Agenda item

In accordance with notice on the agenda Councillor Black proposed:

“Communities around the City Centre, in all quarters of Belfast, face issues attached to commuter parking, high density traffic volumes and services proximity.  The resulting infrastructural impacts include damaged road surfaces, outdated safety measures, inadequate parking controls and poor air quality.  Such areas generally house dense residential communities including schools who are at the front line of daily road safety concerns.

The inner-city surrounding communities of Belfast are also dissected by the Westlink further straining the already at breaking point road capacity.

This Council has a duty of care to citizens and in the vein of the Belfast Agenda a commitment to ensure people can live in safety and with improved health outcomes.  As such, this motion asks that a letter be sent to the Minister for Infrastructure to commission a road safety review of inner-city surrounding communities in all quarters of the City.  This should include review of road surfaces, safety measures, parking restrictions and accident volume.”

The motion was seconded by Councillor Garrett.

                  At the request of Councillor Hanvey, Councillor Black agreed to amend the last line to include “active and sustainable transport” as part the review.

Amendment

Moved by Councillor de Faoite,

Seconded by Councillor Heading,

That the Motion standing in the name of Councillor Black be replaced with the following:

“Communities around the City Centre, in all quarters of Belfast, face issues attached to commuter parking, high density traffic volumes, services proximity and the legacy of division in the city. The resulting infrastructural impacts include poor access to dedicated public transit links, physical barriers to active travel, damaged road surfaces, outdated safety measures, inadequate parking controls and poor air quality. Such areas generally house dense residential communities, with poor access to private vehicles and high exposure to toxic emissions, including schools who are at the front line of daily road safety concerns.

The inner-city surrounding communities of Belfast are also dissected by the Westlink further straining the already at breaking point road capacity.

This Council has a duty of care to citizens and in the vein of the Belfast Agenda a commitment to ensure people can live in safety and with improved health outcomes. As such, this motion asks that a letter be sent to the Minister for Infrastructure to commission a road safety review of inner-city surrounding communities in all quarters of the City. This should include a review of active travel measures, dedicated public transit links, road surfaces, safety measures, parking restrictions and accident volume. A further letter should be sent to the Minister for Finance and the Executive Office, recognising the significant financial restraints placed on the Department for Infrastructure under existing budgetary allocations and supporting the establishment of an Infrastructure Commission alongside further budgetary allocation to fund the chance for change in communities like our inner-city.”

            Councillor Black did not accept the amendment.

On a vote, thirty-five Members voted for the amendment standing in the name of Councillor de Faoite, nineteen against and one no vote, and it was declared carried.

The amended motion was thereupon put to the Council as the substantive motion and passed.