Northern Ireland Business Start up Programme Update

2 December 2016

Chairman: Councillor U Mackin Vice-Chairman: Councillor J Gallen Alderman: W J Dillon MBE, D Drysdale and A G Ewart Councillors: S Carson, P Catney, A P Ewing, O Gawith, A Givan, A Grehan, H Legge, T Mitchell, S Scott and M H Tolerton

Ex Officio The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor B Bloomfield MBE Deputy Mayor, Alderman S Martin

The Monthly Meeting of the Development Committee will be held in the Cherry Room, Island Civic Centre, The Island, Lisburn, on Wednesday, 7 December 2016 at 7.00 pm for the transaction of business on the undernoted Agenda.

Tea/Coffee available in Members Suite following the meeting.

You are requested to attend.

DR THERESA DONALDSON Chief Executive Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Agenda

1 Apologies

2 Declarations of Interest

3 Minutes - Meeting of the Development Committee held on 2 November 2016 (Copy Attached)

4 Deputation – To receive Mr George Ussher President of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (NI Branch) and Mr Ian Burrows, Project Manager, to discuss the bidding process for hosting Pipe Band Championships. (Item 1 of the Lead Head of Development’s Report refers – 7.15 pm)

5 Reports from Lead Head of Planning & Building Control and Lead Head of Development

5.1 Report by Lead Head of Planning & Building Control

5.1.1 Report by Head of Service (Building Control)

5.1.1.1 Street Naming off Crumlin Road, Lower Ballinderry

5.1.1.2 Street Naming off Ballymaconaghy Road, Castlereagh

Items for Noting (Building Control)

5.1.1.3 Commercial Vacancy Inspections in Partnership with Land and Property Services (LPS)

5.1.1.4 Building Control Applications – Full Plan Applications and Regularisation Certificates

5.1.1.5 Department of Finance and Personnel – Completion Notice Ready Report to Land and Property Services

5.1.1.6 Department for Communities (DfC) – Affordable Warmth Project

5.1.2 Scheme of Delegation and Protocol for Planning Committee

5.1.3 Correspondence from Planning Appeals Commission - Lough Neagh

5.1.4 Department for Infrastructure

5.1.4.1 Proposed Abandonment at Hillsborough Road, Carryduff

5.1.4.2 Provision of an Accessible/Blue Badge Parking Bay at 27 Cherryhill Park, Dundonald

Items for Noting (Head of Planning & Building Control)

5.1.5 Correspondence from Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) – Belshaw Quarry

5.1.6 Department for Communities and Local Government – Housing Announcements

5.1.7 Budget Report – Building Control

5.2 Report by Lead Head of Development

5.2.1 Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association – Discussion

5.2.2 West Lisburn Development Framework - Review

5.2.3 Hillsborough Visitor Information Centre (VIC) – Service Level Agreement (SLA)

5.2.4 Hillsborough Oyster Festival

5.2.5 Holiday World Dublin, 27-29 January 2017

5.2.6 Inward Investment Programme 2016-2017 – MIPIM UK Update

5.2.7 Lisburn Chamber of Commerce Annual Christmas Lunch & Toy Appeal Thursday, 8 December 2016

5.2.8 Strategic Links to Lisburn City Centre

Items for Noting (Head of Development)

5.2.9 Public Space CCTV Funding Update

5.2.10 Update on Progress of Regeneration Bill – statement from Minister for Communities, November 2016

5.2.11 INTERREG North West Europe GENCOMM Project

5.2.12 Northern Ireland Business Start Up Programme Update

5.2.13 Translink – Festive Travel Campaign for Lisburn and Castlereagh

5.2.14 Prohibition or Restriction of Use of Public Roads: Special Events – Commencement Date 1 January 2017

5.2.15 Hillsborough Steering Group Committee

5.2.16 Budget Report Economic Development

6. Confidential Business – “In Committee” Members are requested to go to the Confidential Folder to access the Development Committee confidential report

6.1 Confidential Report by Lead Head of Planning and Building Control

6.1.1 Rolling Year Absence Figures for Building Control and Director’s Administration Team for the Period 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2016. (Confidential due to information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual)

6.2 Confidential Report by Lead Head of Development

6.2.1 Lisburn Linkages Public Realm Scheme (Confidential due to information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (Including the Council holding that information))

6.2.2 Rolling Year Absence Figures for The Directors’ Administration Team and Economic Development for the Period 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2016 (Confidential due to information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual)

7. Any other Business

--ooOOoo—

To: Members of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council DC 02/11/2016 LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL

Minutes of the proceedings of the Development Committee Meeting of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council held in the Island Civic Centre, Lisburn, BT27 4RL on Wednesday, 2 November 2016 at 7.00 pm

PRESENT: Councillor U Mackin, Chairman

The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor B Bloomfield MBE

Aldermen W J Dillon MBE and A G Ewart

Councillors S Carson, P Catney, A P Ewing, J Gallen, O Gawith, A Givan, A Grehan, T Mitchell, M H Tolerton and S Scott

IN ATTENDANCE: Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Lead Head of Planning & Building Control Lead Head of Development Tourism Development Manager Member Services Officer

Commencement of Meeting

The Chairman, Councillor U Mackin, welcomed everyone to the November Meeting of the Development Committee, and thanked Members for their attendance.

The Chairman stated that should any Member require to leave the meeting to notify the Members Services Officer in order that their departure can be recorded accurately in the minutes.

1. Apologies

It was agreed to accept apologies for non-attendance at the meeting on behalf of Alderman D Drysdale, Councillor H Legge, the Chief Executive and the Head of Building Control.

2. Declarations of Interest

The Chairman invited Members to declare any Conflicts of Interest they might have in relation to the business of the meeting and reminded them of the requirement that they complete Declaration of Interest forms in this regard, which had been provided at the meeting.

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DC 02/11/2016 2. Declarations of Interest (Cont’d)

During the course of the Meeting Councillor A P Ewing declared an interest in the Dromara Destroyers Motor Bike event being staged in the Lagan Valley LeisurePlex on 11 and 12 November 2016 in view of his Employer, Alan Browne & Company Insurance Limited, taking a stand at this event.

3. Minutes

It was proposed by Councillor S Carson, seconded by Councillor T Mitchell, and agreed that the Minutes of the meeting of Committee held on 12 October 2016, as adopted by the Council at its meeting on 25 October 2016, be confirmed and signed.

4. Reports by the Lead Head of Planning & Building Control and the Lead Head of Development

4.1 Report by Lead Head of Planning and Building Control

It was agreed that the report and recommendations of the Lead Head of Planning & Building Control be adopted subject to any decisions recorded below:

4.1.1 Report by Head of Building Control

It was agreed that the recommendations of the Head of Building Control be adopted subject to any decisions recorded below.

In the absence of the Head of Building Control, the Lead Head of Planning & Building Control presented his report.

Item for Decision

4.1.1.1 Street Naming off Gransha Road, Dundonald

It was noted that Beam Property Services had proposed the street name for a development of 12 dwellings off the existing Gransha Road, Dundonald.

A copy of the development layout had been circulated to the Committee for Members’ information.

It was proposed by Councillor O Gawith, seconded by Councillor S Scott, and agreed to recommend that the name ‘Gransha Gate’ which met the requirements of the Council’s Street Naming Policy in that ‘Gransha’ was an approved name that was used in the locality, be allocated to the proposed development off Gransha Road, Dundonald, there being no objections to this proposal having been received from consultees. 907

DC 02/11/2016 4.1.1.2 Street Naming off Greengraves Road, Belfast

It was noted that Site Express had proposed the street name for 35 dwellings off the existing Greengraves Road, Belfast.

A copy of the development layout had been circulated to the Committee for Members’ information.

It was proposed by Councillor A P Ewing, seconded by Councillor A Givan, and agreed to recommend that the names ‘Greengraves Gate and Greengraves Meadows’ which met the requirements of the Council’s Street Naming Policy in that ‘Greengraves’ was an approved name that was used in the locality, be allocated to the proposed development of 35 dwellings off Greengraves Road Belfast, there being no objections to this proposal having been received from consultees.

4.1.1.3 Street Naming off Newtownbreda Road, Belfast

It was noted that Dougan Residential and Commercial had proposed the names for a development of 9 dwellings off the existing Newtownbreda Road, Belfast.

A copy of the development layout had been circulated to the Committee for Members’ information.

Members were advised that consideration to the above-mentioned proposal had been received from an Elected Member of Castlereagh South who had suggested the street name of ‘Newtownbreda Grove’ or ‘Newtownbreda Chase.’

It was proposed by Councillor O Gawith, seconded by Councillor M H Tolerton, and agreed to recommend that the street name ‘Newtownbreda Grove’ which met the requirements of the Council’s Street Naming Policy in that ‘Newtownbreda’ was an approved name that was used in the locality, be allocated to the proposed development off Newtownbreda Road, Belfast.

Items for Noting

4.1.1.4 Fire Risk Assessments in Council Facilities and at Council Events

The Committee was reminded of the legislative requirement to ensure Fire Safety within Council facilities and at Council-led events through the use of Fire Risk Assessments. Through the organisational design process the responsibility for the completion of all Fire Risk Assessments had sat with Environmental Health, however following discussions with Building Control and reporting through CMT, it had been agreed that the function of carrying out Fire Risk Assessments for Council facilities would rest best within the Building Control Service, having the necessary experience

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DC 02/11/2016 4.1.1.4 Fire Risk Assessments in Council Facilities and at Council Events (Cont’d) and competence to take on this role due to their Fire Safety experience in administering and enforcing the Building Regulations.

It was noted that Environmental Health Service Unit would continue to carry out the Fire Risk Assessments for Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council events due to the close working relationship with the organisers through the Safety Advisory Group and the obvious link to health and safety.

4.1.1.5 Building Control Applications – Full Plan Applications and Regularisation Certificates

The Committee noted the undernoted information in regard to the Full Plan Applications ‘Approved’ and Regularisation Certificates issued in accordance with the powers delegated for the Months of July, August and September 2016.

Month Full Plan Regularisation Approvals Certificates July 2016 233 45 August 2016 122 52 September 2016 139 50

4.1.1.6 Department of Finance and Personnel – Completion Notice Ready Report to Land and Property Services

The Committee noted the undernoted information in regard to Completion Notice Ready Reports for the months of July to September 2016 returned to the Department of Finance and Personnel, Land and Property Services, in relation to the number of properties that had been identified as having reached Occupiable Status.

Month Completion Notice Ready July 2016 48 August 2016 86 September 2016 100

4.1.1.7 Department for Communities – Affordable Warmth Project

The Committee noted the undernoted information in regard to visits by Home Assessment Officers within the Council’s Building Control Service for the months of July to September 2016:

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DC 02/11/2016 4.1.1.7 Department for Communities – Affordable Warmth Project (Cont’d)

Month Home Visits Completed and Eligible Referrals ‘Make the Carried Out to NIHE (after financial checks) Call’ July 2016 197 38 20 August 2016 277 45 34 September 2016 222 50 14

4.1.2 Scheme of Delegation and Protocol for Planning Committee

The Lead Head of Planning and Building Control reminded the Committee that a review of the Scheme of Delegation and Protocol for the Planning Committee had been completed following one year of the Planning Committee activities. The Lead Head of Planning and Building Control advised that the review had taken on board the comments of both officers and Members, and had also been reviewed by the Council’s legal advisers, and their comments incorporated also.

The Committee had been furnished with a copy of the draft Scheme of Delegation and draft Protocol for the Planning Committee for consideration.

It was proposed Councillor P Catney, seconded by Councillor S Scott and agreed to recommend that: a) a decision on the draft Scheme of Delegation and draft Protocol for the Planning Committee, as circulated, be deferred for one month, b) Members of the Committee forward any comments on the above-mentioned draft documents to the Lead Head of Planning and Building Control by Tuesday, 22 November 2016, c) the draft documents be then forwarded to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of both the Development Committee and Planning Committee for further review, which would take account of any comments from Members of the Development Committee, and d) final draft documents to be presented to the Development Committee at its Meeting on Wednesday 7 December 2016 for consideration, and subsequent adoption by Full Council at its Meeting on Tuesday 20 December 2016.

4.1.3 Department for Infrastructure

4.1.3.1 Proposed Abandonment at Galway Drive, Belfast

The Committee had been furnished with a copy of a letter dated 13 October 2016 from Transport NI in relation to the proposed abandonment at Galway Drive, Belfast to facilitate redevelopment of the area.

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DC 02/11/2016 4.1.3.1 Proposed Abandonment at Galway Drive, Belfast (Cont’d)

The Lead Head of Planning & Building Control responded to comments from Councillor S Scott in regard to potential traffic disruption for local residents as a result of the above proposal.

It was proposed by Councillor S Scott, seconded by Councillor P Catney, and agreed to recommend that the proposed abandonment at Galway Drive, Belfast, be approved, there being no objections from Members present.

4.1.3.2 Provision of an Accessible/Blue Badge Parking Bay at 23 Green Hill, Lambeg, Lisburn

The Committee had been furnished with a copy of a letter dated 25 October 2016 from Transport NI in connection with the proposed provision of an accessible/disabled parking bay at 23 Green Hill, Lambeg, Lisburn.

Councillor M H Tolerton reported that the lady residing at number 23 Green Hill, Lambeg, had approached the Council with concerns that due to the parking difficulties in the area, she would not benefit from the disabled parking bay.

Councillor S Carson suggested that there may be benefit in introducing parking restrictions along certain parts of the road in question.

Councillor P Catney referred to an area of waste ground a short distance away which he felt could be developed for car parking, and which would help alleviate the parking difficulties at Lambeg Green.

It was proposed by Alderman W J Dillon, seconded by Councillor A Grehan, and agreed to recommend that the Lead Head of Planning and Building Control responds to Transport NI conveying the concerns of the Committee and requesting that two accessible/blue badge parking bays be provided at Green Hill, Lambeg on this occasion.

Items for Noting

4.1.4 Department for Infrastructure

4.1.4.1 A1 Hillsborough Road between Hillsborough Roundabout and Pantridge Link, Hillsborough (Stopping Up) Order (NI) 2016

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a copy of a letter dated 5 October 2016 from the Transport Legislation Branch of the Department for Infrastructure together with a copy of the Statutory Rules and map in relation to the above stopping up.

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DC 02/11/2016 4.1.4.1 A1 Hillsborough Road between Hillsborough Roundabout and Pantridge Link, Hillsborough (Stopping Up) Order (NI) 2016 (Cont’d)

Alderman W J Dillon stated that he had requested some time ago that in view of the traffic congestion at peak times approaching the Hillsborough Roundabout a flyover be put in place at the above location, rather than a roundabout, and asked that enquiries be made to the Department for Infrastructure in regard to any future plans for a flyover at that location.

4.1.4.2 Derriaghy Road, Lisburn (Abandonment) Order (NI) 2016

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a copy of a letter dated 5 October 2016 Statutory Rule and map in relation to the above abandonment.

The Lead Head of Planning & Building Control responded to questions from Councillor A Givan in regard to the ownership of the area of land in question and undertook to write to the Department for Infrastructure to seek clarification thereon.

4.1.4.3 Baronscourt Lane, Carryduff (Abandonment) Order (NI) 2016

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a copy of a letter dated 20 October 2016 Statutory Rule and map in relation to the above abandonment.

4.1.5 NIAO Publication – The Rivers Agency: Flood Prevention and Management Report

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of an extract from the Audit and Risk Manager’s report to the October 2016 Governance & Audit committee regarding the above-named publication. It was noted that the NIAO report could be accessed via the NI Audit Office website.

The Lead Head of Planning & Building Control drew Members’ attention to reference to the ‘Homeowner Flood Protection Grant Scheme’ that had been launched in January 2016 to assist families whose homes were at risk of flooding. It was noted that homeowners eligible for the scheme would receive a 90% grant up to a maximum of £10,000 towards the cost of protecting their home. Further information on the scheme was available on the Department of Infrastructure’s website.

It was agreed that the report by the Lead Head of Planning & Building Control be noted.

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DC 02/11/2016 4.1.6 Budget Report – Building Control

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a copy of a summary Budget Report for Building Control for the year to 31 March 2017 as at 30 September 2016.

4.1.7 Rolling Year Absence Figures for Building Control

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a report on the rolling absence figures for Building Control and Director’s Administration team for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 August 2016.

The Lead Head of Planning & Building Control left the meeting (7.35 pm).

4.2 Report by Lead Head of Development

It was agreed that the report and recommendations of the Lead Head of Development be adopted subject to any decisions recorded below.

4.2.1 City Promotion Budget – Recommended Funding Allocations 2017-2018

The Lead Head of Development reminded the Committee that each year the Council supported a range of events across the Council area which delivered tourism/ economic benefits such as increasing the number of visitors, bed-nights, tourism revenue and positive publicity.

The Lead Head of Development outlined three key criteria that the allocation of funding to a particular event would be guided by, namely: a) how much visitor footfall would be generated by an event (and therefore how much visitor spend would be generated), b) the nature and scale of the media profile that the event would generate for the Council or the area, and c) that Council funding should be provided on a reducing scale over time.

The Committee had been provided with a copy of a comprehensive report providing a series of 2016/2017 major event evaluations and recommended levels of financial support for the proposed 2017/2018 City Promotion Budget for activity across the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area.

The Lead Head of Development reminded the Committee that the Council had agreed previously the allocation of £35,000 for the Balmoral Show co-operative project and the allocation of £155,000 for the Integrated Marketing Campaign, which focused primarily on the City Centre.

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DC 02/11/2016

4.2.1 City Promotion Budget – Recommended Funding Allocations 2017-2018 (Cont’d)

The Lead Head of Development reported that the recommended funding for the 2017 Hillsborough Oyster Festival was maintained at 2016 levels, which did not take account of the anticipated future request from the Oyster Festival Committee for more significant funding levels in 2017 to take account of the 25th anniversary of the event.

Members also noted that if the Committee agreed to support the Speciality Food Fair, Pipe Band Championships and Moira Calling, all taking place in Moira Demesne, staging the events would require free use of the facility.

Christmas Campaign

The Lead Head of Development responded to comments from Alderman A G Ewart in regard to the Integrated Marketing Campaign budget and the Christmas Campaign, and outlined the various activities and associated estimated spend for the Christmas Campaign.

It was agreed on a proposal by Alderman A G Ewart, seconded by Councillor M H Tolerton, that in addition to the Integrated Marketing Campaign, the Council repeats the promotion of Lisburn City Centre in Belfast on the lead up to Christmas, and that bus T-sides are also included in the campaign at an additional estimated cost of £5,000. The Lead Head of Development noted suggestions from the Committee to be included in the overall campaign creative.

Councillor A Grehan put on record that she did not support the promotion of free car parking in Lisburn during the Christmas shopping period, as the initiative could be regarded as an opportunity for ‘park and ride’ into Belfast City Centre.

Hillsborough Oyster Festival

Councillor S Carson expressed concern in regard to the lack of clarity around the financial information contained in the Event Evaluation report for the Hillsborough Oyster Festival. Councillor A P Ewing expressed concern in regard to additional admittance charges into certain events for the public during the Festival 2016 weekend.

It was proposed by Councillor S Carson, seconded by Councillor O Gawith, and agreed to recommend that the organisers of the Hillsborough Oyster Festival be invited to make a presentation to the Committee on their plans for the 2017 Festival and to respond to questions from the Committee, particularly in relation to the finances as outlined in the Event Evaluation report.

It was agreed to recommend that any increased allocation of funding to the Hillsborough Oyster Festival in 2017, in the region of £7,500, be confirmed following the presentation to the Committee by the Festival organisers. 914

DC 02/11/2016 4.2.1 City Promotion Budget – Recommended Funding Allocations 2017-2018 (Cont’d)

New Event/Contingency Budget

In response to comments from Councillor S Scott in regard to the need for a new event to be established in the Castlereagh area, the Lead Head of Development stated that potential third party event organisers should contact the Council in the first instance.

Pipe Band Championships

The Lead Head of Development responded to a question from Alderman A G Ewart in regard to the decision of the Committee at its previous Meeting to invite the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (Northern Ireland Branch) to a future Meeting of the Committee in order to clarify issues around the bidding process for pipe band championships.

It was agreed that the following funding allocations from the City Promotion Budget be agreed as follows:

Integrated Marketing Campaign £155,000 (agreed previously by Council) Balmoral Show (Co-operative Project) £ 35,000 (agreed previously by Council) Speciality Food Fair £ 19,000 Event Hospitality (HOF & FOR x 2) £ 5,000 Pipe Band Championships £ 15,000 Moira Calling £ 5,000 Hillsborough Oyster Festival £ - (to be confirmed at a later date) NI Speed Weekend £ - (to be confirmed at a later date) SunflowerFest £ 2,000 Hilden Beer Festival £ 6,000 Citywide Events Guide £ 10,000 New Event/Contingency £ 27,000

4.2.2 Go South Initiative

The Lead Head of Development reminded the Committee that the Chairman, Councillor U Mackin, had led recently one of the largest trade delegations from Northern Ireland to Cork. This had been a joint initiative with IntertradeIreland, it being noted that fifteen local businesses had participated in excess of 80 individual appointments with businesses in Cork, and Elected Members had participated in a two-day civic itinerary.

The Lead Head of Development reported that a reciprocal inbound visit to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council had since taken place, comprising of 13 Cork City and County Council representatives and 17 of their local businesses.

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DC 02/11/2016 4.2.2 Go South Initiative (Cont’d)

The Lead Head of Development advised that at the request of The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor B Bloomfield, and the Chairman, Councillor U Mackin, discussions were currently underway to potentially develop a Concordat agreement between the Council and Cork Council to promote future areas of co-operation between the two Cities, it being noted that further reports would be provided to the Committee in due course, and that it was likely that such a Concordat would cover potential co-operative work or collaboration across the other departments of the Council.

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a copy of a summary report on the above-mentioned trade mission with early feedback from participating companies indicating £103,685 of quotations submitted as a direct result, and actual sales of £4,800.

It was proposed by Alderman A G Ewart, seconded by Councillor A Grehan, and agreed to recommend that: a) the update report on the Go South initiative be noted, b) the Go South initiative be repeated at a total indicative maximum cost of £10,000, it being noted that this amount included the cost of a civic delegation to Cork in 2017, and c) the Council explores the potential to run similar trade missions in partnership with IntertradeIreland to other key cities in the Republic of Ireland, such as Dublin and Galway.

The Lead Head of Development reported that discussions were ongoing with IntertradeIreland to potentially develop an annual programme of activity specifically with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council for both trade development and tendering support.

4.2.3 Evening Reception for Erasmus+ Delegates Thursday 24 November 2016

The Lead Head of Development reminded the Committee that the Council was involved in a £47,600 EU Erasmus+ Programme to deliver a project entitled ‘MASTER’ – Mainstreaming Student Entrepreneurship. The Programme aimed to work with vocational training delivery agents to increase the opportunities for students to learn practical skills linked to running their own business, and thus promote enterprise across the Council area.

It was proposed by Alderman A G Ewart, seconded by Councillor A P Ewing, and agreed to recommend that:

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DC 02/11/2016 4.2.3 Evening Reception for Erasmus+ Delegates Thursday 24 November 2016 (Cont’d) a) the Council hosts a project launch networking event on Thursday, 24 November 2016 to agree the contractual obligations of each partner, it being noted that at least 12 delegates would attend the event that would include policymakers, teachers and practitioners from Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland b) the Council arranges an evening reception at 7.30 pm on 24 November 2016 at the Hilden Brewery, and that delegates be hosted by the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Development Committee, or their nominees, and c) the additional cost for the attendance of two Elected Members and the opportunity for delegates to undertake a tour of the Brewery be borne by the Council at an estimated cost of £200.

4.2.4 Lagan Navigation Trust Joint Annual Conference Wednesday 9 November 2016 Larchfield Estate, Lisburn

The Committee had been furnished with details of the above conference, organised jointly by the Lagan Navigation Trust, the Heritage Trust Network and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

It was agreed to recommend that Councillor P Catney and Councillor A Grehan, be nominated to attend the Lagan Navigation Trust Joint Annual Conference, in place of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee, it being noted that the estimated cost of a Member’s attendance was £43.45.

Items for Noting

4.2.5 Roundabouts

The Lead Head of Development reminded the Committee that the former Lisburn City Council had been working alongside Transport NI since 2008 to attract sponsors for a number of roundabouts across the Council area. A number of new sites had become available for sponsorship in 2016/2017 with the income received going to the Council’s Operational Services for maintaining each roundabout.

An update report on the Council’s Roundabout initiative had been circulated to the Committee, the content of which was noted.

In response to comments from Councillor S Carson in relation to a possible sponsor for a roundabout in the City area, the Tourism Development Manager undertook to discuss this matter with Councillor Carson at the end of the Meeting.

Alderman W J Dillon expressed concern in regard to the condition of two roundabouts in Moira, one at the top of the town and the other larger roundabout at the 917

DC 02/11/2016

4.2.5 Roundabouts (Cont’d)

M1 Motorway. The main issue was that the roundabouts were unsightly due to being overgrown with grass.

It was agreed to recommend that the issue of grass cutting at the roundabouts in Moira be referred to the Director of Environmental Services.

It was agreed that the update on the Council’s Roundabout Scheme be noted.

4.2.6 Call for Evidence – Non Domestic Rating System

The Committee had been furnished with, and noted the content of, a copy of a response prepared by Council Officers in relation to the Call for Evidence from the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Finance in relation to the Non Domestic Rating System in Northern Ireland. It was noted that this exercise comprised part of the overall Review of the Non-Domestic Rating System being undertaken by the Department of Finance.

Comments were noted from Alderman W J Dillon in regard to difficulties that local traders were facing in relation to the high cost of Non-Domestic Rates.

Comments were also noted from Councillor P Catney in regard to the potential for councils to raise additional income as a result of charging derelict properties rates at a reduced level.

4.2.7 Lisburn Public Realm On Street Car Parking Enforcement

The Lead Head of Development reminded the Committee that it had agreed previously to write to the Minister for Infrastructure, Chris Hazzard MLA, and the Divisional Roads Manager, Mr Kevin Monaghan, in relation to ongoing issues associated with the enforcement of on-street parking regulations in Lisburn City Centre.

The Committee had been furnished with a copy of the letter from the Council to the above-mentioned individuals together with a copy of the response from the Minister.

Alderman A G Ewart expressed his dissatisfaction in regard to the response from the Minister for Infrastructure.

It was proposed by Councillor A Grehan, seconded by Alderman A G Ewart, and agreed to recommend that a further letter be sent to Minister Hazzard advising of the Council’s dissatisfaction with his response to the Council’s concerns, and pointing out that the lack of enforcement signage was causing serious health and safety issues in Lisburn City Centre.

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DC 02/11/2016 4.2.7 Lisburn Public Realm On Street Car Parking Enforcement (Cont’d)

It was also agreed to recommend that in light of the above-mentioned health and safety issues the Council proceeds with the replacement of the missing enforcement signage.

4.2.8 Budget Report – Development

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a summary budget report for Development for the year to 31 March 2017 as at 30 September 2016.

The Lead Head of Development responded to questions from Councillor O Gawith in connection with income figures contained in the above-mentioned budget report.

4.2.9 Rolling Year Absence Figures for the Director’s Administration Team and Economic Development

The Committee had been furnished with and noted the content of a table showing rolling year absence figures for the Director’s Administration Team and Economic Development for the period 1 April 2015 to 31 August 2016.

5. Confidential Report by the Lead Head of Development

There was no confidential business for consideration.

6. Any Other Business

6.1 Lisburn & Castlereagh Tourism Literature Alderman A G Ewart

In response to comments from Alderman A G Ewart the Lead Head of Development undertook to investigate the absence of tourism literature promoting the Lisburn and Castlereagh area on the Visit Belfast tourism stand at the George Best Belfast City Airport.

6.2 Starting the Local Development Plan Process Riddel Hall, Queen’s University of Belfast Wednesday 26 October 2016 Alderman W J Dillon

Alderman W J Dillon commended the above seminar that he had attended on behalf of the Chairman, in particular the exceptional manner in which the event had been chaired by Mr Seamus McKee.

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DC 02/11/2016 6.3 Farmers Market, Saintfield Road The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor B Bloomfield

The Right Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor B Bloomfield, reported on his attendance at the Farmers Market, Saintfield Road, Lisburn, the previous Saturday which he said had been an excellent event.

The Right Worshipful the Mayor stated that he hoped to attend a similar event in Moira, and one in Lisburn City Centre, this Saturday and encouraged Members to support these events that were being organised across the Lisburn & Castlereagh City area as part of the Council’s Treat Week project.

6.4 Lisburn Public Realm – Fountain Councillor S Carson

Councillor S Carson asked that the issue of unsightly weeds appearing at the base of the fountains and also on the pedestrian walkway immediately above the lower section of the water fountains in the Public Realm space in Lisburn City Centre be conveyed to the Public Realm Contractor.

There being no further business for consideration the meeting terminated at 8.30 pm.

______Mayor/Chairman

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LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – 7 DECEMBER 2016

REPORTS BY LEAD HEAD OF PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL AND LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this report is to set out for Members’ consider ation a number of recommendations specifically relating to the operation of the new Council.

The following decisions are required:

1. To consider the Report by the Lead Head of Planning and Building Control 2. To consider the Report by the Lead Head of Development

ITEMS FOR DECISION/NOTING

1. REPORT BY MR IAN WILSON, LEAD HEAD OF PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL

Attached at Appendix 1 is a report from the Lead Head of Planning and Building Control in respect of items under his remit.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee considers the items in the report by the Lead Head of Planning and Building Control and agrees the recommendations therein.

2. REPORT BY MR PAUL McCORMICK, LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT

Attached at Appendix 2 is a report from the Lead Head of Development in respect of items under his remit.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee considers the items in the report by the Lead Head of Development and agrees the recommendations therein.

IAN WILSON PAUL McCORMICK LEAD HEAD OF PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT 1 December 2016 1 December 2016 Appendix 1

LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – 7 DECEMBER 2016

REPORT BY MR IAN WILSON, LEAD HEAD OF PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this report is to set out for Members’ consideration a number of recommendations specifically relating to the operation of the new Council.

The following decisions are required:

1. To consider the Report by the Head of Service (Building Control) 2. To consider and agree the reviewed Scheme of Delegation and Protocol of the Planning Committee 3. To consider information received from the Planning Appeals Commission re Lough Neagh 4. To consider information received from the Department for Infrastructure regarding 4.1 A proposed abandonment at Hillsborough Road, Carryduff 4.2 The provision of an accessible/blue badge parking bay at 27 Cherryhill Park, Dundonald 5. To note correspondence from DAERA’s NI Environment Agency re Belshaw’s Quarry area 6. To note correspondence from the Department for Communities and Local Government re Housing Announcements 7. To note the budget report for Building Control

ITEMS FOR DECISION

1. REPORT BY MR COLIN DUFF, HEAD OF SERVICE (BUILDING CONTROL)

Attached at APPENDIX 1.1 is a report from the Head of Building Control in respect of items under his remit.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee considers the items in the Report by the Head of Building Control and agrees the recommendations therein.

2. SCHEME OF DELEGATION AND PROTOCOL FOR PLANNING COMMITTEE

Attached at APPENDIX 1.2 and 1.3 are copies of the Scheme of Delegation and Protocol for the Planning Committee. Members will be aware that the review was requested to be completed following year one of the Planning Committee activities. The review has taken on board the comments of both officers and Members. They have also been reviewed by our legal advisers, and their comments incorporated.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee consider and agree the Scheme of Delegation and Protocol for the Planning Committee.

3. CORRESPONDENCE FROM PLANNING APPEALS COMMISSION – LOUGH NEAGH

Attached at APPENDIX 1.4 is a letter received from the Planning Appeals Commission regarding an enforcement issue in relation to alleged unauthorised working of minerals on land at Lough Neagh. Due to the size and complexity of the Environmental Statement which was received in connection with this issue, the various documents have been uploaded onto the Development Folder in Sharepoint.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee consider this information and any comments which Members wish to make be submitted to the Lead Head of Planning & Building Control by close of business on Friday, 16 December 2016.

4. DEPARTMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

4.1 PROPOSED ABANDONMENT AT HILLSBOROUGH ROAD, CARRYDUFF

Attached at APPENDIX 1.5 is a copy of a letter and plan received from Transport NI with regard to a proposed abandonment at Hillsborough Road, Carryduff.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee consider this information.

4.2 PROVISION OF AN ACCESSIBLE/BLUE BADGE PARKING BAY AT 27 CHERRYHILL PARK, DUNDONALD

Attached at APPENDIX 1.6 is a copy of a letter and plan received from Transport NI with regard to the provision of an accessible/disabled parking bay at 27 Cherryhill Park, Dundonald.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee consider this information.

ITEMS FOR NOTING

5. CORRESPONDENCE FROM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND RURAL AFFAIRS (DAERA) – BELSHAW QUARRY

Attached at APPENDIX 1.7(a) is confirmation from NIEA that Belshaw’s Quarry Area has now been designated as an ASSI. The letter makes reference to a Schedule associated with previous consultation/citation documents – see attached APPENDIX 1.7(b).

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee note this information.

6. DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT – HOUSING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Attached at APPENDIX 1.8 is a copy of the Autumn Statement from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning and Minister for London providing details of the housing announcements including a package to invest in the construction of new homes.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee notes this information.

7. BUDGET REPORT – BUILDING CONTROL

Attached at APPENDIX 1.9 for the information of Members is a copy of the summary Budget Report for Building Control for the year to 31 March 2017 as at 31 October 2016.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members note this information.

IAN WILSON LEAD HEAD OF PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL 1 December 2016 APPENDIX 1.1

REPORT BY MR COLIN DUFF, HEAD OF SERVICE (BUILDING CONTROL)

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this report is to set out for Members’ consideration a number of recommendations specifically relating to the operation of the new Council.

The following decisions are required:

1. To approve the naming of the proposed development off Crumlin Road, Lower Ballinderry 2. To approve the naming of the proposed development off Ballymaconaghy Road, Castlereagh 3. To note information regarding commercial vacancy inspections in partnership with Land & Property Services 4. To note information regarding Building Control Applications - Full Plan Applications and Regularisation Certificates 5. To note information regarding Department of Finance and Personnel – Completion Notice Ready Report to Land and Property Services 6. To note information regarding Department for Communities – Affordable Warmth Project

ITEMS FOR DECISION

1. STREET NAMING OFF CRUMLIN ROAD, LOWER BALLINDERRY

Kiltonga Property Ltd has proposed the street name for a development of 19 dwellings off the existing Crumlin Road, Lower Ballinderry. The proposal for the street name is:

 Old School House Mews (1st Preference)  Old School House Lane (2nd Preference)

The development layout is attached in APPENDIX 1 BC for Members information . This request meets with the requirem ents of the Council’s Street Naming Policy in that the development is being built on the site of an old/former School House.

No objection to this proposal has been received from consultees.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the street name Old School House Mews, be allocated to the proposed development of 19 dwellings off Crumlin Road, Lower Ballinderry.

2. STREET NAMING OFF BALLYMACONAGHY ROAD, CASTLEREAGH

Deramore Development Ltd has proposed t he street name for a development of 6 dwellings off the existing Ballymaconaghy Road, Castlereagh. The proposals for the street names are:

 Rockview Grange (1st Preference)  Rockview Court (2nd Preference)

The development lay out is attached in APPENDIX 2 BC for Members’ information . This request meets with the requirements of the Council’s Street Naming Policy in that Rockview provides a historic link to the site.

No objection to this proposal has been received from consultees.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the street names of Rockview Grange, be allocated to the proposed development of 6 dwellings off Ballymaconaghy Road, Castlereagh.

ITEMS FOR NOTING

3. COMMERCIAL VACANCY INSPECTIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LAND AND PROPERTY SERVICES (LPS)

Members will recall t hat both former coun cils, with agreement, had entered into a partnership with Land and Property Services (LPS) to carry out periodic vacant commercial property inspections in an attempt to aid rates equity across the counc il areas. This arrangement has continued into the new Counc il since its formation in April 2015.

This partnership involves (on approximately 3 occasions per year), LPS providing the Council with addresses of 30 to 40 commercia l properties on eac h occasion, where they are unaware of the owner, occupier, its o ccupied status or similar. In effect LPS are unsure if the c orrect rates bills hav e been issued against these properties. LPS value the Council Officers loca l knowledge in aiding t he provision of information to ensure the correct issuing of rating bills.

The Councils Building Control Surveyors u ndertake inspections of these pr emises and collate the nec essary correct billing information on behalf of LPS. The Counc il Officers undertake these inspections in the course of their Building Regulation onsite inspection regime, when in the s ame locality, so as to restrict any collectio n costs to Council.

Tranches

In the current financial year, the Buildi ng Control Service has carried out 2 such tranches to date, the LPS summary sheets on these inspec tions are attached in APPENDIX 3 BC for Members information.

Council Income

Members will note that attached in APPENDIX 4 BC shows a summary of the 3 most recent tranches of inspections carried out by this Council sinc e August 2015 on behalf of LPS. A potential total of additional inco me of £39,987.69 has been identified as a result of the inspection findings, and subsequent rates bills issued.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members note the above report.

4. BUILDING CONTROL APPLICATIONS – FULL PLAN APPLICATIONS AND REGULARISATION CERTIFICATES

Full Plan Applications were ‘Approved’ and Regularisation Certificates issued in accordance with the powers delegated for the following months:

Month Full Plan Approvals Regularisation Certificates August 2016 122 53 September 2016 139 51 October 2016 133 56

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee note this information.

5. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE AND PERSONNEL – COMPLETION NOTICE READY REPORT TO LAND AND PROPERTY SERVICES

The completion notice ready report for the months August to October 2016 returned to the DFPNI, Land and Property Services indicated the following number of properties have been identified as having reached occupiable status.

Month Completion Notice Ready August 2016 86 September 2016 102 October 2016 81

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee note this information.

6. DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITIES (DfC) – AFFORDABLE WARMTH PROJECT

Home Assessment Officers within the Building C ontrol Service in the months of August to October 2016 hav e carried out the following numb er of home visits and made eligible referrals for home im provements to the NIHE after financ ial checks for the Affordable Warmth Scheme. In addition, the Council Office rs have also made the following number of referrals to the ‘Make the Call’ team.

Month Home Visits Completed and Eligible Referrals to ‘Make the Call’ Carried Out NIHE (after financial checks) August 2016 277 45 34 September 222 50 14 2016 October 2016 224 46 23

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee note this information.

COLIN DUFF HEAD OF SERVICE (BUILDING CONTROL) 1 December 2016

APPENDIX 3 BC Exercise with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council for inspections of Vacant Properties 2016/17, Tranche 1

Preliminary

In conjunction with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, LPS supplied 40 addresses of properties to be inspected and determine their occupancy status. LPS supplied the Council Building Control with inspection sheets containing the property address, description of the premises, co-ordinates of the building and the name of the last known owner or occupier. LPS asked Council staff that when the inspection was in progress they complete all possible sections of the inspection sheet and where possible obtain the names of the owner / occupier and their contact details. The inspectors were also requested to give a comprehensive general description of the appearance of the building and if possible photographs showing the properties condition.

Return of completed inspection sheets

Lisburn Council completed and returned 40 inspection sheets.

The initial breakdown of the returned inspection sheets is as follows:- 03 - with start dates 04 - with occupier names 11 - with owner or agent names 14 – no owner, occupier or agent information obtained All of the inspection sheets where returned with a description of what the inspector found. 90% of the inspection sheets also had attached photographs.

Three of the inspected properties had enough information to immediately proceed to billing.

LPS follow up

On receipt by the Central Investigation Team, the inspection sheets found to be correctly paying vacant rates, exempt / listed buildings still vacant and properties needing revalued were logged and notes added to LPS database. The remaining sheets proceeded to further investigation.

At present the breakdown is as follows:- Possible actionable 12 Vacant properties paying rates 17 Follow – up 07 Exempt 02 Sent to valuation 02 Property removed from list 0

Three of the occupied properties have been started by other departments independently of the CIT inspection sheet.

There are seven follow up properties which continue to be investigated. Three which LPS can’t obtain information for, two where no response has been forthcoming and one where there is a problem identifying the correct address. APPENDIX 3 BC Exercise with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council for inspections of Vacant Properties 2016/17, Tranche 2

Preliminary

Return of completed inspection sheets

Lisburn Council completed and returned 40 inspection sheets.

The initial breakdown of the returned inspection sheets is as follows:- 06 - with start dates 08 - with occupier names 14 - with owner or agent names 19 – no owner, occupier or agent information obtained Most of the inspection sheets where returned with a description of what the inspector found. 80% of the inspection sheets had attached photographs.

Three of the inspected properties had enough information to immediately proceed to billing.

LPS follow up

At present the breakdown is as follows:- Possible actionable 11 Vacant properties paying rates 18 Follow – up 06 Exempt 03 Sent to valuation 02 Property removed from list 0

The six follow up properties will require further investigation as 3 need clarification on owner / occupiers names, 2 need start dates confirmed and 1 property couldn’t be identified. LCCC Vacancy Inspection on behalf of Land & Property Services 2015/16 & 2016/17

Fiancial Year Tranche Number Date issued by LPS Number of Properties Number of Properties Properties Requiring Total of Bills Issued £ Financial Portion to Inspected Found Occupied Action by LPS Council £

2015/2016 1 07/08/2015 40 7 13 £89,613.02 £22,403.26

Total £22,403.26 2016/2017 1 05/02/2016 40 12 8 £46,164.07 £11,541.02 2 10/05/2016 40 11 8 £113,786.69 £28,446.67 3 Total £39,987.69

Notes:

The total amounts of all occupied properties has been adjusted, taking into account for Small Business Rate Relief • Sport and Recreation Rate Relief • Residential Homes Rate Relief • Industrial Derating APPENDIX 1.2

Scheme of Delegation: Delegation of Planning Applications and Enforcement XX 2016

www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

Scheme of Delegation: Delegation of Planning Applications and Enforcement

The scheme of delegation for the determination of planning applications was agreed by the Council at its meeting of XX and was approved by Central Government on XXX. The approval is in accordance with Section 31 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. The scheme of delegation takes effect from XXX.

Part A – Mandatory Applications to be determined by the Planning Committee of the Council

By statute, certain types of application are required to be determined by the Planning Committee and therefore cannot be delegated to officers:

 Applications which fall within the Major category of development (as defined by the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015);  Applications made by the Council or an Elected Member of the Council.  Applications relating to land in which the Council has an interest.

Part B – Delegated Applications

Applications shall be delegated for determination by the authorised officer of the Council.

All local development applications will be delegated for approval or refusal with the exception of:

 Applications which are significant departures from the Local Development Plan and which are recommended for approval.  Applications submitted by the Council, senior Council staff, members of Council staff involved in the consideration of planning applications, a Planning Officer or their immediate families, or the immediate family1 of an elected Member.  Applications which the Council considers should be referred to Committee for determination. A sound planning reason must be given for such a referral.  Applications where the Head of Planning or other delegated officer considers that the proposal merits consideration by the Committee.  Any application that the authorised officer is minded to approve under terms of this scheme of delegation, but which is the subject of an extant objection from a statutory consultee.  Any application where a legal agreement is required.  An application which has an associated applic ation (which falls within the Major category of development (as def ined by the Planning (Dev elopment Management) Regulations 2015) which is being determined by the Planning Committee.  Any application in a rural setting which consists of five or more dwellings.  Any application where objections have been lodged by third parties.

Part C – Enforcement and consideration of other Planning Matters

In addition to determining planning applications, the Council will also have to administer the enforcement of planning and the processing of other planning consents. Part 4 Section 7 (4) (b) Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 allows a Council committee to delegate to an officer of the Council.

Matters to be considered and determined by the Planning Committee of the Council  Determination of a request to revoke or modify planning permission

Matters to be delegated to the authorised officer

 The making of a Tree Preservation Order.  Confirmation of a Provisional Tree Preservation Order.  The serving of a provisional Tree Preservation Order.  The investigation of breaches of planning control proceedings through the issuing of planning contravention no tices, temporary stop notices, enforcement notices, stop notices, b reach of condi tion notices, fixed

1 Immediate family for the purposes of this Scheme of Delegation refers to wife/Husband/partner, son(s), daughter(s)

penalty notices, Replacement of Trees Notice and all other powers under Part 5 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 including powers of entry. Commencement of proceedings in a m agistrates court and application to the High Court for an injunction..  Determination of any application for a certificate of lawful development.  Determination of applications for Alternative Development Value.  Determination of any application for listed building consent.  Determination of any application for conservation area consent.  Determination of any application for advertisement consent.  Determination of any application for carry out works to trees.  Determination of any hazardous substance consent.  Determination of Applications for Non Material Changes  Precise wording of Conditions/Refusal reasons relating to local applications in accordance with section 31 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.  Precise wording of Conditions/Refusal reasons relating to major applications in accordance with section 7 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.  Power to formulate decision notices following decisions made in principle by the Planning Committee.  To issue Environmental Impact Assessment screening and scoping opinions in accordance with legislative requirements.  Making of an order to revoke or modify a planning permission  The power to defend a Planning Appeal  The obtaining of information under section 240 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011  Determination of a request for Correction of Errors in decision documents is currently legislated for  Negotiating the terms of a Planning Agreement under section 76 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Part D – Publicity

On adoption of this scheme of delegation the Council made a copy available on the Council’s website at www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk. A copy is also available for inspection at Island Civic Centre, The Island, Lisburn, Co Antrim, BT27 4RL

Part E – Review

This Scheme of Delegation will be subject to review by the Planning Committee periodically.

APPENDIX 1.3

Protocol for the Operation of the

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Planning Committee

Contents

Page

Purpose of Protocol 1

Remit of Planning Committee 1

Size of the Planning Committee 1

Frequency of Meetings 2

Schemes of Delegation 2

Enforcement 2

Referral of Delegated applications to Committee 2

Format of Planning Committee meetings 4

Pre-determination hearings 5

Public Speaking 6

Committee Decisions 7

Deferrals 9

Site Visits 10

Review of Decisions 11

Legal Adviser 11

Review of Protocol 11

Training 12

PURPOSE OF THE PROTOCOL

1. The purpose of this Protocol is to outline practical handling arrangements for the operation of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Planning Committee.

2. The Protocol should be read in conjunction with the relevant provisions of the Council’s Standing Orders and the Code of Conduct for Councillors. It is not intended to replace either document.

REMIT OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Development Plan

3. The Planning Committee’s role in relation to the Local Development Plan is to approve the Plan before it is passed by resolution of the full Council. The Committee will also have an oversight role to ensure that the Local Development Plan is monitored annually, particularly in terms of the availability of housing and land for economic development. The Committee will also need to ensure that the Plan is reviewed every 5 years, giving consideration to whether there is a need to change the Plan strategy or zonings, designations and policies.

Development Management

4. The main role of the Planning Committee in relation to development management is to consider planning applications made to the Council as the Local Planning Authority and decide whether or not they should be approved. The Planning Committee will have full delegated authority, meaning that the decisions of the Planning Committee will not go to the full Council for ratification.

Enforcement

5. The enforcement of planning controls will be delegated to appointed Officers, with the Planning Committee receiving regular reports on the progress of enforcement activities.

SIZE OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE

6. There is no simple link between the size of a committee and its efficiency and effectiveness. Best practice recommends that a planning committee should consist of between 20-50% of a council’s members and that there should be a quorum. A quorum, as outlined in the Council’s Standing Order, is required for the Planning Committee to convene. Business shall not be transacted unless 50% of the Members of the Committee are present.

7. The Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Planning Committee will comprise 11 Members with no substitutions permitted.

8. The Head of Planning (or deputised officer) is expected to attend all Planning Committee meetings, in addition to Planning Officers presenting their Reports.

FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS

9. In accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders, Planning Committee meetings will usually be held on a monthly basis. The Planning Committee will normally meet on the first Monday in every month. The Committee shall from time to time fix its own day and hour of meeting and notify the Council. Committee meeting dates and times are published on the Council’s website at least 10 days in advance. The Schedule of Applications to be determined by the Planning Committee is posted to the Council’s Website at least 5 days in advance of the meeting.

SCHEME OF DELEGATION

10. A Scheme of Delegation is where decision making for local applications is delegated to an appointed Officer rather than the Council, thereby enabling speedier decisions and improved efficiency. Section 31(1) of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 requires a council to produce a Scheme of Delegation for operation in its area.

11. The Council’s Planning Scheme of Delegation relates only to applications falling within the category of local development as defined under regulation 2 of The Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015. Certain statutory restrictions that apply to the Council’s Scheme of Delegation prevent certain types of applications from being delegated to Officers, thereby requiring them to be determined by the Planning Committee. These restrictions are set out in Part A of the Council’s approved Scheme of Delegation.

12. The Council’s Scheme of Delegation is approved by the Department for Infrastructure in accordance with section 31 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.

13. In accordance with regulation 10 of the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015, the Scheme is available to view on the Council’s website www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk. A copy is also available at the Island Civic Centre, The Island, Lisburn, Co Antrim, BT27 4RL.

14. The Scheme of Delegation will be reviewed periodically to ensure that it remains current and relevant.

ENFORCEMENT

15. Planning Officers will prepare a quarterly report on the progress of formal enforcement cases which will be circulated to all Members of the Council, detailing the number of notices issued, and convictions obtained, as opposed to providing details of individual cases.

REFERRAL OF DELEGATED APPLICATIONS TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE

Weekly list of new planning applications validated

16. The Planning Unit will issue a weekly list of newly validated planning applications to all members of Council by email on the first working day following the week in which

they were validated. The list sets out the local applications to be determined by Planning Officers in accordance with the Scheme of Delegation.

17. Members of the Council can request that a delegated (local) application be ‘called in’ to the Planning Committee for determination. Valid and credible planning reasons explaining why the application should be determined by the Planning Committee must accompany all requests for an application to be referred to the Committee.

18. All such requests must be submitted to the Planning Unit via email to the [email protected] inbox (the words ‘Referred to Planning Committee for determination’ should be cited in the subject field). All emails received will be acknowledged. A Member has 14 working days, from the date of the email notification sent to Members under paragraph 18 above, in which to submit a request.

19. A Senior Planning Officer will liaise with the Chairman of the Planning Committee to determine whether the reasons which have been set out in the request constitute valid and credible planning reasons so as to merit referral to the Planning Committee. If the reasons do not constitute valid and credible planning reasons the Member will be advised accordingly. A Senior Planning Officer shall liaise with the Vice Chair of the Committee if it is the Chairman who has made the request for the referral or if the Chairman has a declarable interest in the application.

Weekly List of Delegated Applications with recommendation to refuse/objections received

20. Where applications have been delegated to Officers and the decision is to refuse planning permission, Members of the Council will be notified by email of the recommendation and the reason for the recommendation. If objections have been received, Members of the Council will be notified by email of the nature of the objections and how they have been considered. If considered appropriate, Members can then request that an application be ‘called-in’ to the Planning Committee for determination. Valid and credible planning reasons explaining why the application should be determined by the Planning Committee must accompany all such requests.

21. In such cases, Members must submit a request to the Planning Unit via email to the [email protected] inbox (the words ‘called in to the Planning Committee for determination’ should be cited in the subject field) clearly stating the planning reason(s) for the request. Valid and credible planning reasons must accompany all requests for an application to be ‘called-in’ to Planning Committee. A Member has 5 working days from the date of the email notification sent to Members under paragraph 22 above in which to submit a request.

22. In either of the above circumstances an authorised Planning Officer will then liaise with the Chairman of the Planning Committee to determine whether the reasons which have been set out constitute valid and credible planning reasons so as to merit referral to the Planning Committee. If the reasons do not constitute valid and/or credible planning reasons the Member will be advised accordingly. .A Planning

Officer shall liaise with the Vice Chair of the Committee if it is the Chairman who has made the request for the referral or if the Chairman has a declarable interest in the application.

23. Where an application is to be presented to the Planning Committee for determination, the Development Management Report will be released on request two working days (Thursday) prior to the scheduled Committee meeting.

24. Where a request for an application to be removed from the delegated list to enable revised drawings to be considered/meeting to be facilitated, is agreed with the Chair, the recommendation when reached will be placed onto a subsequent weekly list.

25. A notification email will be issued to all Members on a weekly basis to advise which applications have been ‘called-in’ to Planning Committee.

26. The delegated authorised Officer or nominee at the appropriate level may also consider it prudent to refer a delegated application to the Planning Committee for determination. Where the delegated authorised Officer considers it prudent to refer a delegated application to Committee, the matter will be discussed and agreed with the Chair

FORMAT OF PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETINGS

27. Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council will operate its Planning Committee in accordance with its own Standing Orders. The Schedule of Applications to be determined by the Planning Committee will be posted to the Planning Portal website on the Monday of the week prior to the Committee Meeting.

Standard Items

28. The agenda will allow for the inclusion of the following items:

. Notice of meeting; . Apologies; . Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting; . Declaration of Interests; . Schedule of Planning Applications; . Development Plan Issues and . Enforcement Matters.

Committee Papers

29. All Planning Committee Members will be sent an agenda in advance of the Committee meeting. The following papers (where appropriate) will also be provided:

. Minutes of the previous meeting for approval as a complete record; . Details of Local Development Plan issues;

. Details of relevant Enforcement Matters; . Details of proposed Pre-determination hearings; . Schedule of Applications to be Determined (including those brought back following deferral) for consideration by the Committee; . Details of applications of regional significance which will have an impact upon the Council area and the Council is a statutory consultee or where it may wish to make a representation; and . Performance Management Reports.

30. A Pre-Planning Committee Meeting may be held with the Chair and Vice Chair and other officials in advance of the scheduled Committee meeting taking place.

31. Where necessary, Officers will prepare an addendum report to provide Members with any relevant updates since the agenda was issued.

32. Planning Committee meetings will be open to the public except when access may be restricted in accordance with section 42 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

Declaration of Interests

33. At the beginning of every meeting, Members will be asked to declare whether they have a pecuniary and/or significant private or personal non-pecuniary interest in any item on the agenda. Should a Member declare such an interest they must leave the meeting room for the duration of that item. Members will then be invited to return to the meeting room and notified of the Committee’s decision before the meeting recommences.

34. Where a Member, in advance of the relevant Committee meeting has taken a firm view on a planning application (in essence they have “pre-determined” the application) that Member should make an open declaration at the beginning of the relevant meeting and leave the meeting for that entire item. Once discussions are complete, the Member(s) will be invited to return to the meeting. Notification of the Committee decision will be provided to the Member(s) before the meeting reconvenes.

PRE-DETERMINATION HEARINGS

35. The Planning Committee has a mandatory requirement to hold pre-determination hearings for those major applications which have been referred to the Department for Infrastructure for call-in consideration but returned to the Council for determination. The pre-determination hearing should be heard by the Planning Committee with the related application decided by the full Council, with a recommendation from the Planning Committee.

36. The Council may also hold pre-determination hearings, at their own discretion, where it is considered necessary to take on board local community views as well as those in

support of the development. In deciding whether to apply discretion, Members will take into account the following:

. Relevance of the objections in planning terms; . The extent to which relevant objections are representative of the community, particularly in the context of pre-application community consultation and . The numbers of representations against the proposal in relation to where the proposal is and the number of people likely to be affected by the proposal.

37. Applicants and those who have submitted relevant representations will be afforded an opportunity to be heard by the Council before it takes a decision. When holding a pre-determination hearing, the procedures will be the same as those applied to normal Planning Committee meetings. The Planning Officer will produce a report detailing the processing of the application to date, and the planning issues to be considered. In circumstances whereby the Committee decides to hold the hearing on the same day as it wishes to consider and determine the application, the report to Members will also include a recommendation.

38. Pre-determination hearings (under paragraph 38 above) will take place after the expiry of the period for making representations on the application but before the Committee meets to discuss the application. Whilst the Committee will endeavour to hold its pre-determination hearings out with the Committee meeting at which the application will be considered, it is recognised that this may not always be possible.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Procedures for Public Speaking

39. The following procedures will apply to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Planning Committee meetings:

Registering Requests

. Requests to speak should be received in writing to the Planning Unit or by email to the [email protected] no later than 12 noon on the Friday prior to the scheduled Committee meeting.

. The request should state whether they wish to speak in support or in opposition to a planning application.

. Late requests may be accepted by the Chair in exceptional circumstances only.

Circulation of Information

. All relevant information should be made available to the Planning Officer as part of the planning application.

. When a request to speak is made to the Planning Unit, any written information that the speaker wishes to circulate to Members of the Planning Committee, must also be provided at this time. Any written or visual information received after this time will not be circulated unless it is agreed by the Chair.

. No documentation must be circulated at the meeting to Members by speakers.

. MPs/MLAs and all Members may attend and speak about an application. They will be afforded 5 minutes to address the Committee. In addition, members of the public in support or objection to the proposal will also be permitted to address the Committee. One person from those objecting to the proposal and one person in support of the proposal will be allowed to speak. Members of the public will be afforded 5 minutes to address the Committee.

. Where there is more than one request by members of the public in support or objection to the proposal to speak, the time allocation will be shared or one person can be appointed to speak.

. If an objector speaks, the applicant will be allowed to respond even if they have not registered to speak in advance.

. Applications where members of the public in support or objection to the proposal have registered to speak will be taken first.

Questions of Clarification

. Members of the Planning Committee can seek clarification from those individuals who have addressed the Committee. Members must not enter into a debate on any issue raised;

. When invited by the Chair, Planning Officers can address any issues raised and Planning Committee Members can question Planning Officers through the Chair.

40. The Chair may agree to accept representations outside these procedures

COMMITTEE DECISIONS

41. The main role of the Planning Committee is to consider applications made to the Council as the Local Planning Authority and decide whether or not they should be approved.

Committee Decision Making Options

42. The Committee will discuss applications presented to it before taking a vote on one of the following options:

. Approve the application with conditions as recommended;

. Approve the application with amended conditions; . Approve the application with the precise wording of conditions to be delegated to an authorised Officer; . Approve the application with conditions to be drafted by an authorised officer and approved by Members at the next Planning Committee meeting; . Refuse the application for the reasons recommended; . Refuse the application with additional or different reasons recommended; and . Defer the application to allow additional information/clarification to be provided or site visit to be arranged.

43. Any additional conditions/reasons for refusal must be proposed and seconded before being voted on by Members.

44. Members must be present for the complete discussion on the item otherwise they cannot take part in the debate or vote on that item.

45. The Chair of the Planning Committee has a casting vote.

Decisions Contrary to officer recommendation

46. The decision as to whether planning permission should be approved or refused lies with the Committee. The views, opinions and recommendations of Planning Officers may on occasion be at odds with the views, opinions or decision of the Planning Committee or its Members. This is acceptable where planning issues are finely balanced.

47. The Committee can accept or place a different interpretation on, or give different weight to the various arguments and material considerations.

48. If the Committee is minded to make a decision contrary to officer recommendation then:

 The proposer of the motion to go against the Planning Officer’s recommendation, or the Chairman, should state the planning reasons for the proposed decision before a vote is taken. The reasons should be clear, credible and be material planning considerations;  The Planning Officer present at the meeting should be given the opportunity to comment upon whether the proposed reasons for the decision are credible and/or valid and, if an approval is proposed, to recommend appropriate conditions;  A detailed minute of the Committee’s reasons for departing from the recommendation should be taken and a copy placed on the application file.

Appeal contrary to officer recommendation

49. In the event of an appeal against a refusal of planning permission contrary to Officer recommendation, the Committee should decide who should attend the appeal to defend the decision. The following options are available:

. Council shall require Planning Officers to prepare the case for written submission and/or attend the appeal even if it is against their recommendation;

. Members who proposed and seconded a motion to refuse contrary to officer recommendation may be called as Council witnesses; and

. Planning consultants or a different Planning Officers from those who made the original recommendation may be used.

Decisions Contrary to Local Development Plans

50. Planning decisions should be taken in accordance with the Local Development Plan (in so far as material to the application) unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

51. If a Committee Member proposes, seconds or supports a decision which is contrary to the Local Development Plan or which will significantly prejudice the implementation of the Local Development Plan’s objectives and policies they will need to provide valid and credible planning reasons to justify their decision and/or clearly explain why their decision will not significantly prejudice the implementation of the Local Development Plan’s objectives and policies.

52. If the decision would significantly prejudice the implementation of the current and/or emerging Local Development Plan’s objectives and policies then the Planning Officer must be given the opportunity comment on the reasons provided by Members under paragraph 53 above and on whether the decision requires referral to the Department for Infrastructure.

53. The reasons for any decisions which are made contrary to the Local Development Plan will be formally recorded in the minutes and a copy place on the application file.

DEFERRALS

54. The Planning Committee can decide to defer consideration of an application to the next meeting for the following reasons:

. For further information; . Further negotiations; or . For a site visit.

55. Members should be aware that deferrals will inevitably have an adverse effect on processing times, and therefore should be an exception. Deferral of a decision to a later Committee meeting can however be used to allow time for reflection, where the Committee is minded to refuse a proposal against officer recommendation. This can allow time to reconsider, manage the risk associated with the action, seek legal advice, and ensure that Officers can provide additional reports and draft reasons for refusal.

SITE VISITS

56. It is recognised that on occasion, Members of the Planning Committee may request an opportunity to visit a site to help them better understand the details of a development proposal in the context of the application site and the surrounding land and buildings and to more fully understand the issues raised by all interested parties.

57. The decision to undertake a Committee site visit will involve prior consultation with the Planning Committee Chairperson.

58. It is important that requests for site visits are handled in a consistent and organised manner, and that administrative and procedural arrangements on site are understood. The reasons for a site visit should be clearly stated and minuted.

59. Site visits form part of the meeting of the Planning Committee and Members intending to declare a pecuniary and/or significant private or personal non-pecuniary interest in an application or who have predetermined an application should not attend the site visit. Members should make every effort to attend, so that they understand the issues when the matter is considered at the following Planning Committee meeting.

60. Members are reminded of the planning standards for processing major planning applications set out in the Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015.

Arranging a site visit

61. Where a site visit is agreed, a Planning Officer will contact the applicant/agent to arrange access to the site. Invitations will be sent to Members of the Planning Committee. Only Members of the Planning Committee, Planning Officers and Council Officials will be permitted to attend the site visit. The full Planning Committee should attend unless there are good reasons not to. It is important that Planning Committee Members do not carry out their own accompanied site visits.

62. A record of the date of the site visit, attendees and any other relevant information will be retained.

Site Visit Procedure

63. The Chairperson of the Planning Committee will oversee the conduct of site visits. They will start promptly at the time notified to Members and interested persons. At the request of the Committee Chairperson, the Planning Officer may be invited to describe the proposal to Members. Whilst Committee Members will be expected to be familiar with the Planning Officer’s report, plans/drawings may be used where necessary.

64. The Planning Officer may indicate ‘matters of fact’ in relation to the proposal and surrounding land which Members can then take account of. Through the Committee Chairperson, Members can ask the Planning Officer for factual clarification on any planning matter relating to the proposal or surrounding land, such as distances to adjoining properties or the location of proposed car parking.

65. At no time during the site visit should Members debate the merits of the planning application. To do so out with the Planning Committee meeting might imply that Members had made their minds up.

66. At no time during the site visit should the applicant, their agent, any objector or any other Member of the public be allowed to address Members. The public right to address the Planning Committee does not arise until the item is reached on the Committee agenda.

67. In order to assist Members to retain their objectivity, they should keep together in one group with the Chairperson, Planning Officers and Council Officials and should avoid breaking away into smaller groups. Once the site visit is concluded, Members should leave the site promptly.

Record Keeping

68. The Planning Officer will keep a record of Member’s attendance at the site visit and will pass this information to the Planning Committee Clerk for minute purposes. The Planning Officer will also prepare a written report on the site visit. This report will be presented to the next meeting of the Planning Committee scheduled to discuss the particular application.

REVIEW OF DECISIONS

69. Best practice suggests that in order to assess the quality of decision making, Members should inspect a sample of implemented planning decisions on an annual basis. It is therefore intended that Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s Planning Committee will on an annual basis inspect a sample of implemented planning decisions. In addition, to give assurances that the Scheme of Delegation is operating effectively, this inspection will also include a sample of decisions delegated to officers. Procedures will be prepared to assist with this review.

LEGAL ADVISER

70. The Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Planning Committee will have access to legal advice on planning matters at each of its meetings.

REVIEW OF PROTOCOL

71. The reform of local government saw the majority of planning functions transfer to local Councils in April 2015. This Protocol will therefore be monitored and procedures reviewed as necessary to ensure that they remain current and relevant to the operational needs of the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council Planning Committee.

TRAINING

72. A Member shall not participate in decision making at meetings of the Planning Committee if they have not attended the training prescribed by the Council. Members of the Planning Committee shall also endeavour to attend any other specialised training sessions provided, since these are designed to extend the knowledge of the Member on planning law, regulations, procedures and development plans and to generally assist the Member in carrying out their role properly and effectively.

Gavin Barwell MP Minister of State for Housing and Planning and Minister for London

Department for Communities and Local Government 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF

Tel: 0303 444 3430 Fax: 020 7035 0018 Email:[email protected]

24 November 2016

I am writing to provide you with full details of the housing announcements in yesterday’s Autumn Statement, including our £5.3 billion package to invest in the construction of new homes.

Since we were appointed back in July, the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government, Sajid Javid, and I have been working on a comprehensive package of reform to deliver the step change in house-building that this country needs. The first element of this package was the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, which was introduced to Parliament back in September. The second element was the announcement in October of both a £3 billion Home Builders Fund to unlock large sites, support SME developers and encourage innovative modern methods of construction and an Accelerated Construction programme to speed up the development of new homes on surplus public land.

Yesterday’s announcements are the latest element:

A new £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund

If we are to build the homes the country needs, it is vital that all parts of Government align infrastructure investment with housing to drive economic growth. The Housing Infrastructure Fund will provide infrastructure targeted at unlocking new private house building in the areas where housing need is greatest. It will work alongside wider infrastructure funding schemes, such as local growth funding and devolution deals. Further information on how bids from local authorities will be competitively assessed will follow.

An additional £1.4 billion for housing associations to deliver more affordable homes of every tenure

The Government’s Affordable Homes Programme is a tried and tested mechanism to build more homes. At the Spending Review, we announced funding of £8 billion during this Parliament. However, funding was only available for shared ownership,

Rent to Buy and supported housing, and not for affordable rent. Yesterday, the Chancellor announced that we will relax these tenure restrictions so that housing associations can also deliver affordable rented homes. He also announced that we will also invest a further £1.4 billion, which will deliver 40,000 more affordable homes.

An expanded regional pilot of the ‘Right to Buy’ for housing association tenants

We are fully committed to ensuring that housing association tenants have the opportunity to purchase their own homes and this expanded pilot is a clear demonstration of that commitment. The regional pilot will allow over 3,000 tenants to purchase their own homes with Right to Buy discounts while allowing us to more fully test demand and specific aspects of the scheme which were not covered by the initial small-scale pilots (such as the portable discount and trialling the replacement of homes sold on a one-for-one basis).

No Higher Value Asset payments in 2017/18

The Government will fund the expanded pilot so I can confirm that we will not be requiring Higher Value Asset payments from local authorities in 2017/18.

Not proceeding with ‘Pay to stay’

The Government took powers in the Housing and Planning Act 2016 to require local authorities to set higher rents for higher income council tenants (households earning over £40,000 a year in London and £31,000 a year in the rest of the country).

Having listened carefully to the views of tenants, local authorities and others, we have decided not to proceed with this policy. This Government is committed to supporting working class families struggling to get by. We still want to ensure that social housing goes to those who need it most, which is why we will be proceeding with fixed term tenancies for new tenants so that if a family’s circumstances change and they no longer need social housing that home can be reallocated to another family that needs it more.

Banning letting agents from charging fees to tenants

The Government is concerned about the affordability of renting as much as the affordability of owning and in particular the upfront costs tenants can face when taking on or renewing a tenancy. These costs can often be very arbitrary and hard to meet for people who are just about managing. We have therefore announced that we will remove these upfront costs for tenants when renting a new home. This will improve competition in the private rental market and give renters greater clarity and control over what they will pay. Government will consult ahead of bringing forward legislation.

Doubling the size of the Rough Sleeping Fund

One person without a home is one too many. We announced at the Spending Review that central government funding to tackle homelessness would be protected in real terms and yesterday the Chancellor announced that we are doubling the size of the Rough Sleeping Fund by providing an additional £10 million. The Fund aims to reduce the flow of new rough sleepers through targeted prevention activity aimed at those at imminent risk of sleeping rough, ensuring they get the help they need before they end up on the streets. It also helps new rough sleepers off the streets and into independence through more rapid crisis interventions and support to access and sustain accommodation.

Supported Housing consultation

We have also published this week a consultation paper on a new funding model for Supported Housing. Supported Housing supports hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable people across the country. It is therefore vital that we get the detail of this new model right so please take part in the consultation.

Next steps

The extra funding for housing announced yesterday is on top of existing Spending Review commitments and means we expect to double, in real terms, our annual capital spending on housing over this Parliament. This is clear evidence of our determination to build the homes this country needs and ensure that the housing market works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

But it is not the end of the matter. We will shortly be publishing a White Paper setting out further measures to release more land for housing, speed up development, ensure existing communities benefit from new housing and diversify the range of people building new homes. Once we have published the White Paper, I intend to ask my officials to organise a series of events around the country where I can discuss our ideas with councillors, council officers and housing association leaders. I look forward to meeting you at one of those meetings.

GAVIN BARWELL MP

APPENDIX 1.9

Building Control - April 2016 to March 2017 Month:- Oct-16

Department Annual Budget Total Actual Total Budget to date & Committed Variance Expenditure:

Building Control 1,353,349 779,039 725,046 (53,993)

Total Expenditure: 1,353,349 779,039 725,046 (53,993)

Income:

Building Control (1,059,250) (673,688) (731,215) (57,527)

Total Income: (1,059,250) (673,688) (731,215) (57,527)

Overall Net Position:

Building Control 294,099 105,351 (6,169) (111,520)

Total Net Overall Position 294,099 105,351 (6,169) (111,520) APPENDIX 2

LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – 7 DECEMBER 2016

REPORT BY MR PAUL McCORMICK, LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this report is to set out for Members’ consider ation a number of recommendations specifically relating to the operation of the new Council.

The following decisions are required:

To consider the pres entation from the R oyal Scottish Pipe Band Association regarding the bidding process for hosti ng pipe ban d championships.

To proceed as outlined in relation to the West Lisburn Development Framework.

To agree that the C ommittee extends its agreement to open the Hillsborough Visitor Information Centre on Sundays on a volun tary basis subject to the implem entation of the Memorandum of Understanding.

To consider receiving a presentation in February 2017 regarding the Hillsborough Oyster Festival including plans for its 25 th anniversary celebrations.

To nominate the Chairman and/or Vice Chairman and an Officer to attend Holiday World Dublin on 27 January 2017.

To agree to book an exhibition stand for the Council at MIPIM UK 2017 at a maximum cost of £9,954.00 and that the Chief Executive writes to Invest Northern Ireland regardi ng a “regional” local government approach.

To agree that the Chairman of t he Development Committee should host two tables at the Lisbur n Chamber of Commerce Annual Christmas Lunch and Toy Appeal on 8 December 2016.

To agree that Officers develop a full options report to investigate initiatives which would improve the connectivity between Sprucefield and Lisburn City Centre.

To note the new date of 1 April 2017 for the transfer of the CCTV project to the Central Support Services Section of the Council.

To note the content of the Minister for Communities’ Statement on the update of the Regeneration Bill. APPENDIX 2

To agree to participate as an associate partner in the INTERREG North West Gencomm project as outlined.

To note the update in relation t o the Northern Ireland Business Start Up Programme.

To consider the correspondenc e from Translink and in particular the proposed joint initiatives, and to pr ovide guidance to Officers on their preferred course of action.

To note the information regarding the prohibition or restriction of use of public roads: special events which takes effect from 1 January 2017.

To note the minutes of the meet ing Hillsborough Steering Group held on 29 September 2016.

To note the budget report for Economic Development for the year to 31 March 2017 as at 31 October 2016.

ITEMS FOR DECISION

1. ROYAL SCOTTISH PIPE BAND ASSOCIATION - DISCUSSION

Members will recall that at the October Development Committee it was agreed that representatives from the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (NI Branch) be invited to present to the D evelopment Committee on how the bidding process for hosting Pipe Band Championships works.

Mr George Ussher, President of the Ro yal Scottish Pipe Band Association (NI Branch) and Ian Burrows, Project Manager will be in attendance to discuss the bidding process and any other questions that members may have. For Members’ information, audited accounts for this organisation are available in the Sharepoint Confidential folder (Appendix 1ED).

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee c onsiders the presentation and raises any queries they have with the representatives of RSPBA (NI Branch).

2. WEST LISBURN DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK – REVIEW

Members will recall that the West Lisburn Devel opment Framework (WLDF) provides a spatial account of the Council’s economic vision for the West Lisburn area to include Maze/Long Kesh, Blaris, Sprucefield and Knockmore/Lissue. The Framework provides the strategic c ontext also for the provi sion of the proposed Knockmore/M1 Link Road.

APPENDIX 2

With significant recent developments in land ownership at Blaris in terms of the proposed line of the new road it is proposed that the Council undertakes a high level strategic review and up dating of the West Lisburn Development Framework to ensure that the framework is as up t o date as possible to accurately reflect the Counc il’s ambitions for the area and als o to inform and align with t he Local Development Plan (LDP), the development process of which has recently commenced.

The work required in this regard will include a:

 Review and update, where required, of baseline information;  Review of Local Development Plan Position Papers;  Consultation with a selected group of stakeholders; and  Review and update socio economic appraisal.

The anticipated cost of this work is estimated to be £9,000.

Recommendation

It is recommended to proceed as outlined above.

3. HILLSBOROUGH VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE (VIC) – MEMORAUNDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU)

Members will be aware that the Council run Visitor Information Centre is located within the Hillsborough Courthouse with an ongoing Service Level Agreement with the Historic Environmental Department. Historic Royal Palaces has proposed a new MOU for the Council to take effect when Historic Royal Palaces takes over the Courthouse (from circa January 2017). At October’s Development committee meeting the Committee considered the matter of additional Sunday opening of the Hillsborough VIC in the context of a draft MOU which had been provided to officers by Historic Royal Palaces.

Since the Committee meeting Officers have met with representatives of Historic Royal Palaces and have sought a formal valuation of the VIC “footprint” from Land and Property Services. At time of writing this valuation is yet to be received from Land and Property Services. Officers are therefore not in a position to make a definitive recommendation to the Committee at this time regarding every aspect of the draft Memorandum of Understanding.

It is anticipated that this matter will be fully considered by the Committee in the New Year with Historic Royal Palaces proposing that the MOU does not take effect until 1 April 2017. It is proposed therefore that the Committee extends its agreement to open the VIC on Sundays with staff working on a voluntary basis until such times as the APPENDIX 2

MOU can be fully considered and a definitive position taken by the Council.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee agrees to proceed on the above basis.

4. HILLSBOROUGH OYSTER FESTIVAL

The Committee will recall that it was agreed at the October Development Committee meeting that the Oyster Festival Committee be invited to present to the Committee its plans for the 2017 Hillsborough Oyster Festival including plans for its 25th anniversary celebrations. Officers have met with representatives of the Festival Committee which has requested that it makes its presentation to Members in February 2017.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee receives the presentation in February 2017 and that the indicative funding allocation for the event as part of the contingency amount in the Council’s 2017/18 City Promotion Estimates be maintained.

5. HOLIDAY WORLD DUBLIN, 27 – 29 JANUARY 2017

The Belfast Regional Tourism Partnership will exhibit at Holiday World Dublin from 27-29 January 2017. In previous years the Development Committee has been represented at the opening trade night to view the efforts of the Belfast Regional Tourism Partnership in promoting the region in the context of competition from worldwide destinations.

The cost of a Member’s attendance at Holiday World Dublin is £360.43.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee nominates the Chairman and/or Vice Chairman and an Officer to attend Holiday World Dublin on Friday, 27 January 2017.

6. INWARD INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2016-2017 – MIPIM UK UPDATE

Members will be aware that a Council delegation led by the Chairman of the Development Committee recently exhibited at the UK’s largest property exhibition, MIPIM UK.

Attached at Appendix 2 ED is a review of the event, along with a recommendation that the Council should make an early decision to attend MIPIM UK on 18th – 20th October 2017. To this end the organisers of MIPIM APPENDIX 2

UK have confirmed that the Council will benefit from a preferential rate should they reserve their stand before the end of January 2017.

Members will also recall that the area was previously represented by the former Lisburn City Council at the European MIPIM exhibition which takes place each March in Cannes, as part of a wider cooperative stand with Belfast City Council and the then Derry City Council. It is suggested that there may be merit in taking a “regional” local government approach to representing NI at this event in future years, and it is proposed that the Chief Executive writes to the Chief Executive of Invest Northern Ireland in this regard with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council participating in the development of any subsequent plans.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee agrees that the Council book an exhibition stand for MIPIM UK 2017, at a maximum cost of £9,954.00. It is further recommended that the Chief Executive writes to Invest Northern Ireland as outlined above.

7. LISBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LUNCH & TOY APPEAL THURSDAY, 8 DECEMBER 2016

The Lisburn Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Toy Appeal and Christmas Lunch in Lisburn Golf Club on Thursday, 8 December 2016 from 12.30 pm to 3.00 pm.

In order to facilitate networking with local companies and to raise awareness of Council funded business support initiatives with Chamber Members, it is proposed that the Chairman of the Development Committee host two tables at a total cost of £400.

Members should note that this event will take place before the Council considers the Committee’s minute. Agreement to attend this event by the Full Council will therefore be retrospective.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee agrees that the Chairman of the Development Committee should host two tables at the above event at a total cost of £400.

8. STRATEGIC LINKS TO LISBURN CITY CENTRE

Members will recall that delegated authority was granted to the December Development Committee to consider the development of proposals relating to enhancing the connectivity between Sprucefield and Lisburn City Centre. The proposed piece of work would look at the potential to create stronger links between the retail trading areas of Sprucefield and Lisburn City Centre and ensure physical connectivity is appropriately developed to meet the needs of APPENDIX 2

future development plans. If the Committee are minded to agree that this is a priority work can commence using the current Christmas period as the initial research base for a proposed options report that would be presented to a future meeting of the Committee.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee agrees that Officers should develop a full options report to investigate initiatives that would improve the connectivity between Sprucefield and Lisburn City Centre.

ITEMS FOR NOTING

9. PUBLIC SPACE CCTV SCHEME FUNDING UPDATE

Members will recall that it was agreed in September 2015 that the management of the CCTV Scheme within the Council would transfer from the Development Committee to Corporate Services Committee as it is more appropriately aligned with the work of the Central Support Services through the PCSP.

This transfer has been delayed due to the ongoing work required to complete the Public Space CCTV Integration Project. For information, it is now proposed that the project will transfer to the Central Support Services on 1 April 2017, with the Council's Regeneration staff continuing to support the work and ensuring the relevant staff in Corporate Services are in a position to take over responsibility.

Recommendation

It is recommended the Committee notes the new date of 1 April 2017 for the transfer of the CCTV project to the Central Support Services Section of the Council.

10. UPDATE ON PROGRESS OF REGENERATION BILL - STATEMENT FROM MINISTER FOR COMMUNITIES, NOVEMBER 2016

Members will be aware that Mr Paul Givan, Minister for Communities made a statement on 22 November 2016. This included an update on the progress of the Regeneration Bill. Attached at Appendix 3 ED is the Minister’s full statement.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members note the content of the Minister’s statement on the update of the Regeneration Bill.

APPENDIX 2

11. INTERREG NORTH WEST EUROPE GENCOMM PROJECT

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has been invited to participate as an associate partner in the INTERREG NWE GENCOMM project. The project is led by Belfast Metropolitan College, with input and support from partners in Ireland, Belgium, France and the UK. There are also three other local authorities from Northern Ireland on board as associate partners: Belfast City Council, Newry Mourne & Down District Council and Mid & East Antrim Borough Council.

Appendix 4 ED provides a brief overview of the project which will design a new model for generating, storing and exploiting generated electricity from renewable sources in remote communities, as well as linking the use of renewable energy production in a variety of existing hydrogen usages in different markets.

As an associate partner on the project the Council will have access to all of the project information and developments, with scope to tap into new business and supply chain opportunities for local businesses. Also as a partner the Council will be invited to attend project meetings and workshops, as well as supporting the communications and dissemination work package. Members should note that there is no financial commitment required from the Council to be part of the project.

The Stage II project application will be submitted in December 2016, with an expected response in March 2017. The project will run for three years once final approvals are in place.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Council agrees to participate as an associate partner in the INTERREG NEW GENCOMM project as outlined.

12. NORTHERN IRELAND BUSINESS START UP PROGRAMME UPDATE

Members will be aware that the Council is leading on the delivery of the new Council led Northern Ireland Business Start Up Programme (NIBSUP).

Attached at Appendix 5 ED is a brief update report on NIBSUP.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee notes the above.

13. TRANSLINK – FESTIVE TRAVEL CAMPAIGN FOR LISBURN AND CASTLEREAGH

Attached at Appendix 6 ED is correspondence from Chris Conway, Group Chief Executive of Translink to the Council’s Chief Executiv e inviting the Council to join with Translink to launch a “Festive Travel Campaign” which will APPENDIX 2

highlight the best ways to travel to t he various events and attracti ons on offer in Lisburn and Castlereagh over the Christmas period.

Members should note that a ttached to the correspondence is a lis t of special Translink travel offers to support the retail and hospitality sector in Lisburn and Castlereagh. In the corre spondence Translink proposes a series of joint promotional initiatives for the Council and Translink working together.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee considers the correspondence and in particular, the proposed joint initiative s, and provides guidance to Officers on its preferred course of action.

14. PROHIBITION OR RESTRICTION OF USE OF PUBLIC ROADS: SPECIAL EVENTS – COMMENCEMENT DATE 1 JANUARY 2017

Attached at Appendix 7 ED is correspondence to the Chief Executive from the Department for Infrastructure in relation to new legislation that relates to the prohibition or restriction of use of public roads: special events. The Department intends that the date of commencement will be 1 January 2017 and if agreed, from that date, the Council will assume responsibility for dealing with requests for special events on all public roads in the Council area apart from special roads for which the Department assumes responsibility.

The Committee should note that consideration of this matter will be led by th e Environmental Services Committee and that this information is presented to the Development Committee for noti ng. For Members information, reports to the Environmental Services Committee in this regard is attached at Appendix 8 ED.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee notes the above.

15. HILLSBOROUGH STEERING GROUP COMMITTEE

Attached at Appendix 9 ED is a copy of the minutesof the most recent Steering Committee meeting which took place on 29 September 2016.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members note the minutes of the most recent Steering Committee meeting which took place on 29 September 2016.

16. BUDGET REPORT – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Attached under Appendix 10 ED for the information o f Members is a copy of the summary Budget Report for Economic Development for the year to 31 March 2017 as at 31 October 2016. APPENDIX 2

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members note th e attached report, setting out the budget position to 31 March 2017 as at 31 October 2016.

PAUL McCORMICK LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT 1 December 2016

MIPIM UK 2016 REVIEW

Background

MIPIM UK 2016 was the third annual exhibition and conference focused on the UK property market. It is the largest property event in the UK. This was Lisburn Castlereagh’s second year and the Council team was supported by The Rt. Hon. Sir Jeffery Donaldson MP , Robert Brock of Marcol plc, Tom Hawthorne of Plastec NI and Tony Reid, MD of Spanwall EDM.

Key statistics

 Over 4000 people attended;  Over 2000 plus companies /local authorities were represented;  120 exhibitors;  5 UK Government Ministers attended;  Strong representation by GB cities including Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow;  Lisburn Castlereagh and Armagh Banbridge Craigavon were the only two Northern Ireland councils represented.

Key outcomes for Lisburn Castlereagh

 In advance of the event, 1200 company executives received direct mailings raising Lisburn Castlereagh’s profile as an investment opportunity.  50 high profile executives in key sectors received tailored invitations including from the Chief Executive.  The LCCC stand was in a high profile location and delivered: o 54 enquiries including 43 potential investors and property advisors. Enquiries were cross-sectoral in nature and included taking office space with access to both Greater Belfast and Dublin, hotel/leisure development and retail investment. There are also a number of unique propositions, which merit further investigation. o A high level Chinese delegation. o Senior representatives from UK Trade & Investment and Invest NI. o 2 Westminster Ministers: . The Secretary of State for Local Communities, and . The Minister for the Cabinet Office & Paymaster General. o Two successful hospitality events and profile for the LCCC area and local products. o A successful on stand launch for Bluefield houseboats, an innovative Houseboat project manufactured in the LCCC area.  All enquiries have been followed up and will be ‘account managed’ going forward  PR placements as follows: o Press release and photo in the Ulster Star along with the feature in AgendaNI; o Post event press release in the Ulster Star and press release and photo on Ulster Star online; o Standing Stones PR press release in the Star, a photo and press release on Ulster Star online and in the Newsletter; o Page in the MIPIM Journal at the show.

Recommendations for MIPIM UK 2017:

 Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council should make an early decision to attend MIPIM UK 18th – 20th October 2017; space books quickly; it would be sensible to book the same strategically located space as soon as possible. To this end the organisers of MIPIM UK have confirmed that the Council will benefit from a preferential rate should they reserve their stand before the end of January 2017.  MIPIM UK gives Lisburn Castlereagh access to key players in the UK property development market at a reasonable cost.  The event is focused on the GB property investment market, which is the most likely source of inward property investment to Lisburn Castlereagh /Northern Ireland.  There was only one other Northern Ireland council present which helped both councils’ visibility.  Unlike MIPIM Cannes, the Council should continue to exhibit alone at the London event rather than as a consortium. This approach has worked in each of the last two years; the LCCC message is strong and does not need a wider ‘pitch’ to attract attention at MIPIM UK, however: o There could be opportunities for joint promotional activity at MIPIM UK 2017 with other Northern Ireland councils; o A stand-alone presence at MIPIM Cannes would be less likely to work given the scale of the French exhibition and the strong presence of large cities from across Europe.  The LCCC stand was in an excellent location for high visibility and attracting attention.  Lisburn Castlereagh’s message as the perfect location for reaching customers across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is attractive.  The stand design was attractive and projected a positive, professional image, with a number of complementary observations from other exhibitors, and the event organisers.  The theme ‘The Right Combination’ attracted attention and the idea of issuing ‘combinations’ to targeted attendees attracted people to the stand to try to win gift bags.  The exhibition organisers singled out the LCCC campaign as one of the most innovative.  The number of GB councils exhibiting increased this year including large cities and counties like Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester/Liverpool, Nottingham, Hertfordshire and Norfolk/Suffolk.  These larger players attract property professionals to the event.  Based in London, MIPIM UK is easy for British property developers to access.

Key Actions for MIPIM UK 2017

 The Council should strongly promote the pending 12½% corporation tax rate.  The Council should also promote the ideal location theme more strongly. The fact that Lisburn Castlereagh’s location close to Belfast and with rapid access to Dublin is a key selling point.  The Council should further develop the data behind the area’s offers for hotel, retail, office and other property investment. For example : o The EIKON centre expansion and the Historic Royal Palaces’ marketing of Hillsborough Castle could create more demand for hotel space;  The business showcase was less successful for LCCC and other exhibitors – the competition from large cities is difficult to compete with. Instead the Council should have guest speakers at the stand leveraging any recent announcements or developments e.g. Marcol/Regus.  If other Northern Ireland councils are attending, the Council should consider being part of a ‘Northern Ireland’ presentation/ seminar to attract a larger audience, promoted well in advance of the conference.  While there was excellent local press coverage in the Ulster Star, this does not reach the Council’s target investment and business audience.  There is a need to secure better press coverage in publications, which developers will read. This will include trade media and GB national publications.  Follow up is crucial and as projects will progress over the medium term, the Council should use MIPIM 2017 better as an opportunity to meet existing contacts and take on additional meetings in London during MIPIM 2017.  The event is important but needs to be properly resourced, certainly for the first 2 days. The last day requires only 2-3 people for the morning.

Members should note that discussions with Reed MIDIM, the event organisers, have highlighted the following proposed enhancements for the MIPIM UK 2017 event:

 To make the Investors Forum bigger and better by making it a full day event with networking opportunities in between.  Create a central networking hub on the networking hub on the exhibition floor.  Specifically assist local authorities pitch themselves in the most attractive way to investors and help to identify what type of investor they need to meet with.  Potentially make MIPIM UK a two-day event from Wednesday to Thursday, finishing Thursday evening with a keynote speaker and a networking party. This is with the aim of encouraging exhibitors to stay Thursday evening and utilise Friday to have additional meetings and lunches with clients.

Minister's Statement: Progress of the Regeneration Bill - 22 November 2016

A Statement by Paul Givan, MLA, Minister for Communities to the Assembly on the Progress of the Regeneration Bill

I wish to make a Statement to the Assembly in respect of the extension of my Department’s Urban Regeneration and Community Development powers to Local Government.

Over the last year, we have seen real change in Local Government. The 11 new councils have been established and a range of additional functions and powers have been transferred from central government to them. The aim of the transfer of such key functions as planning, local economic development and local tourism coupled, with the new responsibility for Community Planning was to allow councils to take the lead in reshaping and building their communities.

As Members will be aware it was also the intention of the Executive to extend to district councils the Department for Social Development’s statutory powers for Urban Regeneration and Community Development but this was unable to progress within the mandate of the last Assembly. It was also recognised that the new Department for Communities would have responsibility for a much wider range of functions than the Department for Social Development and it would be better to assimilate the various new functions into the new Department before deciding if, and when, some of these responsibilities would be best delivered at a local level.

I have now completed 6 months as Communities Minister. I have spent a lot of that time out on the ground, speaking and listening to the people who use my Department’s services and those who receive its funding, and to elected representatives and community activists. I have seen at first hand the transformative impact that regeneration projects can have on our town and city centres and the contribution they can make to enhancing the shared space and vibrancy of our communities. And I have seen that, irrespective of where legislative responsibility lies, Local Government plays a huge role in ensuring the successful implementation of our regeneration programmes.

Whether this is in Belfast or Londonderry, Lisburn, Armagh or Newry or in our important towns across Northern Ireland, for example in Enniskillen, Dungannon, Ballymena and Bangor, a key feature of all of this work has been the level of collaborative working that has been achieved between Local Councils and my Department.

This is exactly the type of cross-boundary working that is needed under our new Programme for Government.

The Programme for Government sets out an entirely new context for the delivery of our services, including the way in which we address poverty and disadvantage, and the way that we use our statutory powers to drive economic growth and lever new investment to benefit everybody in this society. The key message from the Executive is that we all, whether in central government, local government or outside of government, must ensure we work in a joined-up way, across departmental, organisational and sectoral boundaries, and that we must use all our resources and skills to deliver lasting change.

It is my assessment therefore, that the new context calls for a new direction of travel. I want my Department to be at the forefront of that change, using all of the powers and resources at its disposal to achieve the outcomes and the ambition the Executive has for our society as set out in the Programme for Government. This is not the time to tinker with who is responsible for what, or to concern ourselves with the splitting up of the regeneration budget. Rather it is the time for all the stakeholders to work together to maximise our joint effect and achieve positive change in the issues that have bedevilled this society for too long.

So I am announcing today, that I do not intend to bring forward proposals to extend my Department’s urban regeneration and community development powers to local government during this mandate.

Rather, I want to see both central and local government, operating within our respective existing legislative, community planning and resource frameworks, working with other stakeholders whether in the community, or private sectors, to maximise the impact that we can make together. This is not simply about improving our public realm and increasing our shared space. It is about creating more vibrant places with more employment opportunities and better housing, addressing poverty and improving the quality of people’s lives.

I also want to explore whether there is a case for extending our regeneration activities to settlements of less than 5,000 people.

There are many small settlements which serve the same role in the community as larger places but which, because of our current policy to restrict access to town centre regeneration funding to towns with populations above 5,000, do not directly benefit from the investment in the enhancement of public and shared space available to their larger neighbours.

A change to, or indeed the removal of the population threshold could open up new opportunities to lever in much greater investment including that from the private sector and local government to new areas, producing new employment opportunities by, for example, exploiting social clauses. This proposal also offers the scope for enhanced collaboration and cross government working with the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Department for Infrastructure.

I have therefore, asked my officials to review the current population thresholds and consider options for extending my Department’s physical regeneration programme, public realm schemes, development grants and revitalisation activity to projects which promote the vibrancy and vitality of smaller settlements which currently are designated as rural but which provide retail services and employment opportunities equivalent to more populous ones.

This would ensure that citizens living, socialising and availing of services in smaller settlements have access to the same benefits of public space developments as their counterparts in larger conurbations.

In all of this, I want to emphasize the essential involvement of colleagues in Local Government. We already have many fine examples of really good public realm improvement which has resulted from the combined efforts of Local Government and my Department. Nothing I have said to-day will change that. On the contrary, I want to see more of that type of collaborative effort, where each sector exploits its strengths and authority to maximise the benefits and reach of our public realm programmes. And finally I want to set out my intentions with regard to the Neighbourhood Renewal programme.

Neighbourhood Renewal was a ten year strategy, launched in 2003 to deal with the circumstances at that time. There has been investment of almost £280m since its inception in 2003. The programme has had many successes in helping to nurture community development and in improving the physical fabric, facilities and environment of many of our most deprived areas and there have been significant improvements across a number of social and economic indicators during the lifetime of the existing strategy.

The programme has been subject to both interim and final evaluations. These studies reported that whilst there has been some narrowing of the gap between the Neighbourhood Renewal Areas and the rest of Northern Ireland on a range of the social and economic outcome indicators. The areas remain some way behind when compared to the rest of the country.

Neighbourhood Renewal has had notable success in community development outcomes. It has laid many of the foundations necessary for ensuring that communities are able to engage in Community Planning with councils. It has instilled a sense of pride amongst residents in their areas and encouraged high levels of community participation in the development of Action Plans and in the interventions which have flowed from these.

The Strategy also had many demonstrable successes in relation to physical and environmental improvements with ample evidence of the benefits accrued through neighbourhood renewal capital investment. Examples include: sports facilities, childcare facilities, community centres, business units and play parks.

But we have to recognise that things have moved on. There is a different context now.

Programme for Government places responsibilities on us to focus our efforts on things that make a difference, and to challenge ourselves to find better ways of making a positive impact on the outcomes it sets out to achieve.

So given where we are and in the context of the achievements of the programme over the last thirteen years. I wish to announce to-day, that it is my intention to review the current strategies for tackling deprivation, with a view to replacing them with a programme that will be more closely aligned to support the delivery of the new Programme for Government outcomes.

It is in all our interests to see if we can design a programme which will have a greater impact on the intractable social and economic barriers which limit life chances for so many in our community. In that way we can be better assured about the effectiveness of our interventions to address poverty and deprivation and to improve the lives of people facing barriers to participation in the economy and in the cultural and social life of Northern Ireland.

It will be important to ensure that any new programme builds on and does not lose the real benefits of the existing programme.

I will also wish to consult stakeholders on the way forward as proposals are being developed and their impact assessed. The current Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has provided many good news stories across all of the areas that have participated in the programme. In acknowledging these successes I want to record my gratitude to all involved.

I want to conclude by giving an assurance that there will be no sudden change to the delivery of the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme. This will remain in place until the review is complete and I believe that this process will take 18 months to two years to complete.

The development of proposals will be informed by widespread consultation. I particularly want to ask those who have been involved in the Neighbourhood Renewal process to bring their experience and knowledge to these discussions with my Department as we take this work forward.

In closing, my statement brings much needed clarity to an issue in which there is huge interest across Northern Ireland. It sets out an inclusive way forward which will allow us to exploit the strengths of both central and local government. But more than that it provides an opportunity, through collective effort, to extend the reach of our programmes so that more of our constituents can better benefit from our interventions. The new draft Programme for Government signals a new way of working, a renewed focus on outcomes which requires us to think differently and to challenge the way we do things. This is an important step on that journey. I look forward to the outcome.

NORTHERN IRELAND BUSINESS START UP PROGRAMME – UPDATE

Members will be aware that the Council is leading on the delivery of the new Council led Northern Ireland Business Start Up Programme (NIBSUP).

Key actions to date:

 Issue of the Joint Council Collaborative Legal Agreements to all Partner Councils from LCCC.  Invest NI have confirmed that a final Letter of Offer as part of the EU Investment for Growth & Jobs Programme will be issued upon receipt of signed Legal Agreements from the partner Councils.  Publication of the Prior Information Notice for the Delivery of NIBSUP which will provide prospective tenderers advance notice that this procurement exercise is pending.  Publication of Prior Information Notice for NIBSUP Enquiry Handling service which will provide prospective tenderers with advance notice that this procurement exercise is pending.  Shortlisting for the NIBSUP Programme Officer will take place on 5th December 2016.  NIBSUP Programme Management & Governance Structures have been agreed by the NIBSUP 11 Council Working Group.

NIBSUP CRM System

Belfast City Council have now finalised the scoping document to progress the development of a dedicated Council owned CRM system for NIBSUP. Part of the scoping work undertaken by NI Council Officers identified the following learning points:

- The need for centralised client management and real time reporting between local authorities; - The need for consistent reporting of outcomes across the region for a single point of contact to Central Government in terms of progress against performance standards; - The need for a CRM system for effective contract management across sub- contracted supply chain and across multiple geographic locations; and - The need for accurate real time reporting as an audit control to inform payment mechanisms.

It was agreed by the partner Councils to develop an in-house solution as:

- Councils are collectively keen to learn from regional delivery of the business start-up programme and having direct access to live data would enable SMART approaches to economic development delivery across the region. Ownership of the MIS and the ability to interrogate the data to meet individual Council needs is a key strength. - Costs associated with development and change control requests can be better managed over time across local authorities; - An in-house solution could evolve over time to meet the growing needs of the service area across councils (i.e. Business Start and Business Growth Services; - An in-house solution would develop strong working relationships between Councils and Central Government as the content contained within will be a key measurement and performance tool for the Programme for Government and separate Council Community Plans;

Members should note that the cost to develop this CRM solutions has been included as part of the overall NIBSUP project costs as reported to the Committee in October 2016. Belfast City Council are developing a dedicated CRM system, based upon Microsoft Dynamics, through their in house Digital Services Team.

Interim Business Start Up Programme Update

1. The contract to deliver the Interim Business Start Programme in Lisburn & Castlereagh from October 2016-March 2017 was awarded to a consortia bid submitted by Lisburn Enterprise Organisation and Inspire Business Centre.

2. Derry City & Strabane District Council have employed a Digital Marketing Officer who will deliver a digital marketing programme on behalf of the 11 Partner Councils during the Interim Business Start Up phase.

3. In addition as part of the overall handover of the business start programme remit to councils, Invest NI requested that the following two “Go for it” trademark registrations and all associated goodwill are assigned to councils:

· Go For It · Go For It – Be Entrepreneurial.

As lead council for the project, this will be progressed through Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council. The Council has been provided with legal documents associated with this transfer and the Economic Development Unit is working with Corporate Services to present these legal documents to a meeting of the Corporate Services Committee. Members should note these documents have been reviewed by a solicitor on behalf of the Council. Members should further note that any associated costs for this reassignment of the trademark will be apportioned between the 11 partner Councils.

Dear Chief Executive

Prohibition or Restriction of Use of Public Roads: Special Events

The Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 received Royal Assent on 13 August 2010. Amongst other provisions, the Act makes provision to allow relevant authorities to close roads to facilitate special events (defined as any sporting event, social event or entertainment, or film making) with the consent of the Department. The relevant authority is the District Council for all roads apart from special roads (which are mainly motorways), for which the Department retains responsibility.

The act can be viewed here http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2010/14/contents

I would now confirm that the Department has started the legislative process that will commence those parts of the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 relevant to the holding of special events on roads.

I would also confirm that it is the Department’s intention that the date of commencement will be 1 January 2017, and from that date your council will assume responsibility for dealing with requests to hold special events on all public roads in your council area apart from special roads (which are mainly motorways) for which the Department assumes responsibility.

Guidance for use by District Councils and promoters of events when considering the holding of a special event on a public road accompanies this e‐mail and will be available via NIDirect in due course. This guidance was prepared in partnership with a SOLACE led joint technical officer team during 2011 and 2012, and awareness sessions for council staff on these were held in October 2012. While there is no intention to repeat these sessions we can, if you feel it would be beneficial, arrange to meet with your officials to take them through the guidance and outline the general approach to handling requests under this legislation.

Should you require further explanation or if you feel that a meeting with Departmental officials would be beneficial, please contact Stephen Hughes either by telephone at 028 9054 1016 or e‐mail at stephen.hughes@infrastructure‐ni.gov.uk .

Yours sincerely

Philip Hamilton Head of Engineering Services

Special Events on Roads

Guidance for District Councils

Issued by the Department for Infrastructure under paragraph 5(a) of and Schedule 3A to the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

Table of contents

Section Page

Background and General Information 1

Processing Applications 7

Appendix 1 - Activities NOT covered under this guidance 15

Appendix 2 - DfI TransportNI Section Office Contact Details 17

Appendix 3 - Assessment Flowchart 21

Appendix 4 - Sample Notice Layout 22

Appendix 5 - Sample Order Layout 23

Appendix 6 - Checklist for District Councils 25

Appendix 7 - Small Events (i.e. Street Parties) 26

SPECIAL EVENTS

GUIDANCE FOR DISTRICT COUNCILS

(i) Background The Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 amended the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 by inserting a new Article 8A and Schedule 3A into the Order to provide powers to prohibit or restrict the use of public roads for the purpose of holding special events on them.

Such Orders may be made by the ‘relevant authority’. In the case of roads which are not special roads, the relevant authority will be the District Council in whose area the road lies. Such Orders may only be made with the consent of the Department. In the case of special roads (usually, but not exclusively motorways) the relevant authority is the Department for Infrastructure.

Special events are defined in Paragraph 1(2) of, Schedule 3A to the Order, as amended, as any sporting, social or entertainment event, or film making. District Councils may make Orders to restrict or prohibit traffic on a public road to facilitate such events with the consent of the Department for Infrastructure TransportNI (DfI).

This guidance relates only to the making of Order for restricting or prohibiting traffic using a road for the holding of a special event. It has not been written as a guide to event management nor does it contain procedures for obtaining consents for temporary structures/scaffolding etc from the Department for Infrastructure or for entertainment licences from District Councils – separate existing procedures apply. A useful guide to event management can be found in “The Event Safety Guide - A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events” (or ‘Purple Guide’ as it is known) published by the Health and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg195.htm

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(ii) Introduction

This guidance is for the use of District Council officers, who must have regard to it when exercising the District Council’s functions under Schedule 3A of the Order. It was prepared jointly by DfI, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and a District Council technical officer team, which was administered by the Northern Ireland branch of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE).

This guide is intended to be complementary to and read in conjunction with its sister document the ‘Guidance for Promoters of Events’.

(iii) What is a Special Event?

Special events are defined as: (a) Any sporting event, social event or entertainment which is held on a public road; or (b) The making of a film on a public road.

Examples of possible ‘special events’ could include:  Fun runs/marathons etc;  Street parties;  Concerts;  Social events.

The making of a film may include the making of TV programmes, films or advertisements.

District Councils may wish to give special consideration to small community based and locally held events such as street parties which are a traditional part of community life. Specific guidance on small events is attached at Appendix 7. The small events guidance is provided to streamline the procedures for approving events such as street parties which are likely to be held throughout residential areas on the same day. It does not remove any of the statutory requirements in terms of

2 Version 1 – December 2016 publishing notices and preparing Orders, or consulting with the Department, and police, fire and ambulance services. It does however suggest that, for efficiency purposes, where a large number of smaller events such as street parties are being held in the same District Council area to celebrate the same occasion these can be handled collectively in terms of consultation, notices etc.

There are a number of activities which are not special events for the purposes of these arrangements. These include:  Public processions;  Motor road races; or,  Cycle races or trials; or,  Road works.

Further detail on each of these and the responsible authority is contained in Appendix 1 to this guidance and in paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 3A http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2010/14/schedule/1 .

An exhaustive list of the types of sporting, social or entertainment events is not provided, and District Councils must decide which specific events they consider to be special events.

Traffic will only be restricted or prohibited from using a public road for the purposes of:

 facilitating the holding of a special event; or,  enabling members of the public to watch a special event; or,  reducing the disruption to traffic in adjacent streets as a result of holding a special event.

It is important to remember that although the legislation provides District Councils with the power to prohibit or restrict the use of a public road, with the Department’s consent, no Order can be made that “…would have the effect of preventing at any time access for pedestrians—

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(a) to any premises situated on or adjacent to the road, or (b) to any other premises accessible for pedestrians from, and only from, the road.”

This means that any form of access control, including charging for admission, could be viewed as being contrary to the legislation. That said, for some larger events such as a Christmas lights switch on events, there may be logic in issuing tickets from both a health and safety and crowd control perspective. Where it is deemed necessary to control access to and from events for public safety purposes arrangements must be put in place to ensure that the intention of the legislation is complied with.

Requests that are not considered to be for a ‘special event’ should be refused and the promoter informed of the reasons for refusal.

Where an event extends into more than one relevant authority’s area e.g. the Belfast Marathon, an application needs to be submitted to each District Council for the roads in its area. However, a joint notice on behalf of both Councils may be sufficient. Individual District Councils should decide, based on their own policies in terms of media advertising, which paper/papers it will place notices in. This may require collaboration agreements to be drafted between each of the District Councils involved and may include agreement on sharing administration costs.

(iv) What is a public road?

The legislation provides a framework enabling the restriction or prohibition of traffic from using a public road for a ‘special event’ to take place. The legislation can therefore only be used for an event either being held totally or partially on a public road. The definition of a public road can be found in Article 2(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation (NI) Order 1997. It means a road which is maintainable by the Department and includes any part of such a road and any bridge or tunnel over or through which such a road passes.

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District Councils may wish to contact the Statutory Functions Officer in their local TransportNI section office to check whether a road is maintained by the Department. The relevant contact details are provided at Appendix 2.

As well as prohibiting or restricting traffic on a public road, Orders may also suspend or modify any statutory provision relating to that road, such as parking provision or waiting restrictions etc.

District Councils should be aware that an Order only restricts or prohibits traffic or pedestrians using a road, the road is still a road for the purposes of other legislation. Street trading and entertainment still needs to be licensed through the Council and the consent of the Department is also required should the promoter wish to erect any structures or place any equipment on the road.

(v) How long can an Order last?

There is no restriction in the legislation as to the amount of time an event can last. District Councils however have to be mindful that any restriction or prohibition has the potential to greatly impact on other road users including owners/occupiers of adjoining properties and should take this into consideration when assessing applications. Regular and frequent requests to close the same stretch of road, say, every week/couple of weeks would not be deemed reasonable. In addition, given that a dictionary definition of “special” is “not ordinary or usual” regular events such as those just mentioned could not be deemed to be “special”.

When deciding how long an Order should last, consideration should also be given to the periods immediately before and after events which may need to be covered for the erection of any staging/structures etc., practice for the event itself and for dismantling/removal of any structures/equipment.

(vi) What can an Order do?

An Order may restrict or prohibit temporarily the use of that road, or any part of it, by all vehicles, or vehicles of any class or by pedestrians, to such extent and subject to

5 Version 1 – December 2016 such conditions or exceptions as the relevant authority may consider necessary or expedient.

The Order may suspend or modify any statutory provision relating to the affected road or its use by traffic or pedestrians such as the suspension of parking provision or waiting restrictions etc.

Orders can therefore be used to wholly close a road to all traffic or alternatively restrict parts of it by putting in lane closures. Conditions would generally include the provision of properly signed alternative routes. An Order can allow for the suspension of taxi ranks, bus stops, on street parking, as well as permitting vehicles access to pedestrian areas.

(vii) Costs

The District Council has the power to recover the whole of the costs in connection with or in consequence of making an Order. These costs may include:

 Staff time costs;  the cost of advertising in a local paper;  the possible erection and maintenance of Public Notices in the general area;  the cleansing of the area following the closure;  any other costs in connection with or in consequence of making an Order over and above that listed above

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Processing Applications

To assist District Councils and to encourage consistency in how an application for the prohibition or restriction of use of public roads should be processed, a flow chart outlining the different stages involved is attached at Appendix 3. The following process guide is generally written in the same sequence as the flow chart. Where applicable, reference to the relevant paragraph from the Act http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2010/14/contents is provided in the flow chart.

1. Pre-application Enquiries – it is envisaged that a large number of event promoters will contact District Councils initially by telephone to discuss their proposed events and to seek advice about the protocols involved. Event promoters should be made aware of the separate guidance for promoters of events (as issued by the Department for Infrastructure under paragraph 5(b) of Schedule 3A) and either directed to this guidance on-line, if available, or have it posted out to them. Importantly, officers should take the opportunity to discuss the proposed event with the promoter. The type of event should be explored (see paragraph iii) and whether there are off-road alternatives in the vicinity (see paragraph 10).

2. If the promoter is seeking to hold a special event on a ‘special road’ (all motorways, plus the A12 Westlink and the A8 from Sandyknowes to Corr’s Corner) they should be referred to the Department’s TransportNI which is the relevant authority for these roads.

The District Council will liaise with the Department and police to discuss whether there is any immediate impediment to the particular request to prohibit/restrict a particular road in order to ascertain feasibility of the event proposal.

3. Advice to Be Given - Promoters should be advised:  That there are responsibilities involved with restricting or prohibiting traffic and how a restriction or prohibition can adversely impact on other road users

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and of the possibility that they may also need to provide temporary traffic signing;  that the District Council will assess the application and as part of the process must consult with the Department for Infrastructure, the police, the ambulance service and the fire and rescue services before it can consider permitting the use of the road for a special event;  that the District Council must be satisfied that there are no suitable off road venues for the proposed event;  that the District Council may seek to recover any or all of the costs it may incur arranging any closure, including the cost of advertising the notice in a local newspaper, administrative costs and the cleansing of the area following the closure;  that pedestrians must be allowed free access to premises on the road or adjacent to or to any other premises accessible for pedestrians only from the road in question, and where some form of control is being employed for health and safety reasons that the promoter must put in place systems to allow access to those who need to get to premises situated on or adjacent to the road;  that an Order only restricts or prohibits traffic using a road, the road is still a road for the purposes of other legislation. Street trading and entertainment still needs to be licensed through the District Council and the consent of the Department is required should the promoter wish to erect any structures or place any equipment on the road during the event;  that the District Council needs applications to be generally submitted at least 12 weeks prior to the date of the proposed event to properly process them;  that others have the opportunity to comment on and object to the proposal which may lengthen the process further or indeed stop the event from taking place; and,  that the District Council may monitor the event and that a promoter’s failure to comply with any requirements stipulated by the District Council in the Order may be taken into consideration in respect of any future requests for events (see paragraph 20). Event promoters should be made aware that failure to comply with any requirements stipulated in the Order is a criminal

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offence and can be pursued by the police. Monitoring is a matter for the District Council.  that there is no provision for an appeals procedure within the legislation. The District Council will inform promoters of any refusal at an early stage and will provide an explanation of the reason for it.

4. Notices in respect of proposed ‘special events’ are required to be advertised in at least one local newspaper and may be advertised on the District Council’s website. The District Council must allow a minimum of 21 days from the date of the last publication of the notice for representations. This will restrict a District Council’s capacity to respond to requests to facilitate events at short notice. Failure to obtain the requisite permissions to prohibit/restrict a road, prior to holding an event is an offence and enforcement action may be taken by the police against the promoter of that event.

5. Application Received – the returned application form should be logged and checked for completeness. An acknowledgement should be issued along with a request for any missing information.

6. 12 week processing period - The 12 week processing period is not a requirement of the legislation but is recommended in this guidance as good practice in terms of treating applications properly and giving District Councils adequate time for processing, bearing in mind that there may be other applications to deal with. With time it is envisaged that promoters will discipline themselves to give District Councils as much notice as possible of forthcoming applications.

It is acknowledged that the film industry generally works to very short timescales, and that there may be exceptional circumstances when it may be advisable to accelerate the process, particularly bearing in mind the Executive’s desire to help promote the Northern Ireland film industry. The minimum period of 21 days for representations to be submitted following publication of a notice is however, contained in legislation and cannot be changed.

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7. Is the Application Form Complete? – All necessary information is required before the request can be considered and promoters must have signed the application form. Promoters should be asked to provide all the required information. Where a District Council requires the promoter to provide evidence of insurance this should be verified at this stage, if possible. It will be incumbent on the promoter to obtain insurance and it will be a condition in any resulting Order that the appropriate insurance is in place prior to the event taking place.

8. Does the Proposed Event Meet the Criteria for ‘Special Events’ – refer to paragraph (iii) of this guide, ‘What is a Special Event’.

9. Is the road to be closed a ‘special road’? – Special roads are designated as such by the DfI. The following roads are special roads:

 All motorways;  The Westlink (A12); and,  A8M Sandyknowes to Corr’s Corner.

An event promoter seeking to hold a special event on a special road should be referred to the local TransportNI Statutory Functions officer who would normally be based in the local maintenance Section Office.

10. Is There a Suitable Off-Road Alternative? – At an early stage the District Council should check that there are no nearby alternatives that would accommodate the holding of a special event. This may include green/grassed areas or local community/activity centres etc. The legislation requires that the relevant authority be satisfied that there is no reasonably practicable alternative to holding it on a road. If the District Council is satisfied that there is a suitable alternative then the request should be refused and the promoter informed.

11. Are other approvals needed? – This guidance is aimed primarily at preparing an Order that will prohibit or restrict traffic from using a road for the purpose of holding a ‘special event’. Where the nature and scale of the ‘special event’ is such that other requirements are needed such as an event management plan

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(District Council) or a consent for placing equipment on road (TransportNI) the promoter should be notified at an early stage as the promoter will be responsible for pursuing these. Promoters should also be made aware that apart from any consent required from TransportNI, technical approval may also be required for any structure temporarily erected as part of the event.

12. Consent of the Department – Under the legislation a District Council needs the Department’s consent to make any restriction/prohibition Order. The Council should pursue this through the local TransportNI statutory functions officer. It is suggested that liaison be undertaken electronically and that District Councils establish contacts with TransportNI at an early stage. Contact details for local TransportNI Section Offices are contained at Appendix 2.

The Department will generally only withhold consent for road safety or traffic management reasons or if it feels that the holding of the event will in some way adversely impact on the fabric of the road network, for example if something is planned that will damage the road. During its deliberations TransportNI staff will assess:

 The nature and type of road to be closed;  The adequacy of the proposed diversionary route; and,  The general impact on traffic management of the road closure particularly if there is a seeming trend that a certain type of event is becoming more regular.

TransportNI will also check to see whether there are any conflicting closures/works/diversions on the roads in question, and any such work already planned will generally result in the consent being refused.

The District Council will be responsible for informing the promoter of any refusal.

13. District Councils to consult with the Police – District Councils are required to consult with the District Commander of the police district before making an Order to restrict or prohibit temporarily the use of a road. Initial contact should

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be made through the local Operational Planning Unit. It is envisaged that beyond the formal consultation notification, established communication channels between District Councils and police will ensure early notification of possible events, and in particular larger events which may have a more significant impact in terms of road safety, public safety and crime and disorder.

The local Operational Planning Unit is also best placed to advise whether other events such as cycle races or trials; motor road races; or public processions are either planned for the date in question or are traditionally held on that date. The Parades Commission’s website also lists all forthcoming processions that it has been notified of, bearing in mind that organisers of public processions need only give 28 days notice. http://www.paradescommission.org/?survey=0 . Early communication with the police and if necessary the Parades Commission is essential to ensure that there is no duplication of events on the same day.

14. District Councils to Consult with Other Bodies – District Councils are also required to consult with the NI Fire and Rescue Service and the NI Ambulance Service. It is suggested that this is done at the same time as the TransportNI and PSNI consultation. Contact should be made through the relevant local Divisional Headquarters and contact details can be accessed via the following links:

 NI Fire and Rescue Service http://www.nifrs.org/locations.php ; and,  NI Ambulance Service http://www.niamb.co.uk/docs/contact_details.html

Consultation with the above in respect of any application should take place as early as possible. If there are any concerns about the proposal, these would need to be resolved before the closure is approved. If the application is rejected on the basis of such objections, the District Council will need to inform the promoter.

Although not a statutory requirement, it is recommended as good practice that District Councils should also notify the local Translink office of any forthcoming closures.

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If any of the statutory bodies/agencies referred to in this and previous two paragraphs have any unresolved concerns in relation to the proposal, the District Council should refuse the application.

15. Safety Advisory Groups – Councils may wish to consider establishing Safety Advisory Groups to manage this process comprising of officials from the statutory consultee groups.

16. Notify elected Council members – The individual District Council’s governance arrangements will dictate how applications are notified to elected District Council members.

17. Prepare Notice – Once the District Council is minded that the road may be closed for the special event it shall prepare a notice based on the template contained in Appendix 4. All the relevant fields must be completed. Where an application is for an area wide event and many streets are affected then the Notice must contain details of all roads and the intended prohibition or restriction.

18. Publication of Notice in Local Press – the notice must be advertised in at least one local newspaper and may be advertised on the District Council’s website. The period during which representations may be made is a minimum of 21 days.

19. Representation Received – The notice invites written representations about the proposed event and the legislation requires that the District Council consider these. Representations will generally be objecting to the closure and these should be considered before any closure is approved. Any Section 75 equality of opportunity issues should be given due consideration. It may be necessary to contact the promoter at this stage to see if any form of alternative proposal can be negotiated. If any dispute cannot be resolved between the relevant parties then the District Council will need to decide whether the application will be approved or refused.

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20. Inform Promoter of Outcome – Once all of the necessary checks have been made and the necessary procedures completed the District Council shall inform the promoter of its decision. If the decision is to refuse the application the promoter should be informed of the reasons for its refusal. The legislation does not provide any appeals process and promoters should be made aware of this at an early stage.

21. Make Order – Where the event is approved the District Council shall complete the process by making an Order. A sample layout for a draft Order is contained in Appendix 5.

22. Monitoring of Event – District Councils may wish to monitor the events to ensure compliance with the legislation, the conditions of the Order and guidance issued by DfI under paragraph 5(b) of Schedule 3 of the Order. Any breaches should be communicated to the police, the enforcing authority. It may be advisable to check issues such as:

 Timing;  Extent of closure;  Type of event (does it comply with application); and,  Diversionary route and signing.

23. Post Event Evaluation – To help a District Council improve its services and monitor the impact on its resources, it may be useful to carry out a post event evaluation.

This guidance will be reviewed and amended as necessary.

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Appendix 1

Activities NOT covered under this guidance

A public procession (within the meaning of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998).

A request for a public procession on a public road should be referred to the Parades Commission, contact details as follows:

The Parades Commission 2nd Floor, Andras House 60 Great Victoria Street Belfast BT2 7BB TEL : (028) 9089 5900 FAX : (028) 9032 2988 Email : [email protected]

It may also be useful to refer any enquirer to their Parade Organiser’s Guide which is available via the following link: http://www.paradescommission.org/fs/doc/publications/pull-out-section.pdf

A motor race falling within the Road Races (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (motor races on roads);

A request to hold a motor race on a public road should be referred to the Department for Infrastructure. Applications must be received and granted by the Department by 31 March annually for the season ahead. Preliminary enquiries should be made in writing to:

Department for Infrastructure Clarence Court 10 -18 Adelaide Street Belfast BT2 8GB Email: [email protected]

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It should be noted, however, that vintage car processions/cavalcades and other forms of motorised cavalcade should be viewed as a procession and referred to the Parades Commission via the local police.

A race or trial falling within Article 45 of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (cycle racing on roads); A request to hold a cycle race on a public road should be referred to Cycling Ulster either by using the enquiry form on their web page www.cyclingulster.com .

Road works or street works. Requests to restrict or prohibit traffic using a road for roads or street works purposes should be referred to the local TransportNI section office.

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Appendix 2 DfI TransportNI Section Office Contact Details

ANTRIM AND NEWTOWNABBEY Tel: (028) 9025 4057 E-mail: [email protected]

Antrim Section Office Crown Buildings 20 Castle Street Antrim Co.Antrim BT41 4JE

Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus Section Office 148-158 Corporation Street Belfast BT1 3DH

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN

Tel: (028) 9181 9328 E-mail: [email protected]

Ards Section Office Jubilee Road Newtownards Co. Down BT23 4YH

North Down Section Office 72 Balloo Road Bangor Co. Down BT19 7PG

ARMAGH CITY, BANBRIDGE AND CRAIGAVON

West - Armagh Section Office 17 Ballynahonemore Road Armagh Co. Armagh BT60 1JD Tel: (028) 3752 9500 E-mail: [email protected]

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East - Banbridge & Craigavon Section Office 18 Carn Industrial Estate Craigavon Co. Armagh BT63 5RH Tel: (028) 3833 8521 E-mail: [email protected]

BELFAST

Belfast North Section Office 148-158 Corporation Street Belfast BT1 3DH Tel: (028) 9025 4421 E-mail: [email protected]

Belfast South Section Office 1a Airport Road Belfast BT3 9DY Tel: (028) 9025 4600 E-mail: [email protected]

CAUSEWAY COAST AND GLENS

East - Ballymoney and Moyle Section Office 49 Queen Street Ballymoney Co.Antrim BT53 6JD Tel: (028) 2766 1061 E-mail: [email protected]

West - Coleraine and Limavady Section Offices County Hall 86 Main Street Castlerock Road Limavady Coleraine Co. Londonderry Co. Londonderry BT49 0ET BT51 3HS Tel: (028) 7776 2198 Tel: (028) 7034 1300 E-mail: [email protected]

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DERRY AND STRABANE

Tel: (028) 7132 1600 E-mail: [email protected]

Londonderry Section Office 1 Crescent Road Londonderry BT47 2NQ

Strabane Section Office 20 Derry Road Strabane Co. Tyrone BT82 8DX

FERMANAGH AND OMAGH

West - Fermanagh Section Office Castle Barracks Enniskillen Co. Fermanagh BT74 7HN Tel: (028) 6634 3700 E-mail: [email protected]

East - Omagh Section Office 32 Deverney Road Arvalee Omagh Co. Tyrone BT79 0JJ Tel: (028) 8225 4600 E-mail: [email protected]

LISBURN AND CASTLEREAGH

Tel: (028) 9262 6666 E-mail: [email protected]

Lisburn and Castlereagh Section Office 40a Benson Street Lisburn Co.Antrim BT28 2BG

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MID ULSTER

North - Cookstown and Magherafelt Section Offices 33 Molesworth Street 30 Station Road Cookstown Magherafelt Co. Tyrone Co. Londonderry BT80 8NX BT45 5DN Tel: (028) 8675 7600 E-mail: [email protected]

South - Dungannon Section Office Main Street Moygashel Dungannon Co. Tyrone BT71 1QR Tel: (028) 8775 1251 E-mail: [email protected]

NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN

East - Down Section Office 129 Newcastle Road Seaforde Co. Down BT30 8PR Tel: (028) 4481 2612 E-mail: [email protected]

West - Newry and Mourne Section Office 1 Cecil Street Newry Co. Down BT34 6AU Tel: (028) 3025 3335 E-mail: [email protected]

MID AND EAST ANTRIM

Ballymena and Larne Section Office Ballykeel Depot 190 Larne Road Link Ballymena Co.Antrim BT42 3HA

Tel: (028) 2566 2953 E-mail: [email protected]

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Appendix 3 Assessment Flowchart

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Appendix 4

SAMPLE NOTICE

Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 Notice of Proposed Special Event

[Insert name of District Council] Council has received an application from [Insert name of promoter] that it/he/she/ etc wishes to hold a [Insert description of event] on [Insert name road(s)] Road/ Street on [Insert date(s)].

By virtue of the powers conferred on it by Article 8A of and Schedule 3A to the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 the Council gives notice that it is minded to make an Order to temporarily restrict or prohibit [Insert type(s) of traffic restricted or prohibited] from using [Insert name of road(s) and if necessary which parts of road are affected] Road/ Street from its junction with [Insert name of road] Road/ Street to its junction with [Insert name of road] Road/ Street on (date) between the hours of [Insert starting time] and [Insert finishing time].

A diversion route will be signposted via [Insert name of roads].

Copies of the application may be inspected free of charge at [Insert address of council] or viewed online at http://www [Insert web address if possible].

Persons wishing to make representations to the Council regarding the proposal may make representations in writing at the address below by 5pm [Insert date], representations received after this will not be considered. [Insert address of council]

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Appendix 5 SAMPLE ORDER LAYOUT [Insert name of District Council] Council

Prohibition or restriction of use of public roads: special events

[Insert name of District Council] Council using its powers under Article 8A of, and Schedule 3A to, the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, hereby makes an Order restricting/prohibiting temporarily vehicles [or types of vehicle] and/or pedestrians using [Insert name of affected road] From its junction with [Insert road name] to its junction with [Insert road name]

The following restrictions or prohibitions apply: [Insert details of all restrictions or prohibitions]

Starting at [Insert starting date and time] and ending [Insert finishing date and time]

An alternative route will be signed along the following roads: [Insert the route along which diverted traffic will be directed]

The following statutory provisions relating to [insert road name(s)] are suspended or modified: [insert provision(s) and dates and times if necessary].

The Order has been applied for by: [Insert the name of the promoter] for the purposes of: [Insert reason for closure, i.e. holding a special event (along with a description of the special event) or the making of a Film] The conditions of the Order are that [Insert the name of the promoter]:  Has insured against such risks in connection with the holding of the event on the above roads [Insert details of insurance cover];  Has produced all such certificates as to the safety of any structures, equipment or other apparatus to be used in association with the special event [Insert details of safety certificates required];  Erects, places and removes all barriers and signs in the following locations places and at the following times [Insert all details of required signs];

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 Complies with [any other such conditions as specified by the Council – insert conditions].

Authorised Officer: [Insert signature] [Insert official’s name] [Insert official’s position in Council] Date: [Insert date]

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Appendix 6 Checklist for District Councils (For Official use only)

Please tick

Is the application form completed correctly?

Are the location maps included showing marshals/stewards and first aid positions?

Is the signing schedule included and is it correct?

Is a copy of the Public Liability Insurance document included?

Is written evidence of consultations with residents, businesses and bus/taxi companies affected by the proposed closure included?

Is a copy of a Sector Scheme 12ab (or Ch8) Certificate of Competence for those undertaking the signing work included?

Has written agreement with Emergency Services been included?

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Appendix 7

Small Events (i.e. Street Parties)

In Order to be considered a ‘small event’, the event should be as follows: (please note this list is not exhaustive)

1. Be held on minor residential roads eg cul-de-sacs or side streets.

2. The proposed road to be closed must not have a bus route along it.

3. Not have a car park located on it or a car park which is accessed via the road to be closed (other than a car park for residents’ of the road)

4. Not be publicised for the general public and therefore will not draw in people from the wider area.

5. Be an event which would apply to the residents of one or two streets only and not to larger areas of the district/borough/city. It is up to the District Council to consider factors such as the proposed attendance figures etc when making its decision on whether to grant an Order.

6. Finish by 11pm.

7. Not have a stage built from which entertainment would be provided.

8. Not have amplified entertainment which may cause nuisance to the wider area.

9. Not have fireworks, pyrotechnics or bonfires on the street.

10. Not have alcohol or food sold at the event.

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The promoter may be held responsible for any costs arising from the event, e.g. clearing up, damage to street furniture or road surfaces etc.

The District Council may decide not to require a promoter to take out public liability insurance for the event. However, it strongly recommended that promoter’s do so.

Promoters should be aware they may be asked to comply with any or all of the following requirements. The District Council and DfI TransportNI will advise during the application process:

1. The event must be organised in such a way that access for pedestrians and essential vehicles can be maintained.

2. The promoter is expected to consult with local residents and businesses that may be affected by the road closure, prior to submitting the application. A copy of the letter or flyer sent, along with a list of those notified and copies of their responses should be submitted with the application form. If local residents and businesses object, the District Council will require that promoters contact them deal with any issues raised. In the event that issues remain unresolved, the District Council may withhold consent for the event.

3. During the course of the event the promoter will be responsible for ensuring that the areas affected by the event are so far as is reasonably practical keep free from rubbish and litter at all time. When the event finishes the promoter is responsible for ensuring that the roads are left clear of litter and in a clean and tidy condition to the satisfaction of the District Council.

4. Each road to be closed shall be clearly defined by means of a “ROAD CLOSED” sign supported by means of a trestle or suitable half barrier on the road. Diversion signs may also be required.

5. Any barrier to be placed on the road shall have alternate red and white bands approximately 600mm in width. Where these are to remain in place during

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lighting-up times the offside extremity of each barrier/trestle shall be lit by an approved road works lamp.

6. All signs and barriers shall be adequately weighted to prevent them from being blown over or dislodged.

7. All signs and barriers on the road shall be erected and removed at the times specified by the council.

8. All debris deposited/left on the street/road as a result of the event shall also be removed by the time specified by the council. Failure to do so will render the promoter liable to charge for cleaning the road or even to prosecution for failing to do so or for obstructing the road.

9. All proposed special events on public roads are required to be advertised by way of notice, in at least one local newspaper (or community paper) circulating in the district in which the road is situated. A District Council may, at its discretion, impose a charge/recoup fees incurred in the processing of any application.

10. If there are a number of celebrations e.g. National celebrations, which are occurring at the same time, where possible, a District Council will incorporate it into one notice and advertise the notice accordingly.

11. The promoter needs to be available at all times during the event and understands that their details will be passed to DfI TransportNI and the police.

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Special Events on Roads

Guidance for Promoters of Events

Issued by the Department for Infrastructure under paragraph 5(a) of Schedule 3A to the Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

Table of contents

Section Page

Definitions and General Information 1

Applying to hold a special event on a public road 4

Appendix 1 - List of Special Roads 14

Appendix 2 - DfI TransportNI Section Office Contact Details 15

Appendix 3 - Sample Application Form 19

Appendix 4 - Typical signs for road closures and diversions 22

Appendix 5 - Small Events (i.e. Street Parties) 23

SPECIAL EVENTS ON PUBLIC ROADS

GUIDANCE FOR PROMOTERS OF EVENTS

Before reading these guidance notes it is recommended that you read through the following definitions.

The Department means the Department for Infrastructure.

Notice means a notice placed in at least one local newspaper by the relevant authority when it is minded to grant the application. It gives details of the proposed event and its location and invites written representation on it.

Order means an order issued by the relevant authority to prohibit or restrict traffic from using the road to facilitate the event.

Public road means any road which is maintained by the Department. It includes the carriageway, footway and verge.

Relevant authority is either the local District Council or the Department, depending on the type of road the application is for. Paragraph 4 provides further details.

TransportNI: is an agency of the Department and exercises the Department’s function, as road authority.

Special road means road designated as such under the Roads (NI) Order 1993 (Appendix 1 contains a list of the Special Roads in Northern Ireland).

Special Events are defined as: (a) Any sporting event, social event or entertainment which is held on a public road; or (b) The making of a film on a public road.

Examples of possible ‘special events’ could include:  Fun runs/marathons etc;  Street parties; (Community based small events such as street parties are considered a traditional part of community life and specific guidance is attached as Appendix 5.)  Concerts.

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The making of a film includes the making of TV programmes, films or advertisements.

There are a number of activities which are not “special events” for the purposes of this Act, these are:  Public processions;  Motor road races; or,  Cycle races or trials. Paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 3A refers.

An exhaustive list of the types of sporting, social or entertainment event is not provided, and the relevant authority will decide which events are eligible events. The restriction or prohibition of traffic using a public road for a special event will only be permitted for:

Promoters should note that although the legislation provides the power to prohibit or restrict the use of a public road, pedestrian access to any premises situated on or adjacent to the road or any other premises accessible for pedestrians from, and only from, the road must be maintained at all times. This means that any form of access control, including charging for admission, could be viewed as being contrary to the intention behind the legislation and the District Council will decide whether, from a health and safety and crowd control perspective, there is need for access control. Where it is deemed necessary to control access to events for public safety purposes, arrangements must be put in place to ensure that the intention of the legislation is complied with.

Requests for events that are not considered to be a ‘special event’ will be refused and the promoter informed accordingly. Promoters should be aware that the legislation does not make provision for an appeals process.

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This guidance has not been written as a guide to event management. Event management should be undertaken by the promoter and should be carried out in accordance with the relevant standard e.g. “The Event Safety Guide - A Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Music and Similar Events” or ‘Purple Guide’ as it is known, published by the Health and Safety Executive. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg195.htm

Where an event extends into more than one relevant authority’s area e.g. the Belfast Marathon, an application should be made to each relevant authority.

This guidance will be reviewed and amended as necessary.

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Applying to hold a special event on a public road:

1. The underlying principle in relation to special events on roads is that it would not be reasonably practicable to hold the event elsewhere. Consequently, promoters should be aware that holding an event on a public road should only be considered when all other options/locations for holding the event have been ruled out. Restricting the use of a road impacts on other road users, who may have to find other routes, and, if not done properly, may create a road safety hazard. The relevant authority must be satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable for the event to be held elsewhere, if it considers that there is a suitable alternative then an order will not be made. An order to restrict or prohibit traffic using a special road for holding a special event is likely to be given only in exceptional circumstances, given the nature of those roads, the volumes of traffic using them and the impact on traffic of diversionary routes.

2. Each application will be considered on its own merits.

3. To allow sufficient time to process an application and to make an Order which restricts or prohibits traffic from using a public road for the holding of a special event, the relevant authority requires at least 12 weeks’ notice. However, it is suggested that promoters should give as much notice as possible to enable appropriate consideration to be given to all aspects of the application.

4. In most cases, the relevant authority will be the District Council for the district in which the road is situated. The exceptions being those roads designated as ‘special roads’ for which the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is responsible. A listing of these special roads is provided in Appendix 1. An application to hold a special event on a special road should be referred to the Statutory Functions Officer in the relevant DfI TransportNI office. A list of TransportNI Offices can be found at Appendix 2.

5. Traffic on a road will only be restricted or prohibited to:  facilitate the holding of a special event; or,

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 enable members of the public to watch a special event; or,  reduce the disruption to traffic in adjacent streets as a result of holding a special event.

6. Prior to making an application, event promoters should make preliminary contact with the relevant authority to discuss the overall concept of the event.

The relevant authority will discuss the proposed application with the promoter. The potential for the relevant authority to recover any or all costs incurred by it in connection with or in consequence of making an order to restrict or prohibit traffic using the road for the special event will be discussed at this stage. Promoters should be aware that the relevant authority may recover all its costs in relation to the making of the order.

Promoters of events should also be aware that they will generally be expected to provide any barriers or traffic signs needed to facilitate the restriction or prohibition of traffic. Promoters may be asked to provide stewards for events that will have a significant impact on traffic.

If other statutory agencies incur costs assisting with the management of an event, they may also seek to recover any costs incurred directly from the promoter.

Promoters should also be aware that the relevant authority may require that appropriate insurance cover is in place for the event.

7. Promoters of events should be aware that any requirement placed on the promoter by the relevant authority will be detailed in the order when made and that any promoter to who fails to comply with any of the requirements will be guilty of a criminal offence.

8. Promoters are also advised to read the Home Office document ‘The Good Practice Safety Guide – for small and sporting events taking place on the highway, roads and public places’. The document can be viewed via the

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following link http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police/operational- policing/event-safety-guide?view=Binary

9. Relevant authorities can only process a request to hold a special event on a public road on receipt of an application form submitted by on behalf of a promoter, an application form must therefore be submitted - Appendix 3 contains a draft application form. It is important that this is completed in full as any omissions may cause delays in the consideration of the application. If in any doubt about any part of the form a promoter should contact the relevant authority. Relevant authorities can recover from the promoter the whole of the costs incurred by it in connection with or in consequence of making an order. Some relevant authorities may decide to use standard set costs for different sizes of events and may ask that any payment be made in advance and that it should accompany the application.

10. Depending on the nature of the event promoters may also be asked to provide the following information as part of your overall application:

(i) a detailed location plan/street map. Promoters may also be asked for a plan showing the length of road to be prohibited or restricted in use (indicated in red), and the proposed diversion route (indicated in green). This plan must be clear and indicate road numbers. Promoters should identify, on the plan, any restrictions or obstacles on the diversion route that may affect traffic, e.g. low bridges, narrow sections of road, tunnels, fords, one way streets and movement restrictions, roads with weight, height or width restrictions or restrictions on vehicle class. A similar or higher class of road to the one being closed should be used as the diversion route, taking into consideration that heavy goods vehicles and buses may have to use them. On narrow rural roads consideration may need to be given to providing a separate diversion route for each direction. It may also be necessary to have a separate diversion for HGVs and cars, because of the nature of the roads in the area; (ii) details of all safety measures including all signs, equipment etc. required to protect the public and property in the vicinity of the event and on any

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diversionary route needed for the duration of the closure. This may also include a detailed Traffic Management Plan depending on the nature of the proposed closure and event. Traffic Management plans require a full risk assessment which clearly identifies all risks to the travelling public, participants and employees attending the event. The nature, location and environment of the event may also need to be considered, with all risks recorded, giving recommendations on how the risks will be managed. The amount of detail and information to be provided in a Traffic Management Plan can vary depending on the nature and complexity of the traffic management arrangements; (iii) details of any structure or equipment to be erected on the public road as part of the event and the methods to be employed to protect road surfaces; (iv) evidence of insurance cover for the event (please see next section); (v) evidence that the promoter has consulted with and received comment from residents, businesses, bus/taxi companies etc., which may be affected by the proposed special event. Promoters should be mindful of the needs of others when planning events and the District Council is required to comply with its obligations under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; (vi) an Event Management Plan/Safety Plan, where necessary.

11. Promoters may be required to:

(i) Indemnify the relevant authority, its officers, servants and agents from all liabilities, costs and expenses in respect of any claim or demand from any person or persons in respect of any damage, loss, accident, injury, mishap or occurrence of any description fatal or otherwise arising out of or in any way connected with the holding of the special event or by reason of anything done by the promoter in holding the special event. For this purpose, the promoter shall maintain adequate insurance (namely public liability cover of £10,000,000 for any incident, number of incidents unlimited) to the satisfaction of the relevant authority and shall produce for inspection, the relevant policy or policies of insurance

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together with the receipt for the current premiums if so required by the relevant authority. When insurance is required promoters will generally be expected to provide original insurance documentation confirming this before an order will be made; (ii) pay costs for processing the application and publishing the Notice; (iii) obtain any consent from DfI TransportNI to enable the placing of any form of structure or equipment on the public road. Please note that promoters may also need to place a deposit with DfI TransportNI which would be used to pay for the repair of any damage to the road. Depending on the structure or equipment being placed, technical approvals/safety certificates for any structure erected may also be needed; (iv) provide, erect, maintain and promptly remove all safety measures, including all lighting, signs and barriers etc required to protect the public and property at the site of the event and on the diversionary route for the duration of the special event and to bear all the costs incurred; (v) provide stewards to marshal the event; (vi) pay all costs associated with making good any damage to the road/street furniture for reasons of making the Order including damage to any alternative route for diverted traffic; (vii) remove all objects on the road and/or material deposited during the event. The promoters are also expected to remove any litter from the site after the event. If the promoter fails to comply, the District Council will arrange cleaning and charge the cost to the promoter; (viii) maintain pedestrian access to all premises on or accessible from the road(s) on which the special event is taking place; (ix) keep access clear at all times for emergency vehicles during the special event and acknowledge that the prohibition/restriction will apply to all other traffic; (x) consult all residents, business, bus and taxi companies which may be affected by the prohibition/restriction of traffic and confirm in writing to the relevant authority that they have done so; (xi) be available before, during and after the event so that they can be contacted by the relevant authority; and,

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(xii) accept that failure to comply with any of the conditions may impact the success of any future applications.

12. The order when made, will contain all the conditions that the promoter must comply with when holding the event on the public road. Promoters should be aware that any promoter who fails to comply with any requirement imposed by the order will be guilty of a criminal offence.

13. When considering the holding of a ‘special event’, consideration should be given to the types of vehicles that may require access to the event’s location, including:  Construction vehicles during set up and removal;  Supplies and maintenance vehicles during the event;  Emergency services vehicles;  Disabled vehicle access and/or drop off and pick up points;  Invited guests and production vehicles;  Media broadcast units and equipment carriers;  Catering/merchandising vehicles.

14. If certain vehicles are to be allowed access to the site, then arrangements should be made to segregate them from pedestrians either by providing separate routes or by allowing vehicles onto and off the site at pre-arranged time slots. The operation of one-way systems within some sites can also reduce risks. A Traffic Management Plan may be required and this will have to be agreed with the police and DfI TransportNI.

15. Promoters of events will generally be expected to provide enough stewards to cater for the size and nature of the event. Private stewarding has become a recognised way in which events are supported. This, however, does not preclude any local arrangements between police and the event promoter. The police may charge for their officers’ attendance at events and promoters will be advised by the police where this appears appropriate. Early discussion with police by event promoters is consequently strongly advised.

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16. Only legally prescribed signs, barriers and cones may used on public roads, these must: (i) conform to Chapter 8 (Ch8) of the Traffic Signs Manual (TSM) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual A copy of the most commonly used signs is attached in Appendix 4; (ii) only be placed by suitably qualified persons – the promoter(s) will be required to provide evidence of this. Promoters should be aware that there are specialist temporary traffic management contractors who offer this type of service; (iii) be paid for by the promoter(s); and, (iv) be removed prior to the expiration of the Order.

17. Promoters should be aware that for some roads, mostly motorways, DfI TransportNI will only permit its staff or other people working for it to place signs and cones. The relevant authority will advise. If it is the case then DfI TransportNI will organise the work but only after it has received the necessary payment for doing so.

18. When assessing an application, the relevant authority will consider any or all of the following:

 the type of event proposed (refer to the list of events not covered by legislation on page 1);

 the event location and whether it could disrupt local businesses or impact on neighbouring properties/residents. During its assessment the relevant authority will also look at alternative off road locations for the event. If it is reasonably practicable to hold the special event other than on the public road, the request will be refused.

 the timing and duration of the event, and how this would impact neighbouring properties/residents/businesses;

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 whether there are any other events planned for the area at the same time; and,

 the competence of the event promoters to provide temporary traffic management to facilitate the event.

19. If not using set costs (see section 9), the relevant authority will calculate the indicative cost of making the order and the promoter will be informed accordingly.

20. If the relevant authority is the District Council, it will also seek the consent of DfI TransportNI before it can make an order. DfI TransportNI will consider the proposal and will amongst other issues assess:

 the impact on local traffic management and road safety;

 the suitability of proposed diversion routes;

 the proposed signing arrangements; and,

 whether there are any other closures planned in the general vicinity at the time.

21. Please note that if DfI TransportNI does not consent to the proposal, approval will not be given.

22. The police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services must also be consulted about the proposals. Any issues that these bodies raise will have to be considered before a special event is approved.

23. If the relevant authority is not satisfied with any aspect of the request to hold a special event on the public road, permission will not be given. The relevant

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authority’s decision is final and the promoter will be informed of the reason(s) for refusal. There is no appeals process within the legislation.

24. If the relevant authority is content with an application, it will inform the promoter and if necessary ask for the payment of any previously indicated costs. Once the relevant authority has received payment of costs in full, the notice advertising the prohibition or restriction of traffic will be made in at least one local newspaper circulating in the District Council area and may be advertised on the District Council website. The notice must:

a) identify the promoter(s) of the special event; b) identify any affected road; c) specify any restrictions or prohibitions which the relevant authority proposes to include in the order; d) specify the dates on which and times between which the restrictions would apply; e) specify any alternative routes for traffic or pedestrians; f) state the address where copies of the application may be inspected by any person free of charge at all reasonable times; and, g) state that representations in writing may be sent to the relevant authority within such period as is specified in the notice (usually 21 days from the date of the last publication of the notice) at such address as is so specified.

25. Promoters should be aware that other persons may make written representations about the proposed event. Some representation is likely to object to the proposals and it would be preferable if the promoter could resolve these directly. If however a compromise is not possible the relevant authority will consider all the information available and decide whether or not the restriction/prohibition of the road in question should go ahead. The relevant authority must: consider the representations made; have regard to the safety, convenience and suitability of the proposed alternative routes for traffic and pedestrians; and have regard to this guidance and the guidance for District Councils.

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26. If the Order is made, the promoter will be required to arrange for copies of the Order to be posted on the affected routes.

NB. Promoters should return the completed application form duly signed to the relevant authority office for their district along with any sign schedule, location maps, proposed insurance arrangements (or details of your insurance broker). Promoters may also be asked to provide proof of insurance before the District Council makes an Order.

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Appendix 1

List of Special Roads

All Motorways Westlink (A12) (A8M) Sandyknowes to Corr’s Corner

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Appendix 2 DfI TransportNI Section Office Contact Details

ANTRIM AND NEWTOWNABBEY Tel: (028) 9025 4057 E-mail: [email protected]

Antrim Section Office Crown Buildings 20 Castle Street Antrim Co.Antrim BT41 4JE

Newtownabbey and Carrickfergus Section Office 148-158 Corporation Street Belfast BT1 3DH

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN

Tel: (028) 9181 9328 E-mail: [email protected]

Ards Section Office Jubilee Road Newtownards Co. Down BT23 4YH

North Down Section Office 72 Balloo Road Bangor Co. Down BT19 7PG

ARMAGH CITY, BANBRIDGE AND CRAIGAVON

West - Armagh Section Office 17 Ballynahonemore Road Armagh Co. Armagh BT60 1JD Tel: (028) 3752 9500 E-mail: [email protected]

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East - Banbridge & Craigavon Section Office 18 Carn Industrial Estate Craigavon Co. Armagh BT63 5RH Tel: (028) 3833 8521 E-mail: [email protected]

BELFAST

Belfast North Section Office 148-158 Corporation Street Belfast BT1 3DH Tel: (028) 9025 4421 E-mail: [email protected]

Belfast South Section Office 1a Airport Road Belfast BT3 9DY Tel: (028) 9025 4600 E-mail: [email protected]

CAUSEWAY COAST AND GLENS

East - Ballymoney and Moyle Section Office 49 Queen Street Ballymoney Co.Antrim BT53 6JD Tel: (028) 2766 1061 E-mail: [email protected]

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DERRY CITY AND STRABANE

Tel: (028) 7132 1600 E-mail: [email protected]

Londonderry Section Office 1 Crescent Road Londonderry BT47 2NQ

Strabane Section Office 20 Derry Road Strabane Co. Tyrone BT82 8DX

FERMANAGH AND OMAGH

West - Fermanagh Section Office Castle Barracks Enniskillen Co. Fermanagh BT74 7HN Tel: (028) 6634 3700 E-mail: [email protected]

East - Omagh Section Office 32 Deverney Road Arvalee Omagh Co. Tyrone BT79 0JJ Tel: (028) 8225 4600 E-mail: [email protected]

LISBURN AND CASTLEREAGH

Tel: (028) 9262 6666 E-mail: [email protected]

Lisburn and Castlereagh Section Office 40a Benson Street Lisburn Co.Antrim BT28 2BG

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MID ULSTER

South - Dungannon Section Office Main Street Moygashel Dungannon Co. Tyrone BT71 1QR Tel: (028) 8775 1251 E-mail: [email protected]

NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN

East - Down Section Office 129 Newcastle Road Seaforde Co. Down BT30 8PR Tel: (028) 4481 2612 E-mail: [email protected]

West - Newry and Mourne Section Office 1 Cecil Street Newry Co. Down BT34 6AU Tel: (028) 3025 3335 E-mail: [email protected]

MID AND EAST ANTRIM

Ballymena and Larne Section Office Ballykeel Depot 190 Larne Road Link Ballymena Co.Antrim BT42 3HA

Tel: (028) 2566 2953 E-mail: [email protected]

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Appendix 3 Application to Hold a Special Event on a Public Road ______(Please read the guidance notes before completing this form in block capitals)

ABOUT YOU Name of promoter ______Name of contact (if different from above) ______Position/role of contact______Confirm you have authority to act on behalf of the company/club/society YES/NO Address of promoter and/or contact______Post code______Telephone No______Emergency/Contact telephone No ______E-mail address______ABOUT THE EVENT Name of event______Purpose and nature of event______Name of road(s) on which event is to be held______Date(s) of the event______Time of event - from ______am/pm until ______am/pm Type of restriction (full road closure/lane restriction(s)/ prohibition of certain types of vehicles/footway closure etc) ______Date(s) of the restriction ______Time of restriction - from ______am/pm until ______am/pm Is a traffic signing schedule enclosed? YES/NO Has this event been held previously? YES/NO If yes, are the arrangements previously applied for amended in any way? YES/NO If yes, please give details______

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______Please provide details of any structures or other equipment that you plan to erect or place on the public road ______

Please give details of any businesses, including bus services and residents which may be affected by the event and provide any confirmation that these have been contacted______Please give any more detail which you feel you need to add______

I confirm that I have read the guidance for promoters of events, and understand that the District Council may apply any or all of the conditions as it feels necessary. I also understand that the District Council may request any further information that it feels necessary to process this application and that my application may not proceed if I fail to produce this additional information.

I acknowledge the following Data Protection Statement - In order to comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, we would advise you that the personal information you provide on this form will be processed and held by the District Council and its agents, for the purpose of managing and operating special events on roads applications. The District Council may use non-personal statistical data collected to analyse current and plan for future operational purposes. The District Council will investigate all cases of alleged fraudulent use and the information you have provided may be used in conducting these investigations. The personal

20 Version 1 – December 2016 information you provide may be checked with other agencies/organisations. If consent to these arrangements is not given your application will NOT be processed.

Signature of application______Date of application______

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Appendix 4 Typical signs for road closures and diversions

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Appendix 5 Small Events (i.e. Street Parties)

Small events such as street parties are a traditional part of community life; they are a simple way for us to get to know our neighbours and meet members of our community.

In order to be considered a ‘small event’, the event must: (please note this list is not exhaustive)

1. Be held on minor residential roads eg cul-de-sacs or side streets.

2. The proposed road to be closed must not have a bus route along it.

3. Not have a car park located on it or a car park which is accessed via the road to be closed (other than a car park for residents’ of the road)

4. Not be publicised for the general public and therefore will not draw in people from the wider area.

5. Be an event which would apply to the residents of one or two streets only and not to larger areas of the district/borough/city. It is up to the relevant authority to consider factors such as the proposed attendance figures etc when making its decision on whether to grant an Order.

6. Finish by 11pm.

7. Not have a stage built from which entertainment would be provided.

8. Not have amplified entertainment which may cause nuisance to the wider area.

9. Not have fireworks, pyrotechnics or bonfires on the street.

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10. Not have alcohol or food sold at the event.

The person submitting the application may be held responsible for any costs arising from the event, e.g. clearing up, damage to street furniture or road surfaces etc.

The District Council may decide that it will not require promoters to take out public liability insurance for your event. However, it is strongly recommended that promoters do so.

The promoter should aware of the following requirements:

1. The promoter of the event must submit an application to the District Council.

2. The event must be organised in such a way that access for pedestrians and essential vehicles can be maintained.

3. That it is strongly recommended that promoters consult with local residents and businesses that may be affected by the holding of the event, prior to submitting the application. A copy of any letter or flyer sent, along with a list of those notified and copies of their responses should be submitted with the application form. If local residents and businesses object, the relevant authority will require that the promoter contact them to deal with any issues raised. In the event that issues remain unresolved, the District Council may decide not to make the order to hold the event.

4. That throughout the duration of the event the promoter is responsible for ensuring that the areas affected by the holding of the event are, so far as is reasonably practicable, kept free from rubbish and litter at all times. When the event finishes the promoter is responsible for ensuring that the roads are left clear of litter and in a clean and tidy condition to the satisfaction of the District Council.

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5. Where a public road is to be closed to traffic it shall be clearly defined by means of a “ROAD CLOSED” sign, as shown in Appendix 4, supported by means of a trestle or suitable half barrier on the road. Diversion signs may also be required.

6. Any barrier to be placed on the road shall have alternate red and white bands approximately 600mm in width. Where these are to remain in place during lighting-up times the offside extremity of each barrier/trestle shall be lit by an approved road works lamp.

7. All signs and barriers shall be adequately weighted to prevent them from being blown over or dislodged.

8. All signing and other physical obstructions on the road shall be erected and removed, along with any debris on the street/road, at the times specified in the notice and subsequently detailed in the order. Failure to do so will render the promoter liable to charge for cleaning the road or even to prosecution for failing to do so or for obstructing the road.

Promoters should note that all proposals to hold special events on roads closures must be advertised by way of notice, in at least one local newspaper (or community paper) circulating in the district in which the road is situated. A relevant authority may, at its discretion, impose a charge/recoup fees incurred in the processing of any application. If there are a number of celebrations eg. national celebrations, which are occurring at the same time, where possible, a District Council will incorporate it into one notice and publish the notice accordingly.

The promoter must be available at all times during the event.

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Extract from Head of Service (Environmental Health) Report to Environmental Services Committee Meeting to be held on Wednesday 7 December 2016

2 ROADS (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2010 - ROADS CLOSURE

Members of both former Councils may recall that The Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 was enacted on 13 August 2010, however, it was not given a commencement date by the Minister of Regional Development, Mr D Kennedy MLA, at that time nor since then by last Minister. The legislation, in part, amends The Road Traffic Regulation (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 to provide the relevant authority the power to prohibit or restrict traffic using a public road for the purpose of holding a special event.

Within the Statute a special event is defined as any sporting event, social event or entertainment which is held on a public road, or the making of a film on a public road.

Members are advised that public processions, motor road races, cycle races or trials and road works are not within the scope of this Statute.

The relevant authority for most public roads will be the relevant local district council.

The provisions have yet to be commenced, however communications have been received by the Chief Executive’s Office indicating that it is intended to do so on 1 January 2017.

The Department had, in partnership with a SOLACE led joint Technical Officer Team from local government in preparation for the transfer of this function in 2010, drafted separate guidance notes for use by district councils (as the regulator) and promoters (as the applicant) when considering the holding of a special event on a public road, Appendix 2 EH refers.

Within the Statute the relevant authority, in this case the Council, may recover the costs associated with making the Road Closure Order. These costs may include:

• administrative costs; • the cost of advertisement in a local paper; • the possible erection and maintenance of Public Notices in the vicinity; • the cleansing of the area following the closure; • any other costs associated with the Order.

The former Councils had written to both the Minister and the Chief Constable with concerns regarding excessive bureaucracy and fees for small community events, the likelihood that PSNI may charge for providing a presence at events such as the Half Marathon, and the unrealistic timescales for implementation.

Members should be aware that these issues are still pertinent and the timescale for the commencement of this process on 1 January 2017 is even more constraining than back in 2013.

Given the licensing remit and making of Orders, this regulatory activity is likely to sit under the remit of the Environmental Health Service Unit. Members are advised that on occasion the Council could be both the regulator and the applicant. For example, the Council’s Half Marathon and Fun Run; therefore, the other Directorates which hold events have been made aware of this Statute and a copy of this report will be included in each of their relevant Committee reports to ensure that their Committees are aware of the potential implications.

Members may be aware that the Council has an internal Events Working Group to assist with consistent delivery of Council-led events. This Working Group will consider the implications of this pending statute and the potential ramifications for departments running events.

In order for the Council to proceed with receiving and processing applications for Roads Closure Orders, it is necessary to agree an appropriate fee.

Members are advised that the proposed commencement date of 1 January 2017 has caused concern amongst councils and Members may wish to request a deferment to after 1 April 2017.

Recommendation

It is recommended that Members approve that a letter be sent to the Department of Infrastructure requesting that the implementation date be deferred to after 1 April 2017. It is further recommended that the Members approve a fee of £400.00 plus the cost of placing advertisements in a local newspaper to be charged by the Council for issuing a Roads Closure Order under the Roads (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 when it is enacted.

HILLSBOROUGH STEERING GROUP MEETING

MINUTES 29TH SEPTEMBER 2016 18:00 AT HILLSBOROUGH VILLAGE CENTRE

Suzanne Lutton (SL) ‐ Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council Andrew Kennedy (AK) ‐ Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council Catherine Clifford (CC) – Historic Royal Palaces Robert Lucas (RL) – Resident Jeffrey Reaney (JR) ‐Resident Robert Finn (RF) ‐Resident Kim Hitch (KH) ‐ Princes Foundation for Building Community

In attendance also: David Watkiss +1 ‐ The Paul Hogarth Company Julie Templeton ‐ Atkins Chloe Allen ‐Atkins Allen Reddick ‐ Rivers Agency

1. Introductions and Apologies: Apologies were received from Paul McCormick and Theresa Donaldson. Robert Finn was also introduced taking the place of Colin Preen.

Representatives of Atkins and the Rivers Agency were introduced to the Group, to give a presentation on the Options Appraisal work they have been undertaken in considering the current design risks of the Hillsborough Lake dams and spillway against current legislative requirements. Andrew Haley and a colleague of The Paul Hogarth Company were also in attendance to update on the forest ideas and Tourist Plan.

2. Previous Minutes & Matters Arising:

2.1 The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted. 2.2 Matters arising were dealt with under section headings below.

3. Presentation on Design options for upgrading the Hillsborough Lake dam and Spillway:

Atkins gave a presentation supported by the Rivers Agency as the project sponsor on their work looking at the current design of the dams (West Dam and Church Dam ) against the latest statutory obligations.

Atkins explained that under the latest and current Reservoirs (NI) Act 2015 the dams (currently earth embankments) are likely to demonstrate that in certain situations / scenarios they could fail with corresponding risk to life. Similarly under new regulation the current spillway is deemed inadequate.

Atkins explained that the new act aims to ensure reservoirs are managed and operated to minimize risk of flooding in the event of uncontrolled release of water as a result of dam failure. Aim of the project is to ensure continued safety and performance of the Hillsborough dams.

As such there has been an inspection of the Hillsborough Lake dams by an All Reservoirs Panel engineer in 2012. This identified the dams as Category A and high risk (as the definitions in the NI Act). Inspection also identified that the spillway is inadequate for enhanced lake capacity in event of a flooding scenario.

Atkins have carried out an optioneering exercise and have identified a preferred option: To raise Church Dam and West Dam by 550mm and 200mm respectively over their whole lengths. To construct a new 18m long spillway to discharge to use the area of the forest car park as safe flood relief area in event of 1in 500 / 1in 1000 event.

Questions were asked around construction – not to be a ‘hard’ response but a more favored ‘soft’ landscape response looked for. Consideration of disabled access also asked for as current dam tops used as footpaths. Atkins responded that spillway will have a grasscreate finish and therefore overtime will merge with surrounding grass and that new dam works will be raised earth.

Next stage is feedback consultation (of which this is one exercise) then hoping to have contractors on site March next year for a six month programme. Access will be using the forest haul road. It was pointed out that there would be some restriction on access to some areas of the forest park and lakeshore during works.

It was requested that these were clearly marked and fenced and that perhaps an advance communication notice could be circulated and put up.

As part of this it was pointed out that the fishermen would need to be notified.

KH thanked the team for their presentation.

4.Update on tourism Masterplan: 4.1 Update on the Hillsborough Forest proposals The Paul Hogarth Company reported that they had progressed the concept plan for the park to stage 2, and were continuing to consult with statutory bodies.

The team have also undertaken a number of consultation events including 1 week with concept plans displayed in the Courthouse and one weekend in the forest. The team have received 180 questionnaire responses.

The next stage is to review and revise proposals in line with consultation responses and to present the draft concept to stakeholders. Then to undertake project prioritising and high level costing and appraisal to submit a report.

4.2 LCCC are also reviewing the appointment of consultants to take on the next stage and work up stage 3 and a potential planning application. 4.3 LCCC still looking to submit a DAERA funding application later this year.

5. Public Realm Update: 5.1 SL updated that focus group meetings had been successfully completed and informed proposals. Also exhibition was held end of May. 5.2 Preferred Options presented to Council in June this includes amendments to area around war memorial and entrance to church including retaining existing wellingtonia tree. There has also been some rationalising around courthouse to keep formal spaces. 5.3 Although there has been a reduction in parking around the courthouse this has been compensated by new parking area in forest by fort. 5.4 Discussion on going with Transport NI as they may not accept perpendicular parking by courthouse. 5.5 Team will be coming back and consulting further on materials as these are still not fully decided. Also need to consider street furniture and lighting. 5.6 Team to then progress final designs with view to submit planning application probably early next year. 5.7 LCCC have prepared a second update newsletter which is ready to circulate. 5.8 Team working with Phoenix Gas in terms of survey work of pipe lines and possible

tunnels / basements under public realm.

6. HRP Update: 6.1 Have achieved planning approval for revised car park access and layout. In process of appointing contractor to progress as a phased build. 6.2 HRP progressing agreement with landowner for the Fort/ courthouse and hope to take over from January 2017. 6.3 Will be undertaking remedial works in fort / courthouse to bring up to standard but will need capital funding. Also liaising with LCCC but hope to complete works by autumn 2017. 6.4 HRP looking at bringing fort more to life with events, but access and ground will remain free except at times of live interpretation events. 6.5 HRP will continue to consult with community re events but also opportunity to hire fort as a venue.

7. Village Reps Update: 7.1 Nothing further was added by community reps at this stage.

8. Communications: 8.1 Discussion was had about producing an updated newsletter including updates on all projects as well as a short profile of the Steering Group. LCCC agreed to lead on this

9.AOB: 9.1 KH raised the point that as Steering Group had now been operating for almost 1 year it may be a good point to review the terms of reference and whether we may need to strengthen channels of communication / representation. Part of this is to ensure support for, and review the role of the steering & communication group for all stakeholders and the wider community.

KH further suggested that this item should be on the agenda for the next time.

10. Next meeting: To be agreed.

11. Circulation All those present, + Paul McCormick, Theresa Donaldson, Colin Preen, and Gwil Evans + File

Economic Development - April 2016 to March 2017 Month:- Oct-16

Department Annual Budget Total Actual Total Budget to date & Committed Variance Expenditure:

Development 3,815,971 1,957,831 1,872,240 (85,591)

Total Expenditure: 3,815,971 1,957,831 1,872,240 (85,591)

Income:

Development (1,520,050) (438,020) (433,998) 4,022

Total Income: (1,520,050) (438,020) (433,998) 4,022

Overall Net Position:

Development 2,295,921 1,519,811 1,438,242 (81,569)

Total Net Overall Position 2,295,921 1,519,811 1,438,242 (81,569) LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE – 7 DECEMBER 2016

ADDITIONAL REPORT BY MR PAUL McCORMICK, LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this report is to set out for Members’ consideration a number of recommendations specifically relating to the operation of the new Council.

The following decisions are required:

To note the contents of the letter from the Regional Development Office of the Department for Communities regarding the Minister for Communities’ decision not to progress the Regeneration Bill through The Assembly.

To note the contents of a letter from the Minister of Finance regarding major capital projects.

ITEMS FOR NOTING

1. REGENERATION BILL – DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITIES

Attached at Appendix 1 ED (ADD) for Members’ information is a copy of a letter dated 22 November 2016 from Damian Mulholland, Regional Development Office, Department for Communities concerning the Minister for Communities’ decision not to progress the Regeneration Bill through The Assembly.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee notes this information.

2. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE – MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS

Attached at Appendix 2 ED (ADD) is a copy of a letter dated 22 November 2016 from the Minister of Finance, Mairtin O Muilleoir to the Council’s Chief Executive. The letter was received in response to the letter from the Chief Executive dated 14 October 2016, attached at Appendix 3 ED (ADD), which provided details of some of the Council’s flagship Capital Projects scheduled for delivery over the next number of years.

Members should note that the Minister of Finance alludes in his letter to his hope to deliver a “stimulus fund” which might be of benefit to the Council going forward. Further reports will be provided to the appropriate committees in this regard as more information becomes available. Recommendation

It is recommended that the Committee notes this information.

PAUL McCORMICK LEAD HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT 6 December 2016

Mrs Theresa Donaldson Regional Development Office Chief Executive Business Support Unit Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council 4th Floor` Island Civic Centre Lighthouse Building 1 Cromac Place Lagan Valley Island Gasworks Business Park The Island Ormeau Road Lisburn Belfast BT27 4RL BT7 2JB

22 November 2016 Dear Mrs Donaldson,

The Minister for Communities has written to the Lord Mayors, Mayors and Chairpersons of Councils to advise of his decision not to progress the Regeneration Bill in this mandate. This was announced by way of an oral statement to the Assembly on 22 November. The Minister also announced reviews of the Department’s current strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal and of the population thresholds for physical regeneration programmes.

As you will be aware the powers to regenerate towns and cities across Northern Ireland currently sit with the Department for Communities. However, through the Reform of Local Government, it had been agreed that these would be extended to the new Councils but this was unable to progress within the mandate of the previous Assembly.

In the intervening period new Central Government Department’s have been established with a broader range of functions and a new approach to the Programme for Government has been adopted by the NI Executive.

The Minister believes that the Programme for Government sets out an entirely new context for the delivery of our services, including the way in which we address poverty and disadvantage, and the way that we use our statutory powers to drive economic growth and lever new investment to benefit everybody in this society. The key message from the Executive is that we all, whether in central government, local government or outside of government, must ensure we work in a joined-up way, across departmental, organisational and sectoral boundaries, and that we must use all our resources and skills to deliver lasting change.

It is the Minister’s assessment therefore, that the new context calls for a new direction of travel with the Department at the forefront of that change, using all of the powers and resources at its disposal to achieve the outcomes and the ambition the Executive has for our society as set out in the Programme for Government. The Minister has stated that this is not the time to tinker with who is responsible for what, or to concern ourselves with the splitting up of the regeneration budget. Rather it is the time for all the stakeholders to work together to maximise our joint effect and achieve positive change.

The Minister wants to see both central and local government, operating within our respective existing legislative, community planning and resource frameworks, working with other stakeholders whether in the community, or private sectors, to maximise the impact that we can make together.

The Minister’s announcement also indicates that the Department will be reviewing the current strategies for tackling deprivation, including Neighbourhood Renewal, with a view to replacing them with a programme that will be more closely aligned to support the delivery of the new Programme for Government outcomes.

In addition the Minister wants to explore whether there is a case for extending our regeneration activities to settlements of less than 5,000 people. There are many small settlements which serve the same role in the community as larger places but which, because of our current policy to restrict access to town centre regeneration funding to towns with populations above 5,000, do not directly benefit from the investment in the enhancement of public and shared space available to their larger neighbours.

In closing the Minister expresses his hope that the excellent arrangements and relationships that have been built up between the councils and the Department will continue as we work together on delivering these key services for the citizens of Northern Ireland.

Yours sincerely,

Damian Mulholland Director Regional Development Office