Agenda item

            Moved by Councillor McDonough-Brown,

            Seconded by Councillor Murphy,

 

      That the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 18th November, 2022, omitting matters in respect of which the Council has delegated its powers to the Committee, be approved and adopted.

 

Revenue Estimates and District Rate 2023-24

 

            At the request of Councillor McLaughlin, the Council agreed that a report would be submitted to a future meeting which would consider the structure of the Corporate Management Team.

 

Amendment

 

Fuel Poverty Hardship Fund

 

Moved by Councillor Flynn,

Seconded by Councillor Smyth,

 

      That the Council agrees that the threshold for household income to apply for the fuel poverty fund be reduced to £43,400, as per the Joseph Rowntree guidance as the minimum household income to achieve a decent standard of living and that Option 4 be applied as the Hybrid Working Model, that is, referral through Strategic Partners and verification through a Citywide Partner.

 

            On a recorded vote, twenty-four Members voted for the amendment and thirty against and it was declared lost.

 

 

For 24	Against 30
The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor M. Kelly); Aldermen Copeland and Rodgers; and Councillors Bower, Matt Collins, Michael Collins, de Faoite, Ferguson, Flynn, Hanvey, Heading, Howard, Kyle, Long, Lyons, Maghie, McDonough-Brown, McKeown, McMullan, Murray, Nelson, O’Hara, Smyth and Whyte.	The Lord Mayor (Councillor Black); The High Sheriff (Councillor Hussey); Aldermen Dorrian, Haire, McCoubrey and Sandford. Councillors Beattie, Bradley, Bunting, Canavan, Carson, Cobain, M. Donnelly, R.M. Donnelly, Duffy, Garrett, T. Kelly, Magee, Maskey, McAteer, McCabe, McCann, McCullough, McLaughlin, Murphy, Newton, Pankhurst, Spratt, Verner and Walsh.

 

 

Amendment 2

 

Moved by Councillor Murphy

Seconded by Councillor McLaughlin,

 

      That the Council agrees, in terms of the delivery model, to adopt Option 2 within the report, to use the Local Strategic Partners, and agrees also that the Ashton Centre replace Intercomm as a Strategic Partner in North Belfast. That it agrees that it would be paid before Christmas, if the groups had the capacity to do so, and that the threshold for household income to apply for the fuel poverty fund be set at 60K.  It also agrees that there should be sufficient flexibility in the scheme to include those using direct debits as a payment method. 

 

For clarity, the Council agreed to call a recess to enable officers to circulate the amendment to all Members.

 

Upon the resumption of the meeting, the Council voted on the amendment.

 

            On a recorded vote, thirty Members voted for the amendment and twenty-four against and it was declared carried.

 

 

 

For 30	Against 24
The Lord Mayor (Councillor Black); The High Sheriff (Councillor Hussey); Aldermen Dorrian, Haire, McCoubrey and Sandford. Councillors Beattie, Bradley, Bunting, Canavan, Carson, Cobain, M. Donnelly, R.M. Donnelly, Duffy, Garrett, T. Kelly, Magee, Maskey, McAteer, McCabe, McCann, McCullough, McLaughlin, Murphy, Newton, Pankhurst, Spratt, Verner and Walsh.	The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor M. Kelly); Aldermen Copeland and Rodgers; and Councillors Bower, Matt Collins, Michael Collins, de Faoite, Ferguson, Flynn, Hanvey, Heading, Howard, Kyle, Long, Lyons, Maghie, McDonough-Brown, McKeown, McMullan, Murray, Nelson, O’Hara, Smyth and White.

 

            The amendment was then put to the Council as the substantive motion and accordingly agreed as follows:

 

      “In terms of the delivery model, to adopt Option 2 within the report, to use the Local Strategic Partners, and agrees also that the Ashton Centre replace Intercomm as a Strategic Partner in North Belfast and that the Greater Shankill Community Council replace the Greater Shankill Partnership as a Strategic Partner in West Belfast.

 

                                     i.          to increase the Hardship fund to £1m, with this allocation to be met, in the first instance, from Departmental underspends and from the realignment of specified reserves, if required;

 

                                    ii.          it would be paid before Christmas if the groups have the capacity to do so;

 

                                   iii.          to endorse the Design Principles set out within paragraph 3.7 of the report;

 

                                  iv.          to endorse the recommendation to establish a Cost-of-Living Task Group, with membership to be confirmed but to include, as a minimum, representatives from the Council, the Department for Communities, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Belfast Area Partnerships, to ensure that effective referral pathways are created to support the most vulnerable within the City;

 

                                    v.          to endorse the eligibility criteria set out within paragraph 3.11 of the report, subject to an increase in the gross annual household income eligibility to £60k, to ensure that those most in need, including the working poor, were targeted;

 

                                  vi.          that there be sufficient flexibility in the scheme to ensure that householders using forms of heating other than oil and payment methods other than vouchers are included to include those using direct debits as a payment method and that this be referred to the Cost-of-Living Task Group to work out the detail;

 

                                 vii.          to note that correspondence had been forwarded to the Department of Communities requesting that consideration be given to potential match funding for the Fuel Hardship Scheme, as requested within the motion;

 

                                viii.          to note that the design and delivery of the scheme would have implications internally, particularly for those staff leading on community planning and on community capacity/neighbourhood integration and that assistance would also be required from the Finance and Audit Sections, in terms of ensuring that all necessary requirements and regulations were met;

 

                                  ix.          to note that, in anticipation of any additional funding becoming available, including through Government departments, Council officers were currently developing a funding framework, details of which would be provided at the Committee meeting in December; and

 

                                    x.          agreed that a report be submitted to the Committee within the next two months providing an update on the work being undertaken to review the strategic and thematic partners.”

                 

Amendment

 

Update on Special Meetings of the Area Working Groups –

Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund Stage 1 Applications Fund

 

Moved by Councillor Murray,

Seconded by Councillor O’Hara,

 

      That the decision of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 18th November, under the heading “Update on Special Meetings of the Area Working Groups – Neighbourhood Regeneration Fund Stage 1 Applications” be rejected and accordingly, the Council agrees that the amendment to the South Belfast Area Working Group be reversed and the Council reverts to the original proposal and not include the additional group.

 

            On a recorded vote, fifteen Members voted for the amendment, thirty-three against and with five no votes it was declared lost.

 

 

 

For 15	Against 33	No Vote 5
The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor M. Kelly); Alderman Rodgers; Councillors Bower, Flynn,  Hanvey, Howard, Kyle, Long, Maghie, McDonough-Brown, McMullan, Murray, Nelson, O’Hara and Smyth.	The Lord Mayor (Councillor Black); The High Sheriff Councillor Hussey; Aldermen Dorrian, Haire, McCoubrey and Sandford; Councillors Beattie, Bradley, Bunting, Canavan, Carson, Cobain, Matt Collins, Michael Collins, M. Donnelly, R.M. Donnelly, Duffy, Ferguson, Garrett, Gormley, T. Kelly, Magee, Maskey, McAteer, McCabe, McCann, McLaughlin, Murphy, Pankhurst, Spratt, Thompson, Verner and Walsh.	Councillor de Faoite, Heading, Lyons, McKeown and Whyte.

 

Update on Research into the Lived Experiences

of Minority Ethnic Communities in Belfast

 

            At the request of Councillor Ferguson, the Chief Executive undertook to submit an update report in regard to the position and role of Diversity Champion within the Council.

 

Asset Management

 

            At the request of Councillor McKeown, the Chief Executive undertook to investigate if the licence fee of £7,575 for the use of the contractor’s compound at Ormeau Park for a further nine months could be increased.

 

Adoption of Minutes

 

            Subject to the foregoing addition and amendment, the minutes of the proceedings of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee of 18th November, were approved and adopted.