Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting on 18th November, it had agreed that an All-Party Group should accept an offer to meet with the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure regarding the potential support for a Lagan Canal Project.  The meeting had taken place on 21st November and had been attended by Alderman Rodgers, Councillor Ó Muilleoir and Councillor Mullan, accompanied by Council officers.

            The Director of Property and Projects reported that the Members had outlined the background to the project, the context of All Island Waterways Network, the work undertaken to date by the Council and the Council’s relationship with Ulster Garden Villages, which was a keen supporter of the Lagan Canal concept.  The Members then expanded on the various benefits of the project, including tourism, links to maritime history, leisure, community cohesion, enhanced open space and opportunities for sport, physical activity and ensuring health benefits.

            The Minister had accepted and endorsed those benefits and was particularly keen on the possibilities for increasing the participation of working class communities in river and riverside activities.  However, the Minister did point out that her Department had no spare budgetary capacity during the current Comprehensive Spending Review period and that the priority for the Department was the development of new Stadia over the next few years.  She did not rule out future funding if the project was sufficiently developed.  The Minister did see merit in involving both the Department for Social Development and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in discussion on

the project as it impacted on areas within those departments’ remits and agreed to raise the issue with ministerial colleagues.  Furthermore, she also undertook to write to Sports NI seeking advice on how it might increase river and towpath participation in working class communities and also to ask the Strategic Investment Board for its views on the project and possible funding options.

            The Members of the delegation had responded by providing some further detail on the broader range of physical projects which had been identified in the draft Stimulus Package and explained also that the Council’s economic appraisal for the project was being refreshed as part of an overall business case looking at the whole of the river from the harbour to Lough Neagh.  The Members had also accepted that money would not be immediately available but were encouraged by the Minister’s idea of broadening support to include other Departments.  The Members also suggested it might be helpful to arrange through the Lord Mayor an event for all interested parties to look at ways forward.  The Minister had welcomed the meeting and suggested further communication with the Council in terms of a more joined up approach to capital projects and more frequent meetings between the Council and the Department.

            Councillor Ó Muilleoir had indicated that the Minister for Social Development had agreed to meet with him to discuss the project and had offered to open the meeting to include representatives from the other Political Parties on the Council and he sought the Committee’s view in this regard.

            Accordingly, the Committee agreed to:

(i)      seek the Lord Mayor’s support for an event for all interested parties in relation to the project;

(ii)     continue an increased communication with the Department in regard to capital projects and to follow up with other Departments in regard to the Lagan Canal Project; and

(iii)    to accept a similar invitation for an All-Party deputation to meet with Nelson McCausland, Minister for Social Development.