Agenda item

            The Committee was reminded that, at its meeting in September, the Council had agreed that the decision under the heading ‘Belfast City and Region Place Partnership Update’ to approve attendance by senior officers at MIPIM 2025 as part of the BCRPP 2024/2025 programme, noting that the BCRPP presence at MIPIM would be funded from the wider public-private sector BCRPP programme budget, be taken back to the Committee for further consideration.

 

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1       The report is in response to a decision by Council on 2 September ‘that the decision to approve attendance by senior officers at MIPIM 2025 as part of the Belfast City & Region Place Partnership (BCRPP) 2024/2025 programme, noting that the BCRPP presence at MIPIM will be funded from the wider public-private sector BCRPP programme budget, be taken back to the Committee for further consideration.’

 

2.0       Recommendation

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to approve attendance by senior officers at MIPIM 2025 as part of the BCRPP 2024 / 2025 programme, noting that the BCRPP presence at MIPIM will be funded from the wider public-private sector BCRPP programme budget.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       In considering the recommendation the Committee is asked to consider the appended detailed report as presented to Committee in August 2024 on outcomes from the Belfast City & Region Place Partnership (BCRPP) 2023 / 2024 Programme including attendance at MIPIM as requested at the meeting of the Committee in June 2024.

 

3.2       In addition, the issue was raised at Council about the importance of considering proposals for attendance at MIPM in the context of an updated International Relations Framework. A separate report has been provided to the committee updating on International Relations Activity which asks the committee to note the planned review of international opportunities and potential areas of interest aligned to city priorities and agree to receive a future report to consider how targeted international engagement activity can support and advance our key ambitions. It also advised that this work will be developed alongside a paper for the committee setting out the principles that will underpin an updated international relations framework.

 

3.3       Although no longer current, Members may wish to note the main purpose of the 2017-2021 International Relations Framework was to;

 

            Ensure that Belfast is optimally positioned on the international stage to realise our ambitions, and that our resources and priorities are aligned with the overarching strategic vision for the city and – as a driver of the regional economy.

 

            It focused on three main areas:

 

·        Business – investment and export/trade activity

·        Tourism development (both leisure and business)

·        Education/Culture development

 

            The Framework was based on the premise that;

 

            Belfast can and should be active internationally, that the Council has a ‘value added’ role to play, and together with our partners across the city we can compete internationally for the benefit of our citizens.

 

            The framework recognises that our;

 

            international ambitions rely on strong collaboration with a range of partners including the Executive Office, Invest NI, the universities, FE colleges and a range of bodies with shared ambitions to attract investment, tourism, conferences, students and so on.

 

            And that we can;

 

            complement and amplify the work of these partners, rather than compete against them.

 

3.4       It is also worth highlighting that the focus on Business investment and export trade activity and the partnership approach are likely to be key elements of any updated framework with which the BRCPP partnership programme, including MIPIM attendance align.

 

3.5       The BCRPP is an important partnership to promote and position the city to compete globally to attract inclusive and sustainable investment to support the realisation of our inclusive growth ambitions as outlined in the Belfast Agenda, which is likely to require investment of £7.5bn - with a significant quantum from private sector funding and institutional investment. By way of context setting, as noted in paragraph 3.6 in the appended report, 24% of Northern Ireland’s commercial investment in 2023 came from Institutional investment with the proportion of investment in NI from institutional investors having reduced significantly since the UK’s referendum on EU membership in 2016. This private sector investment complements public sector funding, noting that in terms of housing delivery there is requirement for 20% affordable under LDP policy, and highlights the importance of collaborative working across the public and private sector to both attract external investment and delivery of our shared ambition for the city. 

 

3.6       As part of the recently refreshed Belfast Agenda, Members will be aware that this included associated Action Plans aligned to each priority area. Under Our Place, Future City Centre and wider city regeneration & investment, we along with our Community Planning Partners have agreed to the strategic intent to ‘Promote and position the city to compete globally to attract inclusive and sustainable investment’, with the Council as the convening lead. Attendance by senior officers at MIPIM as part of BCRPP is a core component part of this, and, as noted above, complements other work streams that Council undertakes to promote the city internationally through our International Relations Framework.  The Belfast Agenda is our overarching strategy, on our ambition for the positive inclusive growth of the city, and from this we have developed aligned policy and strategic priorities and our direct delivery.

 

3.7       As noted to this Committee in June 2024 the BCRPP is delivering a structured programme of work aligned to securing investment and regeneration for Belfast and the wider city region, which includes a presence at key real estate investment conferences including MIPIM. The ‘Team Belfast’ attendance at MIPIM is an important forum for Belfast to position itself to a global audience and attract the interest of institutional investors, developers, occupiers and funders in the context of bringing forward sustainable development to support the city centre and wider city regeneration and investment. Members will be aware that ‘Positioning the City to Compete’ is a key programme of work within this Committee’s work plan as agreed at a special meeting of CGR Committee in May 2024, with which the BCRPP, including MIPIM attendance align. In addition, it aligns and supports a joint public-private approach to promoting and positioning the city and city region as a priority location for investment, to underpin the generation, development and infrastructure required to deliver our inclusive growth ambitions – a key action within the Corporate Delivery Plan (2024-25) as agreed by Strategic Policy and Resources Committee in August 2024.

 

3.8       The appended report on the outcomes from the Belfast City & Region Place Partnership (BCRPP) 2023 / 2024 Programme including attendance at MIPIM highlighted the BCRPP programme objectives to:

 

·        Continue to build collaboration and partnership in the city and wider region.

·        Continue to promote and market the Belfast region outside Northern Ireland.

·        Increase engagement and advocacy with all key stakeholders, in particular, investors and government.

 

            It noted that outcomes from MIPIM should be viewed in the context of the wider programme objectives, with highlights of the tangible outcomes detailed below: 

 

3.9       Programme objective: Increase engagement and advocacy with all key stakeholders, in particular, investors and government.

 

            Paragraph 4.10 in the appended report highlights that marketing activities during MIPIM have translated into inward visits to the city and subsequent investment into the city’s built environment. While there is commercial sensitivity in terms of subsequent investment and delivery following introductions and engagement at MIPIM, a presentation to this Committee on the 2023 Regeneration Tracker in April 2024 noted that there has been an overall positive trajectory of development and regeneration activity in the City Centre since 2015 which has positively contributed to the wider region including economic growth, job creation, access to services and cultural and recreational amenities.  Members will note that 133 leads were collected at MIPIM 2024 with interest from a variety of sectors including residential development, leisure / hotel development, green energy and life sciences, a number of follow up meetings having already taken place in Belfast with Council officers and also other BCRPP members, with more planned in the coming months.

 

 

3.10      Programme objective: Continue to build collaboration and partnership in the city and wider region.

 

      Members should note that BRCPP members continue to see value in attending MIPIM and continuing the collaborative partnership approach, as noted in paragraph 4.16 of the appended report, and have highlighted the importance of having the Council play a lead civic role in supporting this joint public private sector approach to collectively market the city internationally in the context of delivering our shared ambitions as outlined in the Belfast Agenda.

 

3.11      Programme objective: Continue to promote and market the Belfast region outside Northern Ireland.

 

      Members should note that other core UK cities in attendance at MIPIM include London, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Cardiff, with Belfast representatives participating in joint events with these UK cities, UK government and private sector partners. MIPIM 2024 saw the organisation of the inaugural UK Cities Investment Event which Belfast co-hosted with Liverpool and Cardiff alongside The Department for Business and Trade and the British Property Federation, providing an invaluable platform to positively position Belfast as an attractive investment location and build relationships and share learnings with other UK cities, and planning has commenced for 2025 marketing activities.  The sub regional approach outlined in the draft Programme for Government further underscores the importance of Belfast promoting itself in a global context to attract international investment.

 

4.0Financial and Resource Implications

 

      Approval is sought for attendance of senior officers at MIPIM 2024. Travel costs for Council attendance at MIPIM 2024 to be met from within existing and approved departmental budgets.  All other costs related to these events would be met from the 2024 / 2025 BCRPP Partnership programme budget.

 

5.0Equality or Good Relations Implications/

      Rural Needs Assessment

 

      There are no Equality, Good Relations nor Rural Needs Implications associated with this paper.”

 

            During discussion, the Director of City Regeneration and Development explained further the tangible outputs of the Council’s attendance at MIPIM.

 

Proposal

 

Moved by Alderman Lawlor,

Seconded by Councillor McDonough-Brown,

 

      Resolved - That the Committee agrees to the recommendation as outlined in the report.

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?         Accordingly, the Committee approved attendance by senior officers at MIPIM 2025 as part of the BCRPP 2024 / 2025 programme, noting that the BCRPP presence at MIPIM would be funded from the wider public-private sector BCRPP programme budget.