Central- Local Government Political Partnership Forum Friday 28 June
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Central- Local Government Political Partnership Forum Friday 28th June 2019 NILGA Offices Present: Peter Weir MLA, DUP; Fra McCann MLA, Sinn Fein; John Blair, MLA, Alliance; Roy Beggs MLA, UUP; Ald Mark Cosgrove, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Cllr Stephen Dunne, Ards and North Down Borough Council; Cllr Darryn Causby, Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Cllr Geraldine McAteer, Belfast City Council; Ald Tom McKeown, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council; Cllr Ruairi McHugh, Derry City and Strabane District Council; Ald Billy Ashe MBE, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council; Cllr Robert Burgess, Newry Mourne and Down District Council; Cllr Frances Burton, NILGA President / Mid Ulster District Council; Cllr Matt Garrett, NILGA Office Bearer /Belfast City Council; Ald Danny Kinahan, NILGA Office Bearer / Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Cllr Dermot Curran, NILGA Office Bearer alternate / Newry Mourne and Down District Council; Cllr Billy Webb MBE, NILGA Office Bearer alternate / Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Louise Warde Hunter, Deputy Permanent Secretary, DfC, David Jackson, SOLACE Chair / Causeway Coast and Glens CEO; Nichola Creagh, DfC; Alan Bronte, Director of Valuation / Commissioner of Valuation, Land and Property Services, Department of Finance; Ciara Toner, SOLACE; Derek McCallan NILGA CEO, Karen Smyth, NILGA, Lisa O’Kane, NILGA, Antoinette Kennedy, NILGA. Apologies: Cllr Ian Stuart, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council; Cllr Christine McFlynn, Mid Ulster District Council; Cllr Martin Kearney, NILGA Office Bearer; and Ald Alan McDowell, NILGA Office Bearer, SDLP MLA colleagues, Tracey Meharg, Permanent Secretary, DfC; Katrina Godfrey, Permanent Secretary, DfI; Sue Gray, Permanent Secretary, DoF. Welcome and Introductions Derek McCallan, NILGA CEO welcomed everyone to the fourth meeting of the Central – Local Government Political Partnership Forum; and the first meeting of the Forum since the Local Government Elections in May 2019. The meeting commenced with a round of introductions. Derek McCallan also provided a short overview of the key items on the Agenda. Brief Overview of the Forum – Derek McCallan CEO In his overview, Mr McCallan commented that steps to restore the Assembly are active and ongoing, however as we still do not have Ministers in place, retention of the two-tier policy discussion, as facilitated by this Forum is essential, as a mechanism to communicate critical issues and information to the appropriate committees. The Central – Local Government Political Partnership Forum has been convened by NILGA – is a collegiate exercise, a means to raise political awareness and guidance on spending the overall public purse in N. Ireland of over £21 billion annually. 1 All political parties are supportive of the interim Forum; and David Sterling, the Head of the Civil Service has communicated his support for participation in the Forum, with the Department for Communities as the axis department / Perm Sec to drive this. Keeping aligned to the statutory NI Partnership Panel mechanism, the membership of the Forum is inclusive of the Local Government Partnership Panel representatives, newly appointed to the Panel since the Local Government elections; the NILGA Office Bearers and MLA colleagues from the 5 main political parties as principal policy liaison members. As illustrated diagrammatically in the terms of reference for the Forum; formal senior input for each meeting of the Forum will be sought from Council Chief Executives (represented by David Jackson, SOLACE Chair and CEO of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council - at today’s meeting) and the Central Government Departments (represented today by Louise Warde-Hunter, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the DfC and Alan Bronte, Director of Valuation / Commissioner of Valuation, LPS, DoF). Again as illustrated diagrammatically in the TOR, during the continuing impasse, the work of the Forum will link into and communicate with the work being taken forward by the Permanent Secretaries and Council Chief Executive Group; and will also feed into the NILGA Executive. The Secretariat will be maintained by NILGA with joint co-ordination of activities with the Department for Communities. Following Derek McCallan’s update, the floor was opened to questions. Alderman Danny Kinahan commented that the illustration does not refer to linkages with Westminster. In response, Mr McCallan commented although not included in the illustration, we are connected and that channels of formal and informal communication were open via NILGA to national governments, such as the UK Local Government Forum. Ald Mark Cosgrove raised that the Forum provides the platform to raise critical issues such as the Councillors Code of Conduct. Recognising that an independent review of the Councillors Code of Conduct has taken place, with resultant report compiled to be cleared by incoming Minister, Ald Cosgrove emphasised the importance of the changes being made to the Code of Conduct; it needs to be pushed up the wider agenda – and be a front and central priority. Cllr Garrett added that the difficulties of the Code of Conduct have not been articulated well in Councils. Following the Local Government elections, the NAC issued a letter to all Councillors to consider supporting a “protest communication” regarding the Code of Conduct; however Members were not all fully aware of what the issues with the Code of Conduct were. 2 Keynote Presentation (A) – Louise Warde-Hunter, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities Louise Warde-Hunter, Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Department for Communities thanked the Forum for the invite to today’s meeting. She added that as part of her presentation she would address the concerns raised by Members on the Councillors Code of Conduct. Central – Local Government relationship Louise Warde-Hunter referred to the Executive Office’s “Outcomes Delivery Plan” for 2018-19”. The Outcomes Delivery Plan sets out the actions that the departments intend to take to improve wellbeing for all by tackling disadvantage and driving economic growth. To achieve the 12 outcomes, departments will work collaboratively across department boundaries and with Local Government; The eleven Councils, through partnership working are delivering community plans that have been designed to address the needs of their areas. All the Community Plans have been aligned already to the outcomes of the delivery plan. Ms Warde-Hunter added that from the perspective of the DfC, Community Planning is where the rubber hits the road in terms of delivery of the Outcomes Delivery Plan and that she has tremendous respect for the work Councils have been doing. At the heart of community planning is building relationships and improving wellbeing for all. The DfC will be participating in a road show with Departments about Community Planning and what they need to be thinking about in terms of Departments’ role in the delivery of the Plans. Local Government Code of Conduct The Councillors Code was approved by the Assembly on 27th May 2014. Parts 1 – 8 of the Code came into operation on the 28th May 2014. Part 9 – Planning matters – came into operation on 1st April 2015. In response to Councillors concerns with the Code of Conduct, a review was called by the DfC Minister and in November 2015 an independent review working group set up. The DfC took forward a consultation from December 2016 to February 2017 on a revised Councillors Code of Conduct. The changes proposed by the consultation included clarifying that rules 8.1 a-h of the Code would apply to all council decisions, that rules 8.1 i-l would also apply to quasi-judicial decisions and decisions on making appointments and the awarding of contracts. A consultation exercise took place between December 2016 and February 2017 and the DfC has since collated the consultation responses and prepared a Departmental response to be cleared by the new Minister once he or she is appointed. Under the Local Government Act (NI) the Department cannot issue a revised Councillors Code of Conduct until it has been laid before the Assembly. Ms Warde-Hunter further advised that the Department for Communities will be taking forward a review of the Local Government Legislation Framework. A three-year review and evaluation 3 programme has been proposed and preparatory work is underway – a working group has been set up, inclusive of council officials and NILGA to consider council democratic governance arrangements and the ethical standards framework. There will be engagement with key stakeholders on the issues identified and recommendations will be put forward to the incoming Minister. Urban Regeneration Belfast City Centre Regeneration Task Force - In the aftermath of the Bank Buildings (Primark) fire, the Belfast City Centre Regeneration Task Force was set up to ensure a collaborative public sector response to steer and resource the regeneration of the city centre. The Members of the Task Force are Belfast City Council CEO, the Head of the Civil Service and the Permanent Secretaries. A strategic action plan has been developed to transform and revitalise the city centre and the Task Force will provide oversight to guide delivery of priority initiatives, projects and investment. Town Centres and High Streets Strategic Insight Lab - Out-of-town shopping centres and internet shopping have changed the face of retail. There is an urgent need to radically rethink how we regenerate and revitalise our high streets – transitioning from retail centres