3 January 2020 Chairman

3 January 2020

Chairman: Alderman A G Ewart MBE

Vice-Chairman: Alderman W J Dillon MBE

Aldermen: J Baird, D Drysdale, A Grehan and T Morrow

Councillors: N Anderson, R T Beckett, S Carson, J Gallen, D Honeyford, H Legge, U Mackin, T Mitchell, G McCleave

Ex Officio The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor A Givan Deputy Mayor, Councillor J McCarthy

The Monthly Meeting of the Development Committee will be held in the Island Civic Centre, The Island, Lisburn, on Wednesday, 8 January 2020 at 7.00 pm for the transaction of business on the undernoted Agenda.

You are requested to attend.

DAVID BURNS Chief Executive Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Agenda

1 APOLOGIES

2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

(i) Conflict of Interest on any matter before the meeting (Members to confirm the specific item) (ii) Pecuniary and non-pecuniary interest (Member to complete the Disclosure of Interest form)

3. DEPUTATION

3.1 To receive representatives from Lisburn Commerce Against Crime (LCAC) in connection with LCAC’s Management Report and funding arrangements (item 7.2 of the Confidential Report refers – “In Committee” 7.00 pm).

4. REPORT OF HEAD OF PLANNING & CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT

4.1 Local Development Plan – Amendment of Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and updated public notice re Draft Plan Strategy

5. REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER

5.1 Belfast Region City Deal – Potential Digital Innovation Investment Propositions

5.2 Belfast Region City Deal – Council Panel Terms of Reference & NI City and Growth Deals Governance Arrangements

5.3 MIPIM 2020 Investment Document

6. REPORT OF HEAD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

6.1 2020 Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas

6.2 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and Lisburn Chamber of Commerce Economic Preview and Brexit Review, 28 February 2020

6.3 Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor

6.4 DAERA Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme

6.5 Delisting of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest

6.6 2020 Tourism Major Event Applications

7 CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS

Members are requested to go to the Confidential Folder to access the Development Committee confidential report.

CONFIDENTIAL REPORT BY DIRECTOR OF SERVICE TRANSFORMATION

7.1 Service Transformation Directorate Estimates 2020/21 (Confidential due to information relating to the financial or business affairs of the organisation concerned (including the Council holding that information)

7.2 Lisburn Commerce Against Crime (LCAC) – Update (Confidential due to containing information relating to the financial or business affairs of the organisation concerned (including the Council holding that information)

7.3 Laganbank Quarter Scheme Update (Confidential due to containing information relating to the financial or business affairs of the organisation concerned (including the Council holding that information)

7.4 Discover Waterways – updated Economic Appraisal (Confidential due to containing information relating to the financial or business affairs of the organisation concerned (including the Council holding that information)

oooOOOooo

To: Members of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Planning and Capital Development

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 4.1 Local Development Plan – Amendment of Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and updated public notice re Draft Plan Strategy

Background and Key Issues: (i) AMMENDED STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Background

At Development Committee on 6 November 2019, Members agreed an amended Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), which took account of the extended formal consultation period for the draft Plan Strategy stage of the Local Development Plan.

In accordance with Regulation 6 of The Planning (Statement of Community Involvement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, the amended SCI was sent to the Department for Infrastructure for their agreement.

Key Issues

The Department for Infrastructure has subsequently agreed to the amended SCI on 13 December 2019 (see appendices), and in accordance with Regulation 7 of the above mentioned regulations the Council must:

 Make a copy of the document available for inspection at its principal offices during normal office hours  Give notice by local advertisement that the statement is available for inspection and the place and times at which it can be inspected  Publish the statement on the Council’s website

In the interests in meeting the public consultation timeline which we are committed to, officers, in agreement with the Chairman, have published a revised SCI on the Council’s website. The Committee is now asked to retrospectively approve these amendments and agree with the re- advertisement of our LDP public advertisement

Members should note that the SCI should be subject to an annual review.

(ii) PUBLIC NOTICE RE DRAFT PLAN STRATEGY

The Council issued a reminder by way of public notice of the closing date for receipt of representations and expressions of opinion to the Local Development Plan Draft Plan Strategy and accompanying Sustainability Appraisal Report (SA), which is Friday 10th January 2020 (see appendix).

The purpose of the reminder is to ensure full public engagement during the formal consultation period for the draft Plan Strategy and Sustainability Appraisal Report (in accordance with the provisions of the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 and the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004.

Recommendation: Members are asked to retrospectively agree the advertisement which was placed in the local press and the amended SCI being made available for inspection following the update on the Council website.

Members are asked to note the content of the press notice and that the closing date for receipt of representations is Friday 10th January 2020 for both the draft Plan Strategy and Sustainability Appraisal Report.

Finance and Resource Implications: None

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

If Yes, “This is a decision of this Committee only. Members of the Planning Committee are not bound by the decision of this Committee. Members of the Planning Committee shall consider any related planning application in accordance with the applicable legislation and with an open mind, taking into account all relevant matters and leaving out irrelevant consideration”.

APPENDICES: Appendix 4.1(a)LDP Letter from DfI agreeing to amended SCI Appendix 4.1(b)LDP SCI (amended) dated October 2019 for publication on the Council website Appendix 4.1(c)LDP Reminder Public Notice Publication of the Local Development Plan Draft Plan Strategy and accompanying Sustainability Appraisal Report

AS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? No If Yes, please insert date: Appendix 4.1(a)LDP

Appendix 4.1(b)LDP

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) October 2019

Getting in Touch

Should you have a planning query, you can contact the Council’s Planning Unit in the following ways:

By email to: [email protected]

By post to: Planning Unit Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Civic Headquarters Lagan Valley Island Lisburn Co. Antrim BT27 4RL

By telephone on: 028 9250 9250

By text phone on: 028 92 509 508

Additional copies of this document can be downloaded from our website at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or requested via the postal address, email address, telephone number and text phone number as above.

Should you require a copy of this Statement of Community Involvement in an alternative format, it can be made available on request in large print, audio format or Braille. It may also be made available in minority languages to meet the needs of those for whom English is not their first language.

Keeping the Community Informed The Planning Unit is keen to communicate with local people on planning issues arising in our Council area and in particular progress on our new Local Development Plan. If your community/voluntary group would like to be included in this process please email your details to [email protected].

If you have any queries regarding this document please contact us using the details above.

2 Contents Page

1.0 Introduction 4

2.0 Community Involvement in the Council’s Local Development Plan Process 7

3.0 Community Involvement in the Council’s Development Management Function 19

4.0 Community Involvement in Planning Enforcement 29

5.0 Community Involvement in Supplementary Planning Guidance 30

6.0 Community Involvement in Conservation Area Designation 31

7.0 Community Involvement in Designation of a Simplified Planning Zone 32

8.0 Review of the Statement of Community Involvement 33

9.0 Other 34

Annexes Annex 1 Local Development Plan Stages 35 Annex 2 Statutory Consultees Development Plan 36 Annex 3 Statutory Consultees Development Management 37 Annex 4 List of Community/Voluntary Groups in Council area 38 Annex 5 Useful Links 42 Annex 6 Glossary 43

3 1.0 INTRODUCTION

What is the Statement of Community Involvement?

1.1 From the 1st April 2015 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council became the main decision maker on the vast majority of planning applications in the Council area, and assumed powers for producing its Local Development Plan. It is the Council’s responsibility, working with local people, to create a clear vision of how the Council area should develop and what it will look like in the years to come.

1.2 Councils are required under Section 4 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

1.3 The purpose of this statement is to set out policy for involving the community in the production of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Local Development Plan and the consideration of planning applications. It describes who, how and when the community will be invited to participate in the different stages of both Local Development Plan formulation and the determination of planning applications.

1.4 This SCI is not intended to be a source of definitive legal advice. If any discrepancy exists between this statement and the legislation it refers to, the provisions of that legislation will prevail.

A Vision of Participation

1.5 The Council’s vision as set out in its Corporate Plan is:

“To be a progressive, dynamic and inclusive council, working in partnership to develop our community and improve the quality of people’s lives’ and the values we operate by.”

1.6 The Council’s core values are:-

 Respect  Excellence  Leadership  Honesty

4  Accountability  Equality

1.7 The Council is committed to ‘Working together to deliver better lives for all’ and this will be achieved by:-  Delivering a range of high quality, cost effective local services to meet the needs of people and enhance their quality of life  Working collaboratively with our partners to secure improvements in social, economic and environmental wellbeing throughout our area  Leading and engaging with people to provide added value/quality services. Providing local government, advocacy and advice for people.  Planning and delivering a better future for our area.

1.8 This SCI has been screened in accordance with Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) requirements. The SCI will assist all persons in engaging better with the planning system and as such it is expected to equally benefit all Section 75 categories.

1.9 It is intended to adopt a proactive and timely approach to community involvement through providing clear information and encouraging participation during plan preparation and pre-application, planning application submission, assessment and determination stages. The process must therefore be informative, user friendly, as inclusive as possible, and conducted in an open and transparent way. Every effort is to be made to engage the community, record views and provide feedback.

1.10 The Local Development Plan provides a statutory link with the Council’s Community Plan and will include a spatial land use reflection of the Community Plan, providing a vision of how places should change and what they will be like in the future.

Figure 1: Important Linkages with other Council Plans and Strategies

6 2.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE COUNCIL’S LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROCESS

2.1 The purpose of the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Local Development Plan, comprising the Plan Strategy and Local Policies Plan, is to inform the general public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework and land use proposals that will implement the strategic objectives of the Regional Development Strategy (RDS) and guide development decisions within the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area up to 2032.

Who can get involved?

2.2 Anyone who wishes to get involved in the preparation of this Local Development Plan will be encouraged to do so at the opportunities provided. In particular the views of the following groups of people will be welcomed:

 People living within the area / neighbourhood;  Elected representatives;  Voluntary groups;  Community forums / groups / umbrella organisations;  Environmental groups;  Residents groups;  Business interests;  Developers / landowners; and  All individuals & groups with an interest in the area.

2.3 Elected members, forums, community and residents groups provide a voice for the local community. Other voluntary and interest groups also bring a special knowledge and can ensure that important concerns are addressed. Annex 4 sets out the list of community/voluntary groups in Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Area.

Empowering disadvantaged and under-represented groups

2.4 Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires a public authority, in carrying out its functions relating to Northern Ireland, to have due

7 regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity between:

 persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation;  men and women generally;  persons with a disability and persons without; and  persons with dependants and persons without.

2.5 In addition, without prejudice to the above obligations, public authorities are required to have regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or race. The above “Section 75 groups” (as defined in para 2.4) are important participants within the planning process and include people who traditionally have been under represented or disadvantaged. These groups will be invited to take part in the consultation process on the Local Development Plan in order to obtain their views and contribute to the consideration of equality issues under Section 75. Their views on any equality screening documents or draft Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) will also be sought within the specified period for comment along with the draft Plan Strategy and draft Local Policies Plan.

2.6 To ensure that Local Development Plan and consultation documents are accessible to everyone they will be made available on the Council’s website at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk and the Council, on request will take all reasonable steps to provide documents in alternative formats and in minority languages to meet the needs of those who are not fluent in English. Plain English will be used for all publications. A telephone and text phone number will be stated on each document for people with hearing or speech impairments. If for any reason, a request for a document in a particular alternative format cannot be met, other possible solutions will be explored.

How and when will the Community be involved?

2.7 A Local Development Plan is made up of different stages, each presenting opportunities for community involvement (see Annex 1 for 8 details). Each of these stages is identified along with the actions that are to be taken to involve the community. The actions will fulfil and in some cases exceed the statutory requirements on public consultation.

Figure 2: Local Development Plan Process

Stage 1 - Initial Plan Preparation

2.8 The purpose of the plan preparation stage is to establish what is required of the new plan, the key issues to be addressed and the options for addressing them. This will be undertaken using a topic based approach which will address particular issues relevant to the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

2.9 This stage includes preparation of the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) and the Timetable for the Local Development Plan. Positions papers which set out the evidence base will assist in the preparation of the Preferred Options Paper. An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) will be undertaken, along with a Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report (incorporating a Strategic Environmental Assessment) in consultation with Central Government as the Consultation Body.

Actions

 Prepare and publish a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), listing the key consultees, Community Groups and under- represented (Section 75) groups who will be actively encouraged to participate in the process. These lists will be kept under review and written requests for inclusion from additional bodies will be considered.  Prepare, agree and make available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters a Timetable (including advertising and placing on the Council’s website) which will provide indicative dates for:- - each stage of the preparation of the Local Development Plan process, including publication of the Preferred Options Paper, Plan Strategy, and Local Policies Plan, through to adoption; - The carrying out of the Sustainability Appraisal and the report on the findings.

 Set up a Steering Group1 and Project Management Team/Stakeholder Group2 to oversee development of the Local Development Plan.  Inform key consultees (see Annex 2) requesting them to participate in the plan making process by providing information on the key strategic issues that the Local Development Plan should address.  Provide opportunity for under-represented (Section 75) groups to identify whether there are any types of planning policies which are likely to have a significant impact on the groups they represent. They will also be provided opportunity to identify any particular issues or needs which they feel the plan should address. Where requested this can be done through a face to face meeting with a planning official. Any comments received will be taken into account in preparing the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA).

1 Comprises the relevant Council Committees, Chief Executive and Senior Planning Officials to ensure overview and strategic input. 2 Consisting of Council officials and key consultees to ensure adequate co-operation of consultees and provide input to the Sustainability Appraisal and Equality Impact Assessment.

10  Send the Scoping Report of the Sustainability Appraisal incorporating SEA to the statutory Consultation Body and if necessary, Central Government may be requested to undertake trans-boundary consultation with the Republic of Ireland.  Publish a Preferred Options Paper which will set out the key plan issues and the preferred options available to address them (and make available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website). The Preferred Options Paper is a consultation paper to promote debate on issues of strategic significance which are likely to influence the shape of future development within Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.  Issue a local advertisement3, press release and hold a launch/exhibition to announce publication of the Preferred Options Paper, with public meetings, exhibitions or drop-in sessions as appropriate in various locations across the Council area.  Make any relevant supporting documents including the Sustainability Interim Report and Position papers (such as the Countryside Assessment and Settlement Appraisal) available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website and provide hard copies on request at a specified price.  Inform key consultees, elected members, local community groups and under-represented (Section 75) groups of the public events and advise them how they can view or obtain a copy of the Preferred Options Paper and ask for comment within a minimum 8 week consultation period.  Present a Public Consultation Report to elected Members following a minimum 8 week consultation period.

Stage 2 - Preparation and Adoption of Plan Strategy

2.10 This stage of plan preparation will set out the Council’s objectives and strategic policies regarding the future development of the area. The

3 Local advertisement means an advertisement for two successive weeks in at least one newspaper circulating in the Council area.

11 Council will prepare a draft Plan Strategy based on all information previously gathered and the public responses to the Preferred Options Paper.

2.11 As part of the process the Council will also carry out a range of assessments including a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment, Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA), Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Rural Proofing. These will be published along with the draft Plan Strategy.

2.12 The draft Plan Strategy will be published for consultation, and all representations received will be available for public inspection, including any counter-representations. These will be considered at the independent examination4 which will examine the draft Plan Strategy against soundness tests5.

2.13 Following the independent examination, the examiner will issue a report of its findings to Central Government who will consider and issue a binding report to the Council. The Council must incorporate any changes outlined in the binding report before adopting the Plan Strategy.

Actions

Publication of Draft Plan Strategy

 Publish a draft Plan Strategy setting out the key strategic policies for the Council area (and make available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website).  Issue a public notice6, local advertisement, press release and hold a launch/exhibition to announce publication of the draft Plan Strategy, with public meetings, exhibitions or drop-in sessions as appropriate in various locations across the Council area.

4 The independent examination is requested by Central Government following submission of documents from the Council. 5 Soundness involves testing the LDP against a key list of criteria. Detailed information set out in Development Plan Practice Notes | Planning Portal.

6 A public notice is placed in the Belfast Gazette, which is the official public record. 12  Make any relevant supporting documents including the draft Sustainability Appraisal Report, draft Equality Impact Assessment and Public Consultation Report available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website and provide hard copies on request at a specified price.  Inform statutory consultees of the public events and provide them with a copy of the draft Plan Strategy and ask for comments within the formal consultation period (specified as 8 weeks in legislation which may be extended to allow flexibility for holiday periods where necessary).  Inform other key consultees, elected members, local community groups and under-represented (Section 75) groups of the public events and advise them where they can obtain a copy of the draft Plan Strategy and ask for comments within the formal consultation period.  Notify all those who submitted a representation to the Preferred Options Paper informing them of the publication of the draft Plan Strategy and accompanying documents including the Public Consultation Report; advising how they can view or obtain copies; the dates of the public events; the formal consultation period and closing date for representations.

Plan Strategy – Representations

 Make copies of representations available for inspection at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on its website and notify those who made representations of this.  Inform statutory consultees and elected members that representations are available for inspection and the places and times at which they can be inspected.  Issue a Public Notice, local advertisement, and make available on the Council’s website details of representations for inspection and the 8 week consultation period, including closing date for counter- representations.  Make copies of counter-representations available for inspection at

13 the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.  Report counter-representations to elected members.  Fully consider representations and counter-representations before submitting the draft Plan Strategy and all supporting documents required in the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 to Central Government for independent examination.

Plan Strategy - Independent Examination

 Publicise and notify the statutory consultees on the draft Plan Strategy and all supporting documents submitted to Central Government for Independent Examination; make these submitted documents available for inspection at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.

 Continue to make the draft Plan Strategy and any accompanying documentation available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.

 Issue a Public Notice, local advertisement and place on the Council’s website, dates, times and venues for the independent examination at least 4 weeks before the independent examination is to be held indicating that representations and counter representations are available for inspection.  Notify all persons who have submitted representations and counter representations to the draft Plan Strategy of the arrangements for the independent examination indicating that representations and counter representations are available for inspection.  Request key consultees to provide comment on the representations and counter representations for consideration at the independent examination.

Adoption of Plan Strategy

 Issue a Public Notice, local advertisement and place on the Council’s website details of:

14 (i) adoption of the Plan Strategy; (ii) where to get copies of the Plan Strategy and accompanying documents, Central Government’s Direction and the accompanying Independent Examiner’s Report.  Make the Plan Strategy and any supporting documents, Central Government’s Direction and Independent Examiner’s Report available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website with hard copy available on request for a specified price.  Inform key consultees and those submitting representations and counter representations advising them of the adopted Plan Strategy, and where to obtain copies together with Central Government’s Direction and the Independent Examiner’s Report. Also advise them of the commencement of work on the Local Policies Plan.

Stage 3 - Preparation and Adoption of Local Policies Plan

2.14 The Local Policies Plan is the second part of the Local Development Plan document. It will be consistent with the adopted Plan Strategy and will be the Council’s detailed policies and proposals regarding the future development of the area. The draft Local Policies Plan will be a public consultation document and will form a key part of the public participation process.

2.15 The process for the Local Policies Plan will follow the same steps as those carried out for the Plan Strategy. This will include preparing the draft Local Policies Plan, updating the Sustainability Report and accompanying statutory assessments, publishing it for consultation, and making all representations/counter-representations available for inspection prior to independent examination.

Actions

Publication of Draft Local Policies Plan

 Publish a draft Local Policies Plan setting out the detailed policies and proposals for the Council area (and make available at the 15 Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website).  Issue a public notice, local advertisement, press release and hold a launch/exhibition to announce publication of the draft Local Policies Plan, with public meetings, exhibitions or drop-in sessions as appropriate in various locations across the Council area.  Make any relevant supporting documents including the draft Sustainability Appraisal Report, draft Equality Impact Assessment and Public Consultation Report available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website and provide hard copies on request at a specified price.  Inform statutory consultees of the public events and provide them with a copy of the draft Local Policies Plan and ask for comments within the formal consultation period (specified as 8 weeks in legislation which may be extended to allow flexibility for holiday periods where necessary).

 Inform other key consultees, elected members, local community groups and under represented (Section 75) groups of the public events and advise them where they can obtain a copy of the draft Local Policies Plan and ask for comments within the formal consultation period.  Notify all those who submitted a representation and counter representation to the draft Plan Strategy informing them of the publication of the Local Policies Plan and accompanying documents; advising how they can view or obtain copies; the dates of the public events; the formal consultation period and closing date for representations.

Local Policies Plan – Representations

 Make copies of representations available for inspection at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.  Inform statutory consultees and elected members that representations are available for inspection and the places and times at which they can be inspected.  Issue a Public Notice, local advertisement, and make available on

16 the Council’s website details of representations for inspection and the 8 week consultation period, including closing date for counter- representations.  Make copies of counter-representations available for inspection at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.  Report counter-representations to elected members.  Fully consider representations and counter-representations before submitting the draft Local Policies Plan and all supporting documents required in the Planning (Local Development Plan) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015 to Central Government for independent examination.

Local Policies Plan - Independent Examination

 Publicise and notify the statutory consultees on the draft Local Policies Plan and all supporting documents submitted to Central Government for Independent Examination; make these submitted documents available for inspection at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.  Continue to make the draft Local Policies Plan and any accompanying documentation available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website.  Issue a Public Notice, local advertisement and place on the Council’s website dates, times and venues for the independent examination at least 4 weeks before the independent examination is to be held indicating that representations and counter representations are available for inspection.  Notify all persons who have submitted representations and counter representations to the draft Local Policies Plan of the arrangements for the independent examination indicating that representations and counter representations are available for inspection.  Request key consultees to provide comment on the representations and counter representations for consideration at the independent examination.

17 Adoption of Local Policies Plan

 Issue a Public Notice, local advertisement and place on the Council’s website details of: (i) adoption of the Local Policies Plan; (ii) where to get copies of the Local Policies Plan and accompanying documents, Central Government’s Direction and the Independent Examiner’s Report.  Make the Local Policies Plan and any supporting documents, Central Government’s Direction and Independent Examiner’s Report available at the Council’s Civic Headquarters and on the Council’s website with hard copy available on request for a specified price.  Inform key consultees and those submitting representations and counter representations advising them of the adopted Local Policies Plan and where to obtain copies together with Central Government’s Direction and the Independent Examiner’s Report.

Stage 4 - Monitoring and Review

2.16 The final stage in the Local Development Plan process is monitoring and review which are essential in order to establish how the objectives of the plan have been achieved and whether any changes are necessary. The Council will provide regular reviews of the Local Development Plan, at least every 5 years from the date of adoption of the Local Policies Plan.

18 3.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE COUNCIL’S DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT FUNCTION

3.1 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council as the local planning authority for the area deals with all planning applications (with the exception of those for Regionally Significant Development which will be determined by the Central Government) and Listed Building applications in the Council area. It also deals with applications for works in conservation areas, works to protected trees, hazardous substance and advertising consent. Development Management is the process through which such applications are considered. An important part of the process is to provide information and advice to applicants and to seek and take into account the views of the general public and statutory consultees on all planning applications. The statutory requirements for consultation on planning applications are set out in legislation. These requirements vary according to the type of proposal but include notification to specified bodies and general publicity.

3.2 Applications will be determined in accordance with the Plan-led System7 which gives primacy to the Local Development Plan as referred to in the previous section 2.0.

3.3 The Council receives a wide variety of planning applications and therefore needs to involve the community to differing degrees, according to the scale and complexity of the application. This section looks at:  how the public can become involved at the various stages of the

application process; and  how the level of community involvement will depend on the scale of the application.

7 See glossary. 19 Pre-Application Stage

Pre-Application Discussions (PADs)

3.4 Pre-application discussions are encouraged for a range of types of applications, both major and local. The objective of pre-application discussions should be to provide advice and information (as appropriate) without prejudice and to clarify the format, type and level of detail required to enable the Council to determine an application. For major applications, this process will enable the applicant to discuss with the Council details of how the community should be involved in the decision-making process.

Pre-Application Community Consultation

3.5 The Council strives to inform and involve the wider community in helping to create better quality developments and place making. Applicants submitting major applications to the Council must undertake community consultation before submitting their application. The Council will require the following actions to be undertaken before the application is submitted:-

1. Notify the Council at least 12 weeks in advance that a major planning application is to be submitted.

2. Hold at least one public event where the community will be afforded the opportunity to make comment.

3. Publish details of the proposal in the local press, outlining where further details can be obtained and the date, time and location of a public event.

4. Submit a pre-application community consultation report.

3.6 Pre-application community consultation is likely to be more successful if the applicant makes significant efforts to open lines of communication with, and provide feedback to, local communities and work with them to secure development proposals which are acceptable to everyone.

3.7 Applicants considering submitting development proposals that fall within the definition of major development are encouraged to engage in Pre-Application Discussions with planning officers prior to submitting such applications. Where applicants fail to fully meet the pre- application community consultation requirements the Council will decline to determine the application.

Application Stage

3.8 When a planning application is submitted for determination the Council will involve the community in the development management process. If an individual considers that they will be affected by a development proposal they will have an opportunity to comment on what is being proposed and how it will affect them. Comments that raise material planning considerations will be considered by the Council as part of the decision making process.

Advertising and Neighbour Notification

3.9 The Council will undertake statutory publicity in accordance with current legislation. Central Government may change the statutory publicity requirements and our future approach will reflect any changes that are made.

Advertising

3.10 The Council will advertise all new applications on a weekly basis in at least one local newspaper in accordance with Section 41 of the Planning Act.

EIA Development

3.11 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a method for ensuring that the likely significant environmental effects of a new development on the environment are fully understood and taken into account before consent is given for the development to proceed. The Environmental Statement (ES) produced following this Assessment should, bring

21 together in a single document or series of documents information about a proposed development and its effects on the environment.

3.12 In most cases it will fall to the Council to determine if the application is an EIA application. It should be noted that if an application is an EIA application it cannot be processed until the ES is received. When a developer submits an ES in support of a planning application, the Council will publish a notice of its receipt in a local newspaper. The notice will indicate where the Statement may be purchased and the address of the Council Office where it may be inspected. The Council will also allow 4 weeks (from the date the notice is first published) for representation(s) to be made.

Neighbour Notification

3.13 The Planning (General Development Procedure) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 states that any identified occupier of land neighbouring the land to which the application relates shall be notified by serving a notice on them. Under the Council’s Neighbour Notification Scheme, the Council will ensure that planning applications are brought to the individual attention of the occupiers of buildings on neighbouring land which are within 90m of the boundary of the application site. Neighbouring land is defined as ‘land which directly adjoins the application site or which would adjoin it but for an entry or road less than 20m in width’.

3.14 The Planning Officer when carrying out a site inspection will also check the accuracy of the neighbour notification details supplied on the application form and may add details as considered appropriate.

3.15 The period for responding following receipt of a neighbour notification letter is 14 days, though any late representations received before a decision is made will still be considered.

22 Obtaining further information and getting involved in planning applications

3.16 The weekly lists of planning applications received within the Council area will be available to view on the Northern Ireland Planning Portal www.planningni.gov.uk. Lists can also be accessed from the Council’s website www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk.

3.17 Planning applications including supporting documents and corresponding plans can be viewed via the Planning Portal. Planning applications can also be viewed online at the Council offices during normal office hours (9am – 5pm).

3.18 A duty Planning Officer will be available during normal office hours to give advice on current or proposed applications (individuals are however advised to make an appointment to speak to a particular Officer).

Public Register

3.19 The Council will make the application, plans and any associated environmental statement available on a public register in accordance with Section 242 of the Planning Act. Each register will contain the following information:  a copy (which may be photographic) of each application together with copies of plans and drawings submitted in relation thereto;  the decision notice, if any, in respect of the application, including details of any conditions subject to which permission or consent was granted;  the reference number, the date and effect of any decision of the Planning Appeals Commission in respect of the application; and  brief details of any revocation or modification relating to any permission or consent, including date of issue.

23 File Inspection

3.20 The Council will make the application file available for inspection, by appointment only. The amount of information on the file, will depend on the status of the application and the extent to which the application has progressed through the system. Costs for copy documents will be charged in accordance with the Council’s agreed charging structure.

Submitting Comments

3.21 Individuals, groups and organisations can comment on a planning application even if they have not been neighbour notified by the Council. All comments will be carefully considered. Care should be taken when making comments to the Council to ensure that no personal data is included.

3.22 When a decision is made on a planning application only certain issues are taken into account, these are often referred to as ‘material planning considerations’. Material considerations must be genuine planning considerations. The basic question is not whether owners and occupiers of neighbouring properties would experience financial or other loss from a particular development, but whether the proposal would unacceptably affect amenity and the existing use of land and buildings that ought to be protected in the public interest.

3.23 Generally greater weight is attached to issues which are supported by evidence rather than solely by assertion. It is important to note that if an identified problem/issue can be dealt with by way of a suitable condition the Council is required to consider this as an alternative to refusing an application.

24 3.24 Comments on a planning application may be made in a variety of ways, as follows:-

By email to: [email protected] (Please quote the application reference number) By post to: Planning Unit Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Civic Headquarters Lagan Valley Island Lisburn BT27 4RL

3.25 Oral, anonymous or defamatory comments cannot be taken into account. Individuals should therefore ensure that comments relate to relevant planning matters.

3.26 All written comments received in respect of a planning application will be acknowledged within five working days. The acknowledgement letter will provide confirmation that the representation has been received. It also includes a planning application reference number, description and location of the proposed development and a contact name of the planning officer dealing with the application.

3.27 It is important to note that whilst Planning Officers may not be able to respond to each comment made due to the large number of representations received, all comments will be summarised and fully considered within the Planning Officer’s report.

3.28 The Council will not normally contact the respondent again until after a decision is made unless the application, is significantly altered or is withdrawn.

3.29 The Council may, if it considers it appropriate to do so, stage public exhibitions, issue press releases or arrange public meetings to provide information about major developments or proposals which it considers to be particularly significant or have wide-spread effects on communities.

25 3.30 Local councillors can request that a particular planning application is referred to the planning committee for determination in accordance with the Protocol for the Operation of the Planning Committee found at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk.

3.31 The Council will consult with a range of ‘statutory consultees’ (see Annex 3) to assist in the determination of an application. If a representation raises issues that are relevant to the responsibilities of a consultee (e.g. road safety) the representation will be copied to the appropriate consultee for consideration and comment.

3.32 The Council will carefully take any comments made into account before a decision is made. All representations received in respect of a planning application will be scanned and added to the Planning Portal website. Prior to uploading, representations will be redacted to remove email addresses and hand written signatures - typed names and addresses remain visible.

3.33 The Planning Officer may negotiate changes to applications where these are considered expedient. Re-consultation with neighbours and third parties (for 14 days) will take place on receipt of amendments if it is considered that they raise new issues that could lead to further comment. If any change is considered to be substantive, a new application may be invited.

Community Involvement at the Planning Committee Stage

3.34 In accordance with the Council’s Planning Scheme of Delegation, decision making in respect of certain planning applications will be delegated to Planning Officers. Exceptions to delegation apply. The Council’s Scheme of Delegation can be viewed on its website.

26 Pre-determination hearings and speaking at the Planning Committee

3.35 For those major applications that have been notified to Central Government but have been returned to the Council for determination the applicant will be afforded the opportunity of appearing before and being heard by the Council.

3.36 If an application goes before the Planning Committee, Speaking Rights will apply to individual who have made representations. Requests to speak must be made in writing, (which includes emails) in accordance with the Protocol for the Operation of the Planning Committee. The Protocol is available to view on the Council’s website.

Community Involvement after a Planning Application has been determined (Post Application Stage)

3.37 A notification of decision letter will be sent to the applicant/agent and all people who have responded to the consultation on the planning application, informing them of the decision and the reason for that decision. The decision will be recorded on the Council’s website (in due course) and a copy will be placed in the statutory Planning Register.

3.38 If the application has been presented to the Planning Committee for determination, the Committee decision can be found by contacting the planning office.

Involving the Community When an Appeal is made against a Planning Refusal/Granted Conditions/Enforcement Notice

3.39 Only applicants and those upon whom notices have been served have the right of appeal. There are no third party rights of appeal. Where an applicant is unhappy with the Council’s decision on an application or a condition attached to a permission, he/she may appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission. An applicant may also appeal to the Planning Appeals Commission where the Council has not determined an application within the relevant period prescribed by the Planning

27 (General Development Procedure) Order (NI) 2015. Where such an appeal is lodged, the application is deemed to have been refused. Appeals must be lodged with the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) within four months from the date of notification of the Council’s decision, or expiry of the prescribed period as the case may be.

3.40 All those people who responded on the original planning application that is the subject of appeal will be advised that an appeal has been received, and provided with an opportunity to make their views known. Copies of letters already submitted will be forwarded to the PAC. For hearings and public inquiries, the interested parties have the opportunity to make their views known verbally to the PAC.

28 4.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING ENFORCEMENT

4.1 The Community plays an important role in reporting cases where they believe there has been a breach of planning control. A breach of planning control occurs when development or other certain activities take place without the necessary planning permission or consent from the Council or Central Government. This may also include failure to carry out development in accordance with the approved plans or conditions.

4.2 All planning enforcement related complaints are treated confidentially. If the complaint results in a planning application being submitted, then this will be publicised in the normal manner and adjoining neighbours and complainants notified.

4.3 In cases where planning enforcement action is taken, complainants are informed once the case has been brought to a conclusion. In cases where enforcement action is not taken, a full explanation providing the Council’s reasons will be sent to the complainants. Many initial complaints relate to non-enforcement issues in the Council area, such as householder permitted development type extensions or alterations to a dwelling house. In such cases, the Council will provide the complainant with the guidelines for ‘permitted development’ which is development which does not require planning permission.

4.4 The Council’s priorities for enforcement action are contained within the Council’s Planning Enforcement Strategy found at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk. The Enforcement Strategy will be subject to regular review.

29 5.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDANCE

5.1 The Council will also prepare non-statutory planning guidance to support its development plan. Supplementary planning guidance includes for example design guides and advice notes. These will be published for public consultation and comment (rather than formal objection) prior to the publication of the final draft. Comments received will be published on the Council’s website.

30 6.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN CONSERVATION AREA DESIGNATION

6.1 A Conservation Area is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve and enhance. The Council considers that consultation with, and the involvement of local people is important when undertaking work associated with Conservation Areas. This will help encourage greater ownership of the concept and greater co-operation and commitment to achieving the aims of the designation. The Council will involve the community in the designation, variation or cancellation of a Conservation Area. This will entail formal consultation with the Historic Buildings Council and Central Government, advertising by way of a public notice in the local press and public meetings to discuss and present proposals. Upon formal designation the Council will publish a public notice in the local press and hold a public launch and exhibition.

31 7.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN DESIGNATION OF A SIMPLIFIED PLANNING ZONE

7.1 Where the Council proposes to commence work on a simplified planning zone it will undertake consultations with the neighbouring council, the land owner and occupier and the relevant Government department. Additionally the Council will consult Central Government in accordance with the Planning (Simplified Planning Zones) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015.

7.2 Once details of a scheme have been prepared the Council will make copies available for inspection at the Council’s office, give notice by way of an advertisement in the local press and on the Council’s website, and will serve a notice on those it has consulted with.

7.3 Following advertising of the proposed planning zone(s) details there will be an eight week period when representations can be made to the Council. If the Council subsequently decides not to proceed with the proposed planning zone it will publish a further advertisement to that effect and will notify all those have made representations.

7.4 The Council may cause an independent examination to be held to consider the representations received. Where it is proposed to hold an independent examination details including the time and place of the examination will be published in the local press. Where it is decided not to hold an independent examination the Council will notify all those who have made representations.

7.5 Following the independent examination the Council will produce a report and statement detailing its decision and outlining reasons for its decision. Notice of publication will be advertised in the local press and the report and statement will be available for public inspection in the Council offices.

32 8.0 REVIEW OF THE STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

8.1 This Statement of Community Involvement will be reviewed as necessary to ensure that it remains current and relevant to the planning needs of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.

8.2 A provisional list of Community/Voluntary Groups in Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Area is set out in the attached Annex 4. If a group wishes to be added to this list, they are advised to make a submission in writing or by email to the Council’s Local Development Plan team.

33 9.0 OTHER

9.1 Should a member of the public have a complaint regarding the Planning Unit, the Council operates a separate Complaints Procedure which is clearly detailed on the Council’s website at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk.

34 Annex 1 - Local Development Plan Stages

35 Annex 2 – Statutory Consultees Development Plan

The following consultation bodies are statutory consultees for the Local Development Plan process.

1. Northern Ireland Government departments; 2. The adjoining Council(s); 3. Water or sewerage undertakers; 4. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive; 5. The Civil Aviation Authority; 6. Any person to whom the electronic communications code applies; 7. Any person who has a licence granted under Article 10(1) of the Electricity (Northern Ireland) Order 1992; 8. Any person who has a licence granted under Article 8 the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

36 Annex 3 - Consultees Development Management

Where a Council undertakes consultations on a planning application the consultee will be required to respond within 21 days, or any other date as agreed in writing, after which time the Council may determine the application whether or not a response has been received. In the case of those developments which are subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) the Council will not make a determination until 28 days have passed.

The Council will undertake consultations with a number of key bodies and government departments including those responsible for:-  proposals that may impact on natural habitats and built heritage, entail the redevelopment of contaminated land, developments which require storage and processing of controlled waste materials and/or proposals resulting in discharges to the natural environment.  proposals which impact on road and rail infrastructure (Transport NI).  proposals which impact on water and sewerage infrastructure (NI Water).  proposals where it is considered that there is potential for flooding or increased surface water run-off and/or impact on existing watercourses or flood defences (Rivers Agency).  all major energy infrastructure projects.

It should be noted that the above is not intended to be a definitive list of consultees nor cover all circumstances under which a consultation with a statutory consultee may be carried out. Due to the wide range of development proposals submitted to the Council each application will be carefully considered and consultations will be undertaken in line with statutory requirements. The need for consultations will vary between applications depending on the on the nature and scale of the proposal.

Further information on the consultation process is contained within Central Government’s Development Management Practice Note 18 ‘The Consultation Process and duty to respond’. This Practice Note can be viewed on the Planning Portal at the following link:

www.planningni.gov.uk

37 Annex 4 – List of Community/Voluntary Groups in Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Area

1. 2nd Lisburn Boys Brigade 2. 3D Youth Centre 3. Aghalee Village Hall 4. ASCERT 5. Atlas Women's Centre 6. Autism NI Support Group 7. Ballinderry War Memorial Committee 8. Ballybeen Improvement Group 9. Ballybeen Men's Motivation Group 10. Ballybeen Women’s Centre 11. Ballymacash Regeneration Network 12. Ballymacward Pre-School Play Group 13. Ballycarrickmaddy Primary School 14. Ballyoran Community & Arts Group 15. Bandanas for the Brave 16. Beechland Community Group 17. Brookmount Cultural & Educational Society 18. Calligraphy Group 19. Carryduff Historical Society 20. Carryduff Playcare Centre 21. Carryduff Pre School 22. Carryduff Regeneration Forum 23. Carryduff Retirement Group 24. Castlereagh Lifestyle Forum 25. Causeway Meadows Community Association 26. Community Advice Lisburn & Castlereagh 27. Community Dementia Care NI 28. Compassionate Friends (The) 29. Crosspoint Youth 30. Damask Community Outreach 31. Derriaghy Village Community Association 32. Dream Scheme NI

38 33. Dromara Community Group 34. Dromara Connect 35. Dromara Local History Group 36. Drumbeg Community Association 37. Drumbeg Women’s Institute 38. Drumbo & District Community Association 39. Drumlough Community Association 40. Dundonald Bowling Club 41. Dundonald Elim 42. Dundonald FC 43. Dundonald Food Bank 44. Dundonald Ladies Group 45. Dundonald Women’s Institute 46. Dundonald Historical Society 47. Edgar Boyd Tennants Association 48. Emerge Councelling 49. Friday Fun Club 50. Gap Community Centre Moira 51. Glenavy Community Partnership 52. Glenavy Youth Project 53. Glenclare Friendship Group (Formerly Feumore F G) 54. Halftown Residents' Association 55. Harmony Hill Community Group 56. Hilden Community Association 57. Hillhall Regeneration Group 58. Hillsborough & District Village Committee 59. Hillsborough Community Centre Ltd 60. Homestart Lisburn/Colin 61. Intercultural Friendship 62. Killynure Community Association 63. Knockbreda Parish Thursday Club 64. Knockmore Community Association 65. Lagan Valley Vineyard Church 66. Laganview Enterprise Centre 67. Lambeg & District Ratepayers 39 68. Larchfield Community Development Association 69. LCC Community Trust 70. LCCC Community Choir 71. LCCC Cross Community Group 72. Lisburn Downtown Centre 73. Lisburn LEO Talking Newspaper Association 74. Lisburn North Community Association 75. Lisburn Historical Society 76. Lisburn Outlook 77. Lisburn Sea Cadets 78. Lisburn Temperance Junior 79. Lisburn YMCA 80. Logic 81. Lurganville & District Community Association 82. Maghaberry Community Association 83. Maghaberry Parent Teacher Association 84. Manor Park Community Association 85. Manor Park Residents' Association 86. Maze Brookfield Women’s Institute 87. Mazetown Rural Action Collective 88. Moat Park Rangers 89. Moira Friendship Group 90. Moneyreagh & District Community Association 91. Needlecraft 92. Newtownbreda Community Association 93. Newtownbreda WI 94. Old Mills Bowling Group 95. Old Warren Community Association 96. Pride of BAllybeen Community Flute Band 97. Pound Bridge & District Community Association 98. Redwoods Tenants Association 99. Resurgam Community Development Trust 100. Resurgam Youth Initiative 101. Rural Community Network 102. Saintfield Road Presbyterian Church 40 103. Saint Patrick’s Youth Club 104. Saint Patrick’s Pastoral Centre 105. Sarah Crothers Centre 106. Senior Citizens Saturday Club 107. Seymour Hill & Conway Residents Association 108. Shopmobility Lisburn 109. Stoneyford Community & Youth Association 110. Stoneyford Jubilee Committee 111. Supporting Communities 112. Surestart 113. The Thursday Club 114. The Lambeg Project 115. The Waterways Community 116. The Welcome Project 117. Timeout 118. Toddle In Pre School (Moneyrea) 119. Tonagh Neighbourhood Initiative 120. Ulster New Zealand Trust 121. University of the 3rd Age 122. Whitemountain & District Community Association 123. Yallaa 124. YOGA

41 Annex 5 - Useful Links

Regional Development Strategy 2035 (RDS) –www.drdni.gov.uk

Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SPPS) - www.planningni.gov.uk

Living Places – An Urban Stewardship and Design Guide for Northern Ireland- www.planningni.gov.uk

Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) Civic Stewardship Reports – www.dcalni.gov.uk

Planning Committee Protocol –www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

Planning Scheme of Delegation –www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

Planning Enforcement Strategy –www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

For all planning related legislation, policy and advice, please refer to the Planning Portal - www.planningni.gov.uk

42 Annex 6 – Glossary

Community Plan – Community Planning involves integrating all the various streams of public life eg. health, education, community safety, the voluntary sector, arts and leisure etc. to produce a plan that will set out the future direction of the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area. The Council will work with statutory bodies and the wider community to develop a shared vision and a Community Plan. The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 introduces a statutory link between the Community Plan & the Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP) in that the preparation of the LDP must take account of the Community Plan.

Consultee – The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 refers to a consultee as ‘a person or body which exercises functions for the purpose of any statutory provision’.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – A legislative requirement for certain types of project to ensure that decisions are made in full knowledge of any likely significant effects on the environment.

Environmental Statement – This is a statement of the key findings of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) – The primary function of the EQIA is to determine the extent of differential impact of a policy upon the Section 75 groups and in turn whether that impact is adverse, that is, whether it has a negative impact on one or more of the nine equality categories. If it is decided that the policy has an adverse impact, the public authority must consider measures which might mitigate the adverse impact, and alternative policies which might better achieve the promotion of equality of opportunity. [Extract from ‘Practical Guidance on Equality Impact Assessment’ the Equality Commission for NI, February 2005]

Independent Examination – the independent examination conducted by the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) or a person appointed by Central Government to test the soundness of a development plan document.

Local Development Plan (LDP) – The plan for the future development of the area, drawn up by the Council in consultation with the community. This 43 comprises 2 parts, the Plan Strategy & the Local Policies Plan.

Plan Led System – The Planning (Northern Ireland) 2011 Act transfers responsibility for the preparation of LDPs from Central Government to Councils and establishes a plan-led planning system which gives primacy to the plan in the determination of planning applications unless other material considerations indicate otherwise [Extract from the ‘Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland (SPPS)’, Department of the Environment, September 2015]

Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) – An independent body which deals with a wide range of land use planning issues and related matters including independent examination of a Local Development Plan. The PAC also makes decisions on appeals relating to planning applications, listed building consent, advertisement consent and enforcement.

Planning Committee – a Committee composed of Councillors which is responsible for determining planning applications and other matters in accordance with the Council’s Scheme of Delegation

Pre-Application Community Consultation – must be submitted with all applications for ‘major’ development. Applicants are required to submit a pre- application community consultation report along with their planning application. This report must provide details of the consultation that has been undertaken with the local community on the development proposal.

Preferred Options Paper – Sets out the key plan issues & the preferred options available to address them. This is published prior to the Plan Strategy & Local Plan Policies documents.

Scoping – A process to decide on the scope & level of detail of information which much be included in the EQIA or SEA.

Screening – A process to determine if a plan or programme requires an EQIA or SEA.

Simplified Planning Zone – The Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 empowers the Council to make simplified planning zone (SPZ) schemes. Such a scheme provides planning permission for development without the

44 need for specific applications.

Soundness – the LDP will be tested for ‘soundness’. Soundness involves testing the principles, content and preparation of the LDP against a list of key criteria set out under three headings consisting of procedural tests; consistency tests; and coherence and effectiveness tests. [Source: Development Plan Practice Note ‘Soundness’, Department of the Environment, April 2015].

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) – A legislative requirement of the LDP that contributes to the integration of environmental considerations in the preparation & adoption of plans & programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development.

Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) – Supplementary Planning Guidance supports, clarifies and / or illustrates by example planning policies and plans. Supplementary Planning Guidance documents are not subject to independent examination.

Sustainability Appraisal – An appraisal of the economic, environmental & social effects of a plan from the outset of the preparation process to allow decisions to be made that accord with sustainable development.

45 APPENDIX 4.1(c)LDP

Statement of Community Involvement

Section 4 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 places a statutory duty on Councils to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) for its planning functions. In accordance with Regulation 7 of the Planning (Statement of Community Involvement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council hereby gives notice of the publication of a revision to its Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) which sets out how residents, businesses and other interested parties in the area can become involved in the planning process.

The main change relates to an extension of the formal consultation period for the Local Development Plan as a consequence of the consultation falling over a holiday period.

The aim of the SCI is to ensure that all sections of the community have full opportunity to contribute to the planning process from an early stage. The SCI explains who, when and how you can get involved in the production of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s new Local Development Plan and how to comment on planning applications.

The SCI is available for inspection at the Council’s Civic Headquarters by the public during normal office hours at:

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Planning Unit

Civic Headquarters

Lagan Valley Island

Lisburn

BT27 4RL

Copies of the document can also be viewed or downloaded from the Council’s website at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk. A copy can also be obtained by writing to the above address, by emailing [email protected] or by telephoning 028 9250 9250.

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from:

Portfolio Manager

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 5.1 Belfast Region City Deal – Potential Digital Innovation Investment Propositions

Background and Key Issues: Background

1. Members should note that at the core of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) is a proposal to transform the region’s innovation and digital capabilities. It is estimated that £150 million of BRCD investment will be to develop a ‘digital innovation ecosystem’ whereby all Council partners will build a case for focussed investments in digital infrastructure, knowledge sharing networks and new forms of partnership and collaborative innovation.

2. It was proposed that the ‘digital innovation ecosystem’ will consist of:

a) Regional Innovators Network – Establishment of a network of innovation spaces that will nourish the exploration of new ideas in a collaborative environment, and will support SME start-ups or larger enterprises to deliver new innovations that can spin back to participating companies.

It is expected that the eSERC Entrepreneur & Innovation Centre, currently at Outline Business Case stage, will seek investment under this programme.

b) Digital Innovation Platform and Partnership – Establishment of an open digital platform for data sharing and data analytic capabilities as well as regional partnerships for sharing knowledge and technology expertise that will foster industry collaboration and ensure a collective impact on the wider economy.

c) Infrastructure Enabling Fund – Funding provision for the underlying enabling digital infrastructure and connectivity both across the region and between critical testbed locations.

d) Regional Testbeds – Establishment of a regional testbed programme that will focus on trialling new technologies at designated sites, and bring multiple organisations together to test and develop new or improved projects, services and processes, and support the adoption of digital technologies.

Key Issues

1. Digital Innovation Engagement Process

German consultants, BABLE have been commissioned by the BRCD Programme Office to connect current projects, strategic investments and potential initiatives across the BRCD region and frame the four digital programmes outlined above into a more tangible and attractable offer for Local Government and industry. This work is due to be completed by April 2020 and will feed into a Programme level Outline Business Case that will further appraise the potential of selected initiatives for BRCD investment.

2. Engagements within Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

BABLE are to undertake a series of engagements with stakeholders within the Council area to identify potential digital projects under each identified programme, particularly the Regional Testbeds programme, within the following suggested sectors:

a) Private Sector Clustering – Engagement with eSERC and local SMES to explore the possibility of setting up an industry led testbed that could assist to improve research and development or increased productivity.

b) Health & Wellbeing – Engagement with the Quality Improvement Innovation Centre, Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, to explore the setting up of a life sciences focussed test bed. Early discussions indicate the possibility of developing a cardiac prevention programme pilot that could also link with the Health and Wellbeing Centre proposal as part of the new Dundonald International Ice Bowl plans.

c) Agriculture / Agri Food – Engagement with AFBI (Agri Food & Biosciences Institute), RUAS (Royal Ulster Agricultural Society) to explore the possibility of an Agriculture / Agri food technology innovation testbed at either the Hillsborough or MLK sites that could also be complemented by a skills and business support offer from CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food & Rural Enterprise).

d) Tourism – Engagement with Council Officers and Historic Royal Palaces to explore the use of digital technologies to improve the tourism offer and particularly link with opportunities that the City Deal investment in Hillsborough could bring.

e) SMART City Centre – Engagement with Council Officers to explore the use of digital technologies to create a better data driven customer experience for visitors to Lisburn City Centre, and explore potential digital interventions in utility provision.

Recommendation: It is recommended that Members review the proposals for sectoral engagement as outlined above within the suggested sectors and the involvement of any ‘missing’ stakeholders.

It is further recommended that Members inform of any ‘missing’ sectors that could be considered as part of this engagement exercise.

Finance and Resource Implications: N/A

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: None

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? N/A If Yes, please insert date:

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Portfolio Manager

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 5.2 Belfast Region City Deal – Council Panel Terms of Reference & NI City and Growth Deals Governance Arrangements

Background and Key Issues: Background

1. Members should note the minutes of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) Council Panel meeting held on 23 October 2019 (see appendix) at which Members were briefed on progress of BRCD to date and agreement was sought on the Terms of Reference of the function of the Panel (see appendix).

Members should further note two additional appendices which detail correspondence from the Permanent Secretary of the Department for Infrastructure to all Council Chief Executives regarding the overarching governance funding and monitoring arrangements that will apply to all City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland, including that of BRCD.

Key Issues

1. The Terms of Reference for the Council Panel as appended was agreed by Members, subject to acronyms within the document being fully explained and the regularity of meetings (one every quarter) being specified within the document. It was further agreed that the minutes of the Council Panel be presented to the relevant Committee within each Council.

The next scheduled meeting of the Council Panel is to be hosted by Antrim & Newtownabbey Council on Wednesday 29 January at 12.30pm. Lisburn & Castlereagh Council will host the subsequent quarterly meeting on Wednesday 29 April also at 12.30pm.

2. The appended guidance on NI City & Growth Deals Governance and Funding Arrangements has been developed based on advice from HM Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The arrangements also draw heavily on experience in other jurisdictions, with particular reference to the Edinburgh City Deal.

The document outlines the roles and functions of:

- The NI City & Growth Deals Delivery Board responsible for strategic direction, assurance, monitoring of performance and escalating issues to both the NI Executive and UK Government - The NI City & Growth Deals Oversight Group responsible for the oversight of the NI Executive funding provided to each Deal - The NI City & Growth Deals Working Group which is a joint UK and NI Government group tasked to monitor implementation, inform decision making and maintain the risk register for the Delivery Board

The document also outlines the role and functions of the governance structures for each City & Growth Deal area to include the Programme Board, Pillar Advisory Boards, and the role of the Accountable NI Department under each Pillar.

Furthermore, the document outlines the business case approval process and the funding delivery model for each City & Growth Deal area. It is important to note that it is expected that Belfast City Council will be the Accountable Body for fund delivery for all identified projects under each Pillar.

3. Members should note that a Members’ briefing on progress of BRCD within the Council to include an outline of further BRCD investment opportunities is scheduled for 8.30am on Monday 20 January 2020 at Hillsborough Courthouse. Members will have already received an invitation to attend.

Recommendation: It is recommended that all minutes of the BRCD Council Panel are presented to the Committee for noting after each subsequent meeting.

It is also recommended that Members consider the NI City & Growth Deals Governance & Funding Arrangements as detailed in the appendices and contact the Programme Co-ordinator to discuss any further queries regarding the detail of the document.

Finance and Resource Implications: N/A Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: Appendix 5.2(a)PO – Minutes of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) Council Panel meeting

Appendix 5.2(b)PO – Terms of Reference of the Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) Council Panel

Appendix 5.2(c)PO – Correspondence from the Permanent Secretary

Appendix 5.2(d)PO – NI City & Growth Deals Governance & Funding Arrangements

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? N/A If Yes, please insert date:

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Portfolio Manager

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 5.3 MIPIM 2020 Investment Document

Background and Key Issues: Background

1. Members are reminded that it was agreed at a meeting of the Development Committee held on 4 September 2019 that a delegation from the Council are to attend the MIPIM 2020 Real Estate Investment Networking Conference in Cannes, 10 – 13 March 2020.

2. It was further agreed that there was a need for the Council to stay visible as a key partner within the BRCD and to work collaboratively with partner Councils and the universities to jointly promote the area as a regional investment location, and attendance at MIPIM Cannes offers the Council an excellent opportunity to obtain market intelligence and identify key market opportunities and contacts for when strategic investment sites at MLK and Purdysburn are ready to develop.

3. The Council will also be joined by four other Belfast Region City Deal Council partners that will allow for a more coherent and joined up Investment offer. These include - Ards and North Down, Antrim & Newtownabbey, Mid & East Antrim, and Newry, Mourne and Down. One of the key deliverables will be to develop collaborative marketing materials that will provide an overview of opportunity sites within the region.

Key Issues

1. Ards and North Down Council has commissioned CBRE via a Strategic Investment Framework (of which the Council is listed as a user) to develop a single MIPIM document that will include a section of development and investment led site opportunities within each Council area. The document will be developed in a format that will allow for issue of both printed and electronic versions and is expected to be completed by the end of January 2020.

2. It is proposed that the document will include:

- A general location plan outlining each Council area in a Northern Ireland context - A two page document with high level Northern Ireland demographics and statistics - CBRE led market commentary of each Council area - A section for each Council that will include general statistics for each Council area and detail of up to six property opportunities, one per page, that will include a location plan, aerial photograph, scheme plans and a comment on planning

Furthermore there is also an opportunity to categorise opportunity sites under sector such as digital innovation, tourism, regeneration and manufacturing.

3. It is expected that this work to provide a professional property and investment narrative and overview of investment sites across the five Councils will cost a maximum of £18,000. It is proposed that this fee is shared equally by all 5 Councils at a cost of £3,600 each.

Recommendation: It is recommended that Members agree to contribute £3,600 towards the cost of a single MIPIM document that will include a section of development and investment led site opportunities within each Council area within the Belfast Region City Deal area.

Finance and Resource Implications: The total Council share of costs to commission a single MIPIM document as outlined above is estimated at £3,600, which will be met from the Council’s Portfolio Office Budget.

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: None

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? N/A

APPENDIX 5.2(a)PO

BRCD Council Panel

Subject: Minutes of Belfast City Region Deal (BRCD) Council Panel

Date: 1:00 pm, 23rd October 2019 Alderman Brian Kingston – Belfast City Council (Chair) Alderman Phillip Brett – Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Councillor Stephen Ross – Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Alderman Mark Cosgrove – Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Councillor Glenn Finlay – Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council Councillor Robert Adair – Ards & North Down Borough Council Alderman Alan McDowell – Ards & North Down Borough Council Councillor Richard Smart – Ards & North Down Borough Council Councillor Stephen Dunlop – Ards & North Down Borough Council Councillor Deirdre Hargey – Belfast City Council Councillor Carl Whyte – Belfast City Council Councillors in attendance: Alderman Allan Ewart – Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Alderman Amanda Grehan – Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Alderman Michael Henderson – Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Councillor Uel Mackin – Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Alderman Billy Ashe MBE – Mid & East Antrim Borough Council Councillor Robin Stewart – Mid & East Antrim Borough Council Councillor Timothy Gaston – Mid & East Antrim Borough Council Councillor Robert Logan – Mid & East Antrim Borough Council Councillor Willie Clarke – Newry, Mourne & Down District Council Councillor Charlie Casey – Newry, Mourne & Down District Council Councillor Robert Burgess – Newry, Mourne & Down District Council Councillor Pete Byrne – Newry, Mourne & Down District Council Councillor Eric Hanvey -Belfast City Council Apologies: Councillor Ciaran Beattie -Belfast City Council Alderman Audrey Wales MBE -Mid & East Antrim Borough Council

1.0 Welcome and Introductions

1.1 Alderman Kingston welcomed the members of the BRCD Council Panel to its first meeting, outlined the agenda and invited Councillors to introduce themselves.

2.0 Apologies

2.1 Apologies were received from Councillor Eric Hanvey (Belfast City Council), Councillor Ciaran Beattie (Belfast City Council) and Alderman Audrey Wales (Mid & East Antrim Borough Council).

3.0 Declarations of Interest

3.1 Alderman Kingston asked Councillors to declare if they had any interests to declare in relation to the agenda. No interests were declared.

4.0 Terms of Reference

4.1 Alderman Kingston outlined the proposed Terms of Reference for the BRCD Council Panel and explained that, during Phase 1 of the Belfast Region City Deal, the larger nature of the Joint Council Forum made detailed engagement difficult. The reduced membership of the BRCD Council Panel would allow it to operate through structured meetings and should enhance political engagement. It was explained that investment decisions would be retained by individual Councils and Universities and that the BRCD Council Panel would provide oversight. Following discussion, Councillors requested that acronyms in the Terms of Reference should be fully explained when first used within the document, the regularity of meetings be specified within the Terms of Reference and that papers issue for future sessions in line with the normal requirements for advance notice for committee papers. Alderman Kingston proposed that the minutes of panel should go to the relevant committee in each Council. The panel agreed the Terms of Reference subject to the proposed amendments and also agreed that the minutes of the meeting should be presented to each individual Council.

5.0 Overview of BRCD

5.1 Suzanne Wylie and Ronan Cregan (Belfast City Council) led a presentation providing an overview of the Belfast Region City Deal, including a detailed summary of the current governance structures and financing arrangements. . The importance of signing Heads of Terms in March 2019 was explained and the opportunities relating to further collaboration beyond Belfast Region City Deal were discussed. Following questions from members of the Panel, Councillors discussed the roles and responsibilities of the various boards making up the governance structure for phase 2 of the BRCD. The complexity of the arrangements arising from the number of partners and the scale of the programme was noted alongside the need for timely delivery of Outline Business Cases. Councillors discussed methods by which private sector could invest alongside the public sector to support the delivery of the Belfast Region City Deal. It was agreed that the Programme Office would circulate the presentation to the BRCD Council Panel.

6.0 Programme Report

6.1 BRCD Programme Director Damien Martin provided an update on the BRCD programme across the investment priorities, including employability & skills, digital, innovation, tourism & regeneration and infrastructure and their associated advisory boards. An update was also provided in relation to engagement with NI Civil Service. Councillors discussed the need for continued integration between the different pillars of BRCD.

7.0 Enhancing local political engagement

7.1 Councillors discussed ways in which local political engagement could be enhanced, including through holding joint sessions or workshops/roadshows with the private sector in relation to BRCD projects. In addition, Councillors encouraged continued learning from other City Deals and requested that such learning be shared with the partners. It was agreed that proposals would be developed for the next meeting of the Panel in relation to regional and local business engagement.

8.0 Workplan and schedule of meetings

8.1 Councillors discussed their preference for future sessions to focus more on the BRCD projects themselves. It was suggested that future sessions of the BRCD Council Panel could focus on specific pillars of investment. The Panel agreed that Wednesdays from 1-2.30pm was a suitable time for future sessions and that Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council would host the January meeting, with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council hosting the April session. A full schedule of the BRCD Council Panel meetings will be organised by the Programme Office.

9.0 Press Release

9.1 Subject to minor amendments, the BRCD Council Panel agreed a press release in relation to its first meeting.

APPENDIX 5.2(b)PO

BRCD Council Panel

Subject: Belfast City Region Deal (BRCD) Council Panel Terms of Reference

Date: 23rd October 2019

Reporting Officer: Suzanne Wylie

Contact Officer: Damien Martin

1.0 Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1 To provide the Panel with the proposed Terms of Reference for the BRCD Council Panel.

2.0 Recommendations

2.1 The Panel is asked to:  Agree the terms of reference for the BRCD Council Panel.

3.0 Main report

3.1 Background

The governance structure for phase 1 of the BRCD, which concluded with signing of Heads of Terms, included a

Joint Council Forum established to fulfil an oversight role during the development of the BRCD programme. Engagement through the Joint Council Forum was additional to the direct engagement on the BRCD within the

structures of partner Councils.

The Forum was constructed to ensure broad political representation and therefore was a relatively large group

with 35-40 Councillors attending Forum meetings and the location of the meetings rotated between the

Council partners. However, the size of the Forum influenced the nature and format of the meetings and it often proved difficult to deliver the required level of political engagement through its meetings.

A revised governance structure as appended has been developed for phase 2 of the BRCD which will involve the development of outline business cases for all projects and financial and implementation plans for the overall BRCD programme. Individual Councils and University Boards will retain responsibility for decision

making in relation to the approval of key frameworks guiding the development of the BRCD and in relation to

investment decisions. However, there is also a continuing need during phase 2 for some form of joint Council mechanism to provide political oversight and ensure that the collective vision of the BRCD partners is delivered. The BRCD Council Panel is therefore being established with reduced membership (4 nominees from

each partner Council), allowing the Panel to operate through structured meetings. The Programme

Management Office for the BRCD will support the Panel through the production of the agenda, papers and minutes for each meeting and will work with the Panel to develop and implement an agreed annual work

programme.

3.2 Draft Terms of Reference

Role The BRCD Council Panel will fulfil an oversight role in relation to the development of the BRCD, ensuring that the BRCD continues to be aligned with the vision for inclusive economic growth. The Panel will meet regularly during the development of the BRCD, enabling Councillors to oversee and shape the direction of the programme.

Remit During Phase 2 of the BRCD key areas of focus will include: - Providing political leadership and building political consensus - Building the partnership and identifying opportunities for further collaboration - Retaining focus on delivery of the vision for inclusive growth - Championing the opportunity created by the BRCD and building support from key stakeholders

Membership Each partner Council will nominate 4 members to the BRCD Council panel. If the nominated member is unable to attend the Council may nominate a substitute to attend on their behalf.

Each meeting will be chaired by a nominated member of the partner Council that is hosting the meeting. The first meeting will be chaired by Alderman Kingston, Chairperson of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee.

APPENDIX 5.2(c)PO

APPENDIX 5.2(d)PO

NORTHERN IRELAND CITY & GROWTH DEALS: GOVERNANCE AND FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1. The UK and NI departments with responsibility for City and Growth Deals in Northern Ireland, have endorsed the following overarching governance, funding and monitoring arrangements. Its structures, processes and guidance should be followed to by all City/Growth Deal partners. The arrangements set out in this document will be kept under review.

1.2. More detailed arrangements specific to each City/Growth Deal will be agreed as part of the Deal documentation which will include a Financial Agreement, Implementation Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

GOVERNANCE

1.3. A number of governance structures are required to ensure the successful implementation of individual projects to time, cost and quality - providing the necessary accountability, oversight and management throughout. The governance structures are summarised in Table 2.1, with detail on each group explained at Section 2.

1.4. Financial accountability of UK Government, NI Government and local partner funding will be paramount throughout the lifetime of each project’s delivery. To ensure that annual profiles are agreed and allocated correctly on the basis of the detail of the business case a number of funding flow procedures are required. These are summarised in Table 3.1 and explained in more detail at Section 3.

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS Northern Ireland NI City and Growth Deal(s) “Deal(s)” Heads of Term HoT NI Executive City and Growth Deals “the Oversight Group” Oversight Group NI City and Growth Region Deals “the Delivery Board” Delivery Board NI City and Growth Deals Working “the Working Group” Group X Region City and Growth Deal “the X Region Programme Board” Programme Board Arm’s Length Bodies ALBs

SECTION 2 - GOVERNANCE

Table 2.1: Governance Structure

NI Executive UK Government

NI Exe NI Executive City & Growth NI City & Growth Deals Delivery Board Deals Oversight Group

NI City & Growth Deals Working Group

X Region City/Growth Deal Programme Y Region City/Growth Deal Board Programme Board

Infrastructure Pillar Advisory Pillar Advisory Pillar Advisory Pillar Advisory Pillar Advisory Pillar Advisory Infrastructure Advisory Board Board Board Board Board Board Board Advisory Board

NI Executive reports to works collaboratively with UKG Joint UKG/NIE some shared membership City Deal Partners

NI GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

Northern Ireland City and Growth Deals Delivery Board (“the Delivery Board”)

2.1 This is part of the overall governance structure for all Northern Ireland City and Growth Deal. It oversees the Deals on behalf of the UK Government and NI Executive.

Roles

2.2 The Delivery Board is a joint UK and NI Government Board with responsibility for:

 Considering and providing direction on strategic City/Growth Deal issues as they arise in advance of Heads of Terms being signed.

 Providing assurance and advice to Ministers regarding the progress and delivery of Northern Ireland Deals from the point of signing Heads of Terms.

 The oversight, monitoring and successful implementation of all current Northern Ireland Regional Deals, including the effective monitoring of performance, outcomes, budget, risks and other issues relating to the programme, in accordance with best practice and any recommendations issued by auditors, Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) or the National Audit Office (NAO).

 The appropriate escalation and advice through both Governments should major issues arise.

Responsibilities

2.3 Responsibilities will include:

 Considering the strategic alignment of all NI City/Growth Deals to ensure as far as possible that projects are complementary with no undesirable duplication.

 Monitoring and supporting the successful implementation of all NI Deals from the point of signing HoT by assessing delivery against agreed implementation plans.

 Oversee and support the development of programme and project business cases and facilitate Ministerial clearances and approval where relevant. The Delivery Board does not review business cases, rather the Delivery Board is kept informed of progress on project business cases. Where there are challenges in progressing business cases the delivery board should review and where necessary support mitigating actions to unblock the process. UKG Ministerial approval will be limited on the basis that NI Departments (and Ministers if in place) will be ultimately accountable for expenditure and therefore, have final approval on expenditure. More detail on the business case approval process is set out in Section 5.

 Agreeing common Government positions and/or required mitigations to manage developing issues, risks or any slippage to a Deal or specific project.

 Agreeing, subject to expenditure approval, any substitute projects which are submitted by the X Region Programme Board through the accountable department

Functions

2.4 The Delivery Board will ensure that all Deals in Northern Ireland with HoT agreements in place will develop the appropriate implementation documentation to be agreed by both Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government. This may include but are not limited to:  an Implementation Plan;  financial agreement;  monitoring and evaluation framework;  Deal governance agreement; and  communications protocol.

2.5 Where either Government has a specific expectation of regional partners as part of the return expected for the Deal investment, respective officials will seek to ensure this is included in the Deal agreement, with Ministers agreeing any relevant proposal. The Delivery Board will take this in to account in future monitoring and evaluation.

Meeting Schedule

2.6 The Delivery Board will meet quarterly to monitor the implementation of current and agreed Deals. Additional ad hoc meetings may be arranged as required. Progress Reports from NI/UKG Deal leads will be tabled and considered at each meeting.

2.7 For NI, the working group representative on each Region’s Programme Board will act, in a corporate NICS capacity, as the lead co-ordinator for reporting on behalf of NI Departments on each Deal.

Risk Registers

2.8 The Delivery Board will maintain and review at each meeting a risk register. Mitigations will be agreed and their implementation and success monitored by the Delivery Board.

2.9 Decisions and actions agreed by the Delivery Board will be recorded in the record of the meeting. Should a decision be required in between meetings, decisions may be made and confirmed in writing by Delivery Board members.

2.10 The Delivery Board will escalate issues and risks as required through internal NI/UKG processes and ultimately to Ministers.

2.11 The Delivery Board will undertake an Annual Conversation and maintain a profile with the Region Programme Board for each Deal to review the City/ Growth Deal

Annual Reports and discuss implementation progress. Representatives will be invited to meetings as required.

Reporting

Quarterly

2.12 The Delivery Board is accountable to both Governments for the successful implementation of each Northern Ireland Deal.

2.13 Following each quarterly meeting the Joint Chairs will agree an update report which will be provided to:

 NICS SRO  NIO SRO  MHCLG SRO

2.14 Following approval by the NICS SRO the report will be provided to:  NICS Board  NI Executive

Annually

2.15 A public facing Annual Implementation Progress Report noting the status of implementation of Northern Ireland Deals will be submitted to Ministers on an annual basis, based on the outcome of the Annual Conversations assurance process.

2.16 This will be produced by the Working Group and approved by the Delivery Board and NICS SRO within 3 months of the last annual conversation.

2.17 Ministers may request an annual joint UKG/NI Ministerial forum. The Annual Implementation Progress report must be provided in advance of this forum.

Membership

2.18 Joint Chair

 NICS - Department of Finance Grade 3  NIO - Director / Deputy Director of Economic and Domestic Affairs

2.19 Members

 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government  HM Treasury  Department for Economy (at least Grade 5 level)  Department for Communities (at least Grade 5 level )  Department of Infrastructure (at least Grade 5 level)  Other UKG/NICS representatives as required

2.20 Secretariat

 NICS (DoF)

2.21 NICS departmental representatives will also be members of NI Executive City and Growth Deals Oversight Group (“the Oversight Group”). This will ensure transfer of knowledge and avoid unnecessary duplication of papers.

2.22 Where a department has responsibility for more than one pillar then more than one representative may be appropriate.

NI Executive City and Growth Deals Oversight Group (“the Oversight Group”)

2.23 This is part of the overall governance structure for all Northern Ireland City and Growth Deal. It oversees the Deals on behalf of the NI Executive only.

Roles

2.24 The Oversight Group has responsibility for oversight of the NI Executive funding provided to each Deal.

Responsibilities

2.25 These will include:

 recommending the level of NI Executive funding that will be provided to each Pillar, within the constraints of the limit on the total NI funding to be provided. This will be based on engagement with Accountable Body on forecast expenditure profiles for projects in HoTS. DoF will seek Executive approval for this, through the Finance Minister. ;

 agreeing any changes to the original list of projects identified for Executive funding under each Pillar and seeking Executive approval for any changes. All projects will be subject to expenditure approval, with relevant business case documentation provided, before proceeding;

 agreeing, in conjunction with the X Region City and Growth Deal Programme Board, the quantum and profile of funding to be provided by Deal partners for each project to be joint funded by the Executive; and

 Agreeing the quarterly report provided by the Delivery Board and providing this to NICS Board and NI Executive.

Meeting Schedule

2.26 The Oversight Group will meet quarterly. Where possible meetings will be arranged immediately before or after Delivery Board meetings. Additional ad hoc meetings may be arranged as required.

Membership

2.27 Chair

 NICS Joint Chair of the Delivery Board (DoF Grade 3)

2.28 Members

 Department for Economy – (at least Grade 5 level)  Department for Communities (at least Grade 5 level)  Department of Infrastructure (at least Grade 5 level)  Other NICS representatives as required

2.29 Secretariat

 NICS (DoF)

2.30 NICS departmental representatives should also be members of NI Executive City and Growth Deals Delivery Board (“the Delivery Board”). This will ensure transfer of knowledge and avoid unnecessary duplication of papers.

2.31 Where a department has responsibility for more than one pillar then more than one representative may be appropriate.

Northern Ireland City and Growth Deals Working Group (“the Working Group”)

2.32 This is part of the overall governance structure for all Northern Ireland City and Growth Deals. It facilitates the oversight of the Deals on behalf of the UK Government and NI Executive.

Roles

2.33 The Working Group is a joint UK and NI Government group established to underpin the implementation process for agreed all Northern Ireland Deals.

2.34 The Working Group will meet monthly and will have the responsibility of agreeing the agenda and relevant papers for the Delivery Board, in consultation with the joint chairs.

Responsibilities

2.35 The core responsibilities of the Working Group are:

 Monitor the implementation of the Northern Ireland Deals, escalating issues and risks relating to the implementation of Deals to the Delivery Board as required.

 Maintain the risk register for the Delivery Board, updating at least monthly and reporting quarterly to the Delivery Board.

 Making recommendations to the joint chairs of the Delivery Board regarding meeting agendas.

 Providing robust information to inform the decision making of the Delivery Board, including the preparing of both programme level and individual Deal dashboards.

Meeting Schedule

2.36 The Working Group will meet on a monthly basis for the purpose of monitoring the implementation of each Deal. The frequency of meetings can be altered subject to the agreement of the Delivery Board.

Membership

2.37 Chair  NICS - Department of Finance (Grade 6)

2.38 Members

 NIO  Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government  Department for Economy (at least Grade 7 level )  Department for Communities (at least Grade 7 level)  Department of Infrastructure (at least Grade 7 level)  Other UKG/NICS representatives as required

2.39 Secretariat  NICS (DoF)

2.40 The NICS departmental representatives will be the departmental representatives on the Pillar Advisory Boards (see paragraph 2.41). Therefore more than one representative may be required from each department. This will ensure that the Working Group is fully apprised of progress on all projects.

2.41 A NICS member of the Working Group will be nominated as the NICS representative on each Deal Programme Board with observer status this representative will act as lead co-ordinator for reporting on behalf of NI

Departments on each deal. More detail on this role is provided at paragraph 2.48.

Region City Deal Programme Board (the “Programme Board”)

2.42 Each City/Growth Deal will establish its own Programme Board with representatives from all Deal partners. It is for each Programme Board to determine its own terms of reference and reporting structures. However, the roles and responsibilities set out below should be considered the minimum requirement.

Roles

2.43 The Programme Board will drive the delivery of the Deal programme in accordance with the requirements of the HoT and agreed governance documents. It will be responsible for issue resolution and oversight of stakeholder negotiations and engagement.

Responsibilities

2.44 Responsibilities will include:  approving profiles of expenditure provided to relevant NI Department and DoF for budget planning purposes;  signing off each business case prior to it being submitted to the relevant NI Department for final expenditure approval; and  authorising the grant claims being submitted to the relevant NI Department by the Accountable Body.  Provision of information to the Working Group as required to facilitate reporting to the Delivery Board.

Meeting Schedule

2.45 The Programme Board will meet monthly.

Membership

2.46 Chair  Chief Executive of Accountable Body (usually lead council)

2.47 Members  Representatives, at Chief Executive level, of each council partner  Representatives of University and College partners  Region City or Growth Deal SRO  Region City or Growth Deal Programme Management Office (observers)  NICS – Working Group Member (observer)

Role of NICS Representative

2.48 The NICS representative will have observer status. This means that they will attend Board meetings and may participate in Board discussions but they do not have the ability to vote on matters. The observer may ask questions and provide advice particularly on the NICS view. The observer should inform the Board if they have any concerns with the approach being taken. If the observer has concerns with an approach agree by the Programme Board they should raise this at the Working Group which will in turn ensure it is raised at the Delivery Board. Any significant issues arising between Delivery Board meetings should be raised in writing to the Working Group which will in turn write to Delivery Board members.

Pillar Advisory Boards

2.49 City/Growth deal partners will establish a number of Pillar Advisory Boards in support of the City/growth Deal for that Region.

Roles

2.50 To drive the development of a coherent set of projects that are capable of supporting the delivery of the Deal partners’ ambitions for inclusive economic growth.

2.51 The oversight of the production of Outline and Final Business Cases for projects within that Pillar. Submission of Business Cases to the Programme Board for approval.

Role of Accountable NI Department

2.52 Representatives from the accountable NI Department will attend as advisers, they will have no voting rights. The accountable NI Department may also appoint advisers from their ALBs where appropriate. The adviser’s role will be to support the development of robust projects which deliver value for money. This includes the provision of advice and guidance on the iterative development of business case in line with the Five Case Model Methodology and to ensure broader strategic alignment with Programme for Government.

2.53 In line with the role outlined for observers on the Programme Board, an adviser may ask questions and provide advice particularly on the NICS view. The adviser should inform the Pillar Board if they have any concerns with the approach being taken. If the adviser has concerns with an approach agreed by the Pillar Board they should raise this at the Working Group which will in turn ensure it is raised at the Delivery Board.

2.54 The accountable Department will ensure there is appropriate segregation of duties between advisers on Pillar Boards and those responsible for approving expenditure.

Meeting Schedule

2.55 These Pillar Advisory Boards will meet monthly.

Membership

2.56 Chair

 To be agreed by the X Region programme Board for each Pillar Board

2.57 Members  Council/University reps TBC  NI Accountable Department (and ALB if appropriate) (Working Group Member) - adviser

Infrastructure Pillar Advisory Board

2.58 An Infrastructure Pillar Advisory Board will be established where infrastructure projects included in the Deal are delivered directly by Department for Infrastructure (DfI) rather than Deal partners. A similar model may be established where projects in other Pillars are delivered directly by a NI department.

Roles

2.59 Accountability for development, delivery and evaluation of major infrastructure projects rest will rest with the Department for Infrastructure. On its behalf, the Infrastructure Pillar Advisory Board will ensure that the approach to advancing individual Deal projects is taken forward in a manner which reflects the collaborative approach taken by the Programme Board. This will, while reflecting the usual NICS governance and accountability arrangements, also ensure that the work to advance the infrastructure projects is fully reflective of the wider objectives of the Deal.

Meeting Schedule

2.60 This Board will meet monthly.

Membership

2.61 Chair  DfI (SRO for delivery of infrastructure projects)

2.62 Members  Councils connected with proposed infrastructure projects  Translink  One of the Main NI Business Representative Bodies  DfC  Employability and Skills Advisory Board

SECTION 3 – FUNDING Table 3.1: Central Government Funding Flows (City/Growth Deal partners will also contribute)

UK Government

NI DEL

DfE DfC DfI

Accountable Body (Lead Council)

Digital Innovation Tourism Regeneration Infrastructure

NI Executive UKG City Deal Partners

UK Government Funding

3.1 In the absence of an Executive, NICS officials cannot commit to managing a pro- rata UK Government (UKG) contribution in this way. However, for the purposes of agreeing funding and governance arrangements, it is assumed that the Northern Ireland Executive will agree this approach.

3.2 UKG will provide funding to NI though an increase to the NI Capital DEL. This will be on an agreed annual profile, usually pro-rata over the life of the Deal. This profile may differ from the spending profile of the Deal projects.

3.3 The NI Executive will be responsible for ensuring the full level of UKG funding will be allocated to approved Deal projects over the life of the Deal. DoF will manage this on behalf of the NI Executive, reporting through the Delivery Board.

3.4 On an annual basis any over or under requirement against the annual profile will be managed by DoF, as approved by the NI Executive, within the total NI Capital DEL Budget. Annual underspends will not be surrendered to HMT and may be allocated to other Deals or NI departmental expenditure, providing the total level of funding is allocated to each Deal over its lifetime.

3.5 DoF will provide HMT with details of actual and forecast expenditure, upon request.

3.6 Accountability for UKG City Deal funding is delegated to the Accounting Officer of the NI Department with policy responsibility for the area being funded (the ‘accountable’ department’).

3.7 Where a project on the original list is not considered feasible an alternative project, which meets the same VfM requirements, may be substituted. The X Region Programme Board will agree substitute projects before submitting them to the accountable department which will present them to the Delivery Board for approval. The Delivery Board will inform the NI Executive of any change in projects.

NI Executive Funding

3.8 In the absence of an Executive, NICS officials cannot commit to providing match funding. However, for the purposes of agreeing funding and governance arrangements, it is assumed that match funding will be provided by the Northern Ireland Executive.

3.9 The Northern Ireland Executive will include funding for the Deal within its agreed Budget. Subject to the agreement of the Executive, it is envisaged that City/Growth Deals will be prioritised within the Capital DEL budget in a similar manner to the current Flagship projects.

3.10 Accountability for NI Executive Deal funding rests with the Accounting Officer of the NI Department with policy responsibility for the area being funded (the ‘accountable department’).

3.11 The Oversight Group will seek NI Executive approval for all projects to be funded by NI Executive. Where a project on the original list is not considered feasible an alternative project, which meets the same VfM requirements, may be substituted. The X Region Programme Board will agree substitute projects before submitting them to the accountable department which will present them to the Delivery Board for approval. Once agreed by the Delivery Board the proposed substitute will go to the Oversight Group which will seek the NI Executive approval, through the Finance Minister.

Funding of Projects

3.12 For both UKG and NI Executive funded projects the accountable department will be responsible for making payments to the Accountable Body for each deal. Where appropriate the accountable department may delegate this role to an ALB The Accountable Body will usually be the lead council. The Accountable Body will be responsible for making payments to deal partners and project promoters.

3.13 Each accountable department will be provided with Capital DEL allocation through the NI Budget process. Allocations will be based on the latest expenditure profiles for approved projects and will be ring-fenced so that it may only be used for the City/Growth Deal for which it has been provided.

3.14 While the Deal allocation will not form part of the departments ‘usual’ capital DEL envelope it will reduce the overall level of Capital DEL funding available at a NI Block level for other projects. Deal partners should not assume that funding will be available for additional projects through normal departmental expenditure.

3.15 In order to ensure affordability within the overall NI Capital DEL it is essential that Deal partners and accountable departments work closely with DoF to agree expenditure profiles. This will include pro-active management of project commencement and slippage if necessary to minimise spikes in expenditure.

3.16 Actual and forecast expenditure must be reviewed on a monthly basis in line with Outturn and Forecast Outturn returns to HM Treasury. This information will be provided to the accountable department by the accountable Body. The accountable department will submit to DoF in line with usual processes.

3.17 Departmental allocations will be reviewed and adjusted if necessary during each in-year monitoring round and any subsequent Budget exercises. The accountable department is responsible for requesting any changes to budget allocations. Deal partners and accountable departments must identify any underspends as soon as possible as the surrender of funding late in the financial year may lead to that funding being surrendered to HM Treasury.

3.18 An Outline Business Case (OBC) must be approved for each project before the City/Growth Deal document can be agreed. Expenditure, supported by OBCs, will be approved by the accountable department, and where necessary any ALB, with the normal DoF delegations applying. Where a project is funded by the UK Government the accountable department must receive assurance from

the relevant Whitehall department(s) that it is content with the business case. The business case must include forecast annual expenditure profiles.

3.19 If an accountable department requires a Full Business Case (FBC) for a project, this must be submitted and expenditure approved by the accountable department, and where relevant its ALB, before funding is released to Deal partners for that project. DoF does not normally require sight of FBCs. Similarly the FBC will not be shared with Whitehall departments unless explicitly requested. More information on the Business Case process is set out in Section 5.

3.20 In specific circumstances it may be possible to release funding following OBC stage but before the FBC is submitted. For example if expenditure on early preparatory costs such as design costs is required to inform the FBC. This should be agreed with the accountable department

3.21 A grant offer letter will be signed between the accountable NI Department, or where relevant it’s ALB, and the Accountable Body, usually the lead Council, setting out the required terms and provisions to ensure funding is applied as expected. The Accountable Body will be responsible for ensuring funding is used in line with the conditions set out in the grant offer letter.

3.22 The accountable department will make payments to the Accountable Body for all Deal projects. Depending on the nature of the costs payments may either be made in advance, where costs are steady from on period to another, or in arrears based on actual costs. This appropriate approach should be agreed with the accountable department. The Accountable Body will be responsible for vouching expenditure and providing any assurances required by the accountable department.

3.23 Further detail on the management of funding flows between the accountable department and the Accountable Body, will be set out in the finance agreement specific to each City/Growth Deal.

3.24 At the end of the project any underspends on funding accessed will be repaid to the accountable department who will in turn surrender the funding to DoF.

3.25 The funding provided by central government under the City/Growth Deal is limited to the amount agreed in the Heads of Terms. Any project overspends will not be funded by the UK Government or the Northern Ireland Executive.

3.26 The Accountable Body will be responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements, including, but not limited to, those relating to procurement and State Aid regulations. The Accountable Body will provide the accountable department with their assessment of any legal, procurement or State Aid issues when submitting the OBC.

SECTION 4 - ROLE OF UK/ NICS DEPARTMENTS & ACCOUNTABLE BODY

4.1 The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) will be a signatory to any NI City/Growth Deal and is responsible from a UK Government perspective for ensuring robust governance and accountability arrangements are in place.

4.2 The NIO will co-chair the Delivery Board alongside DoF and will be represented on the Working Group. NIO is responsible for reporting to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on progress.

4.3 The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) , as the UK government department with policy responsibility for City/Growth deals, will be responsible for co-ordinating the views of relevant Whitehall departments on any UK Government funded projects. Based on the views of relevant Whitehall departments MHCLG will provide assurance to the accountable department that the UK government is content with the business case for any project receiving UK government funding. This will include technical assurance where appropriate. MHCLG will be represented on the Delivery Board and Working Group.

Department of Finance

4.4 DoF is responsible for ensuring robust governance and accountability arrangements are developed and for seeking the agreement of the Delivery Board to these.

4.5 DoF is responsible for managing the overall funding flows to the each Deal. Thus DoF is responsible for ensuring funding, both UKG and NI, is provided to the accountable NI Department in line with agreed profiles for each Deal. This will be handled through the NI Budget and in-year monitoring processes, with Executive approval being obtained through these processes.

4.6 DoF must also ensure that the full level of UKG funding is allocated to the Deal over the life of the Deal.

4.7 Unless otherwise agreed, the usual DoF delegations will apply for Deal projects. DoF will have its usual approval role for projects outside these delegations.

4.8 DoF will work with NI Departments to help ensure that NI processes do not result in any undue delays to the business case process. The time taken to process business cases will, of course, depend on the quality of information provided.

Accountable Department

4.9 The department with policy responsibility will be the accountable department for the provision of both UKG and NI Deal funding to the Accountable Body.Both UKG and NI deal funding will be included in the accountable departments Budget allocation .Where relevant the accountable department may choose to work through an Arm’s Length Body. However, the departmental Accounting Officer will retain overall accountability

4.10 This includes approval of expenditure, underpinned by business cases, and ensuring appropriate governance and accountability mechanism are in place.

4.11 Departments will work with DoF to help ensure that NI processes do not result in any undue delays to the business case process. The time taken to process business cases will, of course, depend on the quality of information provided.

Accountable Body

4.12 Unless otherwise agreed, the lead council in each region will act as the Accountable Body for the Region City /Growth Deal. The Accountable Body, which will be identified in the signed City /Growth Deal document, will be responsible for the implementation and management of the financial procedures for the Deal.

The X Region Programme Board will provide assurance to the accountable department when business cases are submitted for expenditure approval. This will include assurance that the business cases are fit for purpose, proposals are technicality and financially viable and meet value for money requirements. The X Region Programme Board may ask the Accountable Body to assess the business cases and provide it with these assurances 4.13 All grant funding from central Government will be channelled through the Accountable Body, with the exception of projects delivered directly by NI departments..

4.14 The Accountable Body will have the authority to hold others to account should projects present a risk to the overall programme.

4.15 A grant offer letter signed between the accountable NI department and the Accountable Body will set out the required terms and provisions to ensure funding is applied as expected.

4.16 These terms and provisions will be replicated in separate agreements between the Accountable Body and regional partners with any additional specific requirements necessary for the fulfilment of the Accountable Body role also clearly set out.

4.17 The grant offer letter will also specify roles of Accountable Body and accountable NI department in vouching expenditure to ensure no unnecessary duplication of work to minimise the administrative burden.

4.18 A Financial Agreement between the UK Government, NI Executive and Accountable Body will set out the specific arrangements for each Deal.

SECTION 5 - BUSINESS CASE APPROVAL PROCESS

5.1 The accountable NI department will be responsible for the approval of expenditure for all projects. The department should consider the strategic alignment of all NI City/Growth Deals to ensure as far as possible that projects are complementary with no undesirable duplication. However, the department should also be cognisant of the policy intent behind City/Growth Deals and recognise that the funding provided is for projects falling within the geographical area for each agreed Deal.

Deal Business Casework Model

5.2 To ensure a consistent approach across departments and to share best practice it is proposed that casework model is adopted for all Deal business cases.

5.3 The department with lead responsibility (lead department) for the policy addressed in the business case, usually the accountable NI Department, is responsible for approval of the expenditure. Normal DoF delegations will apply.

5.4 Where a proposal covers two or more policy areas the policy departments will agree a lead department, based where possible on the proportion of the funding relating to policy area. The lead department will be responsible for co-ordinating the views of other departments and for overall approval of the expenditure. Other departments will provide policy advice and assurances as required. If necessary a Memorandum of Understanding may be agreed between the relevant departments.

5.5 The lead department should convene and chair a casework committee to review the business case. The lead department may ask the Accountable Body to lead the presentation of the proposal to the Casework Committee.

5.6 A dedicated group of officials from the lead departments should be identified as potential casework panel members to consider and recommend Deal business cases to the Accountable Officer.

5.7 The lead department will call upon these potential panel members as required. Where delegations require DoF approval, DoF Supply officials should have an enhanced scrutiny role over and above DoF’s normal observer role as part of the casework panel. DoF will not however contribute to any casework panel recommendation to the lead Department Accounting Officer. DoF’s enhanced role on the casework panel does not remove the requirement for lead Department Accounting Officer approval to be secured before formal submission to DoF for final approval.

5.8 This process should reduce the time required for DoF scrutiny as it is expected that most issues will have been addressed during the casework process. Supply will also prioritise City/ Growth Deal expenditure approvals. These steps will expedite the process.

5.9 In addition Accountable departments are encouraged to keep delegated limits for City Deal projects under close review. Supply will consider any request for increased delegations in this area if sufficient justification for any increase in delegation is provided by the accountable department.

5.10 DoF may be invited to sit on other panels as required.

5.11 This should result in a streamlined, consistent approach to all Deals.

UKG Funded Projects

5.12 Ultimate approval rests with the accountable NI Department due to the release of UKG funding through the NI Block Grant. Normal DoF delegations apply.

5.13 The accountable NI department must take account of the views of the relevant Whitehall department(s). This will be co-ordinated through MHCLG which will

provide assurance that the UK Government is content with the business case for each project receiving UKG funding.

5.14 Both the accountable NI Department and MHCLG must be content before approval is granted.. Any disputes will be brought to the Delivery Board for consideration.

5.15 If the Delivery Board determines that approval should be granted but the accountable department is not content then the matter will be brought to the Oversight Group which will consider whether the issue is cross-cutting. If it is considered cross cutting then the Oversight Group will ask the Finance Minister to write to the Executive asking it to consider the matter. The Executive will decide whether or not the project should proceed. If the matter is not considered cross cutting then the final decision rest with the Minister of the accountable department.

5.16 In order to streamline and expedite the process as far as possible, for UKG funded projects, the Accountable Body should submit business cases to accountable NI department and UK Government for review contemporaneously.

5.17 MHCLG will commission views from the relevant Whitehall Departments and share any comments with the accountable NI Department to aid its formal consideration and approval of expenditure.

5.18 It is essential that Deal projects are not unduly delayed because of the NI business case process.

5.19 To expedite consideration the Accountable Body should provide a schedule of business case submissions. This will allow NI Departments to plan appropriately and will be shared with MHCLG for the same purpose.

5.20 NICS Departments and DoF, as necessary, should prioritise the scrutiny and approval of Deal proposals.

Draft Business Case Approval Process – UKG and NI Funded Projects

The Delivery Board

5.21 Determines the level of NI Executive Funding to be allocated to each Pillar based on information from relevant NI Departments and Region Programme Board. This will be submitted to the NI Executive for approval.

Pillar Advisory Board

5.22 Responsible for direction and development of business case. Submits business case to Region Programme Board for approval.

X Region Programme Board

5.23 Approves business case for submission to NI lead department and for UKG funded project to MHCLG.

5.24 Business case should be sent to NI Department, MHCLG and copied to DoF.

Lead Department

5.25 Accounting Officer Responsible for approving individual expenditure proposals, underpinned by business cases.

5.26 Will convene a Deals Casework Committee (“Committee”).

5.27 DoF to attend that Committee as approval delegations dictate. DoF to have enhanced status on casework rather than observer status to expedite process. DoF will not however contribute to any casework panel recommendation to the lead Department Accounting Officer. DoF’s enhanced role on the casework

panel does not remove the requirement for lead Department Accounting Officer approval to be secured before formal submission to DoF for final approval.

5.28 For UKG funded projects, views of relevant Whitehall department(s) must be considered. These will be coordinated through MHCLG. MHCLG will inform lead NI Department if they are content to approve.

5.29 Notifies the Delivery Board, Region Programme Board and the Pillar Advisory Board when expenditure is approved.

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Economic Development

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 6.1 2020 Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas

Background and Key Issues: Background The second Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas, organised by the John Hewitt Society, was staged in Hillsborough Village in April 2019. This relatively new event brought an attractive culture and arts event into Hillsborough, staging a portfolio of over 35 smaller events throughout the village over 3 days.

Attached in the appendices are the full evaluation and report of the 2019 event with an application also attached requesting support for the 2020 Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas (year 3). Also attached is the projected Income and Expenditure for 2020 Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas.

Key Issues 1. This proposal is the third year of a three year commitment by the John Hewitt Society to establish and to gradually build a dedicated high quality Literature, Culture and Interdisciplinary Arts Festival in Hillsborough, helping to establish the Festival in Northern Ireland’s cultural events calendar. The event continues to promote Hillsborough as a new, contemporary and progressive Cultural Tourism destination.

2. Members will recall also that within the Hillsborough Tourism Master Plan adopted in November 2015, one area highlighted for promoting the Hillsborough Destination is the development of festivals and events. Farmers and Christmas Markets, HRP events at Hillsborough Castle and the Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas.

3. This niche event is putting the Village firmly in the minds of many artists who are visiting for the first time through this event. It is an authentic event that fits well with the village character of Hillsborough.

4. The 2019 Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas had more support than the inaugural year from the Hillsborough community, including residents and businesses, to run the three day festival. The number of events and attendees have increased each year demonstrating the growth potential for the event in future years.

 Attendees 2018 - 740  Attendees 2019 - 891  There were 30 events in 2018 and 34 events in 2019  The excellent survey rating went from 74% in 2018 to 89% in 2019

5. Private sector funding has steadily risen from £511 in the first year to £7,700 in the second year, and £8,100 has been secured for the 2020 festival. In addition the organisations have requested £10,000 support from the Council.

6. Benefits to be gained from supporting this event include:

 Attracting visitors and those who would not normally visit the village  Attract different cultures and those from socio-economic backgrounds  Public relations and good news stories  Support the Hillsborough Tourism sector  Help establish Hillsborough Village as the ‘gemstone’ by showcasing the village to visitors  Incorporating a heritage walking tour of Hillsborough in the programme  Significant contribution to the local hospitality sector and the village economy by increased footfall over the weekend  Help introduce the literary and interdisciplinary arts to a wide variety of people – there are events for adults and children  Support the work of LCCC and HRP by programming events which take place in the village, the forest and the Castle  A fully inclusive programme supporting the financially challenged by offering free events  Working as part of a community engagement scheme with HRP and in conjunction with JHS Good Relations Once Alien Here Programme. (Jan-Apr 2020)

7. A Marketing Plan is attached in the appendices listing opportunities for Council to be branded and promoted as the major sponsor. Also attached are letters of support for the 2020 event, and letters from private donors towards the 2020 Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas.

8. HRP have agreed that tickets bought for any of the John Hewitt event talks held in the Castle would include access to the grounds and the talk on Walled Gardens would include a tour of the HRP walled garden.

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Committee considers the request for funding from the John Hewitt Society and determines an appropriate level of match funding.

Finance and Resource Implications: The total contribution from the Council will form part of next year’s estimates.

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: Yes

APPENDICES: Appendix 6.1(a)ED – Report of 2019 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas Appendix 6.1(b)ED – Evaluation and report of 2019 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas Appendix 6.1(c)ED - Application form for 2020 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas Appendix 6.1(d)ED – Projected income and expenditure for 2020 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas Appendix 6.1(e)ED – Marketing and Communications Plan for 2020 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas Appendix 6.1(f)ED – Letters of Support for 2020 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas Appendix 6.1(g)ED – Letters from private donors for 2020 Hillsborough Festival Literature and Ideas

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? No If Yes, please insert date:

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Economic Development

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 6.2 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and Lisburn Chamber of Commerce Economic Preview and Brexit Review, 28 February 2020

Background and Key Issues: Background

The Council partnered with Intertrade Ireland and Lisburn Chamber in February 2019 to deliver a Brexit themed question and answer session at which The Rt Hon Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP spoke about the greater Lisburn area’s local economy.

Key Issues

1. The Council has been approached by Lisburn Chamber to partner on a similar Economic Preview and Brexit Review event on 28 February 2020, with speakers the Rt Hon Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist (Ulster Bank) and Stephen Kelly, CEO, Manufacturing NI, talking about the economic outlook for 2020 at NI and UK levels.

2. Discussions would focus on the economy and potential Brexit impacts on the manufacturing sector in Lisburn and Northern Ireland as a whole.

3. The Chamber has requested that the Council would provide £1,000 of sponsorship to cover catering and venue hire, with the Council logo appearing on any promotional material.

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Council partners with Lisburn Chamber at the Economic Preview and Brexit Review event on 28 February 2020.

It is also recommended that the Council sponsors the above event at a total cost of £1,000 and that the Chairman and/or Vice Chairman attends on behalf of the Development Committee, and that Members of the Development Committee are invited to the event.

Finance and Resource Implications: The total cost is £1,000 with this being met from within the current Economic Development budget.

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: N/A

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? No If Yes, please insert date:

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Economic Development

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 6.3 Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor

Background

In May 2018, a collaborative working group comprising representatives of eight Local Authorities, (Belfast City Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Newry, Mourne & Down District Council, Louth County Council, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Meath County Council and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council) along with Ulster University, Dublin City University and Lanyon Communications was formed to progress the future development of the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor.

Lisburn & Castleragh City Council agreed in August 2018 to collectively fund an economic study to profile the Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor. This study has now been compiled by Ulster University and Dublin City University as attached in the appendices ‘EEC Research Final Draft Report June 2019’.

A contribution towards a planned joint conference at a cost of £15,000 per Local Authority was agreed by the Development Committee in January 2019, however, on agreement by the collaborative group, the conference did not go ahead as planned as it was decided the objectives of the corridor still required further consideration.

Key Issues

1. Despite the best intentions of the participating Authorities, progress has been slower than anticipated with a decision taken during 2019 to split the working group with the Chief Executive Steering Group meeting quarterly and the Director Working Group meeting more frequently to progress the work plan, with Fingal County Council acting as secretariat for the next year. The Steering Group has now met on a number of occasions to discuss, amongst other areas, the current economic performance of the Corridor and the future prospects and opportunities to stimulate economic growth.

2. The position of the Directors Steering Group has been reflected in a position paper attached in the appendices ‘Proposal North East Corridor’ created by Dublin County Council and tabled at the Steering Group Meeting in October 2019.

3. The action areas within the proposal for the year 2020 are summarised as follows: . Development of NEEC/C8 brand . Commissioning research into the benefits of Corridor approach to development . Promotion of the Corridor and lobbying of its behalf (incl organising a conference) . Promoting and facilitating increased cooperation between the participating Local Authorities

The overall budget for the above is proposed to be €100,000 and jointly funded by the eight participating Local Authorities at an average cost per Local Authority of c£10,625. This would be made available to Fingal County Council to pursue projects in the different action areas.

4. Whilst the above Fund of Activities will support participating Local Authorities to identify areas to exert a significant positive impact and add value to the economic development of the Corridor, the Directors Steering Group has agreed that there is still further research work required around Economic Modelling for the Corridor and a further report would be provided to the Committee in due course.

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Committee considers the above proposal and agrees to a maximum contribution for the above proposed programme of work of up to £10,625 provided that all other partners provide the requisite match funding.

Finance and Resource Implications: The cost of £10,625 will be subject to agreement of the Economic Development estimates for 2020/21 and will displace other Economic Development programmes.

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: Appendix 6.3(a)ED - Final Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor Research Report

Appendix 6.3(b)ED - Proposal – North Dublin Belfast Economic Corridor- C8 Initiative

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? No If Yes, please insert date:

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Economic Development

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 6.4 DAERA Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme

Background and Key Issues: Background

The Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme agreed at the Economic Development Committee in March 2019 has now commenced. The contract to deliver the scheme was formally signed by the Council on 4 November 2019. It is funded under the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme (TRPSI). This differentiates the programme from the current NI Rural Development Programme which provides a range of support through the Rural Business Investment Scheme (RBIS).

Key Issues

1. This new initiative offers support to rural micro-businesses including service businesses which would not be eligible for consideration under the RBIS. (The Guidance Notes and Application Form for the scheme are attached in the appendices).

2. The scheme will provide nine micro-businesses from Lisburn and Castlereagh with a capital grant capped at £4,999 at a match funding rate of 50% from DAERA and 50% from participating businesses. This is a pilot capital grant scheme to support the purchase of new capital items or activities including equipment, machinery and building works, which cost at least £1,000 and no more than £20,000.

3. DAERA have determined the eligibility criteria, scoring framework and the timeline for delivery of the programme.

4. Members should note that the scheme opened for applications from 18 November to 18 December 2019. A funding support and guidance workshop was held at Lagan Valley Island on 5 December 2019.

5. A mandatory letter of offer workshop is due to take place on 5 February 2019 at Lagan Valley Island. Projects must be complete and paid for in full by participating businesses by 31 March 2020. Completed claims and supporting evidence must be submitted to the Council’s Programmes Unit by 28 April 2020.

6. It is anticipated that the application process and subsequent award panel recommendations would be completed by mid-January. The Chairman has agreed that a special meeting of the Committee will be convened later in January 2020 to agree the award panel recommendations.

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Council notes the above programme and the timescales for delivery which are demanding for both the Programmes Unit and the project promoters, and agrees the proposed way forward.

It is also recommended that the Chairman and/or Vice Chairman attends the Letter of Offer Workshop on 5 February on behalf of the Development Committee when letters of offer will be formally issued to successful applicants.

Finance and Resource Implications: The contract for funding makes available a maximum grant of £7,124 to the Council to administer the Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme which would be used to match fund the existing Economic Development budget estimates.

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: Appendix 6.4(a)ED - Guidance Notes Appendix 6.4(b)ED - Application Form for scheme

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Economic Development

Item for Decision

TITLE: Item 6.5 Delisting of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest

Background and Key Issues: Background The Department for Communities Historical Environment Division have written to the Council in relation to 3 Lock Keeper’s Lane, Milltown Road, in respect of a delisting of buildings of special architectural or historical interest, namely the bridge and lock gates.

Key Issues 1. DfC are currently considering the delisting of the above mentioned property and have invited views from the Council. They have given a six week period of consultation with a nil response being considered as an acquiescence to delisting. 2. The building has been recommended for delisting because it does not meet the criteria to be a listed building. However, the building is currently protected through a schedule monument status. 3. The Lough Gate and Bridge is a lock 3 which is a single chamber masonry lock built on the Lagan Navigation dating back to 1750s and the lock and its gates form part of the Lagan Navigation Trust’s wider proposal for opening the Lagan Navigation system. Whilst the lock and chamber sit outside our Council boundary, it still may be of interest given its position in the Lagan Valley Regional Park and relates to the Lagan Navigation Trust proposals. Details of the consultation and particulars relating to the listing are attached in the appendices. 4. Officers contracted through the Council working for Lagan Navigation Trust are not supportive of the delisting as it may impact future restoration.

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Committee considers the request for views to be expressed on the delisting proposal.

Finance and Resource Implications: N/A

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: No

APPENDICES: Appendix 6.5ED – Report re delisting of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? No If Yes, please insert date:

Development Committee

8 January 2020

Report from: Head of Economic Development

Item for Noting

TITLE: Item 6.6 2020 Tourism Major Event Applications

Background and Key Issues: Background

Members will recall at the October 2018 Development Committee that a new protocol for event organisers to apply for Council funding towards Major Tourism Events was agreed. In September 2019 the Development Committee agreed a number of small changes should be made to the Tourism Major Events application process including establishing minimum threshold of 2,500 visitors and 100 bed nights.

Key Issues

1. The Council advertised an ‘open call’ for applications for 2020 Major Tourism Events funding, with a deadline set for the end of November 2019. Some six applications were received and assessed against predetermined criteria. One application did not meet the minimum number of visitors – this will be referred to the Council’s Tourism small grant application process.

2. The outcome from the scoring/assessment process is attached at the appendices for Members’ information, with a recommended amount of Council funding highlighted.

Recommendation: It is recommended that Members note the allocation of Tourism Major Events funding for the 2020 calendar year.

Finance and Resource Implications: The total contribution from the Council would be met from within the existing Economic Development Budget Estimates.

Screening: Equality and Environmental Rural Good Relations No Impact No Impact No Assessment Assessment

SUBJECT TO PLANNING APPROVAL: Yes

APPENDICES: Appendix 6.6ED Tourism Major Events funding summary sheet

HAS IT BEEN SUBJECT TO CALL IN TO DATE? No If Yes, please insert date: APPENDIX 6.1(a)ED

Hillsborough Festival Evaluation 2019

June 2019 Why are we here?

Following the 2nd year of The John Hewitt Society’s Hillsborough Festival, the organisation was keen to gather feedback to evaluate the success of the event and inform future planning.

The following report will explore:

• Audience demographics, behaviours and motivations

• Feedback on the festival and events

• The economic impact on surrounding businesses

2 How was the research conducted?

Two surveys were issued: an online survey following the end of the Hillsborough Festival, and a paper survey that gathered feedback after each event.

The online survey was distributed through email, Twitter, and Facebook, and 99 responses were collected via Surveymonkey from 30 April through 18 May, 2019*. 160 paper surveys were gathered by JHS and input into Surveymonkey by thrive for analysis**. Due to the significant number of responses, all open-ended responses can be found in a separate Appendix document.

*Approximately 670 tickets were sold, indicating a much higher number of people attending the Festival compared to the number of responses to both surveys. As such, the results of the post- Festival survey are indicative rather than conclusive, and further research may be required.

**Because the paper surveys were issued after each event, some respondents may have taken the survey multiple times, which may have impacted on the results. 3 Executive Summary

About your audiences

• Saturday was the most popular day of the Festival, and most respondents attended one or two events

• People attended the Festival in a mix of groups: 38% came with a family member, 35% attended with friends, colleagues or a group. A further 28% attended solo.

• Two-thirds of respondents were new to the Hillsborough Festival

• The top reason for attending was because people were attracted to specific events and/or speakers in the programme

4 Executive Summary

About this year’s festival

• Respondents had a positive view of the Festival, with over half rating it 5 stars

• Comments on the Event Surveys were largely positive, with respondents pleased with the high quality of inspirational speakers and sessions. Negative and constructive comments were focused on improving the sound level at certain events.

• More than 6-in-10 respondents to the survey rated the staff and volunteers, quality of events, atmosphere, and location excellent

• Facebook was the most popular channel, followed by the JHS website and word of mouth

5 Executive Summary

About the economic impact

• The majority of respondents came from within a 30 minute drive from the venue, including 40% who came from Belfast and 27% who came from within the Lisburn and Castlereagh council area

• Because most respondents lived a short drive away, only 3% (2 people) booked local accommodation

• Most respondents (75%) supported local businesses, visiting either a local café, bar, or restaurant. Of those, three-quarters spent £50 or less on food and drink.

6 Section One: Hillsborough Festival 2019 Online Survey Feedback Saturday was the most popular of the three days, and most respondents attended one or two events

Dates attended Number of events attended 60% 70% 39% 40% 31% 61% 15% 11% 60% 20% 5% 0% 50% 47% 1 2 3 4 5 or 44% more

40%

30% 20% Two- of respondents 10% had never been to the Hillsborough 0% Friday 26th April Saturday 27th April Sunday 28th April thirds Festival before

8 Festival-goers were likely to attend in groups, either with other family members or friends

Who they attended with

attended solo 28% attended with 38% family, including 25% who attended with a partner

35%

attended with friends, colleagues, or a group 9 The main reason for attending was because respondents were attracted to specific events/speakers at the Festival

What was your main reason for attending the 2019 Hillsborough Festival?

I was attracted to specific events and/or 52% speakers in this year's programme

I'm interested in books and writing 24%

I regularly attend events with The John 11% Hewitt Society The Festival was conveniently near where 3% I live

I wanted to do something different 1%

I wanted to learn something new 1%

Other (please specify) 8%

10 On a scale of 1 to 5 (from worst to best), over half of respondents rated the Hillsborough Festival a 5

Overall rating: 9% 37% 54%

 worst 1 2 3 4 5 best 

11 More than 6-in-10 respondents found the staff and volunteers, quality of the events, atmosphere, and location very good

How would you rate the following aspects of the 2019 Hillsborough Festival? (% very good)

Staff and volunteers 76%

Quality of the events 70%

Atmosphere 65%

Location 65%

Variety of the events 54%

Venues and facilities 54%

Ticket prices 47%

Booking process 46%

Branding and marketing 44% 12 Nearly half of all respondents heard about the festival through Facebook, and a third heard about it through the JHS website or word of mouth

How did you hear about the Hillsborough Festival?

Facebook 47%

John Hewitt Society website 33%

Word of mouth 33%

E-newsletter 22%

Twitter 21%

Flyer/brochure 13%

Newspaper advert 1%

Poster seen locally 1%

Radio 1%

Other (please specify) 3%

13 Festival attendees helped to support the local economy, visiting an array of local cafes, bars, and restaurants

• 75% of respondents visited a local café, bar, or restaurant

• Of those respondents, three-quarters of respondents spent £50 or less on food and drink

14 As most audiences were local, only 3% of respondents (2 people) stayed overnight in paid accommodation

Did you book accommodation 100% of these locally during the event? 97% 3% respondents said yes – JHS arranged accommodation for me

Yes No 15 Respondents to the survey were more likely to be female and slightly older. Over half were between 45-64.

What is their gender? How old are they?

31%

24%

17% 15%

9% 74% women

0% 0%

Under 16-25 26-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ Prefer 16 not to say

16 The majority of respondents came from within a 30 minute drive of the Festival, including Belfast and Lisburn and Castlereagh council areas

Where do they live?

Belfast 40%

Lisburn and Castlereagh 27%

Mid and East Antrim 9%

Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon 9%

North Down and Ards 7%

Newry, Mourne and Down 4%

Antrim and Newtownabbey 4%

17 The feedback on individual events and the Festival overall was very positive

Constructive feedback* included:

• Having a central location for tea/coffee and meeting other attendees • Providing more information, signage, and maps during the festival • Have better parking/accessibility – some people noted that parking was limited to 1 hour on Friday and Saturday, which meant people had to park far away (requiring a difficult uphill walk to the venue)

*Note: a full list of open-ended results are included in a separate appendix 18 Section Two: Hillsborough Festival 2019 Event Feedback Nearly 9-in-10 respondents said the quality of the event was very good, and three-quarters of respondents said the ticket price was very good

Please rate the following aspects of today's event

The quality of the event 89% 9% 3%

Ticket price 75% 18% 7%

Very good Good Average Poor Very poor

20 Event feedback was largely positive – 90% of people who wrote in a comment gave a positive review of the Festival*

“Beautiful and moving. Two “Liked the interaction, the prompts to write and the group discussions. Highly recommend course. wonderful poets! Thank you” Inspirational and thought provoking.” (Sean Hewitt and Paul Maddern event) (Writing Workshop with Sheena Wilkinson)

“More of these pub-based poetry events please - “Inspiring talk and wide ethnicity excellent. ” (Poetry Ireland Introductions) of participants” (Darjeeling Express with Asma Khan) “A variety of writers helped make this enjoyable listening - range of “The variety of music, literature, and chat was really interests/styles. Also women!!” warm, interesting, personal and the standard of (‘New Chapters’ by Women Aloud NI) talent was VERY high!” (Wuthering Night)

*A full list of open-ended responses are available in a separate Excel sheet 21 Of the negative and constructive comments, the common theme was around sound

Examples of comments*

• “More music - all very good however sound mix - vocals could be louder.” (Wuthering Night)

• “Difficult to hear speakers. Better if they had been on platform. Audience questions should have been repeated. Couldn't hear most of them. Room was a bit cool.” (Publishing Panel)

• “It was a very interesting discussion but difficult to hear at times - a mic on the speaker would have been better” (Literary Lunchtime)

• “The food was lovely. Acoustics poor - not the fault of the speaker. I missed most of what she had to say.” (Darjeeling Express)

*A full list of open-ended responses are available in a separate Excel sheet 22 wewillthrive.co.uk [email protected]

@we_will_thrive @wewillthrive @we_will_thrive

Report icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com APPENDIX 6.1(b)ED

POST - EVENT EVALUATION

Title of Project/Event: Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas Address or Location of Event:

Date of Event_26 - 28th April 2019____New Event Repeat √ (Tick as Appropriate) Name of Organisation/Group/Club/Person: The John Hewitt Society

Please provide a copy of the final accounts: Yes __√____

No: ______(Tick as appropriate)

* These will be forwarded once final accounts have been signed off.

Brief Event Description

The Hillsborough festival of Literature and Ideas was planned as the second year of a three-year commitment by The John Hewitt Society to establish and to gradually build a culture and arts community festival in Hillsborough village, starting relatively modestly and responding to the needs of the community, stakeholders, and audiences to determine how best to establish the event as a major event in Northern Ireland’s cultural events calendar.

The literature festival comprised 34 literary and cultural events with a diverse line-up encompassing poetry, prose, music, film talks and walks, delivered by over 50 individual Artists and Arts organisations throughout the village over three days from Friday 26th – Sunday 28th April, in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces, The Village Centre, churches, bars and local traders, Event Objectives (Please List)

1. To create and deliver a high quality event.  minimum of 65% of excellent ratings (Thrive audience survey).

 minimum of 600 attendees

 reach an average 60% box office capacity

 box office target - £2550 revenue

2. To locate Hillsborough nationally and internationally as a cultural tourism destination.

To attract:  minimum 600 audience members  minimum of 32 total bed nights by participants  minimum of 32 total bed nights by visitors  minimum of £600 accommodation spend by visitors  minimum of £1000 spend reported for local hospitality businesses

3. To encourage participation in workshops and debates by utilising literature, arts and cultural activities as a medium to tackle political, historical and social issues.  minimum of 20 participants

4. To provide a major culture and arts event in the LCCC area.  minimum of 600 attendees

 reach an average 60% box office capacity

 box office target of £2900 revenue

5. To engage community support for local arts and cultural activity.  20 volunteers engaged in delivery of festival

6. To support the arts and cultural sector through professional paid opportunities.  provide paid and employed work to 40 artists and 10 arts professionals.

Actual Outputs at Event Completion

1. To create and deliver a high quality event.  89% excellent ratings for quality of the events (Thrive audience survey).

 Nearly 900 festival attendees

 60% box office capacity was reached

 box office revenue - £3,208

2. To locate Hillsborough nationally and internationally as a cultural tourism destination.  891 audience and participants attended the festival over 3 days  22 total bed nights by participants  2 total bed nights by visitors  £70 accommodation spend by visitors  75% of festival attendees visited a local café, bar or restaurant, with 56% spending £50 or less. (Thrive audience survey)

3. To encourage participation in workshops and debates by utilising literature, arts and cultural activities as a medium to tackle political, historical and social issues.  193 participants took an active part.

4. To provide a major culture and arts event in the LCCC area.  891 festival audience and participants

 60% box office capacity was reached

 box office revenue - £3,208

5. To engage community support for local arts and cultural activity.  23 volunteers helped JHS to deliver the festival

6. To support the arts and cultural sector through professional paid opportunities. provide paid and employed work to 40 artists and 10 arts professionals  75 artists and 10 arts professionals

Evaluation Methodology (please include back up information to justify/ contextualise evaluation findings) eg survey, questionnaire

 Thrive NI were engaged to appraise the event.

 Two surveys were undertaken - a paper survey that gathered feedback after rehash event and then an online survey.

 A copy of the report is attached.

Please compare actual outputs against agreed anticipated target outputs, providing detailed comment on each. In particular please state clear reasons for over/under achievement against the agreed targets. You may wish to provide support information (evidence eg action plans, progress reports, survey data, correspondence, business plans) to explain or back up each stated output.

Actual outputs exceeded targets in relation to box office revenue, although a recasting of the Festival meant that we increased the number of free events, supported by artists who did not require payment.

Bed nights were below the target. The award received was less than planned for. A notification received just two months before the scheduled date of the event had two manor impacts - a substantial amount of organisational energy had to be devoted to searching for alternative sources of funding, and the budget had to be revised. In particular since commitments had been made to performers, the only major budget head which could be reduced at short notice was publicity. Our plans for promotion were therefore substantially reduced and focussed on online promotion. This meant we were able to attract less attention than we had wished from outside the area.

We did succeed in attracting people from Belfast and 75% of respondents supported local businesses.

Satisfaction scores were on target although only 44% rated the branding and marketing as very good - reflecting the decision which we had to take to reduce our efforts in this area,

Please give details of the number of people attending the event and where they came from:

PARTICIPANT NUMBERS SPECTATOR NUMBERS

NORTHERN IRELAND 179 668

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 6 25

ELSEWHERE (DETAIL) 4 England; 1 Scotland; 5 3 Zimbabwe

TOTAL 193 698

Please estimate total number of bed nights generated because of the event: (People staying overnight 24 x Nights 1 ) = 24 .

Please give details of how the event was publicised and marketed (eg. Pre-event publicity such as advertising, leaflets, programmes, banners, posters plus media coverage both during and after the event ie local/national press, radio, TV, magazines)

 A 32 page JHS Hillsborough Festival of Literature and Ideas 2019 programme.  The event was promoted through digital (the JHS website) and JHS social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter).  Advertisement in the local papers (News Letter, Dromore Leader, Larne Times, Lurgan Mail, Portadown Times, Ulster Star), in free online titles (Banbridge & District Weekender, Belfast News, Lisburn Echo) and in LCCC Council’s bulletin.  Flyers and postcards were produced and distributed throughout the borough, Belfast and in surrounding areas.  Posters were distributed in the village.  Interviews were held on NVTV (television) and on BBC Radio Ulster.  As already mentioned publicity had to be cut back because of receipt of less than anticipated funding and need to reduce budget plus the diversion of staff and volunteer time to secure alternative funding sources.

Please provide the final budget for the project/ event (Audited Accounts if available) see attached accounts summary

EXPENDITURE INCOME

ATTACHED ATTACHED

TOTAL PLEASEEXPENDITURE: LIST ALL OTHER___£25,259.53 FUNDERS FORTOTAL THE PROJECT/EVENT INCOME: _ £24,941.99 AND ADVISE IF THEY HAVE CONFIRMED FUNDING:

Vouching Please ensure that all receipts are provide to cover the value of your grant minus any technical support (and where necessary that timesheets are completed and forwarded with this evaluation for Vouching). Grant awarded £ 5,000 (minus technical support)

Receipt Evidence of Attached 3 quotes if Description of product Amount () over £1500 1. Designer/artwork - Sheena McCaugherty £875 √ 2. Brochure print x 5000 – Cathedral Graphics, Belfast £1,050 √ 3. A6 Flyer x5000 Cathedral Graphics, Belfast £120 √ 4. Print distribution – DS Solutions £395 √ 5. Advertising – EDA Media – South Side Advertiser - Ad £90 √ 6. Social Media x2 months – Andrew Moore (March/April) £528 √ 7. Photography - Simon Hutchison £400 √ 8. Artist Fees - The Tangerine/Tara McAvoy £300 √ 9. Venue Hire - Hillsborough Parish Church £150 √ 10. Accommodation – Mrs Alex Bloomfield, 14 Main Street √ Hillsborough BT26 6AE £750 11. Artist Fees - Sean Hewitt £353 √ Total £5011.00

Conclusions

The event was a success although the lower than expected grant and the timescale within which we had to react caused some difficulties.

Audience response was very positive and the relationship with HRP helpful and beneficial for both parties. There is a strong local engagement form those we have come into contact with and the potential remains for growing a strong self sustaining festival in Hillsborough.

However, this will depend on whether a secure funding base can be built for future festivals.

Recommendations

The John Hewitt Society are currently investigating possible funding sources, and deciding whether to proceed with a Festival in Hillsborough for April 2020. We would hope to have further discussions with the Council, in this respect.

Declaration

I confirm that the information in this evaluation is correct.

Signed

Position: Chair

Date: 8th August 2019

Organisation: The John Hewitt Society

APPENDIX 6.1(c)ED Office use only Name of event Amount awarded

Application Form for Tourism Events funding from £1,000 - £10,000

The Tourism Development Unit of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council will give consideration to financially supporting events that can provide evidence of supporting one or more of the following:

A/ Attraction of out-of-state visitors and participants to the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

B/ Attraction of domestic visitors and participants to the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

C/ Generation of at least 100 ‘bed-nights’ in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

D/ Attract at least 2,500 visitors and participants to the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

E/ Generation of positive publicity for the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area strengthening the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area credibility as a tourist and visitor destination.

F/ Attraction of positive media coverage outside the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

G/ Requires Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council assistance to ensure the overall success of the event.

Where the main purpose of an event is to raise money for a charity and/ or charities, financial assistance will not normally be provided by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council would encourage early application for support by offering to feature the event in our promotional material where appropriate.

Applications must be based in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area. SECTION 1: APPLICANT DETAILS

Title of Event:

The John Hewitt Festival of Literature & Ideas @Hillsborough

Location of Event:

Various locations across Hillsborough village (BT26), the Clore Learning Centre at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.

Date(s) of Event: 24 - 26 April 2020

Name of Applicant/Organisation/Club: The John Hewitt Society

Official address: The John Hewitt Society The MAC – Level 3 10 Exchange Street West Belfast. BT1 2NJ.

Type of Applicant: (Please Select)

Individual Association/Group Promoter Private company Charity X (NIC102629) Other* (please state)

Established 1987. What year was the organisation established/incorporated? Incorporated 2001.

Is the organisation VAT registered? NO (Delete as appropriate)

If you are an organisation, do you have a constitution? YES (Delete as appropriate)

If so, please enclose a copy If not, please enclose details of your committee and office bearers What is the legal status of your organisation, if any? (E.g. charity, Limited Company)

The John Hewitt Society is a not-for-profit limited company with charitable status, registered in N. Ireland. Company No: NI041294 Charity No: NIC102629

If members/officers of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council are nominated onto your board/committee, please provide details:

N/a

Contact Name: (The person responsible for the project)

Patricia Morris

Position in the organisation: Director

Contact Address: (If different from above)

Tel No: 028 90324522 (office)

Mobile No:

E-mail: [email protected]

Alternative Contact Name: (The person responsible for the project) Tony Kennedy

Position in the organisation: Chair of the John Hewitt Society Board

Contact Address: (If different from above)

Tel No: 028 90324522 (office)

Mobile No: 07711 190 114

E-mail: [email protected]

SECTION 2: APPLICANT EXPERIENCE

Do you or your organisation have previous relevant experience in the management of events? (Delete as appropriate) YES

If appropriate, detail your experience of relevant work in the management of events:

The John Hewitt Society (JHS) promotes literature, arts, and culture inspired by the ideals and ideas of the poet John Hewitt (1907-1987), whose work and politics transcended traditional societal divisions in Northern Ireland. The Society was established in 1987, as a means to further Hewitt’s ethos of utilising literature and the arts as a medium for tackling prejudice, exclusive concepts of identity, and sectarian hostility. The Society actively promotes cross community, cross culture and cross border links through its literature and creative writing programme creating cultural activities and events within workshops, talks, exhibitions and as part of the annual week long illustrious International Literature Summer School (JHISS) in the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh.

Through its annual programme it provides safe neutral spaces for creative expression which allows platforms for exploration and debate around issues of difference, tolerance and understanding among each other, while helping to break down narrow perceptions of identity and hostility and enabling participants and audiences alike to think critically about the world around them.

Now in its 32nd year, the JHISS has developed a strong reputation across the island of Ireland, nationally & internationally, as well as attracting a loyal local audience, evidenced by the strong demand for tickets with sales of over 4000+ each year (70% NI, 25% ROI, 5%UK/Int). For over thirty years, the Society ran the John Hewitt International Summer School, first in Garron Tower Co Antrim and then for the last 17 years in The Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre, Armagh. The Summer School now runs over six days at the end of July each year and features over 50+ events involving 90+ artists, speakers, and performers in a jam-packed programme daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm and on the Saturday morning.

Now an annual event of national and international esteem, it is recognised by Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council as one of their flagship events, by receiving support from their Large Events Fund and one of 4 Arts organisations asked to enter into a SLA (service level agreement) with ACBCBC.

The JHS offers a bursary scheme which targets eligible applicants from socio- economic and financially challenged backgrounds who would not otherwise be able to attend for the entire week, helping them to improve their skills, knowledge, understanding and experiences of the creative and cultural Literary, Verbal, Performing and Visual arts, as well as providing the opportunity for access to the arts for new audiences. Such is the need our bursary scheme is always oversubscribed, with five applications for every three places annually, a reflection of not only the current economic impact but also the reputation of the quality of the JHISS programme which satisfies a desire to engage in the current culturally informed political agenda.

In 2017 The John Hewitt Society successfully proposed the concept of a new literature festival in Hillsborough to Lisburn Castlereagh City Council and received funding towards the project, delivering the first Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas in 2018 and again in 2019. Over the parts two years (2018-2019) of the Hillsborough Literature & Arts festival over 65 events have been staged in a wide range of venues throughout the village and in the HRP Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, with a diverse line-up encompassing literature, poetry, creative writing, music, visual arts, plant & heritage walks, theatre, cooking, film and talks with over 105 Artists/ Authors/Poets /Contributors who engaged with over 1,500 audience of individuals and families of all ages,

The Society has, through the management of the International Summer School for 30+ years, proven its ability to deliver a large event of national and international reputation, with relevant local interest as well as attracting visitors and tourists. The event is coordinated by the Director, with over two decades of experience working in arts management both in NI, ROI and UK, who leads a Festival team of admin staff, volunteers and JHS Board members. The programme is curated by an experienced external curator working with a diverse JHS voluntary planning committee of 12.

The JHS is a registered charity & company based in NI, core funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and ACNI Lottery funds. It has professional membership of NICVA, & Arts & Business NI, all of whom support the committee & board with relevant training in financial controls, audience development and governance best practice. The Society has a number of best-practice policies in place, including Financial Controls & Expenses, Child Protection, Environmental, and Equal Opportunities, all of which are updated every three years and last revised June 2017. The company also has a Health & Safety policy and a Risk Register, updated May 2017, and produces an Event Management plan for large-scale projects.

In addition to sustaining and increasing the quality and popularity of the John Hewitt International Summer School, the Society provides literary arts programming in collaboration with local Councils, cultural and arts organisations across Northern Ireland; cultural tourism opportunities with writing workshops and literary bus tours, and an expansion into cross- community engagement using creative writing to explore cultural identity issues. In 2019 the Society has confirmed partnerships in community engagement activities with both Historic Royal Palaces Hillsborough and Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council PEACE IV and LCCC Good Relations programme.

We have built strong relationships with elected members and officers, as well as a wide range of organisations both within the Council area and outside, including cross-community and cross-border organisations. The Society has developed good longstanding relationships with a number of funders and sponsors, with some sponsorship relationships spanning 10+ years or more, indicating that sponsors and stakeholders have confidence in the Society’s ability to plan, execute and deliver high-quality events.

The Society is experienced in monitoring, reporting and evaluating events, working with independent audience development agency Thrive NI (formerly Audiences NI). These reports evidence the Society’s success in developing a loyal audience retained year on year, as well as providing a warm and hospitable environment to new audiences. Thrive were engaged to conduct an audience report based on the evaluation forms returned by attendees at the Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas in 2018/19.

Key findings included: - Response from Council, residents, businesses and audiences was all extremely positive and that they would like to see the festival return. - One sample quote from the audience: “Great event! I enthusiastically get behind local events like this. I encouraged my family to get involved and try events out of their comfort zone and they were not disappointed. As a book designer I would love to see this event happen again next year and more events like it. Thank you for dedicating your time, ideas and passion to putting this event together! See you next year!” - 63% of people had attended a literature event before - 37% chose this festival as their first literature event. - The majority (38%) attended with friends, indicating the festival was an attractive option for a social occasion - 14% said they attended as they wanted to try something new. - The atmosphere scored the highest for ‘excellent’ at 87% - Staff and Volunteers scored 84% - ‘excellent’. - The majority (80%) of respondents found ticket prices “just right.” - More than 8-in-10 respondents to the event survey rated the staff and volunteers, location, and venue and facilities excellent.

Has your organisation/company been operating for 3 years or more? (Delete as appropriate) YES

If so, please attach up to date accounts for the last 3 years. Does your organisation/company engage in activities other than the event to which this application relates? (Delete as appropriate) YES

For new ventures, please attach an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing previous employment experience. SECTION 3: EVENT BACKGROUND

Event Title: The John Hewitt Festival of Literature & Ideas @Hillsborough

Event Date(s): Friday 24th – Sunday 26th April 2020

Location(s): Various locations across Hillsborough village (BT26), the Clore Learning Centre at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens.

Please give a brief summary of the event. (This should be a clear concise explanation of the event, and ensure it provides an understandable explanation to those who may have no prior knowledge of the event.)

This proposal is the third year of a three-year commitment by The John Hewitt Society to establish and to gradually build a dedicated high quality Literature, Culture and Interdisciplinary Arts Festival in Hillsborough, helping to establish the Festival as a major event in Northern Ireland’s cultural events calendar and to promote Hillsborough as a new, contemporary and progressive Cultural Tourism destination.

It is proposed to start the Festival on Friday 24th April 2020, running through to the evening of Sunday 26th April 2020, with a jam-packed daily programme of more than 35 events taking place throughout the village with a diverse line-up encompassing literature, poetry, creative writing, music, film and talks. Running from 10am – 10pm each day, depending on the target audience, most events will last between 30 mins to 1.5hrs. At peak times (afternoon/early evening) there would be several events running at the same time, aimed at different audiences and using the different venues available in the village, such as, Church/community Halls, pubs, shops and on the street, and in the Clore Learning Centre at HRP Hillsborough, HRP Gardens and in Hillsborough Forest. This year our guest curator of the festival programme is Alex Catherwood, who together with the Director and the JHS planning Committee, will programme 35+ events with 40 artists, writers, speakers, lecturers, and musicians. Programme planning has begun with a large number of Artists/Authors and other contributors from NI and UK confirmed to attend.

Following the huge success of the last years, the Society has proven its ability to attract visitors to the area and to build Hillsborough’s reputation as a Cultural Tourism event destination, which also fulfils The John Hewitt Society’s objective of promoting quality literary programming in collaboration with local authorities, cultural and arts organisations across Northern Ireland.

Is this an annual event? YES (Delete as appropriate)

What year is this event in? The 23ndrd year (E.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc)

Provide a brief history of the event (if appropriate)

The inaugural John Hewitt Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas took place on the last weekend in April 2018, providing a unique, inspiring and enjoyable weekend of culture and arts event in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area. This was followed in 2019 by the second John Hewitt Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas, which took place on the same weekend in April (26th-28th).

Founded by The John Hewitt Society, whose aim is to promote literature, arts, and culture inspired by the ideas and ideals of the Belfast poet John Hewitt, (1907-1987), whose work and politics transcended traditional societal divisions in Northern Ireland. Established in 1987, the society provides wide ranging opportunities through literature, verbal, visual and performing arts to allow participants to explore issues of difference and identity within workshops, talks, discussions, exhibitions to encourage debate, promote tolerance, respect and acceptance of cultural and religious difference in the wider society.

In the first two years (2018-2019) of the Hillsborough Literature & Arts festival over 65 events have been staged in a wide range of venues throughout the village and in the HRP Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, with a diverse line- up encompassing literature, poetry, creative writing, music, visual arts, plant & heritage walks, theatre, cooking, film and talks with over 105 Artists/ Authors/Poets /Contributors who engaged with over 1,500 audience of individuals and families of all ages, the majority of whom came from within a 30 minute travel time to the festival, with over 75% spending time with friends and loved ones in local cafés, bars, or restaurants (Thrive NI Report, 2019).

Participating artists who came to the village for the first time included: one of Ireland's most prolific and accomplished prose writers, Donal Ryan; Scottish First Book Award-winner Kerry Hudson; Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow Doireann Ní Ghríofa, NI Music Prize-winner Joshua Burnside and Anthony Toner, Indian born British chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Asma Khan, local poets Dr Gail McConnell, Jan Carson, Sean Hewitt, Paul Maddern, Irish Times journalist Sorcha Pollak, The festival also offered a number of events for children and families, including The Great Hillsborough Book Hunt, writing and craft workshops, and Writers in Schools visits in association with Poetry Ireland.

The festival team worked with local groups throughout the year to ensure that community involvement remained at the centre of this event, with participation and support from the Village Centre, Historic Royal Palaces, St Malachy’s Parish Church, The Religious Society of Friends in Ireland Lisburn (Quaker Meeting House in Hillsborough), The Hillside Bar, plus many other local businesses & retailers who gave us much valued friendship and support.

The Festival was programmed, planned, produced, financed and delivered by The John Hewitt Society, evaluated independently by Thrive NI.

Please list the specific aims and objectives of the event.

AIMS OBJECTIVES

To create and deliver a high-quality three- Minimum of 65% of excellent ratings on day literature and interdisciplinary arts logistical/organisational elements from festival, providing neutral spaces for Thrive NI online audience survey. opportunities, for individuals and families from NI, ROI & elsewhere from different Minimum of 75% of positive responses cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, from 'Voice of the Audience' comments in to bring them together to explore the Thrive NI online audience survey. different worlds of culture, literature and politics through high profile literature & Minimum of 700 attendees. arts events, through other events which will engage them in unexpected creative Reach an average 60% box office ways, and through engagement with capacity. experienced artists, writers, renowned personalities in professional & personal Box office target of £3600 revenue development workshops and as part of panel discussions.

To help increase tourism to the area by To attract a minimum of 700 audience establishing Hillsborough as a progressive members. quality cultural tourism destination, by attracting new and returning visitors, both Minimum of 24 total bed nights by attendees, artists and contributors, from participants. NI, ROI, GB and internationally, and to help increase the revenue spend for the Minimum of 15 total bed nights by local hospitality industry and local traders visitors. by increasing footfall to Hillsborough during the 3 day festival. Minimum of £700 accommodation spend brought to the area by participants.

Minimum of £500 accommodation spend brought to the area by visitors.

Minimum of £1000 additional revenue spend during the festival reported by local hospitality businesses & traders.

To encourage participation in workshops Minimum of 20 participants attend and debates by programming new, workshops in the Clore Learning Centre contemporary and unusual literature, arts (through partnership with Historic Royal and cultural activities and events as a Palace Hillsborough) and in other medium to tackle political, historical and venues, representative of the wide social issues relevant to celebrating geographic spread across Hillsborough diversity, and to extend participation in the and the wider Council area. literary arts to a wide range of participants, from diverse socio-economic, geographic & cultural backgrounds, through a community ticketing scheme as part of our LCCC Once Alien Here Good Relations Project and through our partnership with Institute of Conflict Research.

To enhance the quality of the visitor Minimum of 700 attendees. experience to Hillsborough by providing an innovative, ambitious and enjoyable Reach an average 60% box office jam-packed weekend of compelling capacity. literary workshops and creative arts events featuring an array of acclaimed Box office target of £3,600 revenue. artists/writers/contributors in a wide range of insightful talks, interviews, discussions and performances, and by working with local businesses and community groups to help foster local engagement and dialogue to inspire civic and community pride in the village and hinterland, while supporting the Council’s tourism strategy (’18 – ’22), and the Hillsborough master tourism plan.

To inspire and enhance community 20 volunteers engaged in the delivery of engagement and support for local arts and the festival. cultural activity in the area through volunteering. Minimum of 3 participants from each group in our LCCC Once Alien Here Good Relations Project will read their pieces as part of the project’s showcase event alongside a professional literary artist in the Clore Learning Centre to an invited audience of family, friends and guests.

To support the arts and cultural sector in 40 professional artists/contributors and N. Ireland through professional paid 10 arts professionals will be employed to opportunities. work as part of the festival.

Detail how you propose to measure your success in meeting the above objectives when the event is completed.

Indicators used to measure the success of this event will be as follows:

Increase in: - No of tickets sold - % of box office capacity - Box office revenue - No of people who attend participatory workshops/events - No of people who attend as a quality Cultural Tourism destination - No of families - No of local community who attend who would not have attended a Literature and/or Arts Festival events before. - % positive responses from audience feedback survey - % increase of social media impressions - No of bed nights booked in the LCCC area reported by audience members - No of bed nights booked by the JHS for staff, artists and bursary students - No out of visitors & family trips - Revenue spend reported by local traders - Footfall to the town over the weekend - No of visitors to local tourism attractions over the festival weekend

How will Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council benefit from supporting this event?

LCCC will benefit from supporting our Festival through the following:

- help it meet many of the targets within current, ‘LCCC Vision for Tourism Strategy, ’18-’22,’ - support it in meeting many of the targets within the new Hillsborough Tourism Master Plan. - help put Hillsborough on the map and support it meet key target of,‘10% growth in staying visitors and revenue spend’. - support the work of the Hillsborough Tourism Industry Forum - help it establish Hillsborough village as the ‘gemstone’ by showcasing the village to visitors (local, ROI, UK and international) by incorporating a heritage walking tour of Hillsborough in the programme and offering historical insight into culturally relevant figures of local and national significance through the complementary community engagement programme run in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces. - help it put Hillsborough on the Literary & Arts map as a high quality Cultural Tourism destination through our Literature and Interdisciplinary Arts Festival. - help it to make a significant contribution to the local hospitality sector and the village economy by increased footfall over the weekend. - help it introduce the Literary and Interdisciplinary arts to a wide variety of people, individuals and families, of all ages and from different cultures and socio- economic backgrounds who would not normally or never have attended such an even before. - support of the work of LCCC and Historic Royal Palace Hillsborough Castle and Gardens by programming events which take place in Hillsborough Forest and HRP Gardens. - help it develop Arts and Cultural heritage provision in the area by attracting new community members/groups and non-traditional audiences to participate in Literary and participatory arts workshops who would not normally or never have attended such an event before. - support those in the local communities (individuals & families) who may be financially challenged visit Hillsborough during the Festival by availing of free ticketing opportunities as part of a community engagement scheme with Historic Royal Palaces and in conjunction with JHS Good Relations Once Alien Here programme (Jan – April 2020) with groups from local communities within the LCCC area.

SECTION 4: MARKETING

Who is the event targeted at? (E.g. Families, Young Couples, Males etc)

This event is targeted at individuals and couples of all ages from within N.I, ROI, and visitors from the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond, with a love of literature and the Arts and families who value the unique live quality, interesting child oriented experiences, informative and fun day out that the programme will give their children, especially new knowledge to satisfy their curiosity of the world around them be it through reading, listening, spoken word or by taking part in participatory workshops or other creative adventures.

Our programme fits the following NI and GB Tourism segments: Tourism NI market segment of: ‘Family Fun,’ ’‘Mature Cosmopolitans,’ ‘Culturally Curious,’ This demographic will be typically visitors from outside of the 30 mile radius we have grown to date. They will be particularly attracted to visit Hillsborough to experience the offer to be immersed in the cultural experience that is on offer as a new, quality, contemporary Cultural Tourism destination. Evidence shows they are typically older adults (40+) with dispensable income, who want to broaden their minds and expand their experiences by exploring new landscapes, the local history and culture, be it active sightseeing, historical buildings, gardens, heritage building/experiences, artisan food and local specialities.

Briefly outline how the event will be publicised and marketed. (E.g. pre-event publicity such as advertising, leaflets, programmes, banners, posters plus media coverage both during and after the event i.e. local/national press, radio, television, magazines etc.)

Our 2020 Festival will publicised and marketed as follows:

Publicity: • The JHS has a long history and experience of promoting events due to the JHISS in Armagh. We will use those contacts and networks that we have built up over the years both with the print, audio and increasingly digital media both within NI, ROI and the wider UK. This will include as follows:

The JHS will: - issue a formal press release to local agencies including newspapers, mags, radio and TV channels. - utilise free online events listings – including local/national press events listings and those available to us within LCCC and their networks. - utilise free magazine and events guides in Belfast. - develop the company’s digital content to access new audiences. - improve use of social media to engage current and new audiences.

- work with tourism organisations (local/national) to ensure coverage in tourism media. - target hospitality businesses to promote Hillsborough as a destination and encourage overnight visitors through promotional deals to groups and peace- building networks to promote community outreach programme. - build upon links within the arts sector to cross-promote activities to relevant organisations, demographics and partners.

JHS will plan, design and print a new 2020 programme for the festival which will include the following marketing tools: • Brochures – Festival programme • Postcards • Flyers • Posters • Banners • Selected advertising • Listings in festival brochures • Listings in events guides • Listings in online listing guides • Pop-up stands used at event venues • E-newsletter to mailing list • Press release to key press contacts • Social networking sites – Facebook, Instagram & Twitter and corresponding analytics • www.johnhewittsociety.org website and Google Analytics General Press Coverage anticipated based on previous events: • The Irish Times • Irish News • Belfast Telegraph • BBC Radio Ulster Arts Extra • RTE Radio • The Sunday Times Culture • Ulster Star Online (Ongoing): • Enewsletter: weekly updates to 1100+ contacts • johnhewittsociety.org plus pdf of programme made available on Issuu.com. updated with news stories/press releases • Social Media platforms (Facebook & Twitter) • Community Arts Partnership newsletter • Culture NI – listings, newsletter, features & competition prize • GalleryPress.com • Armagh.co.uk • Whats On NI • LiteraryFestivals.co.uk • Irish Writers Centre • Festivals.ie • Writing.ie • NITB/Discover Northern Ireland Outline your estimated Marketing Expenditure

METHOD/MEDIA AMOUNT Brochure print x5000 £1,100.00 Designer/artwork £900.00 A6 Flyer x5000 £120.00 A4 poster x 600 £60.00 Print distribution £450.00 PR/Advertising £450.00 Social Media (x3 months@£264x1rmth) £792.00 Thrive Audience Evaluation Report £460.00

Briefly outline what opportunities for Council branding exist at the event.

Corporate branding opportunities for the Council will be available at a variety of package options across the following:

• LCCC logo will be included on all print advertising (2019 print examples attached) • LCCC acknowledged in all press releases • LCCC acknowledged in all editorial articles • LCCC logo will feature in festival email marketing • LCCC logo will be included on programme and e-tickets • Live events – on site marketing during festival, e.g, pop up stands, banners • Tagging in social media posts • LCCC logo will feature on all digital branding (website, event apps, event email marketing, social media) • LCCC logo on VIP festival ticket allocation • Corporate volunteering opportunities, e.g. volunteer t shirts.

How will the success of the Marketing techniques used be evaluated?

Our Festival marketing techniques will be evaluated from monitoring as follows:

 Successful delivery of project on time and on budget  Box office reporting – increase in no of attendees/visitors to the area.  Exit surveys from Festival audiences – quality event/value for money  Post-event online survey through Survey Monkey by independent consultancy Thrive NI  Independent monitoring and reporting conducted by Thrive NI and made available to stakeholders and funder Please attach a Full Marketing and PR Plan for the event.

Failure to enclose a full Marketing/PR Plan for the event will result in your application being rejected

SECTION 5: FINANCE

Please note: the maximum amount you can apply for is £10,000 per event

Detail the progress to date in securing private sponsorship for the event.

CASH SECURED:

Company Amount Private Donor £5,000.00 River Mill Retreat sponsorship £300.00

IN-KIND SECURED:

Company Amount What expenditure elements in your budget does this offset? HRP Hillsborough £1,800.00 Room Hire: Castle & Gardens (Clore Learning Centre: 3xrmsx3dys@£200perdy)

NB: Enclose copies of letters confirming cash/in-kind funding secured as described above.

PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP TO BE CONFIRMED:

Company Type of sponsorship Amount Date (e.g. cash or in-kind) Confirmation Expected Local Businesses Cash: £800.00 February 2020 (brochure advertising, x8@£100 each) Kestrel Foods Ltd., Cash: £1,000.00 February 2020 (Forest Feast) Company has agreed in principle to sponsor Film event as part of the Festival. Contract to be agreed shortly.

Detail all public sector funding applied for.

Name of Body Amount Purpose of Funding Contact Name & Confirmed? Number (Yes/No) Lisburn & £10,000.00 Event funding for The Andrew Kennedy No Castlereagh John Hewitt Festival of LCCC Tourism Borough Literature & Ideas Development Council @Hillsborough Manager

In the absence of public funding would the event (as described within this application form) go ahead?

(Delete as appropriate) YES – programme would be revised according to the available budget.

EVENT COSTS

Category Key costs included in category Amount Participant costs Artist Fees (x3dys) £8,500.00 Artist Travel (flights & millage) £1,200.00 Transport (taxis) £260.00 Accommodation (x3dys) £900.00 Hospitality (Artistsx3dys) £200.00

Production costs Staffing: Tech Management £1,200.00 (get in&out x3dys) Staffing: Administration £1,000.00 (temporary admin festival support)

Insurance Insurance £700.00

Marketing Brochure print x5000 £1,100.00 Design/artwork £900.00 A6 Flyer x5000 £120.00 A4 poster x600 £60.00 Print distribution £450.00 PR/Advertising £450.00 Social Media (x3mths@£264prmth) £792.00 Thrive Audience Evaluation Report £460.00

Venue costs Venue Hire (x3dys) £600.00

Health & Safety St John's Ambulance (x3dys@£100prdy) £300.00 High Visibility Vests with logo (x24@£2) £48.00

Administration Staff travel £100.00 Box Office On line Service Fees (Visit Belfast) £80.00 Digital & Social media developments £100.00 Office costs (printing/ stationary/phone/postage) £180.00 In-Kind Sponsorship HRP Hillsborough Castle: In Kind room hire (Clore Learning Centre: 3xrmsx3dys@£200perdy) £1,800.00

Miscellaneous Contingency £1,500.00

TOTAL £23,000.00

EVENT INCOME

CATEGORY DETAIL AMOUNT Entry fee/Income Online sales (Visit Belfast) £2,900.00 Cash sales £700.00

Private Sector Income Cash: confirmed (Include only confirmed River Mill Retreat £300.00 cash & in-kind) Private Donor £5,000.00

In-Kind: confirmed HRP Hillsborough Castle & Gardens: In Kind room hire £1,800.00 (Clore Learning Centre: 3xrmsx3dys@£200perdy)

Corporate Hospitality

Merchandising Merchandise & Book Sales £500.00

Public Sector Funding Lisburn & Castlereagh (Include unconfirmed Borough Council: public funding also) Tourism Events Fund £10,000.00

Miscellaneous Brochure Adv (10@£100) £800.00 Kestrel Foods Ltd., (Forest Feast) £1,000.00 (verbal confirmation)

TOTAL £23,000.00

Has any confirmed in-kind sponsorship also been included in the expenditure side of the budget? (Delete as appropriate) YES

Project/Event shortfall

TOTAL INCOME £23,000.00 MINUS TOTAL EXPENDITURE - £23,000.00 EQUALS SHORTFALL = £0.00

How much is requested from Lisburn & Castlereagh £10,000.00 City Council?

I/we are prepared to furnish details of all cheques, cash and credit card records to the Council’s internal audit for inspection during office hours (Delete as appropriate) YES

Detail any other ‘in-kind’ support envisaged from Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. (E.g. Technical support, advertising etc)

 Visit LCCC promotional support through Visit Lisburn Castlereagh website, blogs, digital media sites, tourism literature materials.  Hillsborough Visitor Information Centre - Box Office technical support, inclusion in tourism literature materials, support for festival brochure/flyer distribution.  Visit Belfast Event Island in Belfast Welcome Centre for two weeks. Approx. cost for use of Visit Belfast Event Island x2 weeks - £230.

SECTION 6: ECONOMIC IMPACT OF EVENT

Estimate the Total Number of Participants expected at the event: 55

Breakdown of Expected Participants (Number or Percentage)

NI 35 ROI 10 GB 10 Other*

*Please detail

Estimate the Total Number of Spectators expected at the event: 900

Breakdown of Expected Spectators (Number or Percentage)

NI 700 ROI 175 GB 25 Other*

*Please detail

Participant Bed nights

Number of participants staying overnight in commercial accommodation 12 i.e. hotels, guesthouses, bed & breakfast

Number of night’s participants staying for 3

Total Participant Bed nights (No. of participants x No. of nights) 36

Spectator Bed nights

Number of spectators staying overnight in 12 Commercial accommodation (i.e. hotels, guesthouses, bed & breakfast)

Number of night’s participants staying for 2

Total Spectator Bed nights (No. of participants x No. of nights) 24

Is participant/spectator accommodation subsidised by the organisers (or others)? (Delete as appropriate) YES

If so, who by? Participant accommodation subsidised by The John Hewitt Society

Detail the event expenditure within Northern Ireland; include all event costs spent locally. Exclude expenditure leaving Northern Ireland (i.e. expenditure which goes to a UK or international based company).

COST AMOUNT

Participant Costs: Artist Fees; Artist travel; Artist transport - taxis; £5,500, £748, £260, £900, £200 Accommodation; Hospitality Total spend: £7,608.00

Production Costs, Administration & £2,200, £1,610 Health & Safety: Total spend: £3,810.00

Insurance: £700 Total spend: £700.00

Marketing & Evaluation £4,332 Total spend: £4,332.00

Venue Hire £600 Total spend: £600.00

Total spend within Northern Ireland: £17,050.00

SECTION 7: EVENT MANAGEMENT

Does your organisation have an applied policy on these aspects, where applicable?

Safeguarding Policy YES (Child Protection Policy and/or Vulnerable Adults Policy – dependent on audience profile) (Delete as appropriate)

Health & Safety Policy YES (Delete as appropriate)

NB: If successful, a certified Risk Assessment must be submitted prior to any payment

Equal Opportunities Policy YES (Delete as appropriate)

Traffic Management Plan NO – N/a for this event (Delete as appropriate)

Valid Public Liability Insurance YES  Employers Liability Insurance  Specific Event Insurance (Delete as appropriate)

Detail any court judgements against you or your company/organisation.

Are you awaiting any criminal or civil proceedings against you or your company/organisation? (Delete as appropriate) NO

If yes, please detail.

SECTION 8: DECLARATION

I/WE HEREBY SUBMIT THIS APPLICATION TO LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL, SEEKING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF OVER £1,000.

I/WE CONFIRM THAT THIS APPLICATION GIVES A TRUE AND ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT/EVENT.

IF REQUESTED, I/WE WILL PROVIDE THE COUNCIL WITH ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REQUIRED OR CLARIFICATION ON ANY MATTER.

I/WE ACCEPT THAT LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL DOES NOT BIND ITSELF TO AWARD ANY GRANT OR THE LEVEL OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE REQUESTED FOR THE PROJECT/EVENT IN THE APPLICATION.

I/WE AGREE THAT IF THE COUNCIL ISSUES A LETTER OF OFFER FOR GRANT, THIS IS THE BASIS OF ANY AWARD.

I/WE WILL ADHERE TO THE PROVISIONS OF ALL CURRENT FAIR EMPLOYMENT, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND DISABLED PERSONS LEGISLATION IN FORCE IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND OBSERVE THE SPIRIT OF THAT LEGISLATION

I/WE CERTIFY, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF, THAT THE PARTICULARS GIVEN ON THIS FORM ARE CORRECT AND COMPLETE.

Signed:

Print Name:

PATRICIA MORRIS

Position Held:

Director

Date:

14th November 2019

FALSE STATEMENTS CAN RESULT IN PROSECUTION

All applicants for assistance should note that, when a proposal is bring considered and assessed, there can be no commitment by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council to provide financial support until the Letter of Offer has been issued, received, accepted and any prior conditions met.

The information provided on this form may be available to other departments/agencies for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime.

Return the completed application form to:

Andrew Kennedy Tourism Development Manager Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Civic Headquarters Lagan Valley Island Lisburn BT27 4RL

This application must be submitted to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council AT LEAST THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE EVENT

INCOMPLETE FORMS WILL BE REJECTED

GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION 2016/679

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council collects the data on this form for the purposes of considering financial assistance to organisations (pre and post event). This data is not used for any other purpose or is not disclosed to any other organisation.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Date Received:

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

APPENDIX 6.1(d)ED

The John Hewitt Festival of Literature & Ideas @Hillsborough 2020.

Expenditure

Participant Costs Artist Fees £ 8,500.00 Artist Travel (flights & millage) £ 1,200.00 Transport (taxis) £ 260.00 Accommodation £ 900.00 Catering/Hospitality £ 200.00 Volunteer Costs Sub-Total £ 11,060.00 Production Costs Staffing: Tech Management £ 1,200.00 Staffing: Administration £ 1,000.00 Sub-Total £ 2,200.00 Insurance Insurance £ 700.00 Sub-Total £ 700.00 Marketing Brochure print x5000 £ 1,100.00 Designer/artwork £ 900.00 A6 Flyer x5000 £ 120.00 A4 poster x 600 £ 60.00 Print distribution £ 450.00 PR/Advertising £ 450.00 Social Media (x3 months@£264 permth) £ 792.00 Thrive Audience Evaluation Report £ 460.00 Sub-Total £ 4,332.00 Venue Costs Venue Hire £ 600.00 HRP Hillsborough Castle In Kind room hire (Clore Learning Centre 3rmsx3days@£200perdy) £ 1,800.00 Sub-Total £ 2,400.00 Health & Safety St John's Ambulance (3dy@£60 per day) £ 300.00

High Visibility Vests with logo (24@£2 each+p&p) £ 48.00 Sub-Total £ 348.00 Administration Staff travel £ 100.00 Box Office online service Fees (Visit Belfast) £ 80.00 Digital Meida developments £ 100.00 Office costs (printing/ stationary/phone/postage) £ 180.00 Sub-Total £ 460.00 Contingency £ 1,500.00 Sub-Total £ 1,960.00

TOTAL EXPENDITURE: £ 23,000.00

Income Online sales £ 2,900.00 Box Office Cash sales £ 700.00 Brochure Adv (8@£100) £ 800.00 Merchandise & Fundraising Other: Booksales £ 500.00

Sub-Total £ 4,900.00 Public Funding Lisburn & Castlereagh Borough Council Tourism Events funding £ 10,000.00 Sub-Total £ 10,000.00 Private Sponsorship River Mill Retreat £ 300.00 Kestrel Foods Ltd., (Forest Feast) £ 1,000.00 Private donor £ 5,000.00 Sub-Total £ 6,300.00 In Kind sponsorship Historic Royal Palaces - Hillsborough Room hire: (Clore Learning Centre Castle & Gardens 3rmsx3days@£200perdy) £ 1,800.00 Sub-Total £ 1,800.00

TOTAL INCOME: £ 23,000.00

Total INCOME £ 23,000.00 minus EXPENDITURE £ 23,000.00 TOTAL: £ - APPENDIX 6.1(e)ED

Marketing & Communications Plan

T he J ohn H ewitt F e s t i v a l of Literature & Ideas @ Hillsboroug h 2020.

The John Hewitt Society

| T h e M A C – Level 3 | 10 Exchange Street West

| Belfast | BT1 2NJ

NI Charity Reg No NIC102629 Company No NI041294

1 Mission & Strategic Aims:

Mission of The John Hewitt Society

In 2013 the Society revisited its goals through the support of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland Arts Development Fund, with the assistance of McGarry Consulting and has now declared the purpose of the Society: to promote literature, arts, and culture inspired by the ideals and ideas of the poet John Hewitt.

Hewitt's work and politics transcended traditional societal divisions in Northern Ireland, and The Society's role is to bring different identities together in safe circumstances via literature and creative writing. The John Hewitt Society offers opportunities for people from Northern Ireland and beyond to engage with literature, art and political debate and to explore issues of difference and identity in neutral spaces. It is a core principle of the Society to work in collaboration with other organisations and promotes access by offering activities in rural and urban locations across a wide geographical expanse of Northern Ireland. The Society actively promotes cross-community and cross-border links and, through its work, it plays a very real role in reinforcing the peace process in Northern Ireland, including providing a safe, neutral space for its activities and, through the use of the arts, to encourage debate, understanding, tolerance and acceptance of cultural diversity.

Strategic Aims : The Society's strategic aims:

1. Fortify the John Hewitt Society as the main literary organisation in Belfast, with an artistic reach across Northern Ireland 2. Strengthen the John Hewitt International Summer School as Northern Ireland's premier literary event 3. Develop new audiences through expanded programme of activities: second flagship festival in Hillsborough; extending the reach of our cohesive outreach and community development programme Once Alien Here

Aims & Objectives:

Aims & Objectives: Marketing & Audience Development

1. Fortify the John Hewitt Society as Northern Ireland’s main literary organisation in Belfast, with an artistic reach across Northern Ireland  Support and promote 100 participants through a mix of stand-alone events, free writing workshops and creative writing residential retreats through the Bursary Scheme, across Belfast, Armagh Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council area, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area, and Northern Ireland  Represent and support the literary sector on a regional level throughout NI, ROI & UK through arts lobbying, literary networking and collaborative events with partners and stakeholders  Further develop profile across Northern Ireland through continuing rural based literary activities in Armagh City, Banbridge, & Craigavon Borough Council areas, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, and others  Continue to work with literary and cultural organisations and local authorities offering consultancy and advice on literary issues and contributing to cultural programming

2. Strengthen the John Hewitt International Summer School as Northern Ireland’s premier literary event  Increase new attendees at the Summer School by an additional 10% by cross- promoting the bursary scheme to community through cross-promotion of author readings to community outreach participants and other events and festivals across NI  Encourage new attendees/bursary applications from collaborative relationships developed throughout year-round programme of activities outwith of the Summer School period  Re-establish the international output of the Summer School through staff utilising international funding opportunities for artist exchanges and travel bursaries  Further develop regional partnerships and cross-border links opportunities by exploring new avenues of income e.g. sponsorship, trusts & foundation funding  Develop cultural tourism links through tourism contacts such as Tourism Ireland, Australian’s Abroad and others.

3. Develop new audiences  To develop the Hillsborough Festival into a three-year model, a high-quality three-day multi arts festival, based on the successful JHISS model, providing neutral spaces for opportunities for individuals from NI, ROI & elsewhere, from different cultural backgrounds, to explore political and cultural issues through high profile literature & arts events, professional & personal development workshops and engagement with high quality artists and writers

 Engage 100 more participants across socially disadvantaged areas in the continuation of the Once Alien Here community outreach programme  Target 10% of overall audience/participation from community outreach programmes  Programme ambitious international authors, in Armagh and other locations  Maintain partnerships with high-quality organisations to maximise artistic potential of programme, such as Poetry Ireland, Belfast International Arts Festival  Engage a minimum 100 new audiences members to other author readings and events, through cross-promotion of author readings to community outreach participants and by targeting new geographic areas

Market Analysis:

The Literature Sector in Northern Ireland

NI’s literary sector can be described as very small. McGarry Consulting states that there is “a void of NI literary organisations” (2013, p.2). This is reflected when looking at the organisations that receive regular annual funding by the Arts Council NI. There were eight literary organisations funded in 2013/14, which made up 7% of the overall organisations and 4% of the overall funding. Only dance related organisations received less funding (Arts Council NI, 2014). However, funding was further cut in 2015/16, when the funding of two literary organisations was withdrawn completely. To compare, 6 organisations in the whole sector had their funding cut completely (Arts Council NI, 2015a). Also, literary events only comprised 1% of total audience numbers (Arts Council NI, 2014). As this includes all literary events, the audience numbers for literary festivals specifically can be expected to be even lower.

In this same time period, the John Hewitt Society has emerged as the ‘leading literary organisation in Northern Ireland’ (2013, McGarry Consulting).

A benchmarking report on ticketing and digital behaviour of literary festivals in Ireland 2014 was conducted by Arts Audiences and the Arts Council of Ireland (Nugent and Murphy, 2014). They found that 46% were local, 41% were domestic visitors and 13% were international.

The Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey found that 27% of the Northern Irish population read daily, 14% several times a week, 16% several times a month, 23% several times a year or less often and 20% never read for pleasure (ARK, 2009). However, another study, conducted by the Carnegie UK Trust, comparing the amount of books read finds that 44% of the Northern Irish population are prolific readers, whereas 30% never or rarely read books (MacDonald, 2012).

Case study: John Hewitt International Summer School

The Society has maintained a high quality in its events for almost thirty years, using the specialised knowledge of the literary sector of our committee and staff to ensure that their artistic programmes feature first-class literary content. We have attracted high level speakers to our events of international importance and recognition - in the last five years speakers at the International Summer School have included President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, Baroness Shirley Williams, and Monica McWilliams, as well as major literary figures such as Imtiaz Dharker, Joseph O’Connor, and Bernard MacLaverty. The John Hewitt Society has proven track record in delivering world-class writers and with the aspirational programme of activities proven in Armagh, Belfast and

Hillsborough we intend to continue to meet this level of quality, delivering excellent artistic content through new opportunities to engage new and existing audiences, and continuing to develop on the proven success of our community outreach writing programme. We endeavour to maintain the high-quality of the events we deliver whilst also striving to pursue change that further creates opportunities for audiences and participants to experience personal development and opportunities to engage. The Society has invested in audience development reporting and has worked with Thrive (formerly Audiences NI) to find out more about who are our audiences are since 2014. From 2014 this research focused on our largest event, the John Hewitt International Summer School. Data from this research contributed to the company’s decision to expand its artistic programme and the establishment of the Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas in 2018. Significant findings included:  Concerted efforts to prioritise first-time applicants to the bursary scheme has made a significant difference to attendance, with 2018 seeing a new record of 58% of survey respondents attending the JHISS for the first time, compared with 27% of respondents in 2013.  However, the JHS also demonstrated a key loyalty with almost 1 in 5 respondents were returning audience, having attended more than two summer schools previously  75% of respondents travelled to Armagh specifically to attend the JHISS  Almost half of respondents booked accommodation in Armagh to attend JHISS (up from 21% in 2017)  96% of respondents visited local restaurants & bars, showing that the Summer School has an economic impact on the local area.  71% of participants booked tickets 2-4 weeks in advance, showing forward planning and a commitment to attending the event  80%+ of respondents scored the logistical and organisational aspects of the Summer School as excellent  The total estimate for room nights generated by the Summer School in 2018 is 305 bed nights. - 85 room nights for staff & contributors - 230 room nights for residential bursary students (44 participants x 5 nights)

This audience research indicates strongly The John Hewitt Society’s successful track record in delivering quality, high-profile events, and a demonstrable success in marketing to its audience and attracting new audiences.

The John Hewitt Festival of Literature & Ideas @Hillsborough

The first Hillsborough Festival of Literature & Ideas took place on the weekend of 27-29 April 2018, providing an attractive culture and arts event in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area.

Founded by The John Hewitt Society, the festival team worked with local groups throughout the year to ensure that community involvement remained at the centre of this event, with participation and support from the Village Centre, Historic Royal Palaces, St Malachy’s Parish Church, The Religious Society of Friends in Ireland Lisburn (Quaker Meeting House in Hillsborough), The Hillside Bar, plus many other local businesses & retailers.

Over the past two years the literature festival offered more than 65 events taking place throughout the village, with a diverse line-up encompassing poetry, prose, music, film and talks.

Participating artists who came to the village for the first time included: one of Ireland's most prolific and accomplished prose writers, Donal Ryan; Scottish First Book Award- winner Kerry Hudson; Seamus Heaney Centre Fellow Doireann Ní Ghríofa and NI Music Prize-winner Joshua Burnside. The festival also offered a number of events for children and families, including The Great Hillsborough Book Hunt, writing and craft workshops, and Writers in Schools visits in association with Poetry Ireland.

Aims:

 To create and deliver a high-quality three-day multi-arts festival, providing neutral spaces for opportunities for individuals from NI, ROI & elsewhere, from different cultural backgrounds, to explore political and cultural issues through high profile literature & arts events, professional & personal development workshops and engagement with high quality artists and writers.  Locate Hillsborough nationally and internationally as a cultural tourism destination by increasing tourism and supporting the hospitality industry, attracting visitors from NI, ROI, GB and internationally both as attendees and contributors.  To encourage participation in workshops and debates by utilising literature, arts and cultural activities as a medium to tackle political, historical and social issues relevant to celebrating diversity, extending participation in literary arts to broad range of participants through a community ticketing scheme, promoting equality and good relations & reach a diverse mix of audience socio-economic, geographic & cultural backgrounds.  To provide a major culture and arts event in the LCCC area; by working with local groups to ensure that community involvement is at the centre of this event, inspiring civic pride in the area and ensuring indigenous talent is fostered; supporting the borough's draft tourism strategy  To engage community support for local arts and cultural activity  To support the arts and cultural sector through professional paid opportunities

Audience & Participation:

740+ attendees and 35+ artists & guests visited Hillsborough for the event. The event was produced, financed and operationally delivered by The John Hewitt Society. The festival was evaluated independently by Thrive.

 585 were audience spectators  155 were participants in workshops

Our annual programmes and key events are attractive to several key visitor categories, aligning closely with those identified in the Hillsborough Tourism Masterplan, and is likely to have greatest appeal for the mature cosmopolitans (NI and ROI and the culturally curious (GB) with elements of the family fun (NI and ROI) and great escapers (GB).

- Main group targeted: Visitors from NI & ROI – Tourism NI market segment of ‘Mature Cosmopolitans’: Relaxation, good quality food and drink, scenic drives, theatre experience, authentic pub experience, good value, key attractions, tapping into the attractive hospitality offerings of Hillsborough village.

- Secondary groups who will also be engaged from the NI & ROI market will be ‘Young & Lively’ demographic, with dynamic multi-artform events offered marrying music, readings and performance.

- Family Fun will be further targeted after very successful events for family and children, with feedback from audience questionnaires seeking more of these types of events. Children’s craft workshops and writing workshops will be presented, along with the family-friendly Book Hunt, exploring the shop fronts around the village.

- Tourists from GB & elsewhere – Tourism NI market segment of ‘Culturally Curious: typically older people (45+) who want to broaden their minds and expand their experience by exploring new landscape, history and culture. Active sightseeing with the heritage walking tour; historical buildings and attractions presented as quirky venues and animated spaces; culturally engaging events; and artisan food and local restaurants attractive to those seeking a local flavour of regional food specialties.

Strategy:

To develop our market we intend to:

AWARENESS OF EVENT

 Develop the Society’s profile and support the sector by representing the JHS at public events.  Develop existing audience profile through collaborations and partnerships with other arts, heritage and cultural organisations.  Launch Save the Date branding for the festival in January 2020.  Finalise a communications plan in February 2020 with press releases scheduled (see below) and to be adapted for online and social media. Work with PR consultant to make links with national media in ROI and UK in addition to key local partnerships.  Private sponsorship secured with contributions from stakeholders and relationships with local businesses developed from 2019 secured with advertising and promotions locked down to promote to customers.  Social media consultant engaged for an additional month to coincide with launch in February 2020 and to assist with delivery of communications plan.

ATTRACTING NEW CUSTOMERS

 Encourage new audiences & address obstacles to access e.g. location, venues by offering a wide variety of events across various locations (see Business Plan for further details on artistic programme).  Build upon links within the voluntary sector by partnering with community groups and peace-building networks to promote community outreach programme.  Build upon links within the arts sector to cross-promote activities to relevant organisations, demographics and partners.  Develop initiatives with stakeholders to involve them in festival communications e.g. competitions, promos, customer deals, press releases.  Plan for an earlier festival launch in March 2020 with 5000 brochures and 5000 fliers distributed and the full programme of events listed online for sale.  By April 2020 have maximised opportunities through Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s partnership to brand Belfast Welcome Centre desk in partnership with Visit Belfast  At time of writing in discussions with Q Radio as a media partner on national broadcast opportunities to promote the festival across NI  Increase online engagement through social media, (clicks, likes, shares, comments, re-tweets, mentions, new followers and new fans) and to increase Festival social media fan base by 10%.  Develop relationships with community and arts organisations across Northern Ireland to develop crossover arts projects for Festival.

 By February 2020 the website will be updated with 2020 branding ahead of the full Festival programme launch.

INCREASE OUT OF STATE VISITORS

 To attract a minimum of 700 audience members  Minimum of 24 total bed nights by participants  Minimum of 30 total bed nights by visitors  Minimum of £600 accommodation spend brought to the area by participants  Minimum of £600 accommodation spend brought to the area by visitors  Minimum of £1000 reported for local hospitality businesses  Work with tourism organisations (local/national) to ensure coverage in tourism media such as Tourism NI, Failte Feirste and Tourism Ireland  Utilise free magazine and events guides in Belfast and in visitor information listings  Utilise free online events listings – including local/national events listings for NI, ROI and GB  Develop the company’s digital content to access new audiences through social shares, utilising content filmed from 2018 festival and International Summer School.  We will maximise any opportunities provided by partners to bring over key national contacts to coincide with the Festival dates.  We will continue to maximise marketing and PR opportunities provided by speakers and guests not based in Ireland.  Explore opportunities for engaging PR representation to increase the out-of-state profile of the Festival.  Use Save the Date branding to approach travel publications in January 2020.  Aim to have increased our audience attendance in events set outside the Greater Belfast areas by 20%.  Contribute to an increase in visitor numbers and enhance Lisburn & Castlereagh area as an attractive visitor destination  Support the development of Northern Ireland’s literary and cultural heritage through partnership working with other organisations.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

 To work with Hillsborough Visitor Information Centre on streamlining booking process for online and in person bookings.  Maximise the community benefit of Festival through education, economic, and social benefits to local people.  To engage a minimum of 20 participants representative of geographic spread across the Hillsborough village and surrounding area, through partnership with Historic Royal Palaces.

 To distribute evaluation forms at every event to collect feedback and suggestions.  By May 2020, to have run an online survey of customers and produced a report of their feedback  Minimum of 65% of excellent ratings on logistical/organisational elements from Thrive audience report  Minimum of 75% of positive responses from 'Voice of the Audience' comments in Thrive audience survey  Minimum of 700 attendees  Reach an average 60% box office capacity  Box office target of over £3k revenue

Communication Plan:

The John Hewitt Society utilizes the following communication and marketing tools:

Print:  Flyers  Postcards  Brochures (programme with map)  Posters  Branding items such as paper bunting for dressing venues  Selected advertising  Listings in festival brochures  Listings in events guides  Listings in online listing guides  Pop-up stands used at event venues  All print materials will be circulated to an established distribution list, targeting Hillsborough, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council venues, Council area, Belfast city centre, Greater Belfast, Moira, and urban locations on the A1 corridor.

Digital:

 Reconfigure online booking partner to streamline booking process for customers.  Shareable links on website for buyers www.johnhewittsociety.org website and Google Analytics.  SEO optimised content on website.  E-newsletter to mailing list with analysis of buying habits – with programme launch and then twice a month with call to actions  Partner listings and e-newsletters  Key communications contacts e.g. Culture NI  Building momentum with complementary content across all channels  Press releases to key online press contacts.  Social networking sites – Facebook, Instagram & Twitter and corresponding analytics.  Post-event survey to monitor audience knowledge and give feedback on their booking and festival experience

PR  Photo call with funders and stakeholders on launch, for local, national and international media  Targeted approach for specific media  PR consultant to forge relationships with local, national, GB and ROI press, especially targeting national literary festival events coverage and book review pages

 Complementing digital coverage with updates to social media regularly when press stories appear, utilising content creation  Identifying newsworthy content of interest  Utilising ongoing good relationships with key media sources  Suggested target media below.  At time of writing in discussions with Q Radio as a media partner on national broadcast opportunities to promote the festival across NI.  Familiarisation trips will be developed and offered by our PR team once the full programme is available.

Direct Selling: all of our staff and volunteers are required to upsell our events at the Point of sale or attendance.

Timeline for Communication Plan:

December 2019  Distribute preliminary online listings with dates of event and summary of programme  Site visits with Programme Curator  Programme compilation: compiling event content for brochure and print materials (images, copy, artist bios, ticket prices, etc)  Design selected for print materials Save the Date

January 2020  Design: begin layout planning for brochure; begin copy for promotional material  Compiling content for brochure  Partnerships with sponsors, stakeholders, hospitality promos confirmed  Planning launches with photo calls, performances/readings, invites and bursary attendees

February 2020  PR social media consultant engaged  Listings online via JHS website & LCCC website  Proofing brochure & flier  Brochure & postcard print signed off

March 2020  Online listings & box office booking links live  Press launches  Press releases issued to press for launch with photo call  Distribution of brochures, flyers, posters  LCCC distribution of press releases and marketing support via web  Consistence social media presence with digital marketing plan in place  Interviews & features with national press on invited guests and artists  Develop social media through strategically placed competitions and incentives  Local investment through Hillsborough village – bunting and window stickers attractive to local businesses and restaurants

April 2020  Supplementary updates of: o Flyers o Posters o Insertion in festival brochures o Insertion in events guides o Insertions in online listing guides  Pop-up stands (used at performance venues)

 E-newsletters to mailing list  Press release to key press contacts  Social networking sites website  Radio promotion based on previous PR relationships: Lisburn 89 FM, Belfast 98FM, The John Toal Show BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio Ulster Arts Extra  TV: Northern Visions TV  Targeted mailings to LCCC  Interviews: Irish News; Guest features: All the Best, Favourite Things, Personal Stories etc (Belfast Telegraph),

May 2020

 Post-event survey via Survey Monkey emailed to all bookers and mailing list subscribers to gather feedback for Thrive evaluation

Marketing & Print distribution:  Total: x5000 brochures/x5000 flyers /x100 A4 posters/x50 A3 posters  X1000 brochures to TICs in NI  x2000 brochures & x1000 flyers to LCCC area  Libraries NI: x1000 brochures & x2000 flyers to all branches across NI Armagh 200 (22 libraries/ posters) Belfast 175 (17 Libraries/ posters) Ballymena 200 (27 libraries/ posters) Derry 70 (7 libraries/ posters) Omagh 120 (13 libraries/ posters) Lisburn 100 (10 libraries/ posters)

 Brochures, posters & remaining flyers arranged distributed in Greater Belfast x2000 brochures, x1000 flyers Belfast distribution list inc Belfast Bookshops inc No Alibis, Waterstones, Oxfam books, Linen Hall Library charity bookshops, Linen Hall Library, John Hewitt Bar; Crescent Arts Centre etc

General Press Coverage anticipated based on previous years:  The Irish Times  Irish News  Belfast Telegraph  Ulster Gazette  Tyrone Courier  BBC Radio Ulster Arts Extra  Northern Standard  Lurgan & Portadown Examiner  RTE Radio

 The Sunday Times Culture

Online (Ongoing):  E-newsletter: weekly updates to 1100+ contacts  johnhewittsociety.org plus pdf of programme made available on Issuu.com. updated with news stories/press releases  Previous bursary students asked to submit their experiences to be shared on the website  Social Media platforms (Facebook, Instagram & Twitter)  Community Arts Partnership newsletter  Culture NI – listings, newsletter, features & competition prize  Whats On NI  LiteraryFestivals.co.uk  Irish Writers Centre  Festivals.ie  Writing.ie  NITB/Discover Northern Ireland  marymccauleyproofreading.com

Measure of success: Monitoring & Evaluation

These objectives will be measured by:  box office reports provided by box office providers  the quality and amount of print coverage gained  the quality and amount of online coverage gained  the number of tickets sold  audience development data collected at events (including postcode/country analysis) with the assistance of analysis by Thrive  Increase in the number of engagements on social media  Increase in the number of visits to the website  Box Office figures are recorded for each event and kept on file in the centralised location of the JHS office.  Equal Opportunities questionnaires are made available in paper format at events for all audience members  Evaluation is conducted through feedback forms made available in paper format at events for all audience members to provide anonymous comments.  An opportunity to opt-in to our mailing list is made available at this time, offering further opportunity to make contact with the organisation.  A post-event online survey offering additional follow-up opportunities to provide feedback, and to gain further monitoring information on audiences, e.g. economic impact of the event, audience spend in the locality, impact on tourism providers, etc. This will be in association with Thrive.  Additional projects are monitored and evaluated separately, e.g. community engagement work with Historic Royal Palaces, and reported on to individual funders  The Committee meet monthly and the Board quarterly to review the success of activities and assess The Society's overall performance at our annual planning day.

APPENDIX 6.1(f)ED

APPENDIX 6.1(g)ED

APPENDIX 6.3(a)ED

The Eastern Economic Corridor: Current Profile, Future Potential & Opportunities for Cooperation

Final Draft Report

June 2019

Neale Blair, Jordana Corrigan, 1 | P a g e Eoin Magennis & Deiric Ó Broin Contents

Executive Summary ...... 3 1. Introduction ...... 9 2. Lessons from other Corridors ...... 12 2.1 What exactly is a corridor? ...... 12 2.2 Ingredients (conditions) for success ...... 15 2.3 Island of Ireland ...... 17 2.4 Concluding points...... 18 3. Profile of the Eastern Economic Corridor ...... 19 3.1 All-island economic context: Tale of two parts ...... 20 3.2 Current profile of the Corridor’s economy ...... 25 Demography / Population ...... 25 Labour Market & Commuting ...... 29 Educational Attainment and Skills ...... 34 Enterprise trends ...... 37 3.3 Key assets on the Corridor ...... 40 ‘Hard’ infrastructural assets ...... 41 ‘Soft’ infrastructural assets ...... 44 3.4 Key sectors on the Corridor ...... 45 Sectoral concentrations ...... 45 Priority sectors ...... 49 The potential for clusters ...... 54 4. Prospects for the Eastern Economic Corridor...... 55 4.1 Outlook for Population ...... 56 4.2 Outlook for Employment ...... 57 4.3 Future Skills ...... 59 5. Potential areas for cooperation on the Eastern Economic Corridor ..... 61 5.1 Promotion ...... 61 Skills ...... 61 Sectoral strengths ...... 62 Enterprise supports ...... 63 5.2 Infrastructure ...... 63 Research & Innovation ...... 64 Environmental resilience and management ...... 65 References ...... 66

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Executive Summary

1. The concept of an Eastern (or Belfast/Dublin) Economic Corridor is one that has been in circulation since the early 1990s when the ideas of high growth zones, regions or corridors were coming into the mainstream. The geographical definition Corridor used for this report combines the administrative geography of the local authority network behind the profile and the functional geography of a region through which significant road and rail links between Dublin and Belfast pass.

2. This report details the current economic performance of the Corridor and the future prospects for the region (based on current trends). The report also begins the work of identifying potential areas for cooperation which could create a stronger trajectory for growth. The report has been completed by staff from Ulster University and Dublin City University for a local government network of eight Councils located in the Corridor.1

3. One reason for the appearance of the report at this time is that the Corridor faces risks to do with challenges arising from current economic successes (like congestion) and the risks arising from Brexit, as well as the opportunities related to the initiatives and investments which will flow from the Belfast Region City Deal and the Ireland 2040 plans alike.

Reflections from other economic corridors 4. Examples of economic corridors in other places, from other parts of the island of Ireland to GB, to continental Europe and further afield in emerging economies, offer a variety of rationales for deeper cooperation and collaborative initiatives on the Eastern Economic Corridor.

5. The examples of economic corridors in Oresund, the Cambridge/Milton Keynes/Oxford and East Asia all point to the need for a clear vision of what additional economic growth might arise from the development of regional and local inter-governmental collaboration. This ranges from aspirational doubling of additional economic output growth by 2050 in the case of Cambridge/Milton Keynes/Oxford, to the realized growth in the share of strong economic growth in the case of the corridors of the Mekong region in Asia.

6. The lessons from other corridors also help to identify a number of ingredients for successful cooperation:

1 The network currently has Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Lisburn & Castlereagh Borough Council, Louth County Council, Meath County Council and Newry, Mourne & Down District Council as members. 3 | P a g e

 It is important to agree upon the current stage of development of any corridor. The Eastern Economic Corridor project currently looks like it is at the ‘Know the cross-border territory, know each other within the territory’ stage.  Cooperation among actors on a corridor needs (consistent) time, energy and support to be nurtured and to grow.  Local actions can deliver strategic objectives in a practical way, particularly in areas such as innovation centres and skill strategies.  A medium- to long-term perspective, less ‘big bang’ than ‘slow burn’, is critical, in particular around developing governance and securing resources.  Early wins can help cement the partnership, give support to the agreed governance and ensure sustainable cooperation.

Current performance of the Eastern Economic Corridor 7. The Eastern Economic Corridor is seeing strong growth in population terms with a 12% increase since 2006. Over 2 million people now live in the eight Council areas. Growth in the working age population (16-64 year olds) is also strong, and stands at 1.4 million people. There are high levels of diversity within this population, with 15% born outside the island.

8. There are demographic challenges facing the Corridor. There are particular challenges around housing provision, affordability of this for the ‘adult’ life cycle group, in particular, and slower population growth in Belfast city than in its neighbouring Council areas. In line with elsewhere, rising dependency ratios (ratio of the young and old on the working age population) pose healthcare and employment issues for local and central government. These trends pose questions for future planning, service provision and measures to deal with increasing congestion.

9. The labour market in all parts of the Corridor is very buoyant. Unemployment rates are between 3% and 4%, close to or at historical lows. This is due to recent strong growth in employment numbers, so that around 1 million residents are currently in work. An even larger number of jobs are located on the Corridor, pulling in numbers of commuters, particularly to Belfast and Dublin at either end.

10. There is a different story for the economically inactive, those not participating in the labour market due to ill health, caring duties or other reasons. Across the Corridor there are pockets of high levels of inactivity, particularly in Belfast, Dublin, ABC and NMD. This poses the question of how to improve employability opportunities for up to a quarter of residents in some places.

11. More than a third (34%) of residents of the Corridor have educational attainments greater than NVQ Level 4, a share of the population ahead of other parts of the island. Although this share varies from 40% in Dublin or

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Fingal to less than 30% in ABC and Louth, and the share also varies within individual Council areas, the overall picture is of a well-educated and available population.

12. This is a strength for the Corridor as skills (or the availability of these) is regularly cited by businesses – both large and small – as a key challenge. This voracious appetite for talent is likely to intensify given the tightness of the current labour market and the changes coming to this from technology. This is already recognised by local authorities across the Corridor, any of whom have developed skills strategies or skills fora to address the challenge of future skills.

13. In the short term, the question of the ready supply, access and shortage of advanced and intermediate skills on the Corridor is being answered by commuting patterns and in-migration from off the island. At present, more than 5% of the million plus jobs on the Corridor are filled by commuters onto the Corridor from other parts of the island, often with an even higher skills profile than its residents.

14. The demand for skills is partly a result of a strong inward investment pipeline in recent years. This has been especially the case in Belfast, Dublin, Louth and, to a lesser extent, Meath. These location choices are supported by the recent results from FDI Intelligence which finds that the two cities feature prominently among the cities of choice globally. Dublin is No.1 among the ‘large cities’ locations, while Belfast is No.2 among ‘mid-sized and small cities’. Both cities score highest on what is called ‘business friendliness’, but less so on connectivity, suggesting one challenge to future potential.

15. Of course, the inward investment pipeline is one that cannot be taken for granted. The Corridor faces different challenges at either end: an uncertainty surrounding future plans due to Brexit for Belfast and other NI locations; and internal competitiveness issues, in particular around property availability and costs in Dublin.

16. Beyond FDI, the enterprise base on the Corridor is a buoyant one. Almost 2 in 5 (38%) of the island’s businesses are located there and the rates of firms per capita are strong too. The Corridor has a higher share of mid-sized businesses (with between 50 and 250 employees) than elsewhere, which may point to the successful scaling-up processes there.

17. However, the business demography patterns mirror the economic divergence between North and South. There are much higher birth rates and enterprise stocks in Council areas in the southern end of the Corridor than in Belfast and others, reflecting other findings around entrepreneurship and appetite for risk.

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Future prospects for the Eastern Economic Corridor 18. Part of the report is a section dealing with potential future prospects of the Eastern Economic Corridor. The forecasts are based upon ‘baseline’ or ‘current trends’ assumptions, with small adjustments for possible impacts of Brexit on economic growth or inward migration. The forecasts also assume that any additional population will be accommodated through the development of the necessary housing.

19. The outlook to 2040 is that, on current trends, population growth will continue, to reach 2.5 million people. This projection, based on both natural increase and inward migration, means a continuation of the slow shift towards a third of the island’s population living on the Corridor. All cohorts of the population will increase with working age population providing a strong labour force into the future. One pattern to note is that there will continue to be stronger demographic trends in the southern part of the Corridor, when compared to the northern section.

20. The current employment growth is set to continue, perhaps at a lower rate, out to 2040 with an additional 325,000 jobs added. At nearly 1.3 million jobs on the Corridor, this will be a 35% share of the island’s jobs and will see the position of near full employment and inward commuting continue.

21. A tight labour market also points to strong demand for skills to continue. Between expansion demand and replacement demand (as existing jobs continue to be filled) there may be an annual net requirement of 30-40,000 people from education and net migration for the Corridor. Much of the demand will be in the professional occupations, such as science & technology professionals, health professionals and business & service professionals. This points to the need to create a higher educational attainment profile than exists at present in the Corridor.

Strengths of the Corridor and sectoral priorities 22. Figure 1 (see over) summarises the general strengths of the Corridor as it is currently functioning, highlighting demographic trends, skills levels and connectivity.

23. Figure A also notes the importance of agglomeration economies or the benefits of location in a same area/city, or in proximity to firms in your sector or related sectors (Duranton and Kerr, 2016). The advantage of these agglomeration economies is the opportunity to promote areas in certain ways as the location for certain activities or to build research, innovation and capabilities infrastructure to support current economic growth and find sources of future accelerated development.

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Figure 1: Summary of the strengths of the Corridor

Attractiveness to FDI

Connections to Population the world (ports growth & airports)

Educational Agglomeration attainment of economies population

24. The report identifies the sectoral concentrations and strengths in the Corridor, particularly across tradeable services (including ICT, Professional Services and Financial Services), as well as high tech Manufacturing and Construction. Concentration analysis show how the services sectors are particularly strong in individual Council areas such as Dublin, Fingal and, to a lesser extent, Belfast. Manufacturing also has its local concentrations in ABC, Louth and Meath.

25. Alongside these concentrations the Councils themselves have identified sectoral priorities for their areas, based on current strengths and aspirations around capturing emerging sectoral trends. The aim here is to develop networks and clusters of firms and related research strengths. These typically reflect the concentrations in tradeable services, though at a more granular level the likes of cyber security (Belfast), creative industries (Dublin and Belfast), ‘digital’ (ABC, Louth and NMD), all feature. Showing the general importance of Agri-Food, in spite of threats from Brexit, Louth, ABC and Meath all regard this as a priority sector for them.

26. One sector that is ubiquitous and important in every Council area is Tourism with 68,000 jobs across the Corridor. Over 10 million trips were made in the Corridor in 2017, with access onto the island being especially beneficial. A high proportion of these in the two cities but opportunities also for the development of niche tourism packages in areas in between.

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Potential areas for cooperation 26. The final section of the report proposes a number of broad areas and possible actions which might be used as a beginning of a discussion of potential cooperation along the Corridor. These arise from some proposals from the Councils and universities involved in the network,2 areas identified in the research, such as ‘soft’ and hard’ infrastructural improvements, which have underpinned successful interventions in other economic corridors, and areas which the current profile and future prospects of the Corridor suggest, such as skills development. All of the areas are included on the basis that they could deliver additional economic value to the region and the island more generally.

27. The potential areas in this final section are organised under two key themes for cooperation, which reflect both the priorities identified by Councils and which have been successfully used in other corridors. These are:

 Promotion: Many of the economic corridors have pursued the gaol of successfully branding and promoting their location. This is often done for the purposes of attracting investment from both inward private and domestic public sources. The focus for promotion differs from place to place but there is a tendency to promote the presence of a highly skilled workforce and population, of sectoral strengths (eg: Medicon Valley in Oresund), of supports for innovative and entrepreneurial firms.

 Infrastructure: Some economic corridors (such as Oresund or the proposed Oxford/Milton Keynes/Cambridge arc) the emphasis is increasingly on the ‘soft’ forms of infrastructure, such as research and innovation centres, Smart Cities initiatives, and investment in environmental and energy management projects. Growth corridors in East Asia and examples such as the Basel Tri-national Agglomeration and the Seattle/Vancouver Corridor have all based cooperation on networks of research institutes, knowledge transfers and joint research programmes in order to benefit the larger region. ‘Hard’ infrastructure, such as transport connectivity, has also been crucial to corridor development and, as noted above in Section 3.3 on Key Assets much remains to be done. This will certainly involve advocacy by the network partners at a regional and national level for further investment.

2 An initial workshop in September 2018 for Council officers from across the Corridor identified a number of priority areas shared in common. These were revisited at a later workshop held in May 2019 which discussed the draft final report. The common priorities arise from Local Economic Development and Community Plans, as well as the City Deals under development in NI. 8 | P a g e

1. Introduction 1. The concept of an Eastern (or Belfast/Dublin) Economic Corridor is not a new one and was first circulated by Sir George Quigley in the early 1990s. At the time the argument was that such a Corridor could develop with improved transportation infrastructure, more intense interaction between firms in the region and stronger linkages between universities, and between these and industry. Three interlocking priorities were identified by the business bodies CBI and IBEC:  Embracing the growing forces of economic globalisation and the emergence of the (then) new Single European Market, which would reduce barriers to trade and investment and open new opportunities for the whole island of Ireland.  Promoting the combined scale of Dublin, Belfast and the region between the two cities to allow the island to compete in global export and inward investment markets, at a time of growing competition between regions.  Improving interaction along the corridor – through investment in infrastructure, and enhanced political, business and community cooperation – in order to benefit different parts of the island.

2. Sir George Quigley’s argument can be summarised by the quote below and provides the basis for much of what follows in this paper.

…THE ISLAND’S POTENTIAL WILL NOT BE REALISED

UNTIL THERE DEVELOPS BETWEEN BELFAST AND DUBLIN THE NORMAL ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS INTERACTION WHICH ONE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE BETWEEN CITIES ONLY 100 MILES APART… AND IT NEEDS TO BE GENUINELY AN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR AND NOT SIMPLY A TUNNEL, WITH NOTHING HAPPENING IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES.

Source: Sir George Quigley, ‘Developing the North/South Economic Corridor’ (1995)

3. Significant progress has been made in realising the ambitions of the 1990s for an economic corridor. Economic growth, the numbers in employment, improvements in transport connectivity and greater levels of interaction have all been realised.

4. However, almost a quarter century on, the concept is in need of re-energising. This raises a question of ‘Why Now?’. One reason is that National Policy Objective 46 in Ireland 2040 is: ‘In co-operation with relevant Departments in Northern Ireland, to further support and promote the sustainable economic

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potential of the Dublin-Belfast Corridor and enhance its international visibility’ (NPF, 2018).

5. The fresh energy has also arisen out of a series of meetings in 2018 between the local authorities along the Corridor. This network of Councils decided that a profile of the current state of the economy along the Corridor and the potential for further development and cooperation was needed. The network approached Dublin City University and Ulster University to work with a steering group and produce a report which could include such a profile and draw out the lessons from other economic corridors on the development of further cooperation.

6. The geographical definition of the Eastern Economic Corridor which is used in this study is an attempt to reflect both the administrative geography of the local authority network behind the profile, and the functional geography based on the areas through which the road and rail links between Dublin and Belfast pass. It is a compact area of just over 7,300 km2 (or 8.7% of the island).

7. A further answer to the question ‘Why now?’, lies in the risks and challenges ahead for the Eastern Economic Corridor. Much of this is linked to the economic and political uncertainty associated with Brexit, an event which seems set to change both UK-EU and Anglo-Irish relations in fundamental ways. The existing and potential flows and inter-connections along the Corridor will certainly feature in any efforts to minimise the resulting cross-border and all- island frictions which are likely to arise from Brexit.

8. At the same time as risks there lie opportunities and pressures linked to the success of the Corridor, and particularly Dublin and Belfast, in attracting significant levels of inward investment in recent years. This success emphasises the need to ensure ongoing and future-proofed competitiveness in areas such as skills, infrastructure and entrepreneurship. It also points to the need to develop a counter-balancing source of indigenous growth on the Corridor, in both established sectoral concentrations and emerging clusters, in order to create new start-ups and businesses of scale.

9. The final part of this answer to ‘Why Now?’ lies in the potential for fresh policy alignment and impetus for cooperation at all levels of government along the Corridor. Some progress has been made in the new structures arising from the National Planning Framework for Ireland (seen in the Mid & East Regional Assembly), the Belfast Region City Deal and initial work on a growth deal for the Mid, South & West region of NI.

10. A framework for this cooperation is already in place (DRDNI/DOELG, 2013) and is outlined in Ireland 2040. The reconfiguring of local authorities and the addition of fresh planning powers provides a basis for local leadership in the Corridor in three key areas:

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 Regional cooperation arrangements or the exploring of opportunities to achieve larger ambitions through collective strength.  Local initiatives, which could include joint branding of sectoral strengths (eg: tourism).  Coordinated spatial planning, specifically around developing a critical mass along the Corridor which can compete with other major city regions.

11. The final of these three areas points to the competing needs, which have to be balanced in any call to promote or develop the Corridor. The call for balanced regional development in both NI and the Republic of Ireland has remained strong in the 25 years since Sir George Quigley first developed a Belfast-Dublin Corridor concept. Therefore, the case remains to be made that a concentration of growth in one place can benefit other places. This point holds equally true for those benefits which can be gained by the parts of the Corridor between Belfast and Dublin.

12. There are other pressing issues for the coming decade on the Corridor. First, the need to manage environment and landscape, while at the same time seeking to deliver economic growth in all its parts. Second, the changing shape of the economy and the importance of factors such as digitalisation and automation, mean that support for current sectoral strengths will need to be accompanied by a focus on emerging sectors with their disruptive impacts on incumbent businesses.

13. One final point is that the Corridor, as a concept, is both outward and inward- looking at the same time. To successfully present the Eastern Economic Corridor as a global proposition which can attract inward investment, there is a requirement for practical cooperation by local authorities and other stakeholders along the Corridor. The next section looks at the lessons that can be learned from other Corridors when pursuing this aim.

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2. Lessons from other Corridors 1. This section of the report explores the concept of corridors with reference to definitions and international exemplars, before turning to the ingredients (conditions) for successful development of these.

2.1 What exactly is a corridor? 2. Corridors feature globally as a tool for the spatial management of regions and associated dynamics that impact across society, economy and environment. The term ‘corridor’ is used variously to explain actual (observed) patterns of development, and describe future (aspirational) forms of growth. Form can vary, for example as a transport route, or evolution into a more complex economic corridor.

3. As noted above, the World Bank refers to transport, trade, or freight corridors, which can consequently contribute toward economic development (Hope and Cox, 2015, p.1 emphasis added). Indeed, at the heart of any successful corridor must be the ‘presence of inherent economic potential’ that serves as a platform by which public and private sector investment is maximised in order to ‘multiply economic returns and benefits’ (Kunaka and Carruthers, 2014, p.21). Mature development corridors not only impact on immediate urban areas, but can also benefit surrounding regions (see Figure 2 below).

Figure 2: Evolution of a development corridor

Source: Hope and Cox, 2015, p.3. 4. The focus on freight and transport, linked to both economic growth and regional political cohesion, is core to the Nacala Corridor (southern Africa) and is mirrored in the aspirations of corridor development across Europe, underpinned by the various European Regional Development Funds and Trans- European Transport Network (TEN-T) initiatives. Figure 3 shows how the geography of the TEN-T core networks actually includes the Eastern Economic Corridor.

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Figure 3: Core Network Corridors

Source: European Commission, 2019

5. Across Europe, gateways and corridors exist for economic, social and territorial cohesion and are considered as “key delivery vehicles to achieve … strategic intra- and inter-regional spatial rebalancing” (Pain, 2011, p.1160). This featured particularly strongly in both the National Spatial Strategy (NSS, 2002) for Ireland and in the Regional Development Strategy (RDS, 2001 and 2012) for Northern Ireland.

6. The latest spatial plan for Ireland – Project Ireland 2040, National Planning Framework (2018) – continues to refer to corridors as a tool for encouraging balanced regional development through the Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC – see Figure 5) and the Dublin-Belfast economic corridor (see Figure 4). Indeed, in the case of the AEC funding for a network of Enterprise Hubs and Digital Spaces was announced in April 2019.

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Figure 4: Strategy Map, Ireland 2040 (showing the Eastern Corridor)

Figure 5: Map of the Atlantic Economic Corridor (showing the Western Corridor)

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2.2 Ingredients (conditions) for success 7. Having scoped the corridor concept, and briefly located contemporary strategic spatial policy on the island of Ireland, the focus turns now to identification of ingredients (or conditions) for success. Experience shows there is no guarantee that designation of a corridor, for example in public sector policy, will lead to generation – or indeed implementation – of a formal plan or strategy. That said, the existence of two key factors – potentiality and partnership – are critical factors for success; the latter is more often where the gap lies in corridor development. Potentiality has been demonstrated through earlier economic analysis in this report; attention turns now to consider the partnership strand.

8. Experience elsewhere highlights that cooperation across and between public and private sector actors and agencies is essential for successful corridor development (Kunaka and Carruthers, 2014). More precisely, multi-sectoral representation and participation of the private sector are “sine qua non conditions for successful trade and transport corridors” (p.23). What this looks like in relation to corridor development requires more detail. Stakeholder participation and commitment 9. Partnership can take many forms, and weak partnerships occur where there is varying buy-in from stakeholders. Consequently, cross-jurisdictional corridors thrive when linked “not only geographically but also by the same willingness and commitment to develop the corridor” (p.14, Kunaka and Carruthers, 2014). Definition of corridor is necessary 10.Designation of corridor geography, alongside identification of local and regional government administration, is required as a framework for strategy or plan development. This will help ensure development is not limited to gateways but that the benefits are more widely distributed. Figure 29 over is an example of the complex interconnectedness of corridors, which requires management both formally and informally through agreed strategy and other interventions. Government involved locally, regionally and nationally 11.All levels of government need to be involved in corridor development. This is recognised in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Arc where realising the vision is dependent on “effective leadership” at national and local levels (NIC, 2017, p.3). This is to ensure enabling processes including strategic policy- making, infrastructure investment, and fiscal leverage (where appropriate) are coordinated for maximum effect. Such reciprocal multi-level cooperation is, however, not a given. With the Oresund initiative, for example, Danish and Swedish national authorities have been criticised for a lack of dedicated engagement and joint actions (Nauwelaers et al, 2013, p.37-38). Central government is absent from the Oresund Committee (see details below). Furthermore, the OECD reported “mixed” commitment to the Oresund at regional and local level. One regional authority – Skåne – highly values the bridge as a “necessity” for economic survival, whereas the Danish Capital

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Region, with a stronger economic profile, considered cooperation as positive though not essential.

Figure 6: Components of a corridor

Source: Hope and Cox, 2015, p.2.

Corridor Governance is key 12.Good governance, with hallmarks of stakeholder inclusivity and transparency in decision-making, is another essential component of partnership. Substantial literature exists on international best practice. Preparedness amongst stakeholders to innovate can assist the corridor achieve development goals. This may require new forms of partnership. Examples here include the Oresund Committee, a forum of local and regional authorities established in 1993 for voluntary political cooperation. The Committee acted as driver for development of a vision for Oresund in 2020, and enabled local and regional authorities to develop joint land use, transportation, and environment strategies. Additional structures, including a Secretariat and external organisations, support collaboration in Oresund. That said, arrangements in Oresund have been criticised for being overly-reliant on local and regional government, with other key actors – such as universities – not included in core structures, detrimentally impacting on strategy delivery (Nauwelaers et al, 2013).

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13.Not all locations have the institutional capacity or available time to devise new governance structures. Considerable resource is required where strategy development follows a co-creation pathway to “effective inclusive planning” (Atlantic Economic Corridor, p.8). This is not a short-term action. Therefore, a trade-off may be necessary between optimal governance arrangements and leading, rather than reacting to, strong development dynamics as experienced in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford arc: “It is important that debate on new governance structures does not divert partners’ attention from work to develop a powerful arc-wide vision and supporting plans. It is equally important that partners avoid changes to governance structures that would introduce delay, disruption and unnecessary cost.” (NIC, 2017, p.79) Purpose and vision 14.A central tenet of corridors is creation of a purpose and vision for development, common in spatial planning, around which strategy, actions, administration and management will coalesce. This is evident across a variety of case study examples: Oresund; Basel Tri-national agglomeration; and Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford. The Oresund Committee (see above) vision for the region in 2020 is “By maximising the benefits of integration and cross-border dynamics, the Oresund Region will stand out as the most attractive and climate-smart region in Europe”. Whilst certainly ambitious, the vision was criticised (Nauwelaers et al, 2013) as there was no prioritisation given to twelve objectives contained in the Oresund Regional Development Strategy published in 2010. In realising a vision, coherency and continuity is necessary: “Corridor development is not a single project. It is a complex combination of hard and soft infrastructure projects with different durations, often overlapping and interacting… throughout the stages of a corridor’s evolution.” (Hope and Cox, 2015, p.30)

15.In summary, corridor development reflects the five key dimensions of territorial governance:  Coordinating actions of actors and institutions;  Integrating policy sectors;  Mobilising stakeholder participation;  Being adaptive to changing contexts;  Realising place-based/territorial specificities and impacts (ESPON, 2015).

2.3 Island of Ireland 16.Learning from elsewhere in Europe is useful in identifying next steps for the Eastern Economic Corridor. A case exists for exploring further dimensions of partnership, with the caution that “there is no one-size fits all approach for achieving good governance in establishing partnership among towns, cities and

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rural regions” (ESPON, 2015). Based on experience of promoting cross-border economic development, MOT (2019) identifies two key success factors applicable to the island of Ireland context: 1) Know the cross-border territory, know each other within the territory “For public authorities, a joint assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, and complementarities of the different sides of the cross-border territory, and of the economic flows that characterise it, can demonstrate the interest of developing cooperation, for example around cross-border research or competitiveness clusters or centres.” 2) Organise the governance of cross-border economic development Involve all relevant territorial stakeholders active within the cross-border territory including all levels of government

17.Local authorities should reference Framework for Co-operation–Spatial Strategies of Northern Ireland the Republic of Ireland, published June 2013. This provides opportunities for local government in both jurisdictions to work together and is noted in Ireland 2040 as the enabler for cross-border collaboration in spatial planning.

2.4 Concluding points 18.It is clear from Oresund, the Cambridge/Milton Keynes/Oxford Growth Corridor or Arc and from the emerging corridors in East Asia, such as the Northern Corridor Economic Region in Malaysia,3 that a clear vision of additional economic growth is critical. In the case of Cambridge/Milton Keynes/Oxford Arc some initial modelling refers to baseline growth doubling over a 35 year period if the interventions around transport, housing and research infrastructure are in place (NIC, 2017).

19.The ingredients for successful cooperation along other economic corridors can be summarized into the following points: a. Eastern Economic Corridor project looks like it is at the ‘Know the cross-border territory, know each other within the territory’ stage b. Cooperation needs (consistent) time, energy and support to be nurtured and to grow c. Local actions can deliver strategic objectives in a practical way d. Not a ‘big bang’ but rather a ‘slow burn’: medium- to long-term perspective e. Early wins can help cement the partnership and ensure sustainable cooperation

3 Economic corridors in Malaysia (Athukorola and Narayanan, 2018) and the Mekong region (Ishida, 2009) are among the most studied phenomena and centre on a mix of investment in transport infrastructure and in innovation and R&D assets. 18 | P a g e

3. Profile of the Eastern Economic Corridor

1. This section of the report contains the current economic profile of the Eastern Economic Corridor. This provides an evidence base which can be used to support potential local government-led cooperation along the Corridor

2. The profile combines the most recent data and forecasts available at the level of local government districts, and a series of insights (through workshop and consultations) on key assets and business sectors along the Corridor. The intention is to offer readers the best possible estimate of the economic value of the Eastern Economic Corridor. The sections that follow will provide detail on five different groups of indicators shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7: Indicators of the Corridor’s economy

Demography / Population

Economic Enterprise Education & trends Value / Skills Growth

Labour market

Source: UUEPC

3. The five groups of indicators have been developed with the twin goals of providing the best possible overview of the economy of the Corridor and utilising the best-available sets of sub-regional data in both NI and the Republic of Ireland. They follow the indicators used in the recent Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies, drawn up in the Republic of Ireland by Regional Authorities, and those used at local Council level in Northern Ireland for community planning purposes. The indicators have also been chosen to allow the greatest measure of cross-border comparability. 4. 19 | P a g e

3.1 All-island economic context: Tale of two parts 5. The start of 2018 saw an important milestone for the all-island economy when it passed the previous employment peak seen in 2008. As the table below shows there are now more than 3.1 million jobs in the economy.

6. However, equally importantly as reaching that milestone is the fact that, during the decade-long recovery, a significant change has occurred in structure. Sectors such as Construction lost large numbers of jobs, with Manufacturing (a sub-set of Industry) also shedding employees over the decade. The big sectoral gainers, in terms of jobs, have been (the ever- growing) Health, Accommodation (Tourism), ICT and Professional Services.

Table 1: Change in employment by sector, All-island, 2008-2018 % share 2008 Q3 2018 Q3 Change in 2018 Agriculture 144,200 131,200 -13,000 4.2% Industry 404,600 387,200 -17,400 12.3% Construction 280,700 202,300 -78,400 6.4% Wholesale and retail 474,700 438,700 -36,000 14.0% Transport 123,400 132,100 +8,700 4.3% Accommodation and food 186,200 232,900 +46,700 7.4% ICT 107,600 145,200 +37,600 4.6% Finance 141,700 131,700 -10,000 4.2% Professional services 159,000 179,000 +20,000 5.8% Administration 144,900 165,100 +20,200 5.2% Public administration 163,000 156,800 -6,200 5.0% Education 216,100 248,700 +32,600 7.9% Health 357,400 417,400 +60,000 13.3% Other 147,600 163,600 +16,000 5.2% All sectors 3,055,000 3,143,000 87,800 100% Source: ONS Workforce Jobs; CSO Labour Force Survey; UUEPC analysis

7. This ongoing restructuring in the economy is critical to the future development of the Eastern Economic Corridor, raising a key question about the types of jobs, workforce skills and living environments needed in the next two decades. The development of the Corridor is complicated by a second feature: the divergence in economic growth rates between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These are issues returned to later in the report.

Republic of Ireland: Growth but uncertainty ahead 8. The most recent Quarterly Economic Commentary from the ESRI (March 2019) describes how 2018 has been another year of strong growth (6.7% growth in GDP), driven by both domestic and external sources of demand. Even allowing

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for the difficulty in measuring GDP in the Irish economy, the recent trend has been for very strong growth.

9. Figure 8 shows the sharp recovery since 2012 that has made the Republic of Ireland one of the strongest growth performers in the Eurozone. Reflecting this underlying strength, the Gross National Income (GNI) growth rates in 2016, 2017 and 2018 have been between 4% and 5%.

Figure 8: Index of GDP and GNI, RoI, 2007-2018 (2007=100)

GNI* GDP

180

160

140

120

100

60 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Source: DoF, Summer Economic Statement (June 2018); UUEPC analysis

10. It is little surprise that the Irish labour market has performed strongly in 2018, adding on almost 51,000 jobs since Q4 2017 to reach a new record of 2,230,800 people in employment. At the same time, earnings (up 4.1%) and incomes have been experiencing growth and inflation remains low.

11. Figures 2 and 3 show different aspects of the buoyant labour market. Much of the recovery has come in Industry and Services (see Figure 9). While Construction jobs have increased significantly (an annual rise of 14.1% in 2017/18), the numbers remain far below the peak of 2007. A lack of skilled and available people is one factor holding back supply of new housing. Figure 10 shows how employment growth has been quite evenly distributed across Ireland’s regions with most showing that ‘V’-shaped trend of recession and recovery. However, two regions – Border and the South-East – are exceptions to this, and have not yet returned to the levels of 2008.

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Figure 9: Index of employment by sector, RoI, 2007-2018 (2007=100)

120

100

20 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Agriculture Industry Construction Services All sectors

Source: CSO Labour Force Survey; UUEPC analysis Note: Index based on 2007=100 with values taken from Q3 2007 on an annual basis.

Figure 10: Total employment, RoI by region, 2008-2018

800

700

600

500 2008Q3 400 2011Q4

,000s ,000s jobs 300 2018Q3

200

100

0 Border Midland West Dublin Mid-East Mid-West South-East South-West

Source: CSO Labour Force Survey (Q3 2018); UUEPC analysis

12. Looking ahead, the outlook for the Irish economy is quite uncertain. The potential impact of Brexit on long run Irish growth rates (to 2027) could be to reduce them by between 2.6% and 5.0%, depending on whether a deal is reached or not (Bergin et al, 2019). This same research suggests we might expect a reduction of 2.4% in growth rates in the short term (after two years).

13. However, Table 2 shows a baseline forecast (with no Brexit) and continuing strong growth forecasts out to 2022. In terms of employment, the ESRI forecast a further 105,000 people at work by 2020. This creates the need for debate about whether or not such growth is sustainable, particularly in the Greater Dublin area.

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Table 2: Forecast per annum GDP growth, Republic of Ireland, 2019-2022 Year 2019 2020 2021 2022

GDP (% p.a. growth) 3.8% 3.2% 3.5% 3.5% Source: ESRI (Spring 2019)

Northern Ireland: Records Now and Risks Ahead 14. The NI economic indicators present a mixed picture: record levels of employment and historical lows for unemployment but, with a weaker productivity performance and lower income levels per head, a sizeable transfer from Westminster continues to be necessary.

15. Figure 11 shows one of the reasons for this. Annual growth rates in Real GVA in NI since 2007 were generally lower than the UK average. In the recovery since 2013 total GVA in NI is now 7% larger while the UK figure is 11%. This means, in effect, that NI has been falling further behind UK growth and not closing the gap with the Republic of Ireland either.

Figure 11: Annual GVA growth rates, NI and UK, 2007-2017

Northern Ireland United Kingdom

4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 -1.0 -2.0 -3.0 -4.0 -5.0

Source: ONS Regional GVA (Nov 2018)

16. The recovery in the labour market tells a more positive story (see Figure 5). Between 2012 and 2018 almost 80,000 jobs have been created in NI. By 2015 the previous peak level of numbers in employment had been passed. A consequence of this is record low levels of unemployment in NI, a full point below the UK average, even if rates of economic inactivity remain stubbornly high. Figure 12 shows how the recession was sharpest in Construction, which remains well below peak, while recovery has been driven mainly by Industry with Services performing strongly also.

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Figure 12: Index of employment by sector, NI, 2007-2018 (2007=100)

Agriculture Industry Construction Services All sectors

140.0

130.0

120.0

110.0

100.0

90.0

80.0

70.0

60.0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Source: ONS workforce jobs; UUEPC analysis Note: Index based on 2007=100 with values taken from Q3 2007 on an annual basis.

17. The outlook for the Northern Ireland economy, like that for the Republic of Ireland, is shaped by a wider economic uncertainty. In NI, the uncertainty is likely to affect not only future trade prospects, but also consumer decisions, business investment and government spending decisions.

18. Taking a ten year perspective to 2027 the NI employment outlook under the UUEPC Central scenario is for continued jobs growth with a further 21,000 jobs added. However, this is unlikely to happen in a straight line, with the possibility of jobs being lost in 2019 and 2020 before a return to growth in the medium term.

19. Economic growth, as measured by a % annual increase in GVA, is expected to be very modest at less than 1.5% per annum (see Table 3). Growth is expected to pick up in the longer term but at lower levels than in the already modest recovery period.

Table 3: GVA growth rates, NI, 2019-2022 Year 2019 2020 2021 2022 GVA (% p.a. growth) 1.3% 1.2% 1.2% 0.9% Source: UUEPC analysis

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3.2 Current profile of the Corridor’s economy Demography / Population 21. In 2016 there were 2.04 million people living in the eight Council areas which make up the Corridor.4 Given the island’s two largest urban centres, Dublin and Belfast, are at either end, it is little surprise that the Corridor contains 31% of the total population. Figure 13 shows these cities’ primary importance, with close to half (44%) of the Corridor's population living in Dublin or Belfast.

Figure 13: Total population by LGD, 2006, 2011, 2016

2006 2011 2016

600,000

500,000

400,000

300,000

200,000

100,000

0 Dublin City Belfast Fingal Armagh, Meath Newry, Mourne Lisburn & Louth Banbridge & & Down Castlereagh Craigavon

Source: Census data and Mid-Year Population Estimates from CSO & NISRA

22. Table 4 over shows the actual population growth between the 2006 and 2016 censuses There was an increase of nearly 93,000 people, and annual rates of growth of 1.1%. This growth rate is a little ahead of all-island growth rates over the past decade (1.0%) and therefore the Corridor’s share of total population increased slightly (+0.5%) since 2006. One possible reason for this small increase in share is that, while the two major cities have continued to grow, they have done so more slowly than their average respective rates, as shown in Table 4. This also means that the share of the Corridor’s population living in the two cities fell slightly (by just over 1%) in the decade since 2006.

4 There are various population estimates. A figure of 2.5 million in the Arup report arises from the population of the entire Dublin region (ie: Fingal, Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown and South Dublin County Council areas) being included. A different figure, from a 60 minute drive-time from midway between Dundalk and Drogheda, gives an estimate of 2.25 million or 34% of the island’s total population (courtesy of Louth LEO). 25 | P a g e

Table 4: Population growth by numbers, % growth and annual growth rates, 2006-2016, by LGD Geography Total Numerical % CAGR* Population Increase change Dublin City 554,554 26,942 9.5% 0.9% Belfast 339,579 5,684 4.2% 0.4% Fingal 296,020 22,029 23.3% 2.1% Armagh, Banbridge & 210,260 9,962 12.3% 1.2% Craigavon Meath 195,044 10,909 19.8% 1.8%

Newry, Mourne & Down 177,816 5,540 9.3% 0.9% Lisburn & Castlereagh 141,181 5,901 10.1% 1.0% Louth 128,884 5,987 15.8% 1.5% Eastern Economic 2,043,338 92,954 12.0% 1.1% Corridor Northern Ireland 1,862,137 47,819 6.8% 0.7% Republic of Ireland 4,761,865 173,613 12.3% 1.2%

* CAGR stands for Compound Annual Growth Rate Source: Census data from CSO & NISRA; UUEPC analysis

23. The working age population (15-64 year olds) of the Corridor has grown alongside the total population to stand at 1.4 million people in 2016. Of particular note is that the largest shares of total population taking up by those of working age exist in the two cities, especially in Dublin (72% of the total). The numbers of young people (15-23 year olds) has also grown to just over 400,000. However, the rate in growth of the 65+ year olds (to 270,000 people) has been highest as life expectancy increases.

24. The growth in older age cohorts has seen a changing dependency ratio (of the young and old on the working age population) over time. Figure 14 shows the different shares of age bands in 2016 and shows that the dependency ratio is now 2:1. The proportion of dependent people is growing on the Corridor but is behind ratios in other parts of the island, largely because Dublin and Belfast, to a lesser extent, are a magnet for residents of working age.

25. One final point on age bands is that at a more granular level of stage of life cycle (for example ‘adult’ and ‘empty nest’ as described by the CSO), very high shares of 25-44 year olds – the ‘family stages’ – can be found in Dublin City (37% of population) and Fingal (33%). In Louth and Meath and on the Northern side, the shares are much closer to the state averages of 29% and 26% (NI).

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Figure 14: Shares of total population, 2016, by age bands and LGD

Working age population 0-14 65+

RoI NI Total Meath Louth Fingal Dublin City Newry, Mourne & Down Lisburn & Castlereagh Belfast Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Source: Population data from CSO & NISRA; UUEPC analysis

Figure 15: Resident population and shares of those born outside the island, EEC, 2011

All usual residents Non NI/ Irish Residents %

25% 500,000

20% 400,000

15% 300,000

10% 200,000

Total Resident Population 100,000 % of Non NI / Irlish Residents

0 0% Dublin City Belfast Fingal Armagh, Meath Newry, Lisburn & Louth Banbridge & Mourne & Castlereagh Craigavon Down

Source: Population data from CSO & NISRA; UUEPC analysis

26. Another sign that the Corridor acts as a population magnet is the higher proportion of residents born outside the island of Ireland. Data from the 2011 censuses shows that 15% of the residents on the Corridor had been born off the island, compared to 11% for NI and 13% for the Republic. Figure 15 above

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shows the highest share to be living in Dublin and Fingal (both around 19%), with other parts of the Corridor closer to average.

27. In summary, the trends show that the Eastern Economic Corridor continues to be the location of almost a third of the population of the island of Ireland. Nearly 42% of the population increase on the island since 2006 – either natural or due to migration – has occurred on the Corridor.

28. Dublin and Belfast have accounted for a third of the increase since 2006, more if the growth in neighbouring council areas is included by being related to the availability of affordable housing in the cities. However, growth has occurred throughout the Corridor in both urban centres and rural hinterlands. The highest growth rates since 2006 were actually recorded in Fingal, Meath, Louth and Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon, while Newry, Mourne & Down has seen similar growth rates to Dublin. This has an impact on the pattern of population density, as research from the ESRI shows, with much of the southern part of the Corridor becoming increasingly urban (Morgenroth, 2018: 49-51).

29. The population trends (covered here) and projections (dealt with in Section 4.1) raise several questions around the sources of future growth and the consequences of this. First, will population growth come from natural increase or from migration to the Corridor from other parts of the island or from off the island? Second, how will the changing nature of the population pyramid – where dependency rates are increasing, albeit more slowly than elsewhere on the island – impact on the broader environment? Third, what do the demographic trends mean for housing provision and planning for future supply of this?

30. The population trends present both opportunities and challenges, in particular for the two cities. Without a major shock, the Corridor will continue to slowly grow its share of the island’s population, especially of its working age population. On current trends this population growth will be spread along the Corridor with increasing density in various urban centres: Drogheda, Dundalk, Newry and Craigavon. However, there is a challenge to increase density and grow the two cities by making these places sustainable ones to live in and raise families in. Will policy address issues of affordability and attractiveness, especially for those renting or seeking to buy a first home within the cities, in order to increase metropolitan population? Will this be undertaken as part of an attempt to make the two cities and the Corridor as a whole attractive to future economic growth? And what does this mean for the lives led by those working, settling, starting family life or moving into other stages on the Corridor?

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Labour Market & Commuting 31. The labour market on the Eastern Economic Corridor is the most buoyant it has been since the crash of 2008. Several years of strong growth has seen a new record in employment: more than 3 million people across the island. This growth has also occurred – perhaps at its most intense – on the Corridor. Almost a third (970,000 residents) of the total of those in employment in 2018 were living (and possibly) working in the Corridor.

32. Therefore, employment rates on the Corridor (58% of residents over 16 years old) are higher than the NI and Republic of Ireland rates (55% and 53%). Figure 16 shows the highest resident employment rates in those Council areas closest to the cities – Lisburn & Castlereagh, Newry, Mourne & Down and Fingal – with lower rates in Belfast and Dublin. This shows the importance of the commuting effect.

Figure 16: Total employment and employment rates, EEC, 2016

Total Employment Employment Rate (16+)

300,000 63%

62% 250,000 61% 200,000 60%

150,000 59%

58% 100,000 57% 50,000 56%

0 55% Dublin City Belfast Fingal Armagh, Meath Newry, Lisburn & Louth Banbridge & Mourne & Castlereagh Craigavon Down

Source: Labour Force Survey data from CSO & NISRA; UUEPC analysis

33. An obvious consequence of the buoyant labour market is the falling rate of unemployment (as shown over in Figure 17). These have been falling steadily throughout the Corridor since the peak years (2011 in RoI and 2012 in NI) and are now heading towards 5% in Southern end (a 10 year record) and 3% in NI (an historic low).

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Figure 17: Unemployment rates, EEC, 2017 9.0%

8.0%

7.0%

6.0%

5.0%

4.0%

3.0%

2.0%

1.0%

0.0% Louth Dublin City Meath Fingal Belfast Newry, Armagh, Lisburn & NI RoI Mourne & Banbridge & Castlereagh Down Craigavon

Source: QNHS data from CSO & LFS data from NISRA; UUEPC analysis

34. The fall in unemployment is welcome news, but there remains a long-standing challenge to get economically inactive people into the labour market. This is particularly the case in some parts of Belfast and Dublin, and in other towns where the economy has significantly changed over time. Figure 18 shows the 2016 numbers and rates for economic inactivity (or those of working age who are not in the labour force for health, education, caring or other reasons). This is a problem often correlated with high levels of no qualifications and difficulties faced in retraining.

Figure 18: Inactivity rates, EEC, 2016

Economically Inactive - 16+ Economic Inactivity Rate (16+)

180,000 40%

160,000 39%

140,000 38% 37% 120,000 36% 100,000 35% 80,000 34% 60,000 33%

40,000 32%

20,000 31%

0 30% Dublin City Belfast Fingal Armagh, Meath Newry, Lisburn & Louth Banbridge & Mourne & Castlereagh Craigavon Down

Source: QNHS data from CSO & LFS data from NISRA; UUEPC analysis

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What do people work at? 35. This question is answered in more detail in Section 3.4 below which looks at both resident5 and workplace6 employment by sector in order to identify sectors with significant growth potential and where the Corridor has some specialisation. What we will see below is that the Corridor has particular sectoral concentrations, not only in tradeable services sectors (such as ICT, Professional Services and Financial Services) but also, more locally in Manufacturing, Agriculture and Construction.

36. However, it is important to remember that the two most jobs-rich sectors remain, unsurprisingly, Retail and Health. Between them, the two sectors generate a third (32%) of all jobs based on the Corridor. They are also the sectors that close to a third (29%) of residents work in.

Where do people work? 37. According to Labour Force Survey data, 970,000 residents of the Corridor are in employment, while the workforce data gives us a figure of over 1 million jobs in the same Council areas. Therefore, in 2016, the Corridor had 45,000 more jobs than residents in employment. Commuters from outside the Corridor will fill most of these jobs, often some of the higher skilled ones which people will travel to do.

38. Figure 19 shows the differences at Council level between the numbers of local jobs and that of employed residents. There are more jobs than employed residents in the two cities, while, in the other six Council areas, there are more residents employed than local jobs. This suggests a significant amount of commuting along the Corridor to either end of it.

5 Resident employment deals with the sectors which residents of the eight Council areas declare themselves to be employed in. This data is taken from the Census. 6 Workplace employment deals with the sectors assigned to the various workplaces across the eight Council areas and the numbers employed in these. In this case a person may be counted in one or more workplace. The data is taken from POWSCAR commuting data for the South and ONS Workforce data for the North. Agriculture and Public Administration are not included in the dataset. 31 | P a g e

Figure 19: Residents in Employment vs Local jobs, EEC, 2016

Local jobs Residents in Employment

Louth

Lisburn & Castlereagh

Newry, Mourne & Down

Meath

Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon

Fingal

Belfast

Dublin

-300000 -200000 -100000 0 100000 200000 300000 400000

Source: Census data from CSO & LFS/Workforce data from NISRA; UUEPC analysis

39. Turning to the commuting patterns, the census data for NI (2011) and Ireland (2016) provide a snapshot of this, shown in Table 5 below and Table 6 over. The tables show how more than a third of the residents of Fingal and Lisburn & Castlereagh commute into nearby Dublin City and Belfast. This percentage falls to around 12% of residents of Louth and Meath travelling to Dublin and around 10% of the residents of NMD and ABC going into Belfast.

Table 5: Commuting patterns (by place of residence) in RoI, 2016 County of Dublin Fingal Louth Meath NI part of Elsewhere Workplace City Corridor Resident County Dublin City 58.3% 7.6% 0.1% 0.4% 0.08% 33.5% (210) Fingal 34.1% 36.1% 0.5% 1.6% 0.08% 27.6% (109) Louth 7.7% 5.6% 57.2% 5.5% 1.5% 22.5% (707) Meath 16.2% 12.3% 4.5% 36.2% 0.1% 30.7% (85) Note: Percentages based on declared places of work only and excludes those who are mobile workers.

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Table 6: Commuting patterns (by place of residence) in NI, 2011

County of Belfast ABC L&C NMD RoI part Elsewhere Workplace of Corridor Resident County Belfast 83.9% 0.9% 6.1% 0.6% 0.1% 8.4% (110) Armagh, Banbridge 9.2% 74.0% 3.9% 3.7% 0.3% 8.9% & Craigavon (254) Lisburn & 37.4% 3.4% 49.4% 1.7% 0.1% 8.0% Castlereagh (67) Newry, Mourne & 11.1% 4.5% 4.0% 76.6% 1.9% 1.9% Down (1300)

40. Another key feature revealed in the tables is the different levels of mobility and self-containment between the two parts of the Corridor. In other words, the levels of people moving outside their own LGD and within the Corridor, is much higher in the Southern part of the Corridor than in the Northern part (with the exception of Lisburn & Castlereagh). Also, the share of residents in the Northern part of the Corridor travelling to other parts of the North is less than 10%, compared to between a fifth and a third of residents on the Southern side commuting to other parts of the Greater Dublin and Mid East regions.

41. A final point on the commuting data is that cross-border commuting numbers are very small. Less than 3,000 people say they daily cross the border to work in the Corridor, though this may underestimate the numbers in construction and other trades doing so for work on a more irregular basis. Much of the daily commuting is local, with Louth and NMD acting as origin and destination for almost half of the cross-border movements along the Corridor.

42. In conclusion, the labour market on the Corridor shows signs of being a tight one. The last 18 months has seen some large announcements of new jobs in the pipeline, particularly from the multinational, technology-based services sectors. The IrishJobs.ie tracker of vacancies shows that Dublin, Meath and Louth are all showing high vacancy levels, as is Belfast. Given the higher than average employment rates on the Corridor, recruitment in many sectors is problematic.

43. However, a tight labour market can also suggest a mismatch between jobs on offer and the skills of the labour force available to fill them. The next section will look further at the skills base, which is now one of the most critical elements in a growing regional economy.

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Educational Attainment and Skills

44. The current and future ready supply of skilled people is a necessary foundation for a competitive economy, one that is attractive to investment.

45. At the present, private, public and third sector organisations on the Corridor – as in many other parts of the island – often argue that a lack of available skilled people is the key issue preventing their growth. At the same time, however, there are significant levels of economic inactivity among residents of the Corridor. Given that a significant number of this cohort express a wish to take up employment opportunities, there is a need to ensure that people can be brought closer to the labour market.

46. These concurrent challenges are well recognised by stakeholders on the Corridor. Local government across the Corridor is involved in the skills area and similar messages come from various local skills forums, including:  The need for better alignment of educational qualifications to the necessary skills for current and future workplaces; and  The desire for a better clarity around what we mean by ‘missing employability (or people) skills’, and a pathway to improving these.

47. Figure 20 shows that the Corridor, as a whole, has a higher than average percentage of the resident population with third level qualifications. There are particularly high shares of those with third level educational attainment residing in Dublin, Fingal and Lisburn & Castlereagh (all close to 40%).

Figure 20: Educational Attainment (16-64 year olds), EEC, 2016

NVQ4+ Below NVQ4+ No Qualifications

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% Armagh, Belfast Lisburn and Newry, Dublin City Fingal Louth Meath Total NI RoI Banbridge Castlereagh Mourne and and Down Craigavon

Source: Data from CSO & NISRA; UUEPC analysis

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48. The share of the general population with NVQ4 or third level qualifications has been rising over time but it varies both between and within regions. For example, ABC, Louth ad Meath have lower shares of residents with higher qualifications. And within Council areas there are spatial concentrations. In Meath, for example, the county’s 32% share reaches over 40% in commuter towns such as Dunboyne or Ratoath, but falls below 25% in Kells or Duleek.

49. There is a similar variety between Councils in the share of the population with No Qualifications. ABC, Belfast, Louth and Newry, Mourne & Down all show higher than average levels. Age may be one key factor in this, where the Corridor mirrors the general picture of higher shares of 55+ year olds having No Qualifications, compared to those below that age. Living in an area of deprivation is also critical. For example, both Dublin and Belfast have places where the levels of residents with No Qualifications can be 50% higher than the Council average.

Figure 21: Shares of third level enrolments by LGD, EEC, 2016

Meath Armagh, 9% Banbridge and Louth Craigavon 5% 7% Belfast 13%

Lisburn and Castlereagh 6%

Newry, Mourne and Down Dublin City & 7% Fingal 53%

Source: Data from HEA & DELNI; UUEPC analysis

50. Given the location of the island’s HE institutions, with five university campuses and a technological university in Dublin and Belfast alone, it is little surprise that almost half of the 220,000 students currently enrolled in HE on the island are studying at institutions based on the Corridor. Figure 21 above shows the share by LGD of total enrolments of Corridor residents. Given population shares, Dublin/Fingal and Belfast take the expected lion’s share (66%) of third level enrolments.

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51. However, two fifths (almost 90,000 students) of the island’s HE enrolments are by residents of one of the counties or Council areas along the Corridor – a higher share than that of population (31%). This can be explained by the percentages of 15-24 year old residents enrolled in HE. In Dublin and Fingal 27% of the 15-24 year old residents are enrolled in third level, just below the exceptionally high level (29%) in NMD. These rates are much higher than the 22% of Belfast’s residents or the lower rates in the other six Council areas.

52. These participation rates are helping the increasing share of the population with third level qualifications, a key part of the puzzle in ensuring future economic growth. This concentration is especially strong among 25-55 year olds where it reaches over 50% of the population. It also bears out a point made by research that people tend to settle close to where they studied in HE and that areas with high stocks of skills tend to have pipelines to replicate these (Audretsch et al, 2005).

Figure 22: Difference in workplace vs resident NVQ level 4 qualifiers, EEC, 2016

Fingal

Lisburn and Castlereagh

Newry, Mourne and Down

Louth

Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

RoI

Total

Meath

Dublin City

Belfast

0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0% 10.0% 12.0% 14.0% 16.0% 18.0%

Source: Data from CSO and ONS; UUEPC analysis

53. When thinking about the availability of skills on the Corridor there are two important considerations, both connected to commuting flows along and into it:  In every Council area (see Figure 22 above), the skills profile of the jobs means that there are more jobs requiring graduates than there are residents with HE qualifications. This is especially the case for Belfast (16% deficit) and Dublin (12%). This necessitates in-flows of skilled people into

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the Corridor from elsewhere on the island as well as flows along the Corridor in order to fill the skilled jobs.  This is supported by other research (UUEPC, 2019), which has shown that commuters along or onto the Corridor usually have higher skills profiles than residents of the individual Council areas. In the Northern part of the Corridor 32% of residents have NVQ Level4 or higher qualifications, while 41% of commuters into those Council areas are qualified to that level.

Enterprise trends 54. The trends in entrepreneurship, business births and survival rates are all important when thinking about economic and employment growth. Whilst large jobs announcements in the hundreds, both by multinationals and indigenous firms, are very important, the evidence from across the EU suggests that most jobs continue to be created in smaller lots by small and medium-sized enterprises or SMEs.

55. Therefore, the rate of business formation is a key sign of the future health of a region (McCoy et al, 2018), as they show how business decisions based upon current incentives and circumstances, rather than just past performance. Entrepreneurs and new businesses contribute to levels of competition or innovation in an economy, which can lead to both productivity improvements and employment growth. For all of these reasons, understanding the nature of the enterprise trends along the Corridor is critical to the economic profile.

56. In terms of the stock of businesses, 38% of the island’s firms are located on the Corridor, a significantly higher proportion than population share (31%). This would suggest a concentration of firms in a region with both a large locally-traded market (for example, for retailers) and access to export markets.

57. However, Figure 23, which shows the stock of businesses per 10,000 people, shows a strong North/South variation in this concentration. County Dublin7 has the highest numbers (592 per 10,000), with Meath (490) and Louth (482) a distance behind this but close to the Corridor average of 486. All Northern Council areas and the NI average of 312 tail well behind the other parts of the Corridor, a further sign of the divergence between NI and a more vibrant Republic of Ireland economy.

7 The business demography data from the CSO is by county with ‘Dublin’ taking in the four Council areas in the county, including Dublin City and Fingal. 37 | P a g e

Figure 23: No. of Businesses per 10,000 people, EEC, 2016 700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0 Dublin RoI Meath Total Louth Newry, Belfast NI Lisburn & Armagh, Mourne & Castlereagh Banbridge & Down Craigavon

Source: Data from CSO & ONS; UUEPC analysis

58. A similar pattern of intra-Corridor variation can be found in business birth rates. In 2015 there were just over 8,000 business births on the Corridor, more than third (34%) of the island’s total. Two thirds of the 8,000 were in Belfast and Dublin. The rates varied from the highest in Dublin (48 per 10,000 people) to the lowest rates in ABC and Lisburn & Castlereagh. In NI, only NMD came close to the Southern rates.

59. Section 3.4 looks at enterprises by sector on the Corridor, where, as expected, it has a higher share than nationally of Professional Services and ICT businesses, through these concentrations vary significantly within the Corridor.

60. The size profile of businesses (as shown in Figure 24) on the Corridor is also slightly different to the all-island one. On the Corridor micro-enterprises account for 82% of firms, compared to 88% on the island. There tend to be more larger SMEs – employing between 50 and 250 people – on the Corridor (17.4%) than on the island generally (11%). The share of large firms employing more than 250 people is similar (at 1%).

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Figure 24: Enterprises by size, EEC, 2016

0.8% 5.2% 3.2% 9.0%

Under 10 10 - 19 20 - 49 50-249 250 and over

81.8%

Source: Data from CSO & ONS; UUEPC analysis

61. Two other enterprise patterns of note stand out on the Corridor. First, in some of the Council areas with the highest levels of business births – Louth, Meath and NMD – more than 96% of firms employ less than 20 people. This may be due to a satisfaction with running a successful micro-enterprise and desire to keep this manageable.8 It does also suggest significant potential pool (around a quarter or third) of firms with ambition to build greater scale.

62. Second, in Dublin and Belfast and, to a lesser degree ABC, the large businesses employ a much higher share of the total number of workplace employees – closer to a half than a third – than is normally the case across NI and Ireland. The hunger of these firms for talented people necessitates larger labour markets.

63. Related to this second point, the Corridor is not only a key location of larger businesses and those in the internationally-trade services (including ICT) but it also where almost half (48%) of employees in agency-supported firms work. Figure 25 shows the dominance of Greater Dublin as the location along the Corridor for these export and innovation-intensive firms.

8 Research from the Enterprise Research Centre found that 77% of micro-enterprise owners in NI were happy to keep their firm ‘similar to how it operates now’, a higher figure than 71% in Ireland. 39 | P a g e

Figure 25: Employment in agency-supported firms, LGD, 2016 & 2017

180000

160000

140000

120000

100000

80000 2016 2017 60000

40000

20000

0 Armagh, Belfast Lisburn & Newry, Dublin Louth Meath Banbridge & Castlereagh Mourne & County Craigavon Down

Source: Data from DBEI & INI; UUEPC analysis

3.3 Key assets on the Corridor 69. Development plans for Corridors often begin with a plan to mobilise key ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ infrastructure assets. The first category includes physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, ports and so on, while the second are enabling institutions, such as education and health structures or organisations.

70. Transport infrastructure, usually designed to increase internal cohesion or connect exporters to international markets, is a key ‘hard’ form in many corridors. In Canada, for example, transport is at the heart of both the existing east/west corridor (hinging on the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian Pacific Railway) and the new, putative 7,000 km Northern Corridor. In Asia, the emerging corridors focus on freight and transport, while, in Europe, the plans are underpinned by a combination of European Regional Development Funds and the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) initiative.

71. As noted above in section 2.1, the World Bank has chosen not to refer to transport, trade, or freight corridors, rather than ‘economic corridors’. The idea that corridors consequently contribute toward economic development (Hope and Cox, 2015, p.1) is a growing one. For the purposes of this part of the report, Figure 26 shows the evolution of corridors and the expected role of infrastructure assets.

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Figure 26: Evolution of a development corridor

Source: Hope and Cox, 2015, p.3.

72. Figure 26 notes how ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ forms of infrastructure take a corridor along the development from purely physical links between two places or nodes to a growth region with benefits for the surrounding area. Our register of assets in the Corridor therefore encompasses both forms of infrastructure.

‘Hard’ infrastructural assets 73. In the case of the Eastern Economic Corridor, the ‘hard’ infrastructure around transport connectivity has been critical to growth. Given the island location of the Eastern Economic Corridor, the intent behind this infrastructure has been as much about connectivity off the island as about cross-border connections between NI and the Republic of Ireland. To take the current TEN-T plan (2014- 2020) as an example, this includes investment in Cork and Dublin ports as well as upgrades to the Cork to Dublin and Dublin to Belfast rail network. The island of Ireland is part of a TEN-T Corridor, the North Sea-Mediterranean one, which connects Ireland and GB, through the Channel, with France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

74. The results of national and EU investment can be seen in the current state and performance of the transport assets detailed in Box 1. This shows how the Corridor has a varying level of transport connectivity depending upon the mode of travel. Connectivity off the island, through five different ports and three airports, is well-served although access to some or all of these assets is an issue.

Box 1: Transport Assets on the Eastern Economic Corridor

Road Infrastructure: M1/A1 The key arterial road between Dublin and Belfast is the 166km M1/A1 route with an average journey time (according to the AA) of 2 hours 10minutes (or 76km/h). The table below shows the average daily traffic numbers at different points along the main route. As might be expected, the three busiest points are at either end, closest to the two city centres and all are in the top ten busiest junctions on the island. Evidence for

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the economic recovery can be found in the increase in traffic volumes since 2013 at every point along the route, with the highest increase (57%) at the M1/M50 junction. Table 7: Average traffic counts on the M1/A1 road, 2013-2017/19 Junction 2013 (%HGV) 2017/2019 (%HGV) M1 Stockman’s Lane, 82,740 (5.1%) 91,610 (4.5%)* Belfast A1 Hillsborough 40,980 (7.2%) 42,699 (7.6%)* A1 Banbridge 27,110 (10.3%) 31,485 (10.1%)* Dublin Road, Newry 20,260 (11.9%) 25,076 (13.6%)* M1 Jn20 Jonesborough 23,444 (11%) 27,298 (10.6%) M1 Jn14 Ardee 33,352 (9.3%) 39,647 (9.1%) M1 Jn7 Julianstown 32,536** (8.4%) 35,193 (9.1%) M1 Jn5 Balbriggan South 52,228 (6.4%) 60,399 (6.5%) M1 Jn2 Dublin Airport 90,276 (5.4%) 101,715 (5.8%) M1/M50 Jn1 86,056 (5.1%) 135,440 (5%) Sources: DfI, Northern Ireland and TFI, Ireland. Notes: * 2017 data the most recent for NI ** 2017 data the earliest available

Rail: Belfast-Dublin Enterprise Service The Enterprise service has been a significant addition to connectivity along the EEC since the 1990s. However, the officering of 8 bi-directional services (5 on a Sunday) is similar to the provision from Dublin to Waterford and Galway and the journey time of 2 hours 15 minutes is no quicker than driving. The most recent numbers for passenger use (from 2016/17) show that 850,000 journeys were made on the Enterprise service, which marks an 18% increase on the previous year in 2016/17. Most journeys involve joining the service at intermediate stations (in particular Dundalk and Drogheda) to travel into Dublin. Therefore, just over a fifth of all Enterprise journeys are inter-city. In 2015 the 21% share of end-to-end journeys between Dublin and Belfast was lower than the Limerick (24%) and Cork (27%) (Arup, 2018; NTA, 2017). Airports Annual passenger numbers at Dublin Airport have increased by 45% since 2014 making it one of the fastest-growing large airports in Europe. It recorded 31.5 million passengers during 2018, with continental Europe the largest market, though transatlantic traffic has doubled since 2014 and EMEA numbers are now just over 1 million annually. Such is the growth that the Dublin Airport Authority is reviewing a capital investment plan to improve airfield and airport operational works. In 2018 Belfast International Airport recorded passenger numbers of 6.27 million passengers and Belfast City handled 2.51 million, both more than 10% increases on the year before. For both the GB market is key, with around two thirds of passengers travelling there. Looking at the Corridor as a whole there are now close to 40 million passengers using the three airports, three quarters of these going through Dublin given the range of available routes and connections. In 2017 there were newspaper reports that as many

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as 600,00 people had crossed the border to fly from Dublin Airport (McDonnell, 2018). More importantly, for inward passengers, 60% of non-British Isles tourists come to NI via an air or sea port in Ireland (NISRA, 2019). Air freight traffic is also an important and growing part of the business of the three airports, with close to 200,000 tonnes (usually high value goods) being flown in 2017, 70% of this via Dublin Airport (CSO, 2019).

Ports The region is home to seven of the island’s ports (Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Drogheda, Greenore, Larne and Warrenpoint), among them three and the five busiest. The ports act as strategic assets for trade, logistics, tourism, and offshore renewable energy. Between them, the six handled 51.5 million tonnes in 2017 (+3.8% on 2016), almost two thirds (64%) of the island’s total (CSO, 2018; NISRA, 2018). Unsurprisingly, the city ports managed the majority of traffic on the Corridor - Dublin Port (43%) and Belfast Harbour (35%). Warrenpoint is the next largest, followed by the Port of Larne, Drogheda and Greenore. Although imports constitute over 60% of overall tonnage for the ports, exports have increased from 2016. More than three quarters of the total tonnage of goods handled in the seven ports was accounted for by trade with Great Britain (48%) and other EU countries (30%). Ports are crucial for tourism, given the access for passenger ferries (Dublin, Belfast and Larne) and a growing number of cruise ships calling into Dublin and Belfast, For example, the numbers of passenger visits from cruise ships has grown by 50%, from 97,316 in 2014 to 146,429 in 2018. These cruise ships not only have knock on impacts along the Corridor for visitor attractions but have also provided access for a further stop into Belfast. However, the redevelopment of Dublin Port and a reduction in the capacity for cruise ship berths during the work presents a challenge which has been recognised.

Finally, ports and harbours provide economic opportunities for offshore renewable energy (ORE) generation which can contribute towards meeting EU and national emissions reduction targets (Irish Maritime Development Office, 2018). A recent report has found that there is an interest from energy companies to invest in the construction of offshore wind farms, and that emerging new technology could then lead to subsequent investment in wave and tidal energy. For example, the D1 facility at Belfast Harbour is already creating the combination of facilities, infrastructure and support services, and access to engineering skills which could facilitate the development of these ORE technologies.

75. Ireland 2040 has identified the need for a focus on improving and protecting key road networks, in particular the ‘key strategic function of the Dublin to Belfast road’ (p.110). One planned improvement is the Southern Relief Road, near Newry, which will both improve connectivity between the two cities and also access to Warrenpoint Port for the high numbers of HGVs using the road network. Proposals from the IBEC/CBI Joint Business Council has identified the need for an entire inter-urban motorway or high quality dual carriageway network for the island (JBC, 2016).

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76. The shortcomings of the Enterprise service – in terms of frequency, journey times, reliability and onward connections from Belfast Central and Dublin Connolly – are all well-known (Arup, 2018). The provision of a more frequent (hourly) service with a small reduction in journey time has made a significant change to the Dublin/Cork service and research suggests that this might be a positive choice for the Enterprise also (Morgenroth, 2011). There is a commitment in Ireland 2040 to examine the feasibility of high-speed rail connections right along the eastern seaboard, from Belfast to Cork.

‘Soft’ infrastructural assets 77. The idea of ‘soft’ infrastructure refers less to physical engineering projects and more to the institutional, educational and research supports which could enable economic development.

78. Five university campuses, a technological university and an Institute of Technology are located on the Corridor, all bar one of these in Dublin and Belfast alone. Almost 110,000 students were enrolled in these institutions in the 2017/2018 academic year.

79. The importance of HEIs as a ‘soft’ asset in the region goes beyond their role of providing an educated and skilled workforce. HEIs generate knowledge and build social capital which are key determinants in regional growth and prosperity. McCoy et al. (2018:524) found that ‘both inverse drive-time to the nearest third-level institute and the proportion of the population with third- level qualifications are significant factors in new foreign and domestic firm formation’.

80. The research potential for wider contributions from HEIs is a particular asset for the Corridor, not only in promoting the Corridor itself, but also to address specific challenges, for example, Brexit and climate change. This reflects the fact that the HEIs along the corridor are home to numerous research and incubation centres, and facilitate public and private collaborations through their Technology Transfer Offices.

81. The most recent mapping of research centres on the island showed the alignment which exists between Irish and Northern Ireland authorities in supporting research centres in similar fields such as ICT, life sciences, nanotechnology, agri-food and aerospace (InterTradeIreland, 2007). Almost half (104 of 222) of the research centres were located on the Corridor, many of these in the fields noted. This research, if repeated today, could capture the level of potential for complementarities and collaboration on an all-island basis. While there will be differences in funding structures and exact agendas, bringing together research actors with complementary expertise and different

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networks and markets could be an opportunity of mutual benefit (Nauwelaers et al. 2013:7).

82. Finally, telecommunications assets are regarded as being neither ‘hard’ nor ‘soft’ infrastructure and Box 2 provides some detail on those available in the Corridor. Typically, these assets are strongest in urban centres with plans on both sides of the border to tackle remaining rural ‘blackspots’.

Box 2: Telecommunication Assets on the Eastern Economic Corridor

The Corridor has a cross-border fibre route and direct international fibre connectivity. The presence of these off-shore fibre routes has been key in attracting data centre services to the region. The demand for such facilities is set to grow. There is therefore an opportunity to develop this sector within the region .The demand for additional facilities will also incentivise investment in new renewable technologies to meet the energy demands of such facilities. The EEC is well served by mobile broadband and telecommunications infrastructure with mobile operators continually investing and upgrading in their networks to meet the exponential demand for data services. Mobile operators have stated their commitment to maintaining roaming agreements regardless of the outcome of Brexit. It is important to note that in terms of broadband as an asset, McCoy et al. (2018:530, citing Mack, 2014) found that the benefit of broadband for increasing new businesses is greater in areas of higher educational attainment. Therefore it is important to view the relationship between the assets of the region, where broadband is a key factor in dispersing knowledge intensive firms but is not the only factor.

3.4 Key sectors on the Corridor 79. One element of the terms of reference for this study was to explore the degree to which there were sectors in common along the Corridor. This section begins this work by first outlining the existing sectoral concentrations and then the sectoral priorities, as identified by the eight Councils.

Sectoral concentrations What sectors do people work in and where? 80. The most recent labour force data suggests that close to a million residents along the Corridor are in employment in different sectors. The last Census figures for the island (2011) show higher than average shares of Corridor residents working in the tradeable services sectors, especially ICT (+1.4%), Professional Services (+1.4%) and Financial Services (+2.8%). The same data shows lower-than-average shares in Manufacturing (-3.2%), Agriculture (- 3.1%) and Construction (-1.7%).

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81. Within the Corridor different places have different concentrations. Three Council areas accounted for a third of the Corridor’s residents working in Manufacturing: ABC, Louth and Meath. And, while every Council area has residents working in Agriculture, three (ABC, NMD and Meath) account for almost three quarters (71%) of the Corridor’s residents employed in that sector.

82.Workplace data9 is more recent (2016)10 and shows the actual location of jobs on the Corridor. The higher-than-average shares are slightly different for the Corridor using this data: Administration Services (+2.1%), Financial Services (+1.8%), ICT (+1.1%), Professional Services (+1.1%) and Construction (+1.2%). There are some similar lower-than-average shares – Manufacturing (-4.0%) and Agriculture (-3.8%) – while Arts & Entertainment (-2.1%) and Education (-2.0%) also show up on the negative side. However, the share of high-tech manufacturing jobs is higher on the Corridor (33%) than in Ireland (28%) or NI (19%).

83.We have used the workplace jobs data for a location quotient analysis which can identify sectoral concentrations by Council area. The results are shown over in Table 8 and suggest that each Council area in the Corridor has its own concentrations. For ICT, Financial Services and Professional Services Dublin City (including Fingal) has strong concentrations, while Belfast has weaker but still positive concentrations (ie: =or>1.0).

84.Equally importantly there is a diversity of sectors with strong concentrations in Manufacturing (in Louth, ABC and Meath) and weaker ones in NMD and Lisburn & Castlereagh. Construction also shows positive concentrations in every one of the eight Council areas bar Belfast. A similar story can be found for jobs in Education with the exception this time Dublin City.

85.The workplace data also reveals that 70% of the Corridor’s jobs are located in the two cities. This can, for some sectors, mean scale without a large share of local jobs. For example, a quarter of all Manufacturing jobs on the Corridor are located in Dublin City and Fingal, but Table 8 shows a negative concentration.

86.The data suggests that some sectoral location preferences are clearly towards the cities. For example, 93% of the Corridor’s Financial Services jobs and 92% of ICT are located in Dublin City, Belfast City and Fingal.

9 The data is taken from POWSCAR commuting data for the South and ONS Workforce data for the North. Agriculture and Public Administration are not included in the dataset. 10 This data – estimating 962,000 jobs – excludes the 50,000 jobs growth since 2016. 46 | P a g e

Table 8: Sectoral Location Quotients (by workforce jobs), EEC, 2016

LGD Dublin (inc Louth Meath NMD ABC L&C Belfast Total % of Fingal) CC employed island’s total Sector Agriculture 0.1 0.6 1.7 0.7 0.7 0.2 0.0 10,600 10%

Mining 0.2 1.3 2.3 1.0 1.2 0.6 0.1 1,000 17%

Manufacturing 0.6 2.3 2.1 1.7 2.3 1.4 0.7 66,300 22%

Construction 1.1 1.1 1.8 1.4 1.0 1.2 0.5 63,300 41%

Retail 1.1 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.7 162,900 33%

Transport 1.1 1.2 1.1 0.7 1.1 0.5 0.7 48,900 40%

Accommodation 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.1 0.6 0.8 1.0 67,800 30%

ICT 1.7 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.3 1.1 50,800 40%

Financial Services 1.8 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.0 57,100 48%

Professional Services 1.6 0.9 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.7 1.2 67,700 41%

Administration Services 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.8 0.7 1.5 83,900 44%

Public Administration 1.5 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.6 1.3 75,500 43%

Education 0.7 1.2 1.0 1.6 1.2 1.1 1.4 60,600 26%

Healthcare 0.8 1.2 0.7 1.1 1.2 1.6 1.1 127,900 37%

Other Services 0.6 1.7 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.6 28,400 39%

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87.One final point to note is that the workplace data show that the two most jobs- rich sectors are, unsurprisingly, Retail and Health, which generate a third (32%) of all jobs based on the Corridor. As a result they are the sectors that close to a third (29%) of residents work in. Both are key sectors for providing employment at all levels and for all qualifications so that their condition needs to remain a matter of priority.

88. Figure 27 shows the sectoral profile of firms on the Corridor. This is quite different to the island as a whole. The Corridor has a higher share for Professional Services (15% vs 11%) and ICT (7% vs 4%), but lower for Agriculture (7% vs 19%). Along the Corridor, Dublin has a higher than average concentration of ICT firms, while Meath, Louth and NMD have bigger shares of Construction businesses. Finally, Council areas outside the cities have more manufacturing firms than average. This supports the picture provided by the workplace jobs data.

Figure 27: Enterprises by sector, EEC, 2016

Arts & Agriculture, 6.7% recreation, 4.6% Manufacturing, 4.3% Education, 3.5% Health, 6.1% Administration services, 5.4%

Construction, 12.8%

Professional services, 15.0% Retail, 14.0%

Real Estate, 4.3% ICT, Financial Services, 6.5% 3.2% Transportation, Accommodation, 9.4% 4.2%

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Priority sectors 89. As part of the research the eight Councils identified sectors which they see as a priority for local economic development strategies, community plans and other initiatives. This prioritisation is based upon a combination of knowledge of local business growth and some foresight into areas where future economic growth may come from.

90. The identification of priority sectors is useful in offering a view from the ground up, but also one of potential and emerging sectors for the next decade. Councils have clearly related this to wider digitisation processes taking hold across our economy and society or and societal challenges, such as environmental and demographic change. Tradeable Services 91. Given the growth in employment in ICT, Financial Services and Professional Services in recent decades and the expectation that further opportunities are likely to arise, both through inward investment and local start-ups, there are two Tradeable Services priorities for not only the two cities but in many other Council areas.

92. Digital – many of the Councils recognise the importance of ICT and what is increasingly seen as a ‘digital sector’. In part, this is a recognition of the importance of the digitisation process to almost every business and organisation across our economy and society. It also reflects the fact (as seen in Table 7 above) that more than 50,000 jobs are in the ICT sector (40% of the island’s total). Thus we find Council priorities in areas such as the development of fintech, sports technologies, creative industry (such as immersive technology, games, etc), data content/ analytics, etc. Councils in Dublin, Belfast, Louth, ABC and NMD are all keen on pursuing a strategy which would make ‘digital’ a priority, in the knowledge that enterprise supports, and indeed workspace, are likely to be quite different for new start-ups in this area.

93. Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) – this catch-all normally includes existing areas such as Professional Services, Financial Services and other Business Services. Table 7 shows how the more than 150,000 KIBS jobs on the Corridor are most concentrated in the two cities, but can also be found in weaker concentrations in Louth and Lisburn & Castlereagh. KIBS can also include growing areas, such as Logistics, where the Corridor has some strengths, attached to its airport, port and transport assets generally.

94. Research from InterTradeIreland (2015), which looked at sectoral concentrations across the island of Ireland found, provides some support for these sectoral priorities. In the case of some of the KIBS – management consultancy, financial services – there were significant concentrations in both Belfast and Dublin and, less so, in the area between. In the case of Software Development (see Figure 28), or those activities attached to computer

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programming, the concentrations stretch along the Corridor to Louth with less significant concentrations north of that.

Figure 28: Spatial concentrations in Software, 2015

Source: InterTradeIreland, Sectoral Ecosystems on the Island of Ireland (2015)

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Manufacturing 95. Although tradeable services are a central focus, the Councils are also keenly aware of existing Manufacturing strengths and the presence of some critically important firms and 66,000 jobs in the Corridor. Given this the Councils have identified three Manufacturing priority sub-sectors.

96. Agri-food Production – with 23,000 jobs (or 35% of the total) Agri-Food is certainly ubiquitous across the Corridor as across the island. The sub-sector ranges from large dairy and meat processors (such as Dale Farm, Kerry Group and ABP) to smaller, often artisan, food producers, and everything in between. The priority placed on Agri-Food can be seen in the two Council-led brands: the Food Heartland (ABC) and the Boyne Valley Food Network (branded Boyne Valley Flavours, an initiative of Meath and Louth County Councils). The sector faces a great deal of uncertainty, due to Brexit, but is also looking to new markets and building a growing link with the tourism offering to both domestic and overseas visitors.

97. Advanced Manufacturing and Materials – this is a collection of Manufacturing activities, from Transport Equipment to Materials Handling, as well as the use of new forms of high technology materials, from plastics through to composites. Merging a number of sub-sectors under Advanced Manufacturing sees 22,000 jobs on the Corridor. This is a particular focus in some or all of the Councils in NI, most notably ABC, as well as Fingal and proposals for Advanced Manufacturing Centres are emerging in City Deal plans. The focus here is increasingly on the fundamental transformation occurring in manufacturing and the impacts of automation on both products and processes). This transformation will mean potential losses in the numbers employed, but also growth in those parts of the sector driven by the development/adaption of technology at both the product and process level. There are also emerging elements here, such as Cleantech or Greentech, which is one area where Louth (and Dundalk IT) has made a focus.

98. Life and Health Sciences – the sub-sectors under this heading and the 7,000 jobs on the Corridor are normally captured under Advanced Manufaturing. However, there are also particular concentrations or single, large Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices firms (often, but not exclusively, in FDI plants) in Meath, Louth, Fingal, NMD and ABC. this sector access to HE institutions and regulatory bodies is of key importance. The Pharmaceuticals map from InterTradeIreland (2015) – see Figure 29 – reveals significant concentrations in an area around Dublin and less significant ones in Newry/Dundalk and Belfast.

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Figure 29: Spatial concentrations in Pharmaceuticals, 2015

Source: InterTradeIreland, Sectoral Ecosystems on the Island of Ireland (2015)

Tourism 99. Each Council has identified Tourism or the ‘Visitor Economy’ as a sector which they would like to prioritise. Tourism, like Agri-Food, is found everywhere on the Corridor and there are almost 68,000 jobs in this sector in the Corridor. This also means that there is likely to be as much competition for numbers and spend as cooperation around promotion in this sector.

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100. However, there is several reasons to expect further growth in this sector on the Corridor:  The numbers of trips onto the island of Ireland and the eight Council areas has been increasing in recent years leading to significant investment in accommodation, attractions and the ‘wrap-around’ food and hospitality offerings.  Better access to the Corridor with an increasing number of air and sea routes, in particular through Dublin Airport, with the promise of more overseas visitors.  Table 8 above shows that the Corridor has a below-average share of jobs in the Tourism sector, suggesting potential for growth also.

101. Table 9 below details the 2017 data by Council area within the Corridor and shows how Dublin and Belfast dominate the numbers of visitors (84%) and revenue (91%). This supports the market being increasingly led by ‘city breaks’ and events, a market in which Belfast and Dublin are already competing and must continue to look at new attractions, accommodation and food offerings that can attract repeat business. Other markets, such as conference business, is another area in which the two cities are trying to attract custom.

102. In most other Council areas along the Corridor, the challenge is slightly different. In Council areas, such as ABC, Louth or Meath, there is an emphasis on what might be seen as niche areas of tourism, such as heritage attractions, water-based and other activities and food trails. There is a challenge not only to increase the average number of nights spent but also improving the share of trips made by holidaymakers as opposed to ‘visiting friends and relatives’, which can reduce the amount of accommodation and hospitality used.

103. This can lead to a tension between promotion of local places and their attractions and a more general and perhaps joint profile-building, perhaps using the “Ireland’s Ancient East” brand as a counter to the very successful “Wild Atlantic Way”.

Table 9: Tourism figures by LGD, 2017 No of Revenue Average no % trips = trips (€m) of nights holidays Dublin 7,400,000 €2,200m 4.28 53% Belfast 1,500,000 €374m 3.39 44% Newry, Mourne & Down 590,000 €103m 2.81 51% Meath 380,000 €73m 3.61 25% Louth 350,000 €85m 3.71 27% Armagh, Banbridge & 230,000 €38m 3.42 20% Craigavon Lisburn & Castlereagh 150,000 €31m 4.1 27% EEC 10,600,000 €2,811m 3.88 45% Source: Data from Fáilte Ireland and Tourism NI; UUEPC analysis Note: Dublin here is the four Council areas in County Dublin.

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The potential for clusters 104. When thinking about the potential for clusters to develop in the Eastern Economic Corridor, it is useful to heed a call for developing an evidence base which moves away from specialisation-based measures to measures that identify substantial concentrations (Van Egeraat and Doyle, 2018). In other words, this suggests looking away from concentrations within set geographies (eg: the LQ-based analysis of Council areas in Table 8) and looking towards significant concentrations of numbers of firms with substantial areas around them from which they draw staff and skills (InterTradeIreland, 2015). Examples of the second approach can be seen in Figures 21 and 22 above.

105. One cautionary note, repeatedly made by economists who have explored the potential for further development of this Eastern Economic Corridor or other corridors, is that clusters are more often proclaimed to exist, rather than the messy reality of building trust and vertical collaboration with suppliers and customers only (Yarwood, 2006).

106. Clusters develop around deep cooperation between competitor firms, development agencies (including Councils) and, very importantly, further and higher education institutions. The latter will be key as sources of innovative knowledge (from research centres) and for current or planned supply of undergraduates and postgraduates for employees. Thus local or regional cluster development will, by necessity, involve a whole of ecosystem approach.

107. Accordingly, there is potential to develop cluster policy at different spatial levels. An all-island approach is likely to best serve some sectors a number of concentrations in different places across the island. For example, Pharmaceuticals has significant concentrations around Cork, Waterford and Dublin as well as less significant concentrations in other parts of the island, including places along the Corridor. A sectoral forum organised by InterTradeIreland, with the involvement of Science Foundation Ireland, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Invest NI, is currently identifying sectors and opportunities where all-island interventions might deliver greater economies of scale and scope.

108. At a different spatial level, ‘locally or regionally focused cluster policies and actions are suitable for a more limited set of locations, sectors and activities’ (Van Egeraat and Doyle, 2018). The Corridor may present an opportunity for the local or regional approach. Agreement on a common understanding of what we mean by ‘clusters’ and on a number of sectoral priorities – from among those identified by different Councils – might be the most suitable starting point for the Corridor.

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4. Prospects for the Eastern Economic Corridor

1. To understand the potential future of the Eastern Economic Corridor there is a requirement to undertake a modelling exercise. This chapter in the report largely follows a ‘baseline’ or ‘current trends’ assumption or scenario (Morgenroth, 2018). This makes no or small adjustments for the potential impact of Brexit on economic growth or inward migration. It also assumes that the additional population will be accommodated through the development of the necessary housing.

2. The baseline or ‘current trends’ scenario uses forecasts/projections out to 2040 from UUEPC’s Winter 2018 Outlook for NI and long-term forecasts for Ireland from the ESRI (Bergin et al, 2016). These show how the current divergence in growth rates between NI and Ireland is expected to continue. The forecasts are for 2% or less annual GVA growth in the North to 2040, compared to 3% or more annual GDP growth in the South.

3. It is important to remember that any medium to long-term forecasts, especially for employment, are subject to significant levels of uncertainty. Indeed, with the current volatility due to Brexit, trade tension and challenges such as climate change, this is even more the case (UUEPC, 2018). This uncertainty is much greater at the regional, county or local authority area level, ‘as the effect of events or actions that are small in national terms can have a big effect at the county level’ (Morgenroth, 2018: 35). For example, a large jobs announcement leading to an increase of 1,500 people resident in a Council area with the population of Lisburn & Castlereagh or Louth, would mean a swing of 1% or more.

4. Although we use the ‘current trends’ scenario here, there are alternative scenarios which could be developed in any subsequent research:  One alternative is to hold the all-island population and employment totals constant but to propose different types of spatial development, where the Corridor takes a greater (or smaller) share of total growth than in the ‘current trends’ scenario due to planning policies.  Another alternative is that infrastructure investment or other policy interventions on the Corridor would create higher growth not only for the region but the island as a whole. This would require details on the proposed investments or interventions, which could then be built into the modelling of a ‘high growth’ scenario.

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4.1 Outlook for Population 5. Population projections are a mixture of birth minus deaths (or natural increase) and net migration.11 At a local level, the projections often include some estimations of internal migration, primarily the movement of people either into or out of urban centres.

6. Different methods have been used to attribute growth rates. In the case of the Republic of Ireland portion, the annual growth rates attributed to NUTS 3 regions have been applied to those Council areas which fall within them (Morgenroth, 2018). Therefore, growth rates for Dublin City and Fingal come from the Dublin region, while Meath and Louth are taken from the wider Mid East region. In the NI part of the Corridor, the forecasts are Council area- based taken directly from the UUEPC local government model.

7. The projection for total population, as shown in Figure 30, is that 2.5 million people will live in the Corridor’s eight Council areas by 2040. This represents a 21% increase from 2016.

8. Under current trends this would see the Corridor’s share of the island’s total population (of 7.7 million) become 31.9% in 2040, an increase of around 1%.

Figure 30: Total forecast population and change by 2040, EEC

800000 35.0%

700000 30.0%

600000 25.0% 500000 20.0% 400000 15.0% 300000 10.0% 200000

100000 5.0%

0 0.0% Armagh, Belfast Lisburn and Newry, Dublin City Fingal Meath Louth Banbridge Castlereagh Mourne and and Down Craigavon

Total popn in 2040 Increase by 2040 Growth rate (%)

Source: UUEPC Winter 2018 Outlook and Morgenroth, 2018.

11 The population projections are produced using the outputs of the ESRI Irish County Population Projection Model (Morgenroth, 2018) and the UUEPC local government model. 56 | P a g e

9. In these projections, the Southern end of the Corridor, especially Meath, will see the highest rates of increase. The projections are similar to those contained in the draft Eastern & Midlands Regional Assembly RSES. These forecast an increase by 2031 of 174,000, giving a total population of 1.35 million for Dublin City, Fingal, Louth and Meath. At this rate of growth a population of just under 1.5 million for those four Council areas could be expected by the 2041 Census, just ahead of the 1.47 million projected here.

10. As Figure 30 shows, the NI Council areas will see much lower growth under these projections. Only ABC (20.1%) and NMD (17.7%) are projected to see a percentage increase close to the Corridor’s total increase. Belfast, in particular, could be less than half the overall rate of increase. The key factor in the lower rates of population growth in NI is the much lower projections for net migration, as rates of natural increase are expected to be similar.

11. A case can be made for the population forecasts being too conservative, as these follow ‘current trends’. This may be particularly true for Belfast. The UUEPC projections for the city are lower than the population target (an additional 66,000 people by 2035) contained in the Belfast Agenda. The difference can be explained, in part, by the Belfast Agenda assuming higher levels of ‘internal’ migration within Northern Ireland than these projections include.

12. A key feature of the population outlook is that life expectancy rates will continue to increase in all parts. This will mean that, with the population under 15 years and over 65 years both growing, there will be higher dependency ratios developing over time. The consequences of this, in terms of perhaps working longer and making workplaces attractive to this, will be a challenge facing the Corridor as much as other parts of the island, although the growth in Working Age Population (16-64) will remain stronger than in other parts of the island.

4.2 Outlook for Employment 13. The employment forecasts, like the population projections, are based on the ESRI and UUEPC models.12 In both cases local numbers are constrained by the need to add up to national or regional totals. Sectoral patterns are also informed by the local sectoral changes having to add to overall net increases or decreases.

14. The forecast for workplace employment numbers on the Corridor, shown in Figure 31, is for an increase of almost 325,000 additional jobs in the next quarter of a century to 2040. This could mean a total of 1.28 million jobs on

12 The employment forecasts are produced using the outputs of the ESRI COSMO macroeconomic model (see Morgenroth, 2018) and the UUEPC local government model. 57 | P a g e

the Corridor or 35% of the island’s total. This would mean a 2% increase in the share of the island’s jobs located on the Corridor.

Figure 31: Total forecast employment and change by 2040, EEC

Increase Change (%)

160000 60.00%

140000 50.00% 120000 40.00% 100000

80000 30.00%

60000 20.00% 40000 10.00% 20000

0 0.00% Armagh, Belfast Lisburn & Newry, Dublin City Fingal Louth Meath Banbridge & Castlereagh Mourne & Craigavon Down

Source: UUEPC Winter 2018 Outlook and Morgenroth, 2018.

15. Figure 31 clearly shows the divergence in growth rates between NI and the Republic of Ireland. This will not only continue but could grow. Employment numbers will increase in each of the NI Council areas – and particularly in Belfast which will see a 47,000 increase (up 18.5%). However, none of the four Council areas will see a growth rate anywhere close to the Corridor’s average increase of 34% by 2040.

16. Figure 31 shows that the lowest growth rate in the Southern end is 46% in Meath, rising to almost 50% in Dublin city. The variations in growth rates along the Corridor suggest that the greatest labour market tightness will be felt in the Southern part. This will create opportunities for workers to commute or migrate in that direction, leading perhaps to higher levels of cross-border commuting than currently recorded.

17. The current shift towards tradeable services (including Professional & Technical Services and ICT, as well as Transportation & Logistics) continues in the employment forecasts. Therefore, growth in these sectors is closer to a 40% increase by 2040, compared to 28% for Manufacturing and 10% for more locally-traded services. Elsewhere there is a continuing slow decline in the numbers employed in Agriculture and the plateauing of numbers in an ever- changing Retail sector.

19. Of course, employment forecasts will not tell us what disruptive new technologies might arise and therefore what entirely new jobs might emerge

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in data, content services or, perhaps, in the greentech space. Some of the leading technology firms located on the Corridor exist in areas of the economy (eg: payment services) which were unheard of 20 years ago. Thus, the outlook should be viewed as provisional, especially any one going beyond a five-year window. Because of this education providers and economic development agencies need to be nimble to meet changes at each and every point.

4.3 Future Skills 20. The employment forecasts and the broad sectoral trends can be used to take a view of what future economic activity might look like. The forecasts can also be used to determine the likely skills demand on the Corridor. This section also draws on other recent research into future skills demand which has been carried out (eg: UUEPC, 2019; Fingal, 2019) for different parts of the Corridor.

21. The employment forecasts point to additional growth in the numbers of jobs in the Corridor (called expansion demand), but there will be demand created by people leaving their jobs (called replacement demand). Some of this demand will be filled by those presently within the labour market (for example, people moving from one job to another), but there will be a net requirement from education and migration.

22. This net figure is often much larger than the additional jobs referred to in the forecasts. The UUEPC research for the Belfast City Region found that between 2017 and 2027 there would be an annual expansion demand of 5,950 people but an annual net requirement of 18,080.13 If this pattern was repeated across the Corridor, the respective annual figures would be approximately 13,000 in expansion demand and between 33,000 and 40,000 in net requirement.

23. The replacement demand figures emphasise the continuing importance of sectors with large numbers of employees, as these will create large numbers of job opportunities, especially from replacement demand. The Corridor, like elsewhere, will see continued demand of this type from sectors such as tourism, healthcare, the public sector or even retail.

24. The occupations which are forecast to grow fastest are the professional ones, such as science & technology professionals, health professionals and business & service professionals. This means that there is the need to create a higher educational attainment profile than exists at present in the Corridor. In the Belfast City Region, 33% of the net requirement to 2027 will be associated with third level qualifications and only 10% with lower than NQF level 2 (UUEPC, 2019: 52).

13 The skills demand analysis is based upon a ‘high growth’ scenario whereby expansion demand is three times higher than in the ‘current trend’ of baseline scenario (UUEPC, 2019). 59 | P a g e

25. The profile above noted a mismatch between the (lower) skills levels of residents of the Corridor and the demands of the jobs located there. In the case of both the Belfast City Region and Fingal the research points to this situation continuing and perhaps worsening unless action is taken. In the case of Fingal this has been quantified into annual skills gaps up to 2023 numbering 7,600 and 40% of these in professional occupations (Fingal, 2019: 15).

26. The recent research points to two clear skills challenges on the Corridor:  The supply pipeline of those entering the labour market will not meet the net requirement to fill all of the vacancies in the next decade. As noted above, this is likely to impact on some occupational groups more than others, but it can be applied across almost all groups.  There is also a misalignment between the skills in the pipeline and the requirements for the future. This imbalance changes from place to place. In some places (eg: Belfast, Fingal and most likely Dublin) the numbers of graduates and higher qualified being produced will undershoot requirements. In other places, the additional requirements are for those with intermediate skills and skilled trades.

27. To date, the answer to meeting the demand for skills has been a mixture of ensuring an improving profile of the skills of residents, facilitating commuting to the places of highest demand and an openness to net international migration. All three have certainly played a role in ensuring that the Corridor has been able to promote the availability of a skilled workforce.

28. The pressures to continue to supply such a workforce are likely to intensify into the future, given the skills profile of job opportunities. Much of the attention is likely to be on the continued supply of labour market entrants with third level and higher qualifications by the higher education institutes. There will also need to be attention paid to the housing, connectivity and planning consequences of commuting flows along the Corridor and of internal migration from other parts of the island and international migration from further afield.

29. However, finally it is clear how those individuals with low levels of qualifications are increasingly disadvantage in the labour market. The need to minimise the numbers of those entering the labour market with less than NVQ level 2 qualifications must be an imperative for any idea of inclusive growth. Breaking that particular cycle will be equally important to meeting the future skills needs of the Corridor.

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5. Potential areas for cooperation on the Eastern Economic Corridor

28. This section outlines a number of potential areas for cooperation along the Corridor and some possible actions which might be used as a beginning of discussion. These arise from a number of sources. First, the Councils and universities involved in the network identified a number of common priority areas at a number of workshops.14 The common priorities, including including innovation, enterprise supports and environmental management, arise from Community Plans, City Deals under development in NI and

29. Second, the research identified a number of areas for cooperation, in particular ‘soft’ and hard’ infrastructural improvements, which have underpinned successful interventions in other economic corridors.

30. Third, the current profile and future prospects of the Corridor suggest a number of cooperative areas, such as skills development, which could deliver economic value to the region and the island more generally.

31. This section lists a number of potential areas under the headings of Promotion and Infrastructure and begins the early process of suggesting a rationale for cooperation and some possible actions. These will be subject to further development by the network of Councils and universities, before being tested with a wider group of stakeholders.

5.1 Promotion 32. Many economic corridors have pursued the gaol of successfully branding and promoting their location. This is often done for the purposes of attracting investment from both inward private and domestic public sources. The focus for promotion differs from place to place but there is a tendency to promote the presence of a highly skilled workforce and population, of sectoral strengths (eg: Medicon Valley in Oresund), of supports for innovative and entrepreneurial firms.

Skills 6. The rationale to include skills among the potential areas for cooperation comes from both the pressing need to always improve in this area, and the expertise and remit of the partners involved in the Corridor’s network. As noted above

14 An initial workshop in September 2018 for Council officers from across the Corridor identified a number of priority areas shared in common. These were revisited at a later workshop held in May 2019 which discussed the draft final report. 61 | P a g e

the supply of sufficient numbers of people with relevant skills to meet demand is a necessary foundation for a competitive economy, especially for a region aiming to be attractive to inward investment.

7. In addition, the local authorities and universities along the Corridor are well aware of and involved in meeting the twin challenges of a supply of high skilled workers, and of minimising the numbers coming into the labour market with low levels of skills. There is already a great deal of activity at local authority and regional levels along the Corridor, specifically in the work of various statutory and voluntary skills fora.

8. Some initial ideas ‘floated’ as possible actions in the skills development area include:  Developing means of engaging employers in greater levels of skills development among their workforces (with an emphasis on small and micro-enterprises).  Rolling out mechanisms involving education providers and employers alike to improve employability prospects and ‘soft skills’.  The completion of a Skills Barometer – monitoring the changing needs of the labour market and future demand and supply of skills – for the Corridor as a whole.

Sectoral strengths 9. The rationale behind promoting sectoral strengths is that all regions are expected to have not only a level of sectoral specialisation (a concentration of business and employees in certain sectors), but also strong networks or clusters of firms and research in particular sectors. The Oresund region, with its focus on medical devices and the wider life sciences industry, is a case in point.

10. The profile identifies the expected sectoral specialisations in different parts of the Corridor, most particularly in ICT, financial services, pharmaceuticals and professional services. However, there are also localised specialisations in parts of the Corridor in the agri-food sector, tourism and transport/logistics, some of which occur in a number of Council areas. There are also plans afoot to further develop some of these strengths, for example in food and tourism, as well as supporting emerging industries including cyber-security, financial technologies high-tech creative or greentech.

11. Some initial ideas ‘floated’ as possible actions in the sectoral development area include:  Branding of both the existing strengths (eg: in food) and promotion of segments of these, such as heritage, water-based (‘blue ways’) or other activity tourism.  Development of further innovation and research ‘hubs’ such as Belfast’s financial technology centre, the data analytics centre in DCU (INSIGHT), the energy research hub in Dundalk, and those centres

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proposed in the Belfast Region City Deal (for example in life sciences – the Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology).

Enterprise supports 12. The profile shows a varied performance both in the level of entrepreneurship at the start-up stage (with business birth rates much lower in most NI Council areas) and also in the amount of scaling-up among microenterprises. There is a strong rationale for cooperation among the Councils and universities in this space because of the current provision of supports to individual entrepreneurs, to start-ups and to other businesses by all of the partners.

13. Some initial ideas ‘floated’ as possible actions in the enterprise supports area include:  The Councils and universities already provide enterprise supports and have a remit for further development of these along the Corridor, through the network of LEOs and the joint operation of ‘Go for It’ in NI by 11 Councils and Local Enterprise Agencies. There is certainly potential for shared resources, learning and perhaps celebration of success stories.  The existence of collaborative ventures between the Council partners – such as NMD, Louth and Meath on a precursor to the InterTradeIreland Co- Innovate programme – points to opportunities to develop other offerings in partnership with the economic development agencies working on the Corridor.  Potential to pursue some niche areas, such as access to finance and so on for ‘tech starts’ and HE spin-outs (in partnership with the universities and ITs).

5.2 Infrastructure 14. In some economic corridors (such as Oresund or the proposed Oxford/Milton Keynes/Cambridge arc) the emphasis is increasingly on the ‘soft’ forms of infrastructure, such as research and innovation centres, Smart Cities initiatives, and investment in environmental and energy management projects. Growth corridors in East Asia and examples such as the Basel Tri- national Agglomeration and the Seattle/Vancouver Corridor have all based cooperation on networks of research institutes, knowledge transfers and joint research programmes in order to benefit the larger region.

15. ‘Hard’ infrastructure, such as transport connectivity, has also been crucial to corridor development and, as noted above in Section 3.3 on Key Assets much remains to be done. This will certainly involve advocacy by the network partners at a regional and national level for further investment.

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Research & Innovation 16. The role of the state in fostering research and innovation-led economic development has been relatively successful, though the institutions of the local government across the island of Ireland and their role as drivers of innovation is not as developed as other EU member states. This is now improving, with new competences being allocated and greater expectations placed upon local authorities. However the consequences of earlier constraints can be seen in the emphasis on the provision of enterprise space, the recent bedding down of economic development and planning powers, and a continuing underappreciation of the localness and place- based nature of innovative economic activity.

17. Given this set of critical challenges facing local authorities, the rationale for cooperation and indeed partnership with other key institutions on the Corridor (e.g. HE institutions) is strong. The need for cooperation also arises from the need to shift the focus of attention from an individual place or individual firm to a region and clusters or networks of businesses (Rosenfeld, 2007:20).

18. A final challenge in this area for local government relates to managing a variety of relationships, between HE institutions, Councils and businesses. Although these relationships often tend to rely on individuals, there are examples of successful institutional partnerships, for example the Green Way in Dublin, that indicate that successful private sector, local authority and university partnerships are possible.

19. Some initial ideas ‘floated’ as possible actions in the research and innovation area include:  The further expansion of the specific Smart Cities initiative involving Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) challenges. In recent years this has involved Dublin and Belfast, including the joint 2018 project looking at redesigning the delivery of goods in urban areas.  The provision of incubation space by various HE institutions along the Corridor (Alpha in DCU, the RDC in DkiT, etc) offers an opportunity for the development of networks and shared programmes and offerings between the centres and their tenants.  The development of some new and the expansion of existing research centres – some with a sectoral focus such as advanced manufacturing, software development or clinical trials and others which have a more general application, perhaps modelled on accelerator centres in Fingal or Belfast’s Innovation Factory.  The development of measures to facilitate the testing of new digital technology applications, for instance by creating innovation testbeds, regulatory sandboxes, and state-of-the-art facilities and expertise, all of which will aid the diffusion of innovation beyond large firms.

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Environmental resilience and management 20. The challenge and rationale could not be clearer as both the UK and Ireland have declared a climate emergency’ as global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate. The findings of successive IPCC reports are stark ‘climate-related risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security, and economic growth are projected to increase with global warming of 1.5°C’.

21. Moving to the Corridor, the climate modelling simulations suggest the greatest increase in mean annual temperatures in the east of the country, mean annual spring and summer precipitation levels are projected to decrease, and heavy rainfall events will increase in winter and autumn. Storms affecting Ireland will decrease in frequency but will increase in intensity thus bringing an increased risk of damage and coastal flooding.

22. These challenges will only be met by collective methods of environmental resilience or effectively adapting and planning so that the negative climate impacts can be reduced, while also taking advantage of any positive outcomes, either allowing the system to return to its previous state of to adapt to a new state. Environmental management is equally important and will involve the protection of natural assets, human welfare, local distinctiveness of places, productivity and livelihoods, food security and reputation for stable and secure environments for investment in the Corridor.

23. The alignment of the adaptation frameworks North and South in the Corridor offers the opportunity for collaboration to collectively address these shared challenges which are not confined by spatial or administrative boundaries. Some initial ideas ‘floated’ as possible actions in the environmental resilience and management area include:  Protection of existing critical infrastructure, including energy, communications, roads, public transport, water and coastal and inland flood defence systems.  Supporting the harnessing of the potential for the development of new regional renewable energy (wind – onshore and offshore – and wave).  Further development of green infrastructure on the Corridor through the provision of long distance cycling and walking routes.  Provision of mechanisms to continue the management of the Corridor’s offshore resources (energy generation, marine transport and fishing and aquaculture) in light of the particular challenges with Brexit.  Developing collaborative frameworks in the areas of information sharing, researching new technologies and shared learning in public sector energy efficiency efforts and developing the circular economy.

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References

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APPENDIX 6.3(b)ED

Proposal to the Local Authority Chief Executives Meeting in relation to the North Eastern Economic Corridor/C8 Initiative

Despite significant goodwill from all the participating local authorities, a shared recognition of the potential benefits of the initiative and the fact that we have been working collectively on it for over two years, progress has been slow and we have still not reached agreement on what exactly we are proposing to do.

There was probably always an argument for waiting until there was greater certainty regarding the likely outcome of Brexit before launching any cross border initiative such as this. However, Brexit is likely to be resolved, one way or the other, over the next few weeks. We need to agree something soon and get on with implementation, or we should abandon the whole idea.

If we are to do anything significant under the NEEC/C8 banner then we need to allocate resources to support the implementation of whatever actions are agreed.

Dublin City Council is proposing the following limited objective and action areas for the Initiative:

Objective The objective of the NEE/C8 Initiative is to leverage the existing local government network and resources of the participating local authorities to identify areas where we can exert a significant positive impact and add value to the economic development of the corridor.

Action Areas 1. Development of NEEC/C8 brand. 2. Commissioning research into the benefits of corridor approach to development. 3. Promotion of the corridor and lobbying of its behalf (incl. organising a Conference) 4. Promoting and facilitating increased cooperation between the participating local authorities.

Fingal County Council has agreed to provide support services for the NEEC/C8 Initiative for the first year.

Dublin City Council is suggesting that we agree a budget (say €100,000 for 2020 to be jointly funded by the 8 participating local authorities, perhaps on a population basis). This would be made available to Fingal to pursue projects in the different action areas. Fingal would report on a monthly basis to the Working Group and maybe twice a year to the Steering Group. At the end of the year we can evaluate what has been achieved and decide if we want to continue the Initiative and hopefully expand it.

25 October 2019 APPENDIX 6.4(a)ED

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme

Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme

GUIDANCE NOTES

The Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) as part of the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme.

The Scheme is being administered by local Councils

1 Contents 1.0 Introduction 1.1. Background to Grant Programme 1.2 Levels of Grant Award 1.3 Who can apply? 1.4 Who cannot apply? 1.5 What can be funded? 1.6 What cannot be funded? 1.7 What should I submit with my application?

2.0 How to answer the questions

3.0 How we assess and score your application 3.1 Eligibility Assessment 3.2 What if an application is not eligible? 3.3 Assessment and Scoring 3.4 How decisions are made 3.5 What happens if an application is successful? 3.6 What happens if an application is unsuccessful? 3.7 Grant Application Assessment Schedule 3.8 Application Process

Appendix 1

Local Council contact details and method of submitting application

Appendix 2 1 Publication of Data 2 Data Protection Act 3 Freedom of Information Act 4 Equality 5 GDPR

2 Section 1 Introduction

1.1 Background to Grant Programme

The Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme’s (TRPSI) Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme aims to sustain and support the development of micro rural businesses across Northern Ireland by providing a small capital grant for the business. The TRPSI Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and this grant Programme is administered and managed by local Councils.

1.2 Level of Grant Aid

The Scheme can provide funding of up to 50% of costs for capital items up to a maximum of £4,999. The minimum grant awarded will be £500. The total cost of the capital project must be a minimum of £1,000 and must not exceed £20,000. Applicants must provide the remaining match funding towards the project.

This is a competitive process and all grants awarded will be determined on the base of merit.

1.3 Who Can Apply?

Grants are available to support the sustainability and development of existing micro businesses based in rural areas.

You can apply for a Rural Business Development Grant if:  The business is based in a participating Council and within a rural area of Northern Ireland. A rural area is defined as an area with a population of less than 5,000 residents, plus the areas of Strathfoyle, Newbuildings and Culmore in Derry/Londonderry Urban Area (OUA) and Helens Bay, Crawfordsburn and Groomsport in the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA). If you are unsure if you are in an eligible rural area, please contact your local Council office before submitting your application.  You are an established business that is actively trading, evidenced by providing your self-assessment number or Limited Company details, sales turnover details and a copy of a recent bank statement that is used by the business.  Your business currently employs less than 10 full-time equivalent employees.  You are appropriately insured or prepared to obtain appropriate insurance if awarded a grant (building or contents insurance as appropriate). No evidence of this is required at application stage, but you will be asked to confirm insurance cover at grant claim stage.  You can provide two quotations for each item to be purchased which meet the guidance stated in section 1.7.  You can complete your project within a short timeframe. It is anticipated that grant offers will be made in mid-February 2020, and your project cannot

3 commence until you receive a formal offer of funding. Projects must be completed by 31st March 2020, with all works completed, onsite, paid and through the bank account by this date.  You are aged 18 or above at the application deadline. You may be asked to provide evidence of this at the Letter of Offer workshop if you are awarded a Letter of Offer.

Only one application can be accepted per business.

1.4 Who Cannot Apply?

The grant scheme cannot support:

 Businesses based in urban areas.  New start businesses who have yet to commence trading (all business sectors).  Mainstream agricultural activity.

All other existing registered businesses based in a rural area of a participating Council are eligible to apply for support.

1.5 What can be funded?

This is a pilot capital grant scheme to support the purchase of new capital items or activities including equipment, machinery and building works, which cost at least £1,000 and no more than £20,000. Examples of eligible expenditure includes computer equipment with associated software, new equipment or machinery, or minor building works to bring an area of a building back into economic use or improve/change the use of the building. For a project involving building works, full planning permission must be in place at the time of application, and the applicant must either own the property, or have a 5 year lease on the property from the date of any Letter of Offer.

1.6 What cannot be funded?

The following items cannot be funded under the Scheme:

 Any resource items, such as marketing materials, websites, training, feasibility studies, software (unless also purchasing associated capital hardware);  Business running costs, such as staff costs, rent, rates, electric;  Motorised vehicles, including vans, lorries, cars, boats, bikes;  Improvements or refurbishments of any residential property (even if used for business purposes), including attics, garages and extensions;  Improvements or refurbishments of any commercial property that is not owned by the applicant, or has a lease term of less than 5 years;  General maintenance or refurbishment works; 4  Any activity or action that is a statutory requirement of your business (eg for Health and Safety purposes such as Personal Protective Equipment) or the responsibility of another government department;  Equipment, machinery or building works costing less than £1,000 or more than £20,000;  Second hand equipment;  Projects that have already started prior to a Letter of Offer;  Consumable items used by businesses that are replaced regularly because they wear out or are used up.

Please note this list is not exhaustive, your local Council Officer can speak to you about your individual project.

1.7 What should I submit with my application?

Your application form must be fully completed and submitted to your local Council office as described in Appendix 1 with all required supporting documents.

1. A copy of most recent Bank / Building Society Statement for the account used for the business. Note, this should be the same account that project items are purchased from. 2. A minimum of 2 quotes/price-checks for each item you are applying for:

Total Estimated Action & Minimum Number Cost per Item At least 2 price-checks per item from different Up to £5,000 suppliers / internet quotations

At least 2 Written Quotes per item from different £5,001 - £20,000 suppliers (internet quotes cannot be used)

Procurement Guidance  At least 2 quotes from 2 separate suppliers should be sought for each item. You or a business that you are an owner/partner/director of, are excluded from quoting for the supply of goods, services or works to a project that you may be offered funding for.  If quotations are being sought, or provided from any member of your family or extended family then the relationship must be advised to the Council prior to any procurement activity and declared in writing on the procurement documentation. In these cases you are required to provide 3 quotes i.e. two independent quotes in addition to the family member quote to provide sufficient comparison of costs under the reasonableness of costs rules within the scheme.  Quotes should be ‘like-for-like’; particularly where items are specific e.g. laptop / IT / machinery etc. Quotations for the same make and

5 model of products must be provided.  Ensure that all costs are quoted and accounted for, eg delivery and installation costs should be part of the quote.  Email quotes are acceptable and should include any covering email.  Quotes must be dated prior to close of call and contain the supplier’s name.  Internet searches must be printed off and sent with your application. Do not simply list website addresses/ provide links to websites as we will not check these.  The lowest quotation should be selected with corresponding costs detailed on the application form.  Details of the quotes received must be listed in Annex A of the application form.

Scanned copies of the quotations can be accepted with your application.

3. If applying for building works - copies of any relevant statutory approvals (e.g. planning permission), and, 4. If applying for building works – evidence of ownership or 5 year lease.

Your application and supporting documents must be submitted by 12noon on Wednesday 18th December 2019 to your local Council via the method listed in Appendix 1. Late, or incomplete applications will not be accepted.

6 Section 2: How to answer the questions All sections of your application form must be completed as fully and concisely as possible as this information will be used in the assessment of your project proposal. Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible and will not be assessed for funding. Please note maximum word limits per question.

Q1 Applicant Details (a) Please state name of business (b) Please state contact name and details (c) Please provide the status of your business and confirmation that you are running a registered business by selecting 1 of the options and completing the details in full

Q2 Business Overview (a) Please state the date your business commenced trading (b) Please state your business address, if different to contact address. Please remember that the project must be in a defined rural area of the Council to be eligible for grant aid. (c) Please provide a comprehensive overview of your current business activities. Maximum 500 words (d) Please enter the current number of full-time and part-time employees (including yourself if applicable). Full-time employees must work at least 30hours per week in the business. Note – in order to be eligible, the business or enterprise must employ less than 10 full-time equivalent employees. (e) Please provide your sales turnover for the last complete financial year, or year to date.

Q3 Project Details (a) Please enter a short title for your project (eg Business Expansion, Business Sustainability)

(b) Please enter a description of the project and detail any new business activities, customers or markets as a result of implementing it. Maximum 500 words. (c) Please explain why you need to carry out your project and what the demand is for your project. You should clearly identify the need for the project, for example, is there deficiencies in your current business, or a market for the proposal? Detail the market research you have undertaken including customer feedback. Maximum 500 words.

7 (d) Please tick and provide information on each specific impact your project will have on your business over the next 12 months. You should complete all text boxes that apply to your business/project. (e) Please provide details of the skills and experience which you or your organisation has that will assist you to carry out the proposed project. In particular, you should comment on general management, marketing and financial experience and any relevant training/mentoring undertaken or qualifications held. You should provide as much information as possible. Maximum 500 words.

Q4 Project Costs (a) Tick as appropriate, enter VAT registration number if required. (b) Please provide details of the items/activities you require funding for. Note – maximum total cost is £20,000 and maximum grant request is £4,999. If your business or enterprise is not VAT registered, you may apply for 50% of the GROSS cost (i.e. the cost including VAT). If your business or enterprise is VAT registered, you can only apply for 50% of the NET cost (cost excluding VAT). Note – you will be required to show that procurement of all items has been completed and that this procurement meets the procurement guidance. (c) Please detail your match funding for the project.

Q5 Previous Funding Please provide details of all other grants awarded to you/your business in the last 4 years (so since November 2015). Include details of grant offers made, but that are still to be drawn down (eg if you have a live Letter of Offer).

Q6 Project Timescales Please confirm if you can complete your project by 31st March 2020, to include project items purchased and onsite, and paid and cleared your bank account by this date.

Note – projects which have already commenced are ineligible for funding. Your project cannot commence until a Letter of Offer is released (anticipated mid-February).

Q7 Building Works (a) State if project involves building works. (b) Please confirm if planning permission is required for your project. The onus is on the applicant to check if planning permission is required for your project – you can contact your local planning office to discuss this. If required, full planning permission must be in place and submitted with your application.

8 (c) Please confirm if you have applied for building control. Your final building control certificate will be required before payment of grant aid. (d) Please confirm that you own the land/building or have a minimum 5 year lease in place if you are carrying out building works as part of your project. Evidence of this must be submitted with your application

Q8 Please indicate if you would like to be registered onto your local Councils Economic Development Database

Checklist

Please tick to confirm what you are submitting with your application.

Declarations

(a) Please read the declaration carefully and complete it in full.

(b) Please read the De-Minims Aid declaration carefully. Complete details of all de-minims aid received in the last 3 fiscal years. Please note that this may include grant funding (for example through Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme, Intertrade Ireland or Invest NI) and also business support programmes (such as local Council mentoring programmes). Complete the declaration in full.

Annex A – Evidence of Value

Please complete in full for all quotations received and remember to include copies of all documents with your application submission. Scanned copies of quotations will be accepted.

9 Section 3 - How we assess and score your application

3.0 Overview

Every application received will be assessed to ensure the following:

 To ensure that the business is eligible to apply to this particular Scheme.  To ensure each applicant’s capability to deliver the proposal, and  To determine how well the proposal meets the business’s needs and supports the business sustainability and growth.

An acknowledgement receipt will be issued to you once your submission has been received. The Council will assess your application for eligibility. If your application is eligible to apply for grant aid, it will be forwarded for full assessment and scored against the stated criteria.

3.1 Eligibility Assessment

If the business, based on the information supplied, is able to satisfy the Council of their eligibility, they will progress to the next part of the process.

If the business, based on the information supplied, is not able to satisfy the Council of their eligibility, they will be advised of specific omissions/shortcomings and how these can be addressed for any future funding requests.

3.2 What if an application is not eligible?

If your application is not eligible, you will be notified immediately and the reasons will be outlined to you. Your application will not proceed to assessment and scoring.

If a business is not eligible for funding through the Programme, businesses may wish to contact the Council, who will help signpost to other sources of support.

3.3 Assessment and Scoring

If the business, based on the information supplied, is able to satisfy the eligibility criteria, they will be scored according to established assessment criteria shown in the table below.

AREA Score

Economic Impact /25

Need for project /25

Evidence of potential export out of Northern Ireland /5

Innovation /10

Business Efficiency /10

Previous funding /10

Management strength /15

TOTAL /100

Applications must score at least 65% in order to avail of funding. Applicants will be ranked according to score obtained and available funding allocated to highest ranking applications. Applicants who fail to achieve a score of at least 65% will be advised that they have been unsuccessful. Applicants who score above 65%, but who do not score high enough to be awarded funding due to lack of available funding will be notified of this.

3.4 How decisions are made

When the scores are finalised, the applications may be presented to your local Council.

Successful/unsuccessful applicants will be notified at this stage.

3.5 What happens if an application is successful?

If an application is successful, Council will issue a Letter of Offer which is a legal agreement with the business to deliver on the proposals outlined in their application form.

11 Signed Letters of Offer must be returned within 14 days of receipt.

If successful, businesses must attend a Letter of Offer workshop which will explain the processes and procedures that relate to Programme monitoring, submitting a financial claim, requesting changes, promoting DAERA’s support for the Programme, monitoring and evaluation requirements and the process of verification.

This grant funding scheme is retrospective and therefore costs will only be reimbursed once items are purchased, paid in full, viewed in place and a grant claim submitted and processed. Applicants will have to provide original invoices and show evidence of payment of invoices through their bank account as part of the claim process. Items should be paid through the bank account for which a statement is provided as part of the application process. Cash and Credit card payments cannot be accepted.

Projects must be complete, paid in full and cleared the bank account by 31st March 2020 or the project will be deemed ineligible and no grant payment will be made.

Grant claims, including original invoices and bank statements, must be submitted to your local Council by 28th April 2020.

Businesses are required to provide information on the impact of their project on project completion. Officers from your local Council, DAERA or audit officials may arrange post project visits to verify spend and discuss the monitoring information with the businesses that were funded.

3.6 What happens if an application is unsuccessful?

If an application is not successful, officers from the Council discuss the application and provide practical developmental support to address areas of concern.

An Appeals Process/Review Procedure is also available if an application is unsuccessful. The purpose of this is to ensure that the decisions taken and procedures followed for individual applications are applied fairly and consistently.

The Review will provide an independent process through which an applicant will have the opportunity to submit information to the Review Panel indicating that either:  the outcome was unreasonable or;  the proper procedures were not followed.

Appeals on any other grounds will not be considered.

3.7 Grant Application Assessment Schedule

The Programme will be open for applications as follows:

Opening date: Monday 18th November 2019

Closing date: Wednesday 18th December 2019 at 12 noon

Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstances. The application form must be fully completed and all required supporting documentation must be supplied at time of submission or the application will not be considered.

Applications and supporting documentation should be submitted to your local Council following the method stated in Appendix 1.

The Programme will follow this eight step administrative process:

Step 1 Open call for applications is made Step 2 Applications are submitted to your local Council Step 3 Applications are assessed Step 4 Letters of Offer are issued and applicant attends Letter of Offer workshop Step 5 Letters of Offer are returned within 14 days Step 6 Projects are completed and paid in full by applicant Step 7 Grant claim is submitted to local Council for processing Step 8 Grant payment is made directly to applicant

3.8 Application Process

All applications for financial assistance should be submitted to your local Council as outlined in Appendix 1.

It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that their application is submitted prior to the advertised time and date of closing, being 12noon on Wednesday 18th December. Applications received after the closing time/date will not be considered for funding. No exceptions will be made and there is no recourse to appeal.

The application will be assessed against Programme objectives and the project selection criteria set out by the Councils.

13 Projects that meet the criteria will be considered for financial assistance on a competitive basis, and if approved, a Letter of Offer setting out the terms and conditions of the assistance will be issued.

14 Appendix 1 - Council Contact Details

Council Area Contact Details Method of Submitting Application By email to: [email protected] Tel: 028 9448 1311 Antrim & Email: [email protected] or by post/hand delivery to: Newtownabbey Website: https://antrimandnewtownabbey.gov. TRPSI Programme, Economic Development Section, Mossley Mill, Borough Council uk/ruralbusinessgrants/ Newtownabbey, BT36 5QA

By email to: [email protected] Tel: 028 91473788 Ext. 40919

Email: [email protected] Ards & North or by post/hand delivery to: Website: www.ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk/rural- Down Borough TRPSI Programme, Rural Development Team, Signal Centre, Bangor, development Council BT19 7PD

Tel: 028 4066 0609 By email to Email: [email protected] economicdevelopment@armaghbanbridgecraiga Armagh City von.gov.uk Banbridge & or by post/hand delivery to: Web: Craigavon TRPSI Programme, Economic Development, Old Technical Building, 3 https://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/b Borough Council Downshire Road, Banbridge, Co.Down, BT32 3JY usiness/

Tel 028 777 60311 Email: [email protected] Causeway Coast v.uk Via Council’s online funding hub - visit & Glens Borough Website: www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/grantsandfunding Council www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/grantsandfu nding

15 Via Councils online funding portal – visit https://www.dcsdcgrantaid.com/applications/ Tel : 028 71253 253 ext. 4265

Email: [email protected] or by Email to: [email protected] Derry City & Website:

Strabane District https://www.derrystrabane.com/businesssupport Council or by Post/Hand Delivery to: TRPSI Programme, Business Support, 47 Derry Road, Strabane, Co Tyrone, BT82 8DY

By email to: [email protected]

or by post/hand delivery to: Fermanagh & Tel: 0300 303 1777 TRPSI Programme, Economic Development Team Omagh District Email: [email protected] Council Website: http://www.fermanaghomagh.com The Grange, Mountjoy Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT79 7BL; or

Townhall, 2 Townhall Street, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, BT74 7BA By email to: [email protected] Tel: 028 92447489

Email: [email protected] Lisburn & or by post/hand delivery to: Website: https://www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/bu Castlereagh City TRPSI Programme, Economic Development Section, Lisburn & siness/rural-development-and-regeneration/rural- Council Castlereagh City Council, Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL development

By email to: [email protected] or by post/hand delivered to: Tel: 028 2563 3266 TRPSI Programme, Investment & Funding Unit, Mid & East Antrim Mid & East Antrim Email: [email protected] Borough Council, Silverwood Business Park, Michelin, 190 Raceview Borough Council Website: www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk Road, Ballymena, BT42 4HZ

By email to: [email protected] Contact: Eamon Gallogly

Tel: 03000 132 132 – Ext 24320 or by post/hand delivery to: Mid Ulster District Email: [email protected] Mid Ulster District Council, Gortalowry House, 94 Church Street, Council Website: www.midulstercouncil.org/businessgrowth Cookstown, Co Tyrone, BT80 8HX

16 By email to: [email protected]

or by post/hand delivery to: Contact: Business Development Unit Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Tel: 0300 013 2233 FAO Business Development Unit Newry, Mourne & Email: [email protected] Down District Website: Newry Office https://www.newrymournedown.org/business- Unit 19 Rampart Road, Greenbank Industrial Estate Council support Newry, Co. Down BT34 2QU

Downpatrick Office Downshire Civic Centre, Downshire Estate, Ardglass Road, Downpatrick, BT30 6GQ

17 Appendix 2 - Additional Information for Applicants 1. Publication of Data

If your application is successful and your project is awarded funding, please note that DAERA may publicise details of all financial support awarded/paid out to beneficiaries. This will include the name of the beneficiary, their postal town, their post code and the total amount of financial support received by the beneficiary from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Details of all applications (successful and unsuccessful) will be submitted to your local Council and applicant details will be published as part of the Council report, which are accessible to the public.

2. Data Protection Act

 We will use the information you give us on the application form during assessment and for the life of any grant we award you to administer and analyse grants and for our own research.

 All information submitted in your application form, supporting documentation and any future claim will be made available to the funding organisation, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and the administrative organisation – your local Council.

 We may give copies of this information to individuals and organisations we consult when assessing applications, when monitoring grants and evaluating the way our funding programmes work and the effect they have. These organisations may include accountants, external evaluators, external auditors and other organisations or groups involved in delivering the project.

 We may also share information with other government departments, including Invest Northern Ireland, organisations providing match funding and other organisations and individuals with a legitimate interest in applications and grants, or for the prevention or detection of fraud.

 We might use the data you provide for our own research. We recognise the need to maintain the confidentiality of vulnerable groups and their details will not be made public in any way, except as required by law.

3 Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives members of the public the right to request any information that we hold, subject to certain exemption that may apply. This includes information received from third parties, such as, although not limited to, grant applicants, grant holders and contractors. If information is requested under the Freedom of Information Act we will release it, subject to exemptions; although we may consult with you first. If you think that information you are providing may be exempt from release if requested, you should let us know when you apply. For further information please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.gov.uk

4 Equality Considerations

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998) and Equality Monitoring

Under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998) DAERA has a statutory obligation to promote equality of opportunity between: persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, martial status or sexual orientation; men and women; persons with a disability and persons without; and persons with dependants and persons without.

The Act also requires DAERA to take into account the promotion of good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.

To meet its statutory obligations, DAERA has to continuously monitor and assess the equality uptake and outcomes of its policies and programmes, to determine if there are any adverse effects or consequences. And if there are, to look at ways to lessen these.

This equality monitoring is done through the completion of an equality monitoring form (questionnaire) by project beneficiaries once the funding has been awarded. DAERA is legally required to conduct this monitoring, but it is voluntary for beneficiaries to complete the form, which will be anonymous and confidential. The completed forms are returned directly to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) in a freepost envelope which will be provided. This information will be stored confidentially by NISRA. These completed forms are not seen by DAERA.

The information collected will only be used for Equality Monitoring purposes and in compliance with The Data Protection Act. The details on this form will not be used in the decision to award funding to any person/group who applies to the Scheme, nor will this form be linked in any way to details of individual participants.

All beneficiaries are encouraged to complete the form as it will greatly help DAERA comply with its statutory duty and in its assessment of the equality uptake and outcomes of the Scheme across different groups of people.

5 General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) - When you apply for Rural Business Development Capital Grant Pilot Scheme we will ask for some personal information because, for example, your personal email address or telephone number is used on the applicant organisation’s behalf. When you provide this information it is processed in adherence with the GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018 as well as the scheme’s Terms and Conditions to enable us to communicate with you about the application.

19 which it has been provided. However, DAERA may also use it for other legitimate purposes in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Freedom of Information legislation. These include: • Occupational health and welfare; • Compilation of statistics; • Disclosure to other organisations when required by law to do so; • Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 where such disclosure is in the public interest; • The prevention and detection of fraud or maladministration (e.g. The Comptroller & Auditor General and HM Revenue & Customs).

For further details on your privacy see the DAERA Privacy Statement www.daera- ni.gov.uk/daera-privacy-statement

20 APPENDIX 6.4(b) ED

Department of Agricultural Environment and Rural Affairs

Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme

APPLICATION FORM

GUIDANCE NOTES ARE PROVIDED FOR EACH QUESTION. YOU SHOULD READ THESE CAREFULLY BEFORE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) - When you apply for Rural Business Development Capital Grant Pilot Scheme we will ask for some personal information because, for example, your personal email address or telephone number is used on the applicant organisation’s behalf. When you provide this information it is processed in adherence with the GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018 as well as the scheme’s Terms and Conditions to enable us to communicate with you about the application. Only fully completed application forms submitted with the required documentation (as per checklist at end of application) will be considered. Any application submitted with missing information or incomplete questions will be deemed incomplete and subsequently rejected. The closing date for receipt of applications is 12noon on Wednesday 18th December 2019. Applications should be submitted to their local Council via the method listed in the guidance notes. Applications submitted after this date/time will not be accepted.

For Official Use Only: To Be Date Stamped on Receipt

Date / Time Application RBDS - Received: Ref:

Email Acknowledged Method of by: Delivery Hand/Post

1 Applicant Details (a) Name of Organisation: ______

(b) Organisation/Individual Contact Details:

Contact name Address County Post Code Tel Number Mobile Number E Mail Address ______Website ______

(c) What term best describes your organisation (select 1 option) Sole Trader HMRC Self-Assessment Number ______Limited Company Company Number ______Business Partnership HMRC Self- Assessment Number for each partner: ______Other Describe status and provide detail of business registration: ______

Q2 Business Overview

(a) What date was your business established? ______

(b) If your business is located at a different address to Q1b, please provide your business address: ______

(c) Provide an overview of your current business activities (Products / services offered, types of customers, any export)

Maximum 500 words

(d) Please provide the number of employees involved in your business, including yourself:

Male Female Male Female Permanent Permanent full-time* part-time Temporary Temporary full-time part-time

* Full-time employee must work at least 30 hours per week

(e) What was your sales turnover last year? Last financial year: £______

If you have been trading for less than 1 year, provide your sales to date: £______

Q3 Project Details (a) Project Title: ______

(b) Project Description: Please describe your project and detail any new business activities, customers or markets that you intend to target.

Maximum 500 words

(d) The focus of this grant scheme is to sustain existing rural businesses, and support business growth, improve business efficiency and promote innovation in businesses. Please tell us what the anticipated outcomes of implementing the project will be over the next 12months. Please complete all boxes that apply to your business/project:

Please tick if Please provide specific detail on the impact this grant will appropriate have on your business in the relevant sections below

Existing jobs will be sustained

New jobs will be created

Sales turnover will increase

Business will be more efficient

Increased innovation in the market place

Increased innovation in my business

Export sales outside of NI will commence/ increase

5 (e) What skills and experience do you have which are relevant to your project or business? Please include details of any other external support you have received to set up or develop your business (eg Go for It Programme, business mentoring etc)

Maximum 500 words

Q4 Project Costs (a) Is your business VAT registered? YES / NO

If yes, please provide the VAT registration number:

(b) Breakdown of costs:

Item Net Cost (£) VAT Amount Gross cost (£) TRPSI Funding (£) Applied for (£)*

Total Cost £ £ £ £ *If you are VAT registered, TRPSI funding should be applied for against the Net cost. You do not need to complete the VAT and gross cost column. If you are not VAT registered, you should complete all columns and you may apply for funding against the gross cost. Maximum grant request is 50% grant rate up to £4,999.

Source of funding Name of Funder Current status of Total Amount application applied for £ TRPSI Scheme (this DAERA Submitted application) Own resources – Self cash

Own resources – loans Other – please state

TOTAL (this should match the total cost listed above) £

(d) Please confirm that you can purchase the item(s) in full before claiming funding back against the item: Yes No

Q5 Previous Funding

(a) Have you / your business been awarded any other grant assistance within the last four years, eg NI Rural Development Programme or Invest NI?

YES NO

If YES, please provide the following information:

Name of Funding Date of Letter of Date of Receipt of Amount of Grant Programme Offer Grant Received

Please note that you must also complete the De-Minims Aid Declaration at the end of this application form. Q6 Project Timescales To be eligible for grant aid, you must be able to complete your project in a short timeframe, between Letter of Offer issue (anticipated mid-February 2020) and 31st March 2020. By 31st March, all works must be completed and onsite and must be fully paid and cleared the bank. Your claim for payment must be submitted to your local Council by 28th April 2020.

Please confirm if you can complete your project as described by 31st March 2020 and submit your claim by 28th April 2020:

Yes No

Q 7 (a) Does you project involve any building works to your premises?

Yes No If no, please proceed to question 8.

(b) Is planning permission required for your project? Yes No

If required, this must be in place at the time of submitting your application for funding and a copy must be provided with your application form. The onus to ensure necessary statutory approvals are obtained and in place lies with the applicant.

(d) Do you own or lease the land /building in which the works are to be carried out?

Own land/building Lease, for minimum period of 5 years

Please note, that a 5 year lease is the minimum requirement for this project. Shorter lease periods cannot be considered for projects applying for building works to alter premises.

Q8 Would you like to be registered onto your local Councils Economic Development Database to be kept up to date with other relevant programmes and initiatives?

Yes No

CHECKLIST

Please ensure you have:  Filled in all parts of the form, including Annex A Provided copies of all quotations as detailed at Annex A A copy of most recent Bank / Building Society Statement for account used by the business Provided a copy of your 5 year (minimum) lease/ proof of ownership (only for projects involving work to buildings / land) Provided a copy of your full planning permission (only for projects involving work to buildings / land and if required) Provided additional pages, where appropriate.

DECLARATION (a) Application

 I declare that all of the information provided in this application and accompanying documents is true and correct.  I confirm that I am age 18 or above.  I confirm that the project detailed in the application has not commenced.  I confirm that I can complete this project by 31st March 2020 and it will be paid and cleared through the bank account used by my business by 31st March 2020.

Signed by Applicant: ______Print name: ______Date: ___ / ___ / ___

Position held: ______

(b) De Minimis Aid Declaration

Financial Assistance awarded under the Rural Business Development Grant Pilot Scheme is classified as De Minimis Aid as set out in European Commission Regulation (EU) No 1407/2013 of 18 December 2013 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid. If you have received other de minimis aid from Government Departments, Intertrade Ireland or Local Councils over the last 3 years this might impact on your eligibility to receive mentoring support. The maximum amount of de minimis aid that an undertaking can receive within a 3 year fiscal period in the UK is €200,000. Where an undertaking is part of a group, linked either though limited companies or individual shareholders, the de minimis limit may apply to some or all of the combined group and not just individual undertakings. To allow us to determine whether awarding this grant will breach this limit, please complete the table below that details the date and value of any de minimis aid the company has received during your last 3 fiscal (accounting) years. Where the Company is part of a group, please complete the table for all group companies. Please note that it is your responsibility to check whether the support you have received was classed as ‘de minimis’ aid. If in doubt, please check with whoever provided you with the support. Has the company (or any company within the Group if applicable) received any form of public support or grant that was classed as de minimis in the last 3 Yes No years?

If ‘Yes’, please provide detail in the table below:- Date support/grant funding Funding body Purpose / Scheme Amount awarded

Total What is the date of the end of your accounting (fiscal) year (dd/mm)? Declaration I confirm that:  The details provided on this form are current and accurate to the best of my knowledge.  The company is solvent and no distress or execution has been levied against it.  I understand that completion of this form neither entitles nor requires me to take part in any business support scheme in the future.

Signed on behalf of Print Name applicant Date Position

Data Protection and Freedom of Information Issues

DAERA and our delivery agents take data protection and freedom of information issues seriously. We take care to ensure that any personal information supplied is dealt with in a way which complies with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation. This means that any personal information you supply will be processed principally for the purpose for which it has been provided. However, DAERA may also use it for other legitimate purposes in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and Freedom of Information legislation. These include:

• Occupational health and welfare; • Compilation of statistics; • Disclosure to other organisations when required by law to do so; • Disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 where such disclosure is in the public interest; • The prevention and detection of fraud or maladministration (e.g. The Comptroller & Auditor General and HM Revenue & Customs). For further details on your privacy see the DAERA Privacy Statement (www.daera-ni.gov.uk/daera- privacy-statement)

WARNING

To knowingly or recklessly make a false statement to obtain aid for yourself or anyone else, will lead to disqualification, liability to refund of any aid already paid and possible prosecution.

The information provided on this form may be made available to other Departments/Agencies for the purposes of preventing and detecting crime.

DAERA FRAUD HOTLINE 0808 1002716

The closing date for receipt of applications is 12noon on Wednesday 18th December 2019. Applications submitted after this date/time will not be accepted.

The Scheme is being administered by local Councils.

Evidence of Value Annex A Please use this form to provide detail of the quotes that you have obtained in respect of the individual items you wish to purchase. You must also submit the actual quotes with your application. An example has been provided in the first line. Continue on a separate sheet if necessary. ITEM ESTIMATED COSTS – QUOTES RECEIVED PREFERRED SUPPLIER COST Supplier 1 Quote Supplier 2 Quote Example: Printer, Model XYZ Windows 10 ABC Printers Ltd £205.12 Printers R Us £210 ABC Printers Ltd £205.12

Please note:

. At least 2 quotes from 2 separate suppliers should be sought for each item. You or a business that you are an owner/partner/director of, are excluded from quoting for the supply of goods, services or works to a project that you may be offered funding for. . If quotations are being sought, or provided from any member of your family or extended family then the relationship must be advised to the Council prior to any procurement activity and declared in writing on the procurement documentation. In these cases you are required to provide 3 quotes i.e. two independent quotes in addition to the family member quote to provide sufficient comparison of costs under the reasonableness of costs rules within the programme. . Quotes should be ‘like-for-like’; particularly where items are specific e.g. laptop / IT / machinery etc. Quotations for the same make and model of products must be provided. Email quotes are acceptable and should include any covering email. . Quotes must be dated prior to close of call and contain the supplier’s name. . Internet searches should be printed off and sent with your application – we will not accept website addresses / links to websites. . The lowest quotation should be selected with corresponding costs detailed on the application form. . Please note that DAERA will reimburse at the cost of the lowest quotation.

APPENDIX 6.5ED

APPENDIX 6.6ED SCORE EVENT PERCENTAGE AMOUNT RECOMMENDED (MAX 45)

Belfast Dog Show Society Championship Dog Show 31 69 £10,000 £10,000

Northern Ireland Festival of Racing 2020 25 56 £10,000 £8,500

Down Royal Racecourse Food Truck Festival 33 73 £10,000 £10,000

SunflowerFest 2020 26 58 £10,000 £8,800

Wastewater Solutions COI Rally & UAC Easter Stages 33 73 £10,000 £10,000

TOTAL £50,000 £47,300

Did not meet the minimum threshold of 2,500 visitors, with 750 spectators and participants expected. Will Euro Hockey Club Trophy II (men) 2020 FAIL £10,000 £0.00 therefore be referred to apply for Tourism Small Grants.