Agenda item

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

 

1.1       To update Committee on the ongoing DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme including an Extension of Time to the Programme and the reallocation of underspends.  To also update Members on upcoming Ministerial Advisory Group Design Review Workshops and the ‘Connecting Communities in North Belfast to the Wider Regeneration of the City’ Seminar being organised by Healthy North Belfast

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

2.1       Committee Members are asked to:

 

·        Note that an Extension of Time has been formally granted for the DfC Covid -19 Revitalisation Programme until September 2022.

·        Note the current level of underspend within the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme and reallocation of funding to the Church Lane & Linen Quarter schemes.

·        Agree the reallocation of underspend from the Council funded (Non-Recurring money agreed at June 2021 SP&R) from the Business Cluster and Community Grant Scheme underspend to the previously agreed Linen Quarter Bid projects, with the remaining underspend to be allocated to the wider Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme.

·        Agree that given timescales, and in line with the CG&R Committee approval in August 2021 that future underspends realised within the programme are utilised to meet additional costs on previously agreed and committed projects, that this Committee delegate authority to the Director of City Regeneration and Development to reallocate the remaining unallocated underspend  and any further underspends to meet cost increases on previously agreed and committed projects and to report back to this Committee retrospectively.

·        Note the proposed Ministerial Advisory Group Design Review Workshops and agree the attendance of the CG&R Chair and Deputy Chair or their nominated representatives.

·        Note the upcoming ‘Connecting Communities in North Belfast to the Wider Regeneration of the City’ seminar which is being held on 9 February.

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Background

 

            The CG&R Committee have received regular updates and provided approvals relating to the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme, providing updates on the £4.039m capital programme including providing approvals on time and budget implications. In August 2021 Members were updated on the Extension of Time to the programme from September 2021 to March 2021, and Members agreed that any further underspends realised within the Programme are utilised to meet any additional costs incurred on previously agreed and committed projects with updates on these reallocations to be brought to this Committee at a future date.

 

3.2       Main Report

 

            Extension of Time

 

            A summary status update of the projects within the Programme are included within Appendix 1 of this report. Members are asked to note in particular the status of the Castle Place Kiosk and the Entries Phase 2 which are at risk of overrunning the Programme deadline of March 2022 due to ongoing Statutory Process. While officers are working with the Statutory Agencies to bring these issues to a close Members are asked to note that an Extension of Time until September 2022 has been requested and approved by DfC to enable these matters to be addressed. The remaining elements of the programme are expected to be complete by March 2022 although this is still very much dependant on ongoing Covid-19 and supply chain issues.

 

3.3       Reallocation of Underspend

 

            The following underspends have been realised within the DfC Covid 19 Revitalisation programme:

 

·        Covid-19 Business Grants – an underspend of £57,284 realised following applications withdrawing from the process or differences in awarded amounts vs actual spend as previously reported to Committee.

·        Thrives Project – an underspend of £8k due to funding contribution from DfI.

·        In addition to the underspend a overspend of £7,548 was realised in the Public Safety Signage and Messaging project.

 

3.4       In order to keep schemes on programme, and in line with the approvals of this Committee in August 2021, £50k of the DfC Revitalisation underspend has been reallocated to the Church Lane project to provide additional lighting, murals and planting along Church Lane, and also encapsulating Coles Alley to address substantial ASB issues in the area, following ongoing engagement and development work with BIDOne and the areas stakeholders. It is also proposed to reallocate £7,736 to the Linen Quarter suite of projects as further defined in item 3.6 of this report.

 

3.5       In additional to the DfC funding for the programme it was agreed at SP&R in June 2021 that Council would allocate a further £450k from Non-Recurring Monies to meet the outstanding demand of the Business Cluster & Community Grant scheme. All applications have now been assessed and notified, with 51 successful applicants. This process resulted in a £81,631 underspend within the Councils Non-Recurring allocation.

 

3.6       With regard to the remaining underspend Members are asked to approve the reallocation of Council provided Non-Recurring money from the Business Cluster and Community Grant scheme to the wider Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme. It is proposed that this reallocation, in combination with the remaining identified Revitalisation underspend, will:

 

·        Provide additional funding (£32.3k) to the suite of projects currently been brought by the Linen Quarter Bid (the Brunswick St Hub, the Linenhall Parklet and the Linenhall Boardwalk) to meet cost escalations and additional works provisionally agreed with Council Officers. This will be added to the £7.7k from the Revitalisation Fund as item3.4 above to provide additional funding to the Linen Quarter projects of £40k. It should also be noted the Linen Quarter Bid have provided, through private funding, a total of £176k to meet the overall project costs.

·        Be reallocated by Officers to meet any further cost escalations within the agreed and committed projects to ensure that the projects remain on track, with reports to be brought back to this Committee at a future date.

 

3.7       Members are also asked to note that the Belfast Entries Project won the 2021 Excellence in Place-making Award for the Ulster Region, recognising the extensive public-private partnership work across over 60 stakeholders, funders and contributors to bring forward a truly iconic project on our historic lanes and entries.

 

            Ministerial Advisory Group Workshop

 

3.8       The Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) have recently contacted Councils advising on proposals that they recognise can assist in delivering on net zero commitments through the influence of Briefing and Design Reviews.

 

3.9       Over the last year, MAG has been focussing its efforts on ways of increasing the impact that they can have on delivering positive outcomes of better urban and rural places across the region. Participation in the Design for Planet event as part of COP26 further emphasised the requirement for us all to re-double our efforts, putting Climate Change at the forefront of our attention.

 

3.10      MAG are now proposing to roll out a series of workshops with each Council to discuss how the Design Review processes can be optimised to deliver best outcomes. They are keen to run a series of sessions for key decision-makers/influencers in Councils, combining Elected Members and officers. They have expressed that they are keen for Belfast City Council to participate in such a session (hosted virtually), which is being planned for early this year.

 

3.11      MAG advise that to enable building capacity quickly across the region, they are planning to have two Councils per session. To enable sessions to be participatory, they are anticipating limiting numbers to 7 or 8 per council. It is proposed that Belfast City Council nominate two Elected Members (CG&R Chair and Deputy Chair or nominees) and six officers to participate. It is felt that the Council’s participation in this series will help strengthen the work which Council are bringing forward in the built environment.

 

            Connecting Communities in North Belfast to the Wider Regeneration of the City Seminar

 

3.12      As reported to this Committee in January 2022 Healthy North Belfast, in conjunction with Ashton are bringing forward a seminar ‘Connecting Communities in North Belfast to the Wider Regeneration of the City’ (previous working title was ‘Joining the City’ Seminar).  This seminar will also include representatives from DfI, Ulster University and Council.  This seminar will be specifically aligned to community-based discussions of major regeneration and infrastructure schemes, including the new Ulster University and the York Street Interchange, and how these projects and the outworking’s of the Bolder Vision can be maximised or proactively designed and implemented to restitch communities to the city centre and in particular to maximise the positive impacts of these projects on the people who live closest to them. This workshop is now confirmed for the 9^th February, 9:15am – 12:30pm, with log-in details as per this link:

 

          https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/connecting-communities-in-north-belfast-to-wider-regeneration-of-the-city-tickets-251299111407

 

3.13      Finance and Resource Implications

 

            All costs associated with this paper will be meet from the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Capital Programme, and, subject to Committee approval, the reallocation of the SP&R agreed (June 2021) Non-recurring underspend from the Business Cluster and Community Grant scheme to the DfC Revitalisation Programme.  

 

            Any further underspends realised within this programme are proposed to be reallocated under delegated authority to the Director of City Regeneration and Development to meet any additional costs on previously agreed and committed to projects and will be reported back to this Committee retrospectively.

 

3.14      Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

 

            Equality of opportunity and good relations, and disability duties screening is complete on the overall programme with mitigating actions agreed and implemented.”

            The Committee:

·        Noted that an Extension of Time had been formally granted for the DfC Covid -19 Revitalisation Programme until September 2022;

 

·        Noted the current level of underspend within the DfC Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme and reallocation of funding to the Church Lane and Linen Quarter schemes;

 

·        Agreed the reallocation of underspend from the Council funded (Non-Recurring money agreed at the June 2021 meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee) from the Business Cluster and Community Grant Scheme underspend to the previously agreed Linen Quarter Bid projects, with the remaining underspend to be allocated to the wider Covid-19 Revitalisation Programme;

 

·        Agreed that, given the timescales and in line with the Committee’s approval in August 2021, that future underspends realised within the programme be utilised to meet additional costs on previously agreed and committed projects;

 

·        Agreed to delegate authority to the Director of City Regeneration and Development to reallocate the remaining unallocated underspend and any further underspends to meet cost increases on previously agreed and committed projects and to report back to the Committee retrospectively;

 

·        Noted the proposed Ministerial Advisory Group Design Review Workshops and agreed the attendance of the Chair and Deputy Chair, or their nominated representatives; and

 

·        Noted the upcoming ‘Connecting Communities in North Belfast to the Wider Regeneration of the City’ seminar which was held on 9 February.