Agenda item

Investment Programme 2012/15 – Revised Draft

 

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1        Relevant Background Information

 

1.1       This report presents the proposed final draft of the Investment Programme 2012-15, a copy of which has been circulated.

 

1.2       The programme is the culmination of a process, driven by Party Group Leaders and the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, to create a package of measures to help address the impact of the economic down-turn in Belfast.  It sets out the Council’s commitment to deliver for the city over the rest of this Council-term and beyond.  It is a document that is about investment, but it is also an ambitious, can-do, proactive agenda for partnership across Belfast to grow the local economy, support businesses, help people into employment and provide the economic infrastructure necessary for future competitiveness.

 

 

1.3       The programme is timely, as recent press coverage of the prevalence of the level of youth unemployment, child poverty and the impact of the downturn on construction, retail and other sectors has shown.  Nationally and locally organisations and bodies such as the CBI have been calling for ways to maximise the impact of capital expenditure, boost employment opportunities and address youth unemployment.

 

1.4       The Committee last discussed the investment programme at its meeting on 9 December 2011 and comments and amendments made by Members at that meeting have now been included in the revised version.  This report outlines the content of the programme, how Members’ comments have been addressed and plans for the launch of the document, public consultation and feedback.

 

2          Key Issues

 

2.1       Content of the Draft Investment Programme

 

            The Investment Programme sets out the Council’s commitments for 2012-15, including:

 

·       Physical investment programme - £150million in capital projects including £75million in council facilities; £20million in partnership projects aimed at levering over £50million from Europe and other sources to provide key economic infrastructure and £5million in a local investment fund which will lever, attract and complement other funding streams such as the Social Investment Fund, Neighbourhood Renewal and Sport NI’s Community Capital fund;

 

·       Economy – investing £34million in supporting local economic growth through tourism, events, arts and culture and key sectors such as retail, creative industries, financial and business sectors, connected health and marketing Belfast internationally.  The Council is also committing to deliver 600 job, work placement, internship and apprenticeship opportunities and increasing its local procurement from 50% to 60% by 2015;

 

·       People and communities – investing £29million in community development; good relations, - including a programme of work at interfaces; community safety, tackling health inequalities and implementing the Council’s Poverty and Social Inequalities Framework.  It also commits to engaging local communities in the redevelopment of open spaces, parks, playgrounds and other community assets and rolling out environmental improvements;

 

·       Value for Money – keeping any required rate increase below inflation, delivering £20million in efficiency savings by 2015, paying 90% of creditors within 28 days, introducing social and community benefit clauses in our contracts and working to sustain and enhance the value of the city’s rate-base to ensure future investment.

 

2.3       At the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 9 December 2011, Members made a number of comments about the previous draft of the investment programme and these have been addressed as follows:

 

·       ‘style and the content of the document needs to connect to local communities’ – the document now contains images from across the city and the section on people, communities and neighbourhoods has been enhanced;

 

·       ‘the package needs to tackle any inequalities and should consider concessionary charges for use of the Council’s leisure centres’ – reference to promoting free access to leisure centres for those people in the most deprived areas has been included (page 33);

 

·       ‘more emphasis on procurement and supporting the local economy’ – further detail is now added at page 29;

 

·       ‘consideration should be given to the launch of the document coinciding with any announcement of the business case for the extension of the Waterfront Hall’ – this has been taken on board in the arrangements for the launch of the document;

 

·       ‘consideration should be given to holding two major investment conferences outside Northern Ireland’ – this is now included within the document (page 29);

 

·       ‘the package needs to highlight the additionality the Council was trying to achieve, beyond the normal day to day operational work’ – additionality has been highlighted in the introduction;

 

·       ‘the programme needs to balance ambition with what could be delivered’ – an implementation plan will be created to ensure that the programme is delivered;

 

·       ‘the programme should set out the longer-term ambitions for the City – over a fifteen to twenty year period’ – the programme signposts the Council’s masterplan document which will contain a longer term vision for the development of the city.

 

2.4       Outstanding Section

 

            Members will note that some pages have been left blank at the back of the document.  Before publication information will be added to these outlining:

 

·        Arrangements for monitoring and review of the programme;

·        Information about Council departments;

·        Consultation questions and a glossary of terms and references.

 

3          Launch and Consultation

 

3.1       Following direction from Members, the document will be launched at the Waterfront Hall on 2 February 2012 following the rates decision, which will be taken by Council on the previous evening.  This will be a breakfast event lasting approximately an hour and a half.  The high profile event will have approximately 200 invited attendees including Councillors and key decision makers from the public, private, community and voluntary sectors, Belfast-based MLAs and the media.  It is proposed that the First and Deputy First Ministers are also invited.  The session will be led by the Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and the Party Leaders with support from officers as appropriate.  There will be an embargoed media briefing on 1 February.

 

3.2       Members have also asked that community-based events are held to broaden communication about the programme and ensure that local people have access to the Council’s plans.  It is proposed that 5 community events are held across the city in either Council or other local venues; venues and times are being finalised and Members will be advised of these at the Committee meeting.  It is proposed that these also are led by the Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and the Party Leaders supported by appropriate officers.

 

3.3       A launch will also be held for Council staff and the Trade Unions who will be consulted on the document and will be key partners in its implementation.

 

3.4       In line with the Council’s best value and equality duties and so that implementation of the document can be informed by the views of partners and citizens, a period of further communication and consultation will follow the launch of the document.  The document will be made available on-line and at Council locations and a summary version will be produced and incorporated into the Spring edition of City Matters which will go to every household in Belfast.  Consultation questions will be added to the document together with a number of mechanisms by which people can give feedback.  Corporate Communications will work to ensure that the key messages agreed by Members are communicated effectively across the city.

 

3.5       As Members are aware work has been ongoing to refresh the Belfast Masterplan which will give a wider physical development context to the investment programme, this work will be signposted at the launch to ensure that a longer?term view of city development is given.  A special meeting of the Development Committee on the Masterplan, to which all Council Members are invited, has been arranged for 26 January 2012.

 

3.6       Pre-consultation

 

      At the Strategic Policy and Resources meeting on 9 December 2011, it was suggested that private sector representatives be consulted on the content of the plan before its launch to garner their feedback.  Consequently, the Chair of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and the Chair of the Development Committeeand the nominees of the deputy chairs of both Committees met with members of the Business Alliance on 10 January 2012.  The Business Alliance group included representatives of the CBI, IOD, Northern Ireland Chamber of Trade and Commerce and the Centre of Competitiveness.  At this meeting the Business Alliance were supportive of the Council’s approach, highlighting the need to focus on growing exports, supporting businesses on the arterial routes as well as the city centre and maximising the benefit of capital investment.  There was also support for the value for money commitments contained in the programme.

 

4          Resources Implications

 

4.1       The resources implications of the investment programme are contained within the rates report which is the next item on the Committee’s agenda.

 

4.2       There will be costs associated with the launch of the document and its production but these can be covered from within existing budgets.

 

5          Equality and Good Relations Implications

 

5.1       Equality screening of all elements of the investment programme will be undertaken in line with Council policy as well as a screening and assessment of the overall programme at a strategic level.  This information will be made available as part of the consultation on the document.  On-going assessment will be informed by consultation feedback, including a specific session with the Council’s established Section 75 Consultative Forum.

 

5.2       Good Relations and equality are among the fundamental principles of the programme, underlining the Council’s commitment to delivering on these vital outcomes for Belfast across all projects and actions.

 

5.3       We will remain alert to emerging opportunities to promote equality and good relations and regularly monitor our performance in relation to equality and good relations and review progress.

 

6          Recommendations

 

6.1       Members are asked to:

 

·        Approve the investment programme at Appendix 1; and

 

·        Agree the proposals for launch and communication of the programme;

 

·        Note that the next stage of the process will be a paper on the measures required to ensure effective implementation of the programme.”

 

            After a lengthy discussion, the Committee adopted the recommendations and agreed:

 

(i)      that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister would be invited to speak at the launch on 2nd February and that the Social Development and the Environment Ministers would be invited to attend the launch;

 

(ii)     that, in order to broaden communication about the programme and ensure that people had access to the Council’s plans, community-based events be held at the following venues:

 

·     North Belfast – Grove Wellbeing Centre and the Crumlin Road Gaol

·     South Belfast – Olympia Leisure Centre

·     East Belfast – Belmont Tower

·     West Belfast – An Culturlann

·     Shankill – Argyle Centre

 

(iii)    to the amendment of the wording in relation to Emerging Partnership Projects to reflect that the Investment Programme was an evolving document and that other projects could be added to the proposals;

 

(iv)    to the amendment of the Emerging Partnership Projects in so far as it related to the North Belfast Cultural Corridor to include a reference to an adjacent project to regenerate St. Kevin’s Hall;

 

(v)     to the issuing of an Editorial Press Release, to be agreed by the Party Leaders, in support of the Programme;

 

(vi)    that the meeting of the Committee scheduled for 3rd February take the form of a workshop in order to look at the Governance and implemention of the various projects;

 

(vii)   inclusion at the back of the document of arrangements for monitoring and review of the programme and information about Members of Council and Council departments;

 

(viii)  that briefings should be held for staff and Trade Unions on the programme; and

 

(ix)    with respect to employment opportunities reference should also be made to the promotion of volunteering.