and the level of District Rate will be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources meeting on the 20 January 2012.

 

4          Decision Tracker

 

            Responsible Officers:

            Director of Finance & Resources

 

APPENDIX 2

 

Strategic Policy and Resources

 

A spending limit of £31,911,465 is recommended for the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in 2012/13. This represents an increase of £237,772 or 0.75% over the last year. The main items of expenditure in the Committee are outlined at Appendix 2.

 

Strategic Policy and Resources 2012/13	£
Chief Executive’s Department	7,940,180
Finance and Resources Department	11,299,816
Property and Projects Department	10,805,439
Corporate Priorities	1,866,030
TOTAL	31,911,465

 

Chief Executives Department

 

      A spending limit of £7,940,180 is recommended for the Chief Executive’s Department for 2012/13, which represents a decrease of £1,089 or 0.01% over last year.

 

      Through the council’s efficiency programme, the Chief Executive’s department has been able to deliver £87k of savings, mostly through additional income generation. In addition to this, a further £75k of savings were made through a reduction in the number of posts budgeted within the department.

 

      These savings were offset by the increase in superannuation (£45k) and a further £80k was added to the department’s budget to facilitate the anticipated cost of the Jubilee (£50k) and Historic Centenaries (£30k) in 2012/13.

 

Finance and Resources Department

 

      A spending limit of £11,299,816 is recommended for the Finance and Resources Department which represents an increase of £79,738 or 0.71% over the previous year. The Department continues to face increased uncontrollable costs and reduced external income.

 

      ISB continues to experience difficulty in generating external business from local authorities and the NIHE. With no new sales forecast for 2012/13 and a continued decline in customer demand, ISB external income is expected to fall by £460k. To mitigate against this loss of income, ISB have carried out rigorous budgetary challenges on all areas of expenditure including licences, postage and telephones and this exercise, coupled with the Unit’s drive to support the efficiency programme,  has resulted in reduced costs of almost £300k.

 

Property and Projects Department

 

      A spending limit of £10,805,439 is recommended for the Property and Projects Department which represents an increase of £68,718 or 0.64% over the previous year.

 

      The decommissioning of a generator at North Foreshore due to reduced supply coupled with the on-going volatility in the price of electricity is likely to result in reduced surplus income of £300k in the 2012/13 financial year.

 

      Against these cost pressures, the Department has contributed £459k to the efficiency programme through the generation of additional external income. Other reviews into Property Maintenance (£90k) and accommodation (£75k) have also contributed to the efficiency programme.

 

Corporate Priorities

 

      A spending limit of £1,866,030 is recommended for the Corporate Priorities budget for 2012/13 which represents an increase of £90k or 5.09% on the previous year’s budget.

 

      The Corporate Priorities budget is largely associated with the delivery of projects and initiatives which are not included in departmental budgets but which support cross cutting work across all Departments. Such Invest to Save and thematic initiatives will continue to be funded in 2012/13 to support the on-going efficiency agenda, the work with Older People, Children and Young People, Safer City and Health and Wellbeing projects.

 

      In addition from 2012/13 the Council is required to pay a tax in respect of carbon emissions and indications, based on current emission levels, are that this levy will cost the Council £180k per year.

 

      As part of the efficiency programme there is the potential for generating external income from the use of Council hoarding for advertising and anticipated income of £100k has been included in the 2012/13 estimates. The tendering of the Council’s banking service and the resultant reduction in fees and charges will secure efficiencies of £40k in 2012/13.

							APPENDIX 3
	STRATEGIC POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE
	MAIN ITEMS OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 2012/13
		Net Expenditure				Net Expenditure
		2011/12				2012/13
		£				£
	Chief Executive's Department	7,941,269				7,940,180
	Human Resources	2,049,517				2,093,018
	Democratic Services	2,067,803				2,151,056
	Corporate Communications	903,222				888,597
	Good Relations	408,208				413,662
	Central Support Unit	1,465,161				1,414,467
	Legal Services	577,636				525,720
	Strategic Policy	469,722				453,660
	Finance and Resources Department	11,220,078				11,299,816
	Finance and Performance	2,546,849				2,671,014
	I.S.B.	4,867,015				5,029,061
	Audit Governance and Risk Services and Health and Safety	868,757				900,010
	Project & Corporate Systems	284,835				0
	Pensions	1,825,000				1,825,000
	Directorate	593,066				624,635
	Occupational Health	234,554				250,096
	Property and Projects	10,736,721				10,805,439
	Facilities Management	15,053,580				14,452,104
	Operations and Initiatives	657,592				1,104,303
	Projects, Procurement and Estates	-4,974,451				-4,750,968
	Corporate Priorities	1,775,626				1,866,030
	TOTAL	31,673,694				31,911,465

 

APPENDIX 4

 

Summary of Priority Actions for the Strategic Policy and

Resources Committee 2012/13

 

      The department is currently developing the full detail of its Departmental Plan and the Corporate Plan for 2012/13 which will be presented to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in March.

 

      Strategic Policy and Resources Committee - is responsible for setting the strategic priorities of the council and the resources used to deliver them - namely - staff, money and assets. The work of the committee is supported by three departments - Chief Executive’s, Finance and Resources and Property and Projects. Some of the key priority actions for 2012/13 for each of these departments are provided below.

 

Chief Executive’s

 

·        Support Members in the on-going development and implementation of the new corporate plan and investment programme

·        Develop an effective external relations strategy

·        Support the implementation of the reform of local government, including the transfer of new functions to the Council, emerging from the draft programme for government

·        Develop and implement community planning in line with emerging guidance from the DoE

·        Implementation of Peace III – Phase II programmes

·        Develop an Interface Programme and support a regeneration programme around the interfaces in the city

·        Consider the recommendations from the 2 EQIAs on the City Hall (flags, memorabilia etc)

·        Develop and support the proposals in the Decade of Centenaries Programme for the city

·        Deliver a new PDP process for Elected Members

·        Refine Member Development Strategy in liaison with Members Development Steering Group

·        Develop and implement a new Council Constitution

·        Develop and implement the Organisational Development Strategy

·        As part of the Council’s investment programme develop actions to support the employability and skills development element

·        As part of the Council’s efficiency agenda control and seek to reduce employee costs.

 

Finance and Resources

 

·        Implementation of the Prudential Framework in line with the Local Government Finance Act 2011

·        Implementation of a Treasury Management Strategy in line with the Local Government Finance Act 2011

·        Further development of the Investment Package to help address the impact of the economic downturn in the City

·        Continue to work with LPS to maximise the collectible rate

·        Expand the range of e-enabled customer services

·        Improve financial planning, budgetary control and the management of information

·        Ensure the implementation of the efficiency programme for 2012/13 and lead on

·        developing the efficiency programme for 2013/14;

·        Continue to develop a value for money and performance framework across the Council.

 

Property and Projects

 

·       Develop the Asset Management Strategy  through the Asset Management Board

·       Develop and manage the Council's Programme of physical projects as identified in the Investment Package

·       Develop the delivery of the Capital Programme as part of the Council's Investment Package 

·       Develop and Implement the City Investment Fund as part of the Council's Investment Package 

·       Manage and maintain the Council's Asset Portfolio including provision of all facilities management

·       Support delivery of procurement and asset strands of the efficiency programme

·        Develop and Implement a Corporate Procurement Strategy including increased local procurement.

 

						APPENDIX 5
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
MAIN ITEMS OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 2012/13
	Net Expenditure			Net Expenditure
	2011/12			2012/13
	£			£
Environmental Health	6,883,505			7076,434
Environmental Protection and Planning	1,100,612			1,164,189
Regulation of Commercial Sector	1,656,896			1,857,613
Public Health and Housing	1,491,373			1,480,300
Community Safety and DPP	1,093,812			1,180,663
Health Development and Advice Services	440,529			268,279
Support and other Services	1,100,283			1,125,389
Waste Management	16,719,326			15,330,122
Waste Disposal	9,980,246			7,830,597
Waste Control Monitor Enforcement	2,546,410			2,898,770
Civic Amenity Sites	2,222,250			2,736,290
Public Conveniences	227,370			216,995
Waste Control Projects and Out reach	739,250			651,820
Waste Management Business Support	568,350			556,600
Duncrue Complex	236,550			244,150
Policy and Resources	198,900			194,900
Building Control	1,271,103			1,509,840
Cleansing	14,939,854			14,829,424
Cleansing and Waste Collection Operations	13,764,587			13,601,924
Quality Assessment and Business Support	1,175,267			1,227,500
Directorate Support	810,440			817,639
TOTAL	40,624,228			39,563,459

 

 

APPENDIX 6

 

Summary of Priority Actions for the

Health and Environmental Services Department 2012/13

 

General

 

·        Continue to provide Value for Money services which achieve high customer standards across Building Control, Cleansing, Environmental Health and Waste Management services.  This includes

 

o   Keeping the streets clean including behaviour change campaigns

o   Collecting bins and providing more opportunities for recycling

o   Disposing of waste in the best way – sending less to landfill

o   Making sure housing is safe and energy efficient (building regulations)

o   Making sure places of entertainment are safe (licensing)

o   Protecting health by ensuring compliance with environmental health laws e.g. food safety, air quality, noise control, pest control etc.

o   Applying regulation to protect and improve health, safety and environmental standards.

 

Place Shaping

 

·        Roll out Warm Zones project, integrating work of Building Control and Environmental Health services (subject to external funding)

·        Contribute to city development and regeneration by completing the Holyland Study and supporting the Interagency Group

·        Provide leadership to ensure full Council participation in the Belfast Strategic Partnership for health and in the implementation of the Framework for Action

 

Good Relations

 

·        Integrate Good Relations considerations within the Safer City Plan to reflect strategies for Interfaces, Bonfires and Summer Interventions

 

Cleaner and Greener

 

·        Implement Clean Neighbourhoods and Waste Bill legislation and undertake enhanced enforcement activities in line with new powers

 

Zero Waste direct to Landfill

 

·        Implement Zero Waste Action Plan to contribute to statutory and regional targets for Recycling and Waste to landfill

 

People feel safer

 

·        Establish and service new Principal and 4 District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships which will reduce fear of crime; reduce anti-social behaviour and enable effective monitoring of PSNI performance

 

People are healthier

 

·        Contribute to work of Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP) to address emerging priorities for mental health & emotional wellbeing; learning and education; alcohol and drug related issues; early years & early interventions; regenerating living spaces.

·        Support the Council’s Older Peoples All party Reference Group and develop and deliver programme of work to assist vulnerable groups, linking in to Healthy Aging Strategic partnership

 

Dealing with Emergencies

 

·        Lead Council Emergency Planning provision including link to Belfast Resilience

 

					APPENDIX 7
PARKS AND LEISURE COMMITTEE
MAIN ITEMS OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 2012/13
	Net Expenditure			Net Expenditure
	2011/12			2012/13
	£			£
Leisure	8,044,473			8,220,108
Leisure Centres	7,485,961			7,670,865
Leisure Development	558,512			549,243
Parks and Cemeteries	12,120,535			12,177,747
Parks and Open Spaces including cemeteries and crematorium	7,230,486			7,273,925
Zoo	865,622			794,549
Landscape Planning & Development	1,750,254			1,847,757
Estates Management including Belfast Castle/Malone House	298,929			252,215
Parks & Cemeteries Development	201,618			177,906
Parks & Cemeteries Services	1,275,637			1,284,501
Open Spaces and Active Living	497,989			546,894
Parks and Leisure Directorate	2,740,739			2,768,185
Directorate	2,490,755			2,514,640
Anti Social Behaviour	249,984			253,545
TOTAL	22,905,747			23,166,040

 

 

 

APPENDIX 8

 

Summary of Priority Actions for the Parks and Leisure Department for 2012/13

 

      The department is currently developing the full detail of its Departmental Plan for 2012/13 which will be presented to Parks and Leisure Committee in March.

 

      Highlighted below are some of the key actions

 

·        Agree the new Active Belfast and Open Spaces (ABOS) strategy and deliver year two actions

·        8 new outdoor/‘green’ gyms to be installed in ‘community activity hubs’ across the city

·        Develop and Deliver 4 community gardens across the city as Part of the Growing Communities Strategy

·        Carry out essential work on the Orangefield Cycle Track

·        Deliver year two actions in the pitches strategy including the pitches improvement programme

·        Develop programmes to increase participation in connection with 2012 Olympics to maximise the Olympic legacy

·        Deliver Active Belfast consortium work programme to include: Active Communities

·        Implement Replacement programme for Leisure Centre Cardiovascular equipment

·        Develop a robust plan for the development of new crematorium facilities in Belfast and continue to manage the ongoing cemeteries development project.

·        Improve the customer experience at Parks and Leisure venues through our New Customer Charter and implement our customer service standards

·        Continue to roll out customer care training for all staff

·        Implementing other service improvement pilots

·        Complete a Green Flag standard site assessment across the department’s parks and green spaces: retain Green Flag in the 7 parks  that currently hold it; and apply for Green Flag in three additional parks and open spaces – Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon, Waterworks and Victoria

·        Make arrangements for the management and maintenance of phase 1 of the Connswater community Greenway

·        Conclude works on the Dunville and Woodvale park development programme

·        Develop with partners an annual programme of parks and leisure focused citywide events across the city

·        Facilitate the delivery of community programmes and activities

·        Work in partnership to develop and deliver the Safer Neighbourhood Antisocial Behaviour Programme

 

·        Deliver and evaluate the Presence in Parks initiative

·        Deliver phase two of the People in Parks (youth) initiative with Challenge Youth

·        Deliver improvements in Dog control in our parks

·        Develop and deliver year two actions in an ‘Active Belfast Plan’ together with the Belfast Health Development Unit and other partners

·        Deliver sports development activities at the Urban Sports Park

·        Deliver a range of health and well-being programmes and activities

·        Agree and implement the revised business/ commercial model for the Zoo

·        Develop a city wide participation plan, including a review of the departmental grants schemes

·        Through operational reviews identify and deliver improvements and efficiencies in our services

 

 

			APPENDIX 9
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
MAIN ITEMS OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 2012/13
	Net Expenditure		Net Expenditure
	2011/12		2012/13
	£		£
Community Services	5,564,620		5,519,610
City Events and Venues	4,127,505		4,181,548
Waterfront/Ulster Halls	2,424,990		2,478,059
City Events	1,702,515		1,703,489
Economic Initiatives Section	6,142,166		6,088,958
Tourism, Culture and Arts	4,091,640		4,102,291
Economic Development	1,127,305		1,133,013
Planning and Transport	880,672		875,284
Markets	42,549		-21,630
Directorate	3,881,039		3,791,418
Development Directorate	1,865,188		1,811,185
City Development	877,574		876,746
Policy & Research	535,838		509,951
SNAP	356,032		357,688
European Unit	246,407		235,848
TOTAL	19,715,330		19,581,534

 

 

APPENDIX 10

 

Summary of Priority Actions for the Development Department

for 2012/13

 

Highlighted below are some of the key actions which the department is aiming to achieve for 2012/13.

 

·        Identify City Investment Fund’s priorities for physical development and infrastructure in Belfast (integrated with work with DSD on SRFs).

·        Deliver the Economy strand of the Investment Programme.

·        Develop an Integrated Economic Strategy.

·        Coordinate a city-wide marketing approach/ international relations

·        Develop a transition plan for a single core community development infrastructure support programme for the city (with DSD).

·        Ensure a strong urban dimension to NI governments EU funding strategy, 2014-2020.

·        Maximise our draw-down of EU funds.

·        Deliver State of the City Development Debates (to support Masterplan implementation).

·        Development of ‘Green Industries Corridor’ in Belfast.

·        Create jobs through various employability and skills programmes such as HARTE.

·        Provide business support programmes in targeted sectors (based on the review of previous programmes) for companies focused on encouraging business growth and job creation.

·        Pursue opportunities for European Regional Development Funding (ERDF), capital and revenue, and support the development of a neighbourhood regeneration framework.

·        Support integrated implementation of 6 elements of Titanic Quarter Memorandum of Understanding (employment, community outreach etc.).

·        Work with DEL and DOE on emerging recommendations for bursary schemes and Social Clauses.

·        Deliver an integrated Titanic/2012 Events Programme.

·        Continue to deliver Council’s contribution to the World Fire & Police Games.

·        Secure investment for the provision of increased integrated conference and exhibition facilities in the city.

·        Deliver actions within the Integrated Tourism Strategy including the ‘Belfast Story’ and the Tourism 10 Places/Community Tourism.

·        Complete and deliver initial action in the integrated Cultural Strategy and start to deliver approved actions.

 

·        Facilitate local regeneration work including under Neighbourhood Renewal, SIP & Local Investment Fund- coherent plan of work over next 3 years.

·        Deliver the Renewing the Routes Programme.

·        Champion and secure integrated support for a Community Development model for the city.

·        Deliver the Community Development Strategy.

·        Deliver the BCC Framework on Tackling Poverty and Inequalities.

·        Deliver an inter-departmental framework for children and young people.

·        Deliver a comprehensive citywide summer programme.

·        Implement a coordinated approach to grant management through the Grant Unit.”

 

            After discussion, during which the Chief Executive and the Director of Finance and Resources answered a number of questions in relation to the efficiency savings which the Council had achieved to date, the position with regard to the general reserves and the difference between the financing of the Capital Programme and the City Investment Strategy, the Committee adopted the recommendations.