ARDS AND NORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL

23 September 2016

Dear Sir/Madam

You are hereby invited to attend a meeting of the Ards and North Down Borough Council which will be held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor on Wednesday, 28 September 2016 commencing at 7.00pm.

Yours faithfully

Stephen Reid Chief Executive Ards and North Down Borough Council

A G E N D A

1. Prayer

2. Apologies

3. Declarations of Interest

4. Mayor’s Business

5. Mayor and Deputy Mayor Engagements for the Month (To be tabled)

6. Minutes of Meeting of 24 August 2016 (Copy attached)

7. Minutes of Special Council Meeting dated 31 August 2016 (Copy attached)

8. Minutes of Committees (Copies attached)

8.1. Planning Committee dated 6 September 2016

8.2. Environment Committee dated 7 September 2016

8.3. Regeneration and Development Committee dated 8 September 2016

8.4. Corporate Services Committee dated 13 September 2016

8.5. Community and Wellbeing Committee dated 14 September 2016

8.5.1. Matters Arising - Whitespots Country Park and Helens Tower Wood (Report attached)

8.6 Audit Committee dated 19 September 2016 (Copy to follow)

9. Request for Deputation

9.1. Community and Wellbeing Committee – Use of Redburn Community Centre and Queens Hall facility (Correspondence attached)

10. Request for Delegated Powers

10.1. Community and Wellbeing Committee – Kilcooley Playground (Report attached)

11. Consultation Documents

11.1. Department for Infrastructure – Proposal for the Rail Passengers’ Rights & Obligations (Designation and Enforcement) Regulations (Northern ) 2016 (Copy attached) 11.2. Department for Infrastructure – Implementing Amendments to the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive in relation to Driving in relation to Driving Instructors and Motorcycle Instructors (Copy attached)

12. Transfers of Rights of Burial

13. Sealing Documents

14. Kilcooley Community Partnership (Report attached)

15. Annual Performance Report 2015-16 (Report attached)

16. Travel Awards (Report attached)

17. North Down Business Awards and Ards Business Awards (Report attached)

18. Department for Infrastructure – Northern Ireland Planning Portal Replacement Next Steps (Report attached)

19. Notice of Motion Status Report (Report to follow)

20. Notice of Motion

20.1. Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Cooper

This motion is to adopt the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Charter, which sets out the care and support that people living with MND and their carers deserve and should expect.

By adopting the MND Charter (attached), this council agrees to promote the Charter and make it available to councillors and council staff.

We will raise awareness of MND and what good care looks like for those living with this devastating disease, as stated in the Charter, and do everything we can as the council to positively influence the quality of life for local people with MND and their carers living in our community.

***IN CONFIDENCE***

21. Tender for the provision of Signage (Report to follow)

Circulated for Information

(a) Housing Executive – Rural Matters August 2016 (Copy correspondence attached) (b) Post Office – Modernisation of Whitehill Post Office and Ashbury Avenue Post Office (Copy correspondence attached) (c) South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust – Minutes of Meeting of the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust on Wednesday 22 June 2016 (Copy correspondence attached) (d) Department for Communities – Appointment to the Arts Council NI (Copy correspondence attached) (e) Department for Communities – Appointment to Sport NI (Copy correspondence attached) (f) Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunal Service – Single Jurisdiction in Northern Ireland (Copy correspondence attached) (g) Post Office – Changes to Post Office (Copy correspondence attached)

MEMBERSHIP OF ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

Alderman Carson Councillor Douglas Alderman Fletcher Councillor Dunne Alderman Gibson Councillor Edmund Alderman Girvan (Mayor) Councillor Ferguson Alderman Graham Councillor Gilmour Alderman Henry Councillor Kennedy Alderman Irvine Councillor Leslie Alderman Keery (Deputy Mayor) Councillor Martin Alderman McDowell Councillor McAlpine Alderman Smith Councillor McClean Councillor Adair Councillor McIlveen Councillor Allen Councillor Menagh Councillor Armstrong-Cotter Councillor Muir Councillor Barry Councillor Roberts Councillor Boyle Councillor Robinson Councillor Brooks Councillor Smart Councillor Cathcart Councillor T Smith Councillor Chambers Councillor Thompson Councillor Cooper Councillor Walker Councillor Cummings Councillor Wilson

ITEM 6

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Ards and North Down Borough Council was held in the Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor on Wednesday, 24 August 2016 commencing at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair: The Mayor (Alderman Girvan)

Aldermen: Carson Irvine Fletcher Keery Gibson McDowell Graham (7.20pm) M Smith Henry

Councillors: Adair Gilmour Armstrong-Cotter Martin Allen McAlpine Barry McClean Boyle McIlveen Brooks Menagh Cathcart Muir Chambers Robinson Cooper Smart Cummings T Smith Douglas Thompson Dunne Walker Edmund Wilson Ferguson

Officers: Chief Executive (S Reid), Director of Organisational Development and Administration (W Monson), Director of Environment (D Lindsay), Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning (C Mahon), Director of Community and Wellbeing (G Bannister), Interim Director of Finance and Performance (J Pentland), Corporate Communications Manager (C Jackson) and Democratic Services Officers (E Brown and M McElveen)

Also in Graham Shields, Chief Electoral Officer (Electoral Office) Attendance: Chief Inspector McGrath (PSNI) David Johnston (Translink) Richard Brittain, Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment (ANDBC)

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1. PRAYER

The Mayor (Alderman Girvan) welcomed everyone to the meeting and in particular those present to make a deputation. She invited the Chief Executive to commence the meeting by reading the Council prayer.

NOTED.

2. APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Councillors Kennedy, Leslie and Roberts. An apology for lateness was received from Alderman Graham.

NOTED.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Mayor asked for any declarations of interest.

Councillor Muir declared an interest in Item 6.2 – Events of Easter Monday, Item 10.1 – Proposal for the Railways Infrastructure, Item 19 – Ards and North Down Sports Forum and Item 20 – Sports Development Capital Grants.

Alderman McDowell declared an interest in Item 25 – East Border Region – Post Brexit.

Councillor McAlpine declared an interest in Item 29 – Former Prison College Site, .

NOTED.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

The Chief Executive brought to Members’ attention Item 26.3 – Rescinding Notice of Motion noting that if discussed, he recommended that it should be taken ‘in committee’.

Responding to a query from Councillor Barry, the Chief Executive verified that unless the discussion remained general in nature, it could crossover into areas which were legal or commercial in confidence.

Councillor Barry stated that it be discussed in the public domain giving an assurance that Members would be mindful of that proviso.

Councillor Barry proposed, seconded by Councillor Robinson that Item 26.3 – Rescinding Notice of Motion be discussed in the public domain.

The Mayor remarked that that proposal would be considered when that item was reached later in the meeting.

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4. MAYOR’S BUSINESS

The Mayor advised Members of three points to note; firstly that a petition had been tabled from the Small Business and Sole Traders of Ards and North Down Borough in relation to the HRCs, secondly that she wished to hold a reception for the Borough’s athletes who had taken participated in the Olympics and Paralympics and she had tasked Officers accordingly and lastly, she mentioned how she was looking forward to welcoming everyone to her Installation Dinner on Friday evening.

NOTED.

5. MAYOR AND DEPUTY MAYOR ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE MONTH (Appendix I)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Engagements for the month of August 2016.

(Councillor Smith left the meeting at this stage – 7.13 pm)

Saturday 13 August – Food Festival: Councillor Adair took the opportunity to highlight this excellent Festival which was ably attended by the Deputy Mayor (Alderman Keery), who had taken time to engage with the public. He was delighted to report that 4,000 people had visited Portavogie creating a real buzz throughout the village. Without doubt it had been a very enjoyable family day out for those in attendance and the traders themselves were grateful for the additional custom. He believed it would assist in helping to regenerate Portavogie as it had been deemed a success from start to finish.

NOTED.

6. DEPUTATIONS

6.1 Mr Graham Shields – Chief Electoral Officer, Electoral Office

The Mayor welcomed and introduced Mr Graham Shields to the meeting and invited him to commence his presentation.

Mr Shields thanked Members for allowing him the opportunity to present to the Committee and began by furnishing them with details about the three main drivers for change.

(Councillor Smith re-entered the meeting at this stage 7.15 pm)

1. Digitalisation

He explained that the Electoral Office was currently developing an online registration process for Northern Ireland. Online registration was introduced in GB in 2014 and it had worked extremely well and currently in excess of 80% of all new registration applications were submitted online.

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Online registration would go live in NI before the end of 2016 and would have a major impact on the working practices of EONI, ie it would substantially reduce the amount of paperwork and administration associated with the electoral registration process. They expected the take-up rate in Northern Ireland to be similar to that in GB and consequently that would in time lead to a reduction in the number of staff required to process registration applications and amendments to the register.

The online process would also make electoral registration much more convenient and straightforward for electors. It would literally take 2 or 3 minutes to complete the process on a laptop or home computer and the system could also be accessed via a mobile phone.

2. Normalisation – and a greater role for Local Councils in the electoral process

Mr Shields stated that there was a desire to see the electoral process working, so far as practicable, in a manner consistent with what happened elsewhere in the UK, the and beyond by giving local Councils a greater role in the process.

The Electoral Office was the main repository of electoral knowledge and know how in Northern Ireland but it was a small organisation with limited resources – and it would get smaller. Greater involvement by Council staff would enhance the resilience of the electoral process by substantially increasing the cadre of experienced individuals who could assist in delivery of elections.

3. Sustainability

Like most other parts of the public sector, the Electoral Office had been subject to budget cuts. Changes to the operating structure of the organisation were required in order to put it on a sustainable financial footing for the longer term.

The organisational budget had reduced from £2.6M in 2010/11 to £2M in 2016/17 and it would continue to be gradually reduced until the 2019/20 financial year when it would be £1.85M.

Mr Shields insisted that taking all those factors into account things had to change – they could not continue as they currently were.

He then made reference to the forthcoming Consultation exercise to be undertaken namely The Consultation Process (On the Future of Electoral Services in Northern Ireland) and outlined the following points:

. It would be subject to Ministerial approval and it was hoped to go out to public consultation early in September (12 weeks)

. A decision on the way forward would be announced early in 2017

. A number of models would be included in the consultation paper and they would welcome Members views on what they thought was the best way

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forward. They would happily consider any alternative proposals that the Council may wish to suggest

. All of the models envisaged a greater role for local councils to support the Electoral Office in the areas of:

(i) The delivery of elections (ii) Provision of limited counter services at Council HQs, and (iii) In one of the models, the provision of accommodation in Council premises to enable co-location of Electoral Office staff

(Alderman Graham entered the meeting at this stage – 7.20 pm)

Mr Shields then briefly elaborated on what those changes could entail. 1. Election Delivery

. All options involved the Councils playing a greater role in the delivery of elections

. In practice, that could mean replicating the functions that Council staff currently undertook in respect of Local Council elections at future NI Assembly and UK Parliamentary elections

. Those duties might include, for example, receiving nominations and staffing and managing the election counts. The Electoral Office would retain responsibility for polling day arrangements and the staffing of polling stations

. Council staff would be trained by Electoral Office staff to ensure they were competent to perform their duties and the Chief Electoral Officer would retain overall responsibility for the effective delivery of the process.

2. Counter Services

. All options in the paper referred to the provision of a limited counter service at principal Council offices. That was to enable certain basic services to be retained locally in all Council areas

. It was envisaged that the counter service may involve:

(i) Identity checking and taking photographs for the issue of Electoral Identity Cards. That information would be digitally transmitted to the Electoral Office where the cards would be produced

(ii) Providing blank registration forms or checking and forwarding completed registration forms to the Electoral Office

At this point Mr Shields hoped that Members would agree that there was a ‘natural fit’ for the provision of such services within the wider remit of public services that were delivered by our Councils.

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3. Accommodation

. There had been some discussion recently about Councils accommodating Electoral Office staff as a way of retaining local services . A possible option may be for some EONI staff to be accommodated in a small number of Council premises across Northern Ireland

. That may involve additional cost beyond what would be required to centralise the organisation in , however it was an option that they would expect to attract widespread political support. It would, of course, be a more attractive option if the costs involved were minimal

. There were presently no firm plans as to which Councils would be best placed to host EONI staff but it would be important to ensure good geographic coverage across the country.

To conclude, Mr Shields indicated that there would be plenty of opportunity to comment more fully and in a more considered way through the consultation process, however, he said he was keen to hear any initial thoughts/concerns or indeed expressions of support at this stage. In particular, he would be interested to receive feedback in relation to Members’ concerns around:

(i) Increased Council role in delivering elections (ii) The provision of basic counter services by Councils, and (iii) The provision of accommodation for EONI staff

Alderman McDowell voiced concern around the transfer of funding to the Council to undertake those additional duties and there must be an assurance that that was in place. With reference to online registration, he was of the opinion that it was madness to close offices immediately as with any computerised system, there were always teething problems.

In response Mr Shields reassured the Member by stipulating there would be two streams of funding available. There would the operational budget as well as an apportionment towards on line registration aspect from the NIO treasury. He also stressed that the public could access the helpline which was a freephone number and that would be a straightforward process.

Councillor Barry voiced a degree of cynicism about the consultation process. He pointed out that the Ards office was scheduled to close at the end of October and queried why the consultation was to begin in September rather than early next year after the on line system had been up and running. In a hypothetical sense, he ventured that the Council could perhaps offer free or inexpensive accommodation to retain the office in . In respect of delivery of services, he wondered if those would be somewhat compromised by the proposed centralisation and asked what services would be available to those persons who utilised the Ards office.

(Councillor Walker left the meeting at this stage – 7.36 pm)

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Mr Shields was candid when he disclosed that the decision to close the Ards and Ballymena offices was purely a financial one. He too would have preferred to have commenced the consultation in spring 2017 but currently, the Electoral Office was in an acute financial position and did not have the necessary budget. He said that the offer to provide accommodation had been a gracious one but it was not just about relocating staff. The biggest cost factor for them pertained to staff costs and it was inevitable that a voluntary exit scheme would be introduced as it was simply impracticable to retain seven offices. In geographical terms, Ards and North Down were in close proximity to the largest office based in Belfast. He reiterated that the need to visit an office in person would decrease with the planned simpler and easier on line registration scheme. However, one reason why the public would visit their offices would be to apply for an electoral identity card and have their photo taken. He anticipated that an arrangement could be agreed upon whereby Councils could provide that service on behalf of the Electoral Office.

Alderman Carson brought attention to the lack of broadband connectivity throughout the .

Mr Shields confirmed that the paper based application process would be retained indefinitely. Also on line registration could be initiated without broadband access on a mobile phone.

Councillor Cathcart was mindful that the majority of the constituents in his area were elderly with no access to electronic devices and therefore he questioned the closure of an essential service such as the Ards office.

Mr Shields articulated that that decision had to be taken for Ards and other similar offices as it was vital for the organisation as a whole to work more efficiently. The old system would still be there to allow the public to submit paper applications.

Councillor Dunne wished to briefly register the concerns of local people about the closure. Valid points had been made by Mr Shields but the Belfast office was not easily accessible for many. He welcomed the on line registration but felt a physical service should be maintained and in that regard Councils may have a role to play.

Mr Shields emphasised that the Belfast office was by far the busiest and he accepted that there was an element of inconvenience for parking. He expressed the viewpoint that Councils offered a natural hub and focal point and it made perfect sense that they could uphold ID checking, the issue of photos and identity cards.

The Mayor interjected at this stage and advised that the time limit for questions had been reached. Should Members wish to suspend Standing Orders to permit others to speak, it would have to be put to a vote.

Councillor Barry proposed, seconded by Councillor Boyle that standing orders be suspended.

(Councillor Walker re-entered the meeting at this stage – 7.40 pm)

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On being put to the meeting, with 13 voting FOR and 16 voting AGAINST, the proposal FELL.

The Chief Executive clarified that an 80% majority vote was required.

The Mayor thanked Mr Shields for his informative presentation and he withdrew from the meeting at 7.40 pm.

(Councillor Muir declared in interest in the undernoted item and took no part in the discussion)

6.2 Events of Easter Monday

The Mayor welcomed and introduced Chief Inspector McGrath to the meeting and invited him to commence his update on the events of Easter Monday.

(Councillors Armstrong-Cotter and McIlveen left the meeting at this stage – 7.41 pm)

Chief Inspector McGrath firstly apologised on behalf of Superintendent McKee who was unable to attend. Referring to the subject of Easter Monday, he advised that he had been the Senior Officer on duty. In terms of budgets, he said that additional money had been spent on year 2 when compared to year 1, with arrests up and figures for anti social behaviour down. There had been a few posts on social media relating to the event in question and in the grounds of the Castle Park, youths had gathered exhibiting foul language, drinking alcohol and taking drugs which he deemed as totally reprehensible. He had sent his Officers to take charge of that state of affairs and a number of arrests were made. Those Officers had also offered support to Ambulance Service crew who had been assaulted. He was keen to point out that that action was undertaken out of the view of everyone else at the Easter parade who by all accounts had had a very enjoyable day in Bangor.

Following on, Chief Inspector McGrath remarked that lessons had been learnt and he had met with the Council’s Chief Executive almost immediately afterwards to debrief the incident. Unfortunately a number of people had criticised the Police, the Council and Translink. Therefore a working group had been set up to discuss the situation further as anti social behaviour had become the front page headline for local media. He highlighted a five consecutive week operation whereby ASB figures had dropped with 171 incidences this financial year to date and he believed that was due to partners working closer together than ever before. Partnership working was clearly the way forward.

Chief Inspector McGrath asked Members to remember the headline that during the past four years, a total of £217M had been removed from the policing budget. This year had seen a decrease in the budget of £66.1M but he gave an assurance that he was actually doing more with less by working closely with his colleagues in the Council and Translink and with that success, the figures spoke for themselves.

(Councillors Adair, Douglas and Dunne left the meeting at this stage – 7.43 pm)

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In addition, the PSNI had also been involved in a joint education initiative with schools from north Belfast. A comment to Translink had stated that ‘if cops are in Bangor seizing drink, we don’t get on the trains’. As ASB incidences had lessened after the five week operation, Chief Inspector McGrath wondered if the Chamber of Commerce had noticed any similar reduction in the footfall coming into Bangor.

He concluded by stating that overall Easter Monday had been a success. Regrettably there had been too much emphasis placed on a small part of the event which had provided a disproportionate view.

The Mayor thanked Chief Inspector McGrath for his appraisal of the perceived disturbance on that day. She welcomed and introduced Mr David Johnston to the meeting and invited him to commence his update.

Mr Johnston began by advising that he too had had the privilege of working for Translink in Bangor station on Easter Monday. He confirmed that approximately 500 passengers had been transported from Belfast on that day and a maximum of 200 had been youths from north Belfast and the surrounding areas. Translink had experienced a successful day with no incidents in the station whatsoever. He was of the opinion that that was due to the co-operative working touched on earlier by Chief Inspector McGrath. However, there had been a Police presence at the station from that morning until early afternoon. All alcohol carried off the trains was confiscated and photographs had been taken to verify that action. At 6.00 pm, a large crowd of youths began congregating outside the station at which point a decision was taken to close the station. Primarily he explained that was for three reasons; to protect Translink staff, to protect the building and of course to protect their passengers.

(Councillors Douglas and Dunne re-entered the meeting at this stage 7.46 pm)

One minor incident had occurred on a train heading back to Belfast. One young lady had taken ill at and the train had been halted for 20 minutes to await the ambulance. During that period, the group of youths on board the train became restless and slightly confrontational. Once the ambulance arrived, the train continued its journey express to Belfast Central, whereby those youths were escorted off the train by Police Officers and no further action was taken. By all accounts, Translink had had a very successful day and that was especially the case when a comparison was made to previous years.

The Mayor thanked Mr Johnston for his informative report. She welcomed the Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment to the meeting and invited him to commence his update.

The Section Head acknowledged that Members were aware that the three person community safety team was unavailable on the day of the parade. That was due to a number of circumstances namely:

1. one of the Officers was leaving his post that week to take up another position within the Council 2. another member of the team had a family bereavement and was off work 3. the third team member was on pre booked leave and out of the country

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The community safety team which was down to one person for most of the summer now comprised two Officers with the second Officer only appointed this week. As well as those two Officers and funding from the PCSP, there were presently two additional agency Officers who worked Wednesday through to Saturday 4.00 pm to 11.00 pm.

As Members would appreciate, it was a small team that would not have the capacity or training to provide stewarding or security for large public events or large public disorder situations. The Head of Service also pointed out that their legal powers were limited to enforcing byelaws and offences such as depositing litter. Most of their on the ground actions consisted of interventions with groups and using their powers of persuasion to tackle situations such as noisy behaviour. In public disorder situations where there were large groups of intoxicated people, it was likely following a dynamic risk assessment that the Officers having regard to their own safety would withdraw from the situation and seek police assistance.

Going forward and following discussions with the PSNI and event organisers, a protocol had been established, summarised as undernoted:

. the community safety team would be involved in pre event planning . an ASB risk assessment would be carried out to determine which events would require community safety team attendance . prior to relevant events off licences would be visited and staff reminded of their legal and social responsibilities regarding the sale of alcohol to young and or intoxicated people . at relevant events Community Safety Officers would attend on the day providing low level patrols monitoring the movement and behaviour of people and where appropriate and safe to do so make interventions. Should concerns be identified the team would liaise with event organisers and police and seek assistance where necessary

That process had begun with members of the team being involved and out on patrol at recent events such as the screening of the NI Euro matches and at this weekend’s fireworks display at .

(Councillor Adair re-entered the meeting at this stage – 7.50 pm)

The Mayor invited questions from Members with collective summarised responses from Chief Inspector McGrath, Mr Ian Scott and Mr Richard Brittain as undernoted:

Attempts at tackling the dilemma of underage drinking involved:

o conversing with supermarkets selling alcohol at discounted prices o seizure powers – alcohol may be seized when an underage person was witnessed consuming it

(Alderman Gibson and Councillor Cooper left the meeting at this stage – 7.52 pm)

o awareness raising and education through the PCSP/other agencies

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o Translink informing the PSNI whenever large numbers of youths were noticed heading to venues such as Helens Bay, Bangor etc o PSNI employing every available Officer to avoid possible confrontations and assault o Intelligently planning and involving PSNI in Belfast if necessary o Council Officers enforcing its alcohol byelaws and ‘no drinking’ areas o Translink employees held certain powers to search and confiscate alcohol as required o Partnership working to ensure a joined up approach and sufficient resources

(Alderman Gibson and Councillor Cooper re-entered the meeting at this stage – 7.58 pm)

The Mayor extended her gratitude to Chief Inspector McGrath, Mr Ian Scott and Mr Richard Brittain for their enlightening presentation and co-operative working and outlined the importance of working together to make the Borough a safer place.

(They withdrew from the meeting at this stage – 8.00 pm)

(Alderman Gibson and Councillors Ferguson and McIlveen re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.00 pm)

7. MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON 27 JULY 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above minutes.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the minutes be agreed as a correct record.

8. MINUTES OF COMMITTEES

8.1 Planning Committee dated 2 August 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above minutes.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman McDowell, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the minutes be adopted.

(Alderman Smith left the meeting at this stage – 8.05 pm)

9. REQUEST FOR DELEGATED POWERS

9.1 Delegation of Powers – Environment Committee – September 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 10 August 2016 from the Director of Environment stating that the Pavement Cafés Act (NI) 2014 would come into operation on 1 October 2016.

A report was due to be considered by the Environment Committee on 7 September 2016 regarding the implementation of the above legislation which would include the

11 C.24.08.16 determination on the proposed licence fee and the duration of the licence. Whilst most of the issues in the report could be ratified in the normal way by the Council, the fees once agreed had to be formally put out to public consultation for 28 days.

It was proposed that the Committee be given delegated powers to agree the proposed licence fee and duration of licence, in order that the proper consultation could take place. Also if there were no comments received regarding the fees following the public consultation, it was proposed the Committee had delegated powers to confirm them.

RECOMMENDED that the Environment Committee be given delegated powers to determine Pavement Café Licence fees and the period of licence.

Councillor Boyle voiced disagreement to the recommendation noting that it was too important a decision to be made with less than half of the Members present.

(Councillor Martin left the meeting at this stage – 8.06 pm)

The Director of Environment responded by advising that it was a process set by the Department and it was a requirement to have a 28 day statutory consultation period before the proposed regime would become effective.

On being put to the meeting, with 26 voting FOR, 2 voting AGAINST, 7 ABSTAINING and 5 ABSENT, the proposal was declared CARRIED.

A recorded vote resulted as follows:

FOR (26) AGAINST (2) ABSTAINING (7) ABSENT (5) Aldermen Alderman Aldermen Alderman Graham Fletcher Girvan Smith Henry Councillor Keery Councillors Irvine Boyle Carson Kennedy McDowell Gibson Leslie Councillors Councillors Martin Adair Ferguson Roberts Allen McIlveen Armstrong-Cotter Smart Barry Brooks Cathcart Chambers Cooper Cummings Douglas Dunne Edmund Gilmour McAlpine McClean Menagh

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Muir Robinson Smith Thompson Walker Wilson

RESOLVED that the recommendation be adopted.

(Alderman Smith re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.08 pm)

9.2 Delegation of Powers – Regeneration and Development Committee – September 2016

The Chief Executive made reference to a late request for delegation of powers - lease of land – Sir Samuel Kelly Lifeboat. He said that it was crucial in order to advance the grant application.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Smith, seconded by Councillor Muir, that the Regeneration and Development Committee be given delegated powers to determine the lease of land – Sir Samuel Kelly Lifeboat.

10. CONSULTATION DOCUMENTS – FILE 385085

10.1 Proposal for the Railways Infrastructure (Access, Management and Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

(Comments to be submitted no later than 14 October 2016)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure detailing proposals to introduce legislation to give effect to the requirements of European Commission Directive 2012/34/EU.

(Councillor Muir declared an interest in this item and left the meeting at this stage – 8.11 pm)

(Councillor Cathcart left the meeting at this stage – 8.11 pm)

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Graham, seconded by Councillor Barry that the information be noted.

10.2 Draft Witness Charter

(Comments to be submitted no later than 27 September 2016)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from the Department of Justice detailing proposals for a Draft Witness Charter.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Thompson, that the information be noted.

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10.3 Draft Legislation to Remove the Requirement on NI Water to Install Water Meters at All New Domestic Connections

(Comments to be submitted no later than 26 August 2016)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure detailing proposed draft legislation to remove the requirement on NI Water to install water meters at all new domestic connections.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Graham, seconded by Alderman Gibson, that the information be noted.

(Councillor Muir re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.13 pm)

10.4 Review of Civil and Family Justice: The Review Group’s Draft Report on Family Justice

(Comments to be submitted no later than 28 October 2016)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from the Secretariat to the Civil Family Justice Review seeking the Council’s views on its preliminary Family Justice Report.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Gilmour, seconded by Councillor Thompson, that the information be noted.

10.5 Probation Board for NI – ‘Changing Lives for Safer Communities’

(Comments to be submitted no later than 14 October 2016)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) seeking the Council’s views on the PBNI’s priorities for its next Corporate Plan for 2017-2020.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Edmunds, that the information be noted.

11. CONFERENCES, INVITATIONS ETC.

11.1 “What Sort of Economy will our Grandchildren Inherit?” – A Lecture Hosted by the Chief Executive’s Club – Queen’s University, Belfast – 8 September 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from Eventbrite detailing the above event.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Cummings, seconded by Councillor Muir, that the information be noted.

(Councillors Cathcart and Martin re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.15 pm)

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(Councillor Menagh left the meeting at this stage – 8.15 pm)

11.2 Brexit: Making Sense of the Crisis – Baby Grand, Belfast – 6 September 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from agendaNI detailing the above event.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the information be noted.

11.3 APSE Annual Seminar Incorporating APSE Services Awards 2016 – Survival of the Fittest: Ensuring a Future for Local Government’s Frontline – Londonderry – 7 & 8 September 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence from APSE detailing the above event.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Graham, seconded by Alderman Gibson, that the information be noted.

11.4 The Third Annual Work, Health and Wellbeing Conference 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 10 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that the University of Salford and the International Disability Management Standards Council UK had organised a one-day conference to bring together a range of key stakeholders all working to keep people happy, healthy and occupationally productive. More than 130 million days were lost to sickness absence every year in the UK, and working age ill health had an annual cost to the economy of more than £100 billion.

The aims of the conference were:

. to explore services and interventions to support employees to stay in work, or return to work, following ill health or with ongoing health problems . to identify opportunities and strategies for supporting health and wellbeing of the workforce . to consider the economic benefit of supporting health and wellness

The conference cost £200 plus VAT for one member of staff, however Ards and North Down Borough Council had been offered a second place at no extra charge.

Flights and overnight accommodation for two total would be approximately £215.

The programme would give key learning opportunities in relation to delivering health and wellbeing internally to Council employees and externally to the businesses in Ards and North Down Borough which were supported by the Council.

RECOMMENDED that two members of the Health and Wellbeing service unit attend the Conference with travel and subsistence paid at the normal rate from the existing budget.

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Councillor Gilmour was of the view that as there was no additional charge for a second member of staff to attend the Conference, it would be useful for two employees to avail of the learning opportunity.

NOTED.

RESOLVED that the recommendation be adopted.

12. RESOLUTION

12.1 Donegal County Council Re: Availability of the North West Radiotherapy Unit

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Letter dated 21 July 2016 from Donegal County Council stating that at its Council meeting in July, the following resolution had been adopted and it had been agreed to circulate it to all Local Authorities for support.

“That this Council call on the and the Government to clarify with the British Government that the essential North West Radiotherapy Unit will be available to all, and that the vote on Brexit will not have any derailing effects on this service”.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Barry, seconded by Councillor Muir, that the information be noted.

(Councillor Menagh re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.17 pm)

13. TRANSFER OF RIGHTS OF BURIAL

The following transfer application was received:-

Name Transferred to Cemetery Section No T Allen D Allen Ballyvester F A9

RESOLVED:- (On the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Alderman Irvine)

THAT the above Transfer be approved.

14. SEALING DOCUMENT

RESOLVED:- (On the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Edmund)

THAT the Seal of the Council be affixed to the following document:-

(a) Memorandum of Understanding with Transport NI - Partnering Arrangements for the Removal of Snow and Ice from Town Centre Footways and Pedestrian Areas

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15. NOTICES OF MOTION STATUS REPORT – FILE: CG 12172 (Appendix II)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching a Status Report in respect of Notices of Motion.

This was a standing item on the Council agenda each month and its aim was to keep Members updated on the outcome of motions. It was noted that as each motion was dealt with it would be removed from the report.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes the report.

RESOLVED on the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Martin, that the recommendation be adopted.

16. PROPOSED STREET NAMING – SPINNERS GATE, – FILE RD (A) 582/9200

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 10 August 2016 from the Director of Environment stating that a development comprising of 41 dwellings was currently under construction on lands at Road, Killinchy. The developer had suggested Spinners Gate due to the spinning mill once being on that particular site and as it was in keeping with the general neighbourhood.

RECOMMENDED that the new name of Spinners Gate be adopted.

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor Cummings, seconded by Councillor Thompson, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Alderman Henry left the meeting at this stage – 8.20 pm)

17. PEACE IV UPDATE – FILE 142040 (Appendix III)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 11 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing giving the following Peace IV update.

1. Stage 1 Application

In June 2016 the Council had approved the first draft of the AND PEACE IV Strategy and Action Plan, to inform the Council’s stage 1 online application to the Managing Authority, SEUPB by the closing date of 21 June 2016, with a view to submitting a stage 2 application in September 2016. Officers were presently awaiting feedback from SEUPB, and a definitive date for the submission of the stage 2 application. The information required for the stage 2 application was extremely detailed to include qualified and quantified activities, outputs, benefits and associated costs.

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2. Letter from Executive Office

In June 2016, Members had also agreed to write to the First and Deputy First Minister, calling upon the Executive to set out its plan to address the consequences of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union and EU funding streams. The Executive Offices response, dated 15 July 2016, was attached.

3. Letter from SEUPB

A letter, dated 4 August 2016 had then been received from the Managing Authority which set out SEUPB’s approach to mitigate against the risks associated with the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, which was envisaged sometime in 2019 (attached). In summary SEUPB had advised that second stage applications should be submitted based on the original timeframe (2014-2020) however, applications had to be formulated to show a clear assessment of activities to autumn 2018, in order to facilitate a break clause, should funding be withdrawn.

SEUPB had also requested that work was prioritised to assist in the early implementation of the PEACE Plans, in order to maximise EU funding locally. The Managing Authority had indicated that whilst indicative budgets had been ring fenced for each Council (ANDBC £3,002,991) plans which did not meet the standard expected, by clearly aligning outputs to costs and benefits would result in reduction of funding being awarded.

Officers had arranged a meeting with SEUPB’s Chief Executive Officer to discuss those implications and to seek clarity on the second stage application process to ensure there was no detriment to the Council area.

4. PEACE IV Partnership

In May 2016 members had agreed to the composition of a PEACE IV Partnership and the establishment of a recruitment panel to appoint Social Partners to the Partnership.

9 Elected Members

At the Council’s AGM in June 2016 the following Elected Members had been appointed to the Partnership using the recognised D’Hondt system:

Alderman Angus Carson UUP Alderman Robert Gibson DUP Alderman Wesley Irvine DUP Alderman Bill Keery DUP Councillor Alan Leslie DUP Alderman Alan McDowell ALL Councillor Carl McClean UUP Councillor Eddie Thompson DUP Councillor Gavin Walker ALL

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7 Statutory Agencies

The agreed statutory agencies below had made the following six nominations:

Mr Ray Gilbert Education Authority Chief Inspector Gerry McGrath Police Service of Northern Ireland Mr Ralston Perera South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust Mr Owen Brady Northern Ireland Housing Executive Mr Kelvin Doherty Youth Justice Agency Mr Paul Walsh South Eastern Regional College Public Health Agency

The Public Health Agency had confirmed it would not be making an appointment due to demands on its resources. It was recommended that the PEACE IV Partnership considered an appropriate alternative statutory agency to replace the PHA and sought a nomination from that agency to the partnership.

Appointment of the 8 Social Partners

The social partners were comprised of the agreed sectors below. A nomination had been received from the Business Sector, Leigh Nelson and a final nomination from the Trade Union sector was outstanding.

It had been agreed that three Elected Members would sit on the selection panel for appointments to the remaining six social partner positions. A reserve panel member had also been appointed. HR Officer, Patricia Rooney had acted as the Council’s advisor. The panel had also received independent advice and training from a recruitment specialist and shortlisting had taken place following the training on Monday, 15 August 2016.

Eleven applications had been received for the six positions by the closing date of 12 August 2016 for one appointment to be made to each of the following sectors:

Community Network Youth provision Women’s representative BME representative Community sector Voluntary sector

At the time of writing it was anticipated that shortlisted applicants would be invited for interview on 24 August 2016. The recommendations of the assessment panel would be tabled at the Council meeting on 24 August 2016, for Council approval. Following the appointment of the Social Partners the next full PEACE IV Partnership meeting would take place on 7 September 2016.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes the above update and in addition approves:

1. that the IV Partnership considers an appropriate alternative statutory agency to replace the PHA on the partnership and seeks a nomination

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2. the nominations received from the statutory agencies 3. the nomination received from the business sector 4. the recommendations of the PEACE IV Social Partner recruitment panel, as tabled by Officers

The Chief Executive referred Members to the outcome of the PEACE IV Social Partner recruitment exercise which had been tabled.

Alderman Keery proposed, seconded by Alderman Irvine, that the recommendation be adopted.

Due to the continuing ambiguity regarding the issue of PEACE IV funding, Councillor Muir believed it was vital that the Council obtained certain guarantees.

(Alderman Henry re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.21 pm)

Councillor Muir proposed as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Walker that this Council acknowledges the benefits of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation since established in 1995 but notes with concern uncertainty concerning PEACE IV Funding and agrees to urgently write to both the Minister for Finance Máirtín Ó Muilleoir MLA and Special EU Programmes Body requesting an update and outlining need for certainty of funding throughout life of the programme.

As seconder, Councillor Walker emphasised the importance of the Council taking action.

Councillor Cooper queried if the amendment was the same wording as Councillor Muir’s Notice of Motion.

The Chief Executive confirmed that to be the case but gave an assurance it was a valid amendment.

On being put to the meeting with 21 voting FOR, 10 voting AGAINST, 6 ABSTAINING and 3 ABSENT, the amendment was declared CARRIED.

Councillor Wilson requested a recorded vote, resulting as follows:

FOR (21) AGAINST (10) ABSTAINING (6) ABSENT (3) Aldermen Aldermen Aldermen Councillors Carson Keery Girvan Kennedy Fletcher Graham Gibson Leslie Henry Irvine Councillors McDowell Councillors Allen Smith Adair Cummings Councillors Cooper Ferguson Armstrong-Cotter Dunne Martin Barry Edmund Boyle Gilmour Brooks Menagh Cathcart Thompson

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Chambers Douglas McAlpine McIlveen McClean Muir Robinson Smart Smith Walker Wilson

18. ITEM WITHDRAWN

19. ARDS AND NORTH DOWN SPORTS FORUM – FILE SD93 (Appendix IV – VIII)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 25 July 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that on the 26 August 2015, Council had delegated authority to the Ards and North Down Sports Forum Borough, in order to allow it to administer sports grants funding on behalf of the Council. £25,000 had been allocated within the 2016/2017 revenue budget for that purpose.

The Council had further authorised the Forum under delegated powers to award grants of up to £250. Grants above £250 still required Council approval. In addition, the Council had requested that regular updates were reported to Members. During April 2016 to July 2016, the Forum had received a total of 100 grant applications; 76 of which had been for travel and accommodation, 10 had been for Gold Cards, 9 had been for coaching and finally 5 had been for events.

A summary of the applications was detailed in the attached appendices.

A total of 23 of the applications had failed to meet the specified criteria. The reasons for the unsuccessful applications were detailed on the attached appendix (Sports Forum Applications Failed April to July 2016).

For information, the annual budget and spend to date on grant categories was as follows:

April to July 2016 Annual Budget Funding Awarded Remaining April to July 2016 Budget Travel and Assistance 14,000.00 5,440.00 8,560.00 Coaching 3,000.00 1,087.50 1,912.50 Equipment * 3,000.00 2,970.00 200.00 Events * 3,000.00 3,363.16 636.84 Seeding 1,000.00 0 1,000.00 Anniversary 1,000.00 0 1,000.00 Gold Cards Issued during the period April to July 2016 was 9

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* Equipment: an additional £170 had been reallocated into the budget because North Down Athletic Club had withdrawn its previous equipment grant in April 2016 and had submitted a new application in May 2016. * Events: an additional £1000 had been reallocated into the budget because Ards Rangers Football Club had been issued a letter of offer in February 2016 but had failed to complete the risk assessment prior to the event taking place.

RECOMMENDED that the Council approves the attached applications for financial sporting assistance.

(Councillor Muir declared an interest in this item)

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor Ferguson, seconded by Councillor Menagh, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Councillor Walker left the meeting at this stage – 8.25 pm)

20. SPORTS DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL GRANTS (FILE SD101) (Appendix IX)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Summary of grants applied for and accompanying report dated 18 July 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing detailing that the Sports Development Capital Scheme was available for sports clubs within the Borough. As Members would be aware the Council had set aside £50,000 for the financial year 2016/2017 and could award up to 50% of eligible capital costs, with a maximum award of £5,000 in respect of any one project. Capital expenditure was defined as ‘expenditure for technical assistance and/or purchase, improvement, restoration and construction of an asset related to the applicant organisation’.

The programme opened on Monday 30 May 2016 and closed on Wednesday 29 June 2016. The Council received three applications requesting a total of £11,590.

. In addition to the three applications received, the Council dealt with a number of queries/requests for information on the capital programme from the following clubs: Groomsport FC, Kingsland Table Tennis Club, Ards Swimming Club and Youth Football Team.

An initial screening of the applications was carried out by the Sports Development Officer and the Leisure Administration Office, applications were then assessed by the Sports Forum Panel. The three applications received failed to submit the necessary documentation and therefore failed to meet the essential criteria. Any successful application would then have been assessed against the following criteria:

1. Demonstrate the benefits to the club/organisation and the local community 2. Demonstrate anticipated outcomes of the project 3. Increase participation numbers within the club 4. Targeting priority groups (women, disability, over 50’s and socially disadvantaged areas/groups) 5. Improving and sustaining activities within the club 6. Improving the health and wellbeing of individuals/communities

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Applicants were required to demonstrate how their projects met at least three of the criteria listed above. Applications were assessed by the Council Sports Development Officer, Assistant Sports Development Officer and the NCLT Sports Development Officer.

The second programme of funding would be available from Monday 19 September 2016 to Wednesday 19 October 2016 with £50,000 of funding available. Advisory meetings would be organised for interested clubs in the meantime in an attempt to ensure that prospective applicants were fully aware of the essential criteria and necessary documentation that was required.

RECOMMENDED that the Council approves the recommendations of the assessment panel which are listed in the Summary of Grants Applied For.

(Councillor Muir declared an interest in this item)

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Ferguson, that the recommendation be adopted.

21. PROVISION OF NEW PLAY FACILITY ASSOCIATED WITH FOLD HOUSING ASSOCIATION’S DEVELOPMENT AT RATHGILL PARADE (FILE CW64) (Appendix X)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Draft proposal for new play facility and accompanying report from the Director of Community and Wellbeing detailing that Members may be aware that the Fold Housing Association was engaged in constructing affordable housing including accommodation for families with children that had additional needs in the Rathgill Parade/Linen Lane area of Bangor.

As part of the associated planning approval, the association was required to provide a playpark in an area of open space in the middle of the site. That area was bordered by a number of specialised housing units that were designed for families that included children with additional needs. Initial discussions took place with the Head of Leisure and Amenities in 2015, which were centred on a request for the Council to consider an acceptance of the gifting of the facility and it therefore taking on responsibility for the routine management and maintenance of the playpark once delivered (and funded) by the Association. At that time, it was highlighted that the Council already provided a children’s playpark nearby (in Rathgill Park) which was accessible to children from the Rathgill Parade area and queried the need. However, as the approval of the housing development was conditional on a playpark being provided, it was accepted that it was going to be built. The discussions then centred on the need to have relevant and complimentary provision at the new facility for the area.

The association then met with the Director of Community and Wellbeing in July and August 2016 and had also met with Playboard NI to seek additional advice and guidance. They were now developing a business case (attached) for the provision of a small playpark with equipment that they felt would not only compliment what was already provided nearby but would also meet some specific additional needs of the children of families who would live in the new housing.

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In addition and in accordance with new playparks provided by the Council, the Park would be high fenced off with a lockable gate so that it could be secured after dusk.

They were now affirming their request that given the Council’s expertise and resource in the field of playground management that it accepted the ownership of the facility following completion and responsibility for ongoing management and maintenance as a result and had drafted a proposal based on the conversations they both had had with Council officers and Playboard.

Discussions had also taken place internally with the Council’s Head of Assets and Property Maintenance who had responsibility for carrying out fortnightly safety checks and reactive and routine maintenance of the Councils. In his view, if the facility was to be accepted by the Council, it should be on the basis of a complete transfer of full responsibility for it to ensure that his staff could control any reactive issues and routine requirements in full. He had also offered to assist the Association in the finalisation of the design, layout and procurement of the equipment in order to simplify dealings with providers and contractors in the future.

Our Lands team had been consulted and in order to meet their requirements, the following standard conditions were required to be included as part of the agreement:

. It should be a freehold of the unrestricted freehold to the land . The Council will not complete the transfer until all work has been completed to the satisfaction of Council officers . Fold are to meet all Council’s legal and agent’s fees

RECOMMENDED that the Council agrees to the Fold Housing associations request subject to the above conditions from the Lands Officer and Head of Assets and Property Maintenance being met to their satisfaction.

Alderman Irvine welcomed the proposals noting that the playpark was a much sought after facility for those mothers and children.

In agreement, Councillor Robinson recognised that much thought had been given to the specifics of the playpark, which would be appreciated by those persons moving into that new development.

RESOLVED on the proposal of Alderman Smith, seconded by Councillor Cathcart, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Councillor Walker re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.27 pm)

22. APPLICATION FOR ENTERTAINMENT LICENCE (FILE LR/EL/90101)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 12 August 2016 from the Director of Environment detailing that an application had been received for the grant of an Entertainment Licence in respect of a marquee to be erected in the Walled Garden, Castle Park, Bangor as part of the Aspects Festival.

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The applicant was Ards and North Down Borough Council.

Dates of use: 18 to 25 September 2016 Hours of use: 11am to 11pm

Type of entertainment: Music, singing and dancing or other similar entertainment Theatrical performances

The application is RECOMMENDED for approval subject to the following:

1 The application being completed satisfactorily with all the Council’s requirements being met; and

2 The PSNI, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service or members of the public not objecting to the issue of the licence

3 The applicant foregoing his right to appear before and be heard by the Council

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor Thompson, seconded by Councillor Edmund, that the recommendation be adopted.

Alderman Graham wished to be recorded as against the recommendation.

NOTED.

23. STRATEGIC POLICY AND FINANCE GROUP (FILE CX139)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 15 August 2016 from the Chief Executive detailing that the Council previously approved when it considered proceeding with the replacement Leisure Centre in Newtownards to set up a monitoring group of Members to consider capital financing and the need for a strategic approach to that. In addition, given the pressures on capital and revenue financing and the need to set longer term strategic policy for the Council, it would be deemed appropriate to form a working group reporting to the Corporate Committee of Council to consider these matters.

This report set out the recommended approach to form a Strategic Policy and Finance Group with Terms of Reference and membership for consideration.

Purpose

. To provide high level strategic guidance and context for future Council income and expenditure planning

. To provide oversight for the development and implementation of the Council’s Service Transformation Programme and Efficiency initiatives

. To inform the development of high level, long term strategic policy

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Scope

Inclusions . Prioritising capital projects and matching to finance . Challenging long term affordability of future spend . Investigating alternative and innovative sources of finance . Providing strategic guidance for service transformation and efficiency projects . Providing guidance for future income and expenditure targets . Challenging rate setting assumptions . Consideration of strategic policy

Exclusions . Operational issues . Decision-making powers

Membership

. The membership is to be proportional to the party strengths on the Council based on a total number of 10 Elected Members as follows:

DUP 4 UUP 2 Alliance 2 Green 1 Other 1 (that nomination would be from the Single Member Parties and Independents by agreement). Total 10

Frequency of Meetings

Meetings to be held bi-monthly on the first Monday of scheduled months (schedule to be defined).

Accountability

A note of the meeting and any recommendations would be provided to the Corporate Services Committee for consideration.

RECOMMENDED that the Council approves the formation of a Strategic Policy and Finance Group with the Terms of Reference and membership as set out in this report.

It is further recommended that the political parties and group of “others” nominate Members to this group.

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor Walker, seconded by Councillor McIlveen, that the recommendations be adopted.

Councillor Walker nominated Alderman McDowell and Councillor Muir as the Alliance Party representatives.

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Alderman Henry nominated Aldermen Carson and Henry as the UUP representatives.

Councillor Barry nominated himself as the representative.

Councillor Menagh nominated Councillor Cooper as the TUV representative.

Councillor McIlveen stated that he would advise the Chief Executive of the DUP representatives by letter this week.

AGREED.

24. DEPARTMENT FOR INFRASTUCTURE – GRASS CUTTING

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Letter dated 2 August 2016 from the Department for Infrastructure regarding grass cutting and weeds within the Ards and North Down Borough Council area and explaining that due to budgetary pressures, only two grass cuts would be carried out in all urban and rural areas. However, sight lines would receive additional cuts as required in the interests of road safety.

RECOMMENDED that the information be noted.

Although welcoming the reply from the Department for Infrastructure, Councillor Smith expressed disappointment at the intention to abide by a programme of selective weed treatments.

Councillor Smith proposed as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Martin that the Council responds by querying the Department’s plans for selective weed control and requests further action.

Councillor Menagh agreed that the Council should write to the Minister as it was a disgraceful situation and the height of grass and weeds throughout the Borough had become an embarrassment. Two grass cuts per year was insufficient and even when grass cutting was undertaken, it was left lying to decay.

(Councillor Muir left the meeting at this stage – 8.30 pm)

In concurrence with previous comments, Councillor Adair believed the Department could work proactively with other statutory bodies such as Transport NI and the NI Housing Executive as well as the Council as they were falling short of their duties. He made the suggestion that better cost effective methods could be examined such as putting a tender out to local farmers.

(Alderman McDowell left the meeting at this stage – 8.32 pm)

Councillor Armstrong-Cotter noted that the letter to the Minister could include the objective of better co-operation between the Department, the Council, NI Housing Executive and Transport NI.

(Councillor Muir re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.33 pm)

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Following on, Alderman Fletcher commended the positive actions of the Regeneration group who gathered each Saturday morning to clean up the town by removing weeds etc. He mentioned that he and his son also undertook litter picking in their own neighbourhood and felt it was important for local communities to take pride and tidy their own locales.

Councillor Boyle remarked that he was not overly impressed with the contents of the Department’s letter and also underlined the untidiness of the Borough. Due to that neglect, the people of had ably taken charge of the appearance of their town and that co-operation had made a tremendous difference.

(Alderman McDowell re-entered the meeting at this stage – 8.35 pm)

(Councillor Ferguson left the meeting at this stage – 8.35 pm)

He thought the Council should rethink and consider forwarding a firmer request to the Minister for further works and outline that the situation was unacceptable. The Minister had to realise the seriousness of the matter as the Council was concerned with promoting the Borough from a tourism perspective and therefore it could not remain in such a dirty state.

In supporting the amendment and the requirement to write a strongly worded letter, Councillor Barry indicated that a request to Transport NI to attend a Council meeting would also be helpful to allow them to explain their stance surrounding grass cutting and weed control.

Councillor Smith said he would be happy to include the deputation from Transport NI and if possible, ask the NI Housing Executive to attend on the same evening.

Councillor Martin commented that the reply from the Department was in fact nonsensical. Weeds had been growing since early summer and with the onset of autumn they were now starting to die. Hence, he could not understand why reference was being made to the instigation of a programme of weed control commencing shortly. Additionally, he was cognisant that the majority of constituents thought those maintenance works fell within the remit of the Council. In that regard, he pointed out that a form of communication was needed to notify the public that that was not actually the case. Furthermore, he had observed that not all Council areas were in a similar state of neglect as Ards and North Down, as other Boroughs appeared to be in a near perfect condition. It was obviously specific to the Southern Division and he would welcome an explanation from Transport NI and the Minister. Councillor Wilson fully endorsed those comments.

In a similar vein, Alderman Carson acknowledged that the counties of Fermanagh and Londonderry were like a different country because they were so clean and tidy. The Council had worked diligently to promote the Borough and he voiced concern about the detrimental effects on tourism.

In terms of road safety, Councillor Robinson believed that clearance of grass and weeds for sight lines should be given priority and aesthetics could be dealt with afterwards.

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Councillor Dunne echoed previous sentiments and made mention of the real concerns of ratepayers who paid rates and expected an appropriate level of service. Voluntary work by local communities was to be applauded but statutory agencies could not be let off the hook. The A2 was one of the busiest roads in the Province and it was in an unacceptable condition as was Seapark.

Councillor Chambers said the Council should be heedful of ensuring its own house was in order and that it was not left open to criticism. He noted that particular car parks such as those sited at Queen’s Parade and Bank’s Lane required some attention.

In Alderman Keery’s view grass cutting twice a year by Transport NI would not solve the current problems and he informed Members of the NI Housing Executive’s policy to cut grass around its estates 22-27 times per year.

It was the belief of Alderman Gibson that good points had been raised during the discussion. With the summer almost over, the performance of Transport NI had to improve within Ards and North Down next year as evidently it was one of the worst areas. He was disappointed to see weeds growing over a foot high in Comber which was completely unsatisfactory.

Councillors Thompson and Edmund remarked upon the numerous complaints they had received from constituents. Apparently finance for Transport NI’s had only been received one month ago but that still did not excuse the overall lack of maintenance this year. An amount of £10M was received for 29 depots which was too little too late; further communication with the Department was essential. With regard to community self-help, mention was made of a community and wellbeing group in Millisle working together to tidy the village.

Alderman Graham raised the issue of noxious weeds such as ragwort, dockens, thistles etc and recalled how a farmer used to be fined if those were not removed from his land. The problem of weeds was multiplying annually and although appreciative of budgetary constraints, he highlighted that by this time of year the majority of weeds had already dispersed their seeds to be carried in the wind and re- seeded elsewhere.

Councillor Smith spoke of the advantages for Transport NI and NI Housing Executive to address the same meeting. Moreover they could no longer expect the Council to undertake aspects of their remit and must fulfil their own responsibilities.

To clarify the discussion to date, the Chief Executive repeated that Members wished the Council to forward a strongly worded letter to the Minister about selective weed control and the other matters raised by Members during the debate and invite Transport NI and the NI Housing Executive to make a deputation on the matter to the same meeting.

AGREED.

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor Smith, seconded by Councillor Martin, that the Council responds by writing a strongly worded letter querying

29 C.24.08.16 the Department’s plans for selective weed control and requests further action. Also that Transport NI and the NI Housing Executive be invited to make a deputation on the matter at the same meeting.

(Alderman McDowell declared an interest in the undernoted item and left the meeting during discussion)

25. EAST BORDER REGION – POST BREXIT (CX74) (Appendix XI)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of letter dated 2 August 2016 from Chief Executive of East Border Region and accompanying report dated 17 August 2016 from the Chief Executive detailing that the Chief Executive of the East Border Region had written to the Council setting out concerns with regard to financial uncertainties arising from the outcome of the UK Referendum on the membership of the European Union.

The letter set out concerns with regard to the lack of Letters of Offer under the INTERREG VA and Peace IV Programmes which run until 2021.

The East Border Region had been lobbying within Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to secure clarity on funding for those programmes. They set out their intention to meet on 10 October 2016 in Brussels the AFCO Committee, including its Chair, and a range of other meetings. There was an invitation extended to the Council to attend the Annual Conference of the Association of European Border Regions in Gorlitz, Germany, 21– 23 September 2016; the East Border Region would cover the costs of two Members (they suggested the Mayor and Deputy Mayor) and one Officer to attend. They highlighted the importance of the opportunity to lobby for the security of funding from the European programmes.

RECOMMENDED that the Council considers attendance at the meeting in Brussels on Monday 10 October 2016 with the AFCO Committee and the attendance of two Members and one Officer (costs covered by EBR) at the AEBR Annual Conference in Gorlitz Germany, 21 – 23 September 2016.

The Chief Executive advised Members of an error in the report in that the East Border Region was not proposing to fund the costs of one Officer attending the Brussels meeting and two Members and one Officer attending the Annual Conference in Germany; rather the Council would be required to cover that expenditure if agreed by Members.

Councillor McIlveen proposed, seconded by Councillor Barry that the Council does not send any representatives and requests a written update from the East Border Region on the Brussels meeting and the Annual Conference.

Councillor Boyle was not in favour of that stance and acknowledged that the EBR had generated £3.4M into the Ards and North Down area. The Council needed to send a Council representative to ensure the Borough continued to receive funding. Councillor Muir was totally opposed to that suggestion adding that junkets to Europe would not resolve that issue. He supported Councillor McIlveen’s proposal since the decision about the continuity of funding was an issue for the HM Treasury in London.

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(Councillor Smart left the meeting at this stage – 9.01 pm)

Councillor Smith remarked that the EBR would be in attendance anyway and therefore a Council representative was superfluous.

On being put to the meeting with 29 voting FOR, 1 voting AGAINST, 1 ABSTAINING and 9 ABSENT, the proposal was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor McIlveen, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the Council does not send any representatives and requests a written update from the East Border Region on the Brussels meeting and the Annual Conference.

26. NOTICES OF MOTION – FILE REF: CG12172

26.1 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillors Barry and Roberts

“This council notes the degree of public concern for Hank the dog and public opposition to breed specific legislation; recognises that the pit bull terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog; acknowledges that the main reason dogs are aggressive is due to how a dog has been treated and trained by its owners; and calls on the Minister for Agriculture and Environment and the Northern Ireland Assembly to hold owners responsible for the actions of their dogs and to bring an end to breed specific legislation”.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Barry, seconded by Councillor Robinson, that the Notice of Motion be referred to the Environment Committee.

26.2 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Robinson

“That this Council follows the lead of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and prohibits the mass release of Chinese lanterns and balloons in the interests of both our environment and our wildlife”.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the Notice of Motion be referred to the Environment Committee.

(Councillor Smart re-entered the meeting at this stage – 9.03 pm)

26.3 Rescinding Notice of Motion submitted by Alderman Irvine and Councillors Allen, Barry, Boyle, Cooper, Menagh and Robinson

“Rescind the ‘Commercial Waste Controls at Household Recycling Centres’ policy due to start on 22nd August”.

The Mayor stated that she was prepared to listen to the debate on this item. The Chief Executive reminded Members that he had recommended that it be discussed ‘in committee’ as there was a risk that during debate it could stray into

31 C.24.08.16 legal, commercial and staffing matters. Nonetheless it could be held in open Council and the Mayor could step in and halt proceedings if deemed necessary.

Councillors Barry and Robinson were of the opinion that it should be discussed with the public present and they would certainly be cognisant of confidential issues.

Bearing in mind that it had been discussed twice before ‘in committee’, Councillor Muir said he would be voting against the proposal as Members should have the right to raise specifics regarding the legal and financial aspects.

Councillor McIlveen found himself to be in a difficult position as he thought the public should hear an open and transparent debate rather than seemingly under a veil. Conversely, he wondered what benefit they would actually derive when they would not fully understand the predominant issues and full impact of the policy.

On being put to the meeting, with 7 voting FOR, 15 AGAINST, 1 ABSTAINING and the proposal FELL.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Councillor Walker, that the public/press be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted item of confidential business.

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, that the public/press be re-admitted to the meeting.

26.4 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Muir

“That this Council acknowledges the benefits of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation since established in 1995 but notes with concern uncertainty concerning PEACE IV Funding and agrees to urgently write to both the Minister for Finance Máirtín Ó Muilleoir MLA and Special EU Programmes Body requesting an update and outlining need for certainty of funding throughout life of the programme”.

Councillor Muir withdrew his Notice of Motion.

NOTED.

32 C.24.08.16

26.5 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Chambers

“I respectively request the Council Officers to prepare a report on the feasibility of Council providing, in the future, a dedicated facility in Bangor for skateboarding”.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Chambers, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the Notice of Motion be referred to the Community and Wellbeing Committee.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, that the public/press be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of confidential business.

27. AWARD OF TENDER FOR THE SUPPLY OF NATURAL GAS (FILE 77001)

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

28. AWARD OF TENDER FOR OPENING AND LOCKING OF COUNCIL AREAS AND SECURITY GUARDING (FILE 77001)

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

29. FORMER PRISON SERVICE COLLEGE, MILLISLE (FILE CX132) (Appendices XII – XIV)

*** IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

30. MAYORAL CAR (FILE 290092) (Appendix XV)

***COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE***

33 C.24.08.16

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

31. CLOUGHEY TENNIS COURTS – APPOINTMENT OF MAIN CONTRACTOR (FILE PCU23) (Appendix XVI)

***COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Alderman Graham, seconded by Councillor Smith, that the public/press be re-admitted to the meeting.

Members were advised that in line with Section 47 (1) of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 the audio recording would now recommence.

32. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 11.20 pm.

Circulated for Information

(a) Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland – Guide to the 2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies (Copy attached) (b) Letter from Mr Jim Shannon MP (Copy attached) (c) EA Equality Screening Outcome Report – 1 April 2016 to 30 June 2016 (Copy attached) (d) Post Office – Changes to Loughview Post Office (Copy letter attached) (e) Post Office – Post Office – Branch Modernisation (Copy letter attached) (f) Post Office – Post Office – Proposed Move and Branch Modernisation (Copy letter attached) (g) Post Office – Portavogie Post Office – Proposed Move and Branch Modernisation (Copy letter attached) (h) Post Office – Millisle Post Office – Proposed Move and Branch Modernisation (Copy letter attached) (i) Post Office – Kircubbin Post Office – Branch Temporary Closure) Copy letter attached) (j) Libraries NI Opening Hours (Copy email attached) (k) NI Courts and Tribunals Service (Copy letter attached) (l) NI Water – Bangor Sewerage Improvement Scheme (Copy letter attached) (m) NI Water – Holywood Sewer Network Improvements (Copy letter attached)

34 C.24.08.16

(n) Department for Communities – Appointment to the Big Lottery Fund (Copy letter attached)

NOTED.

33. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 11.20 pm.

35 ITEM 7

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A special meeting of the Ards and North Down Borough Council was held in the Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor on Wednesday, 31 August 2016 commencing at 7.05pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair The Mayor (Alderman Girvan)

Other Members Deputy Mayor (Alderman Keery)

Aldermen: Gibson Graham Henry Irvine McDowell M Smith

Councillors: Adair McAlpine Allen McClean Cathcart McIlveen Chambers Menagh Cooper Muir Cummings Robinson Douglas Smart Dunne T Smith Edmund Thompson Gilmour Walker Kennedy Wilson Martin

Officers: Chief Executive (S Reid), Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning (C Mahon), Director of Community and Wellbeing (G Bannister), Interim Director of Finance and Performance (J Pentland), Head of Regeneration (B Dorrian), Corporate Communications Manager (C Jackson), Head of Economic Development and Tourism (C McGill), Head of Planning (A McCullough), Democratic Services Manager (J Wilson) and Democratic Services Officer (E Brown)

Others: Mr Damian Mulholland, Department for Communities (DfC)

1. PRAYER

The Chief Executive commenced the meeting by reading the Council prayer.

NOTED.

SpC.31.08.16PM

2. APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Aldermen Carson and Fletcher and Councillors Barry, Boyle and Ferguson.

NOTED.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Mayor (Alderman Girvan) asked for any declarations of interest and none were advised.

NOTED.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

RESOLVED on the proposal of Councillor McClean, seconded by Councillor Robinson, that the public/press be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the undernoted items of confidential business.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

Presentation on the Queen’s Parade and Marine Gardens Development by Mr Damian Mulholland and the Chief Executive

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

(Councillor Cathcart left the meeting at this stage – 7.51pm)

4. QUEEN’S PARADE AND MARINE GARDENS DEVELOPMENT (Appendix I)

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

2

SpC.31.08.16PM

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

EXPLORIS UPDATE

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor Edmund, that the public/press be re-admitted to the meeting.

5. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 9.05pm.

3

ITEM 8.1

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Planning Committee was held in the Council Chamber, 2 Church Street, Newtownards on Tuesday, 6 September 2016 at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair: Alderman McDowell

Aldermen: Carson (7.18 pm) Girvan Fletcher Henry Gibson Keery

Councillors: Barry McIlveen Cathcart Thompson Dunne Walker McClean (7.04pm)

Officers: Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning (C Mahon), Head of Planning (A McCullough), Senior Professional and Technical Officer (A Todd), Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) (S Clarke), Democratic Services Manager (J Wilson) and Democratic Services Officer (M McElveen)

Also in Sam McKee (Turley Agent for Item 4.1 – Bangor Road, Newtownards) Attendance: James Pollin (Applicant for Item 4.4 – Movilla Road, Newtownards)

WELCOME

The Chairman welcomed Members and Officers to the meeting and made a special mention of those persons seated in the public gallery who would be addressing the Committee.

1. APOLOGIES

An apology for inability to attend was received from Alderman Graham and apologies for lateness were recorded for Alderman Carson and Councillor McClean.

NOTED.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman asked for any declarations of interest.

Councillor Thompson declared an interest in Item 4.4 – LA06/2015/0851/F and said he would leave the meeting during discussion.

NOTED.

PC.06.09.16

3. MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING DATED 2 AUGUST 2016

The Chairman asked Members to indicate if there were any matters arising from the previous meeting of the Planning Committee held on 2 August 2016.

Item 6 – Collapse of Building at Holywood: On a point of accuracy, Councillor Barry stated that it was not Councillor Boyle who had seconded the proposal; rather it was himself.

Item 6 – Collapse of Building at Holywood: Councillor Barry queried the mention of the Belfast Co-op being given powers to deal with historical buildings. Councillor McIlveen asked that the minutes be amended to read ‘Belfast Corporation’.

AGREED.

(Councillor McClean entered the meeting at this stage – 7.04 pm)

4. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

4.1 X/2014/0280/RM – Lands to the north of 262 Bangor Road, Beverley Way/Walk, south east of 270 Bangor Road, Newtownards and south east of 219 Bangor Road, Newtownards

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix I).

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) guided Members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Newtownards . Committee Interest: Falls within the major category of development as specified within the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (NI) 2015 . Proposal: Approval of reserved matters relating to Phase 1B – lands for the erection of 24 dwellings comprising a mix of detached and semi-detached and 13 apartments, open space and ancillary works (37 units in total) . Site Location: Lands to the north of 262 Bangor Road, Beverley Way/Walk, south east of 270 Bangor Road, Newtownards and south east of 219 Bangor Road, Newtownards . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) detailed that this was an application for Reserved Matters and was before Committee as the original Outline application X/2011/0247/O was approved by DOE HQ prior to the transfer of planning powers. Therefore the Committee had not had the opportunity to consider the proposal and make a decision at Outline stage.

She explained that the site was located off the Bangor Road and to the north of the existing Beverley Housing development. It was at the edge of the northern 2

PC.06.09.16 development limit for Newtownards and formed part of the NS21 housing zoning as per the Ards and Down Area Plan 2015.

The original Outline application X/2011/0247/O for new residential development, included a distributor road from Bangor Road to Donaghadee Road. The proposal covered the entirety of the housing zoning NS21 which equated to approximately 24.5ha. Outline permission with conditions was granted on 20 December 2012. A subsequent Reserved Matters application X/2013/0336/RM was submitted for 57 dwellings, known as Phase 1a of the housing development. That was approved on 26 June 2015.

The current Reserved Matters application was for a residential development of 37 units – a mixture of detached, semis and apartments, with 8 of the dwellings to be located to the north of the spine road and the remainder to the south, including 2 blocks of apartments. The layout, plot sizes and design were in keeping with the wider area. Proposed materials were to be brick or render with interlocking roof tiles. The proposal introduced apartments which were not typical of the surrounding area, however those were expressly mentioned in the Outline approval so the principle of apartments on the site had already been accepted.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) further advised that private amenity space had been provided for all dwellings and exceeded the recommended standards. Two areas of passive open space were also provided within the site which were found to be acceptable. The relationships between the proposed dwellings and those in Beverley Walk were also considered acceptable and a good separation distance of at least 20 metres was provided. Similarly the interrelationships between the proposed dwellings were all satisfactory. Parking provision was at a rate of 2 in curtilage spaces per dwelling and 1.5 spaces per apartment arranged in a communal layout.

She indicated that the access from Bangor Road via a signalised junction and right turn filter lane had been previously approved. TNI had therefore returned no objections on the basis of road safety or traffic progression. Protected species such as newts, badgers and bats were identified within the site and appropriate ecological management and mitigation measures had been proposed and agreed with NIEA Natural Heritage subject to conditions.

In response to objections relating to potential noise and vibration during construction, the Council’s Environmental Health Department had recommended conditions relating to the submission of a dust management plan and a construction plan prior to the commencement of development. The remaining consultees all returned no objections with standard conditions and informatives.

Three objections were received relating to the increase in traffic on Bangor Road, an adverse impact on wildlife, impact on school and medical facilities, communal play area for children, overlooking, levels, boundaries, and construction impacts. Those were all fully considered in the case officer’s report. The Planning Department’s recommendation would therefore be that Committee approved this application on Reserved Matters.

3

PC.06.09.16

The Chairman invited Mr McKee as a representative of Turley who were the agents to address the meeting.

Mr McKee reiterated that this application was for Reserved Matters approval for Phase 1B of a proposed residential development at Beverley Garden Village and on housing zoning NS 21 of Ards and Down Area Plan. He stated that this application on behalf of Dunlop Homes was for 37 residential units in a mix of 4 detached and 20 semi-detached dwellings and 13 apartments within a wider development of 530 dwellings which was granted Outline planning permission in December 2012. The principle of developing that land for housing had been established not just through the Area Plan zoning but furthermore through the Outline planning permission.

He further advised that the scheme was designed to a high quality in accordance with the development masterplan which informed the Outline planning permission and provided a seamless extension to Phase 1A comprising 57 residential units which was granted Reserved Matters approval in June 2015 but had not yet been commenced. The Outline permission and associated reserved matters applications/ approvals included in accordance with the key site requirements of the zoning, the detailed design of a distributor road, known as Stage 1 of the Newtownards Eastern Distributor Road connecting the Bangor Road to Donaghadee Road. Mr McKee highlighted that that piece of major roads infrastructure would be delivered at the expense of the developer and would comprise a major signalised junction at the Bangor Road as part of Phase 1A and a roundabout on the Donaghadee Road within Phase 2 of the development. A Reserved Matters application was currently being processed by the Council for 419 residential units for the second and final phase of the development.

Mr McKee commented that the proposed dwellings were two storeys in height and the apartments were proposed over 2 and 2.5 floors of accommodation in two blocks. The buildings were proposed to be finished in red brick with smooth render surrounds and concrete interlocking roof tiles and would complement the established built context framed by existing dwellings at Beverley Walk and Beverley Heights to the south. The dwellings would be served by private driveways capable of parking two cars in-curtilage, a small level of defensible space to the front elevation to provide relief from the public footpath and generous private gardens to the rear delineated by 1.8 metre high close boarded timber fencing.

He informed Members that the apartments were served by two parking courts and provision was in accordance with prevailing standards at a rate of 1.5 spaces per apartment. The spaces surrounding the buildings would be finished in hard and soft landscaping and would function as private communal amenity space. In recognition of the proximity of the apartments which gabled onto the distributor road, enhanced glazing had been specified to relevant windows to mitigate the potential for adverse noise impact from passing vehicular traffic. A significant area of public open space was provided to the north of that phase and in accordance with the concept masterplan. Open space for the wider development extended to approximately 5 hectares equating to 16% of the total site area which was close to 30 hectares in size. A landscape management and maintenance plan had also been provided to the Council demonstrating how that space would be maintained.

4

PC.06.09.16

Mr McKee concluded by advising that the proposed development was entirely compliant with prevailing local and regional planning policy, had been recommended for approval by the Council’s Planning Team and had been endorsed by all relevant consultees. The proposed development would facilitate the sustainable growth of Newtownards through a high quality residential development on zoned housing land and bring forward a significant piece of developer funded roads infrastructure which would provide wider community benefit to the local area.

Alderman Girvan sought clarification as to whether or not cars would be egressing the new development onto the Bangor Road.

Mr McKee confirmed that fact but alluded to the provision of a distributor road for access to Phase 1B of the development which should ease congestion.

Alderman Girvan was perturbed given the volume of traffic already utilising what was a fast and busy thoroughfare.

To offer a level of reassurance, Mr McKee said that the design team had examined those particular elements and a signalised junction would be delivered at the location prior to commencement of the development. It was also anticipated that the addition of the distributor road supplied by the developer would also assist in lessening pressures on existing junctions.

Councillor Fletcher brought attention to the badgers on the site and asked about plans for their management.

According to Mr McKee, it had been ascertained that there was an outlier sett at phase 1B which demonstrated little activity. However, a predominant sett was discovered across the river in phase 2 which would be afforded a buffer zone of 25 metres as protection.

Councillor Fletcher was delighted to learn that the badgers would be protected.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor McIlveen, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

4.2 W/2014/0450/O – Lands to the south and east of St Galls Church, Road, Bangor

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix II).

The Senior Planning and Technical Officer guided Members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Bangor West . Committee Interest: Falls within the major category of development as specified within the Planning (Development Management) Regulations (NI) 2015

5

PC.06.09.16

. Proposal: Housing development (including a minimum of 10 social housing units) . Site Location: Lands to the south and east of St Galls Church, Crawfordsburn Road, Bangor . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer detailed that this was an application seeking Outline planning permission for a housing development on lands to the south and east of St Gall’s Church, Crawfordsburn Road, Bangor. The application had been brought before Planning Committee for consideration as it constituted major development as defined by legislation.

Site and Surroundings She stated that the site was an area of undeveloped land extending to approximately 3 hectares. It was located just within the development limit of Bangor as designated in the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015, between the existing housing off Wandsworth Road and St Gall’s Church, with its western boundary forming the edge of the settlement.

The site had been zoned for housing in BMAP under designation BR04/12. The key site requirements stipulated in BMAP include a maximum gross density of 25dph, provision of a minimum of 10 social housing units and retention of the existing mature vegetation along the western boundary.

Proposal In addition to the provisions of the Development Plan, the main policies and guidance relevant in the assessment of the proposal for housing were contained within Planning Policy Statement 7: Quality Residential Environments and the Creating Places Guidelines.

As the proposal was for Outline planning permission, it was the principle of housing development on the site which was under consideration at this stage and the detailed site layout and details of house types and designs would be considered on submission of a Reserved Matters application for the site.

However an indicative site layout had been submitted with the Outline application which showed the main means of access to the site from Roseville Avenue, the internal road layout and the position and orientation of buildings on the site. The proposal would comply with the key site requirements of the plan as it provided for a minimum of 10 social housing units, showed the retention of the existing vegetation and the Transport Assessment submitted with the application had been based on 68 residential units which would equate to a density of 21 dwellings per hectare, which was well within the maximum density of 25 dwellings per hectare specified in the plan. All of those requirements would also be included as conditions of the Outline approval.

In general, it was considered that the layout would provide for a quality residential environment which would respect the character of the area. The house types indicated on the concept were predominantly detached and semi-detached with some larger blocks indicated towards the rear of the site. The existing mature

6

PC.06.09.16 vegetation along the boundaries of the site would be retained which would help to soften the impact of the new development and provide screening. The concept also indicated a central area of public open space and a green corridor with pedestrian walkway running along the western boundary of the site which would meet the requirements of Planning Policy Statement 8 in terms of open space provision. In relation to residential amenity, the concept showed adequate separation distances between the buildings in line with the recommended distances set out in Creating Places and there would also be no adverse impact on any existing properties by way of loss of light or privacy.

Representations In total, 29 representations were received from 14 individual addresses. The main planning concerns raised included:

- Impact on the character of the area in terms of density and social housing aspect - Traffic impact - Drainage and potential flooding within the site

As already outlined, the density of the development would be in line with the requirements of the development plan at less than 25 dwellings per hectare and would also reflect the density of the existing residential development within the Wandsworth Road area which is around 21 dwellings per hectare. The type of tenure would not affect the character of the area and the social housing aspect was a requirement of the plan.

Summary In summary, it was considered that the proposal was in conformity with the policies and objectives of the Development Plan and would meet all of the policy requirements of PPS7 by providing a quality residential environment which would respect the established character and amenity of the area. All of the statutory bodies consulted had also raised no objections to the proposal. On that basis it was recommended that OUTLINE planning permission should be granted subject to the conditions outlined in the planning report.

Councillor Cathcart wondered why the entrance to the proposed development was to be via Rosevale Avenue and not the Crawfordsburn Road itself. He also asked how that proposal would lessen the impact of introducing 68 new dwellings into that neighbourhood.

(Alderman Carson entered the meeting at this stage – 7.18 pm)

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer explained that the Crawfordsburn Road was a protected route and in light of that, a minor adjacent road had to be selected. She did not know the rationale for choosing Rosevale Avenue but those plans had been scrutinised in depth by Transport NI who determined that the width of the road was sufficient and the visibility splays with Wandsworth Road were adequate.

Councillor McClean made reference to the objections received relating to the impact on the character of the area and asked how those could be addressed. He

7

PC.06.09.16 presumed that the plots of land available for housing would be maxed out until used up but he felt it would not take too many more developments until the main A2 road became unworkable. He made mention of the Outline planning stage and enquired if Planners noticed significant changes and increased density once proposals were fully implemented.

In response, the Senior Professional and Technical Officer clarified that the site was deemed acceptable for development at the public inquiry stage for BMAP, when the character and increase in traffic would have been considered. She confirmed that any detailed plans submitted at Reserved Matters stage, would have to be broadly in conformity with the indicative layout approved by the Outline permission, therefore the density would not go much beyond what was currently suggested. Furthermore, it had been recommended that the Outline permission should be subject to a condition restricting the density of the development to that required by the Development Plan.

Councillor Fletcher referred to condition 12 which stated that should any tree, shrub or hedge be removed within a period of five years of planting, it should be replaced. To that end, he asked if that had ever been pursued or was it an irrelevant condition.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer clarified that it was a standard condition on many planning permissions. New plants could perish and if they were positioned at a vulnerable boundary necessitating screening, they would have to be replaced to secure a proper landscape boundary as stipulated by the Planning Department. She could not remember any specific examples of such action but should complaints be received from residents, it would be followed up through the Planning enforcement section.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

4.3 LA06/2015/0008/O – 202 Killinchy Road, Comber

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix III).

The Senior Planning and Technical Officer (Acting) guided Members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Comber . Committee Interest: Local application attracting six or more separate individual representations which are contrary to the officer’s recommendations . Proposal: Proposed demolition of existing dwelling, garage and outbuildings and development of 8 no. semi-detached dwellings with associated landscaping and parking . Site Location: 202 Killinchy Road, Comber . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

8

PC.06.09.16

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) explained that this was an Outline application for the demolition of a dwelling and associated outbuildings and the erection of 8 semi-detached dwellings. The initial proposal was for 3 detached dwellings and 8 apartments. That was deemed unacceptable and the proposal was subsequently amended to the present scheme. No further objections had been received since the amended scheme was re-neighbour notified.

She indicated that the site was located at 202 Killinchy Road, within the settlement development limits for Lisbane. It was also within and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and was subject to no other specific zoning or designation in the Ards and Down Area Plan 2015. The site was currently occupied by the existing large detached dwelling and garage and was a considerably sized plot for a single dwelling. The boundaries were well defined with mature trees and hedging along all boundaries.

An indicative layout had been provided which demonstrated how the proposal would be in keeping with the surrounding area in terms of its layout and density. Whilst larger plot sizes were typical with the dwellings fronting Killinchy Road, there were many examples of housing development within the settlement (such as Hazelwood Lane immediately adjacent) which displayed smaller plot sizes and ratios of built form to open space on a par with the proposal. The proposed dwellings were to be semi-detached and two storey which would be in keeping with the area. The indicative open space was in excess of the recommended standards and there were also a number of extant approvals which had accepted a similar arrangement along Killinchy Road.

As stated, the site was well screened from public views and the existing boundaries were to be retained with the exception of the southern boundary of leylandii. There was to be extensive replacement planting with native species to replace those. There were good separation distances between the proposal and all existing neighbouring properties and with the well-established boundary vegetation that would ensure residential amenity was not impacted upon.

It was proposed to use the existing access onto Killinchy Road and parking was provided at a rate of 2 in curtilage spaces per dwelling. Transport NI had offered no objections. The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) confirmed that 10 letters of objection were received from 6 separate addresses and were fully considered in the report. Those were all received in relation to the original scheme. Following the submission of an amended scheme, neighbours and objectors were re-notified and no further objections were received. Consultees all returned no objections with standard conditions and informatives. The Planning Department’s recommendation would therefore be that the Committee granted Outline planning permission.

Alderman Girvan was pleased to observe that the developer had listened to objections and as a consequence had reduced the planning proposal from 3 detached dwellings and 8 apartments to 1 dwelling and 8 semi detached houses. She believed the original application would have led to over development and a greater density at that location. Bearing in mind that the Killinchy Road was already an extremely busy route and with more development planned, complaints had been

9

PC.06.09.16 received about speeding and an increase in the volume of traffic. She recalled that between Comber and Lisbane, there had been a total of 10 deaths in 10 years. The Member added that with additional houses on one side of the road and the Poacher’s Pocket restaurant and a garage on the opposite side, there was not even a traffic aisle to assist pedestrians in crossing the road. Although the speed limit was set at 30 mph, she had witnessed vehicles travelling much faster and in her opinion, there was potential for road traffic collisions in the future and it was crucial that that factor be awarded consideration.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) noted that all road safety aspects were overseen by Transport NI.

Concurring with previous comments, Alderman Gibson emphasised that those deaths had occurred within the 30 mph zone and the building limits of Lisbane. He expressed the viewpoint that to permit the development of 8 houses on that site was setting a precedent, as adjacent neighbours could follow suit and it was a major trunk road.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) underlined that Officers did not distinguish between each side of the road when judging the character and density of the surrounding area and considered a precedent may have already been set with the previous approvals in the area, albeit on the other side of the road. The Planning Department’s decision was based on the premise that the proposed dwellings could be accommodated within the village using the existing access and no objections had been raised by Transport NI or other consultees.

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor McIlveen, seconded by Alderman Keery, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

(Councillor Thompson left the meeting at this stage – 7.35 pm)

4.4 LA06/2015/0851/F – Lands between the rear of nos. 3-63 Abbeydale Park and Movilla Road, Newtownards

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix IV).

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer guided members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Newtownards . Committee Interest: Local application attracting six or more separate individual representations which are contrary to the officer’s recommendations . Proposal: To develop site fronting Movilla Road, to include 9 no. detached dwellings, access, car parking and landscaping . Site Location: Lands between the rear of no.3-63 Abbeydale Park and Movilla Road, Newtownards . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

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The Senior Professional and Technical Officer outlined that this application was seeking Full planning permission for the erection of 9 detached dwellings on lands between the rear of 3-63 Abbeydale Park and the Movilla Road, Newtownards. The application had been brought before Planning Committee for consideration as 6 or more individual representations had been received which were contrary to the Officer’s recommendation to grant FULL planning permission.

Site and Surroundings The site was located within the development limit of Newtownards as designated in the Ards and Down Area Plan 2015. It occupied a vacant strip of land situated between the rear of the properties on Abbeydale Park and the Movilla Road. The land was not zoned for any particular use in the Area Plan, therefore the principle of residential development on the site would be in conformity with the plan. The site was however located directly opposite the remains of the Movilla Abbey, which was a scheduled monument in state care.

Given its unmanaged and overgrown state, the site currently detracted from the visual amenity of the area. The site would also not fall within the definition of open space of public value as set out in Planning Policy Statement 8 Open space, Sport and Outdoor Recreation as it performed none of the functions of open space listed under the policy.

As the proposal was for residential development, the main planning policies which applied in the assessment of the application were contained within Planning Policy Statement 7: Quality Residential Environments and the Addendum to PPS7: Safeguarding the Character of Established Residential Areas.

Proposal She further advised that the proposal comprised 9 detached dwellings in total, with 5 located to the eastern end of the site and accessed off Abbeydale Park and 4 located to the western end accessed off the Movilla Road. The narrowest central part of the site was to be landscaped and retained as a small area of open space. Planning permission was previously granted on the eastern area of the site for 10 apartments in 2009. Whilst that permission had now expired it was still a material consideration. However, it was considered that the current proposal for detached dwellings was an improvement on the previous approval and a more appropriate form of development for the area with regard to house type, density and plot size.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer informed that the dwellings had been positioned on the site to provide an attractive frontage to the road and curtilages were to be enclosed by walls and hedgerows. Each dwelling would have 2 in curtilage parking spaces and adequate areas of private amenity space in line with the recommended standards set out in the Creating Places Guidelines. Finishes would comprise blue/black roof tiles, render and timber cladding which were considered appropriate given the mix of finishes and materials already prevalent in the area.

Whilst the site was raised slightly above road level, the existing dwellings to the rear already sat at a considerably higher level and the streetscape elevation showed that the new dwellings would sit no higher than those and would be constructed to follow

11

PC.06.09.16 the existing contours of the site negating the need for retaining structures. There would be adequate separation distances between the existing and proposed properties in line with the recommended distances set out in the Creating Places Guidelines. That would ensure there would be no adverse impact in respect of loss of light or private amenity to existing dwellings.

Representations Objections to the proposal were received from 7 neighbouring residents. The main planning issues raised included additional traffic generated, loss of light and privacy, the visual impact of the development, potential flooding and archaeological concerns.

All of those issues had been considered in detail in the planning report and it was considered that the proposal met all of the relevant policy requirements. The statutory bodies consulted had also raised no objections including Transport NI regarding the traffic impact and Historic Environment Division on the impact on the nearby archaeological remains.

Summary In summary, it was considered that the proposal would be in conformity with the Development Plan and would meet all of the policy requirements of PPS7 by providing a quality residential environment which will respect the established character of the area and enhance the appearance of this part of the Movilla Road. On that basis it was recommended that FULL planning permission should be granted subject to the conditions outlined in the planning report.

Councillor McIlveen proposed, seconded by Alderman Keery, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

Councillor McIlveen raised a query with regard to the plot not embodied within the definition of open space of public value.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer responded by reiterating that under PPS8, it was not considered to constitute open space of public value as defined in the policy as it did not contribute to the visual amenity of the area and did not function as a recreational space due to its sloping ground levels and location between a busy road and the rear of existing properties.

Irrespective of physical appearance and its overgrown state, Councillor McIlveen voiced concern about the lack of open space in the vicinity of the Movilla Road and indeed throughout Newtownards itself. He believed it mirrored the grassy area on the opposite side of the road which gave the impression of open space. It could undoubtedly be described as a ‘green lung’ area which should be preserved as it seemed Ards was losing all of its greenery.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer referred to previous planning approval for that site and attested that the proposals had been assessed under the same policy and material considerations. An application for residential development on a similar piece of vacant land in Holywood was recently overturned by the PAC who contended that it could not be viewed as being of public value.

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Councillor McIlveen regretted that that did not mean it was the right decision.

In terms of the proposed planting featured on the plans, Councillor Fletcher questioned if those would be poplar trees as they could grow to 90 feet in height and pose potential drawbacks such as blocking light.

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer confirmed that the planned landscaping consisted of a mixture of birch, rowan and cherry trees which were not large species of trees. She added that the site would also have gaps within the planting.

At this stage, the Chairman asked the applicant Mr Cullen to address the meeting.

Mr Cullen said that as no objectors were present, he did not have any further information to furnish the Committee, except to welcome the decision of approval. Having said that, he made reference to Councillor McIlveen’s remarks about open space and was pleased to report that he planned to retain an area of 30-40 metres within the site as open space and a visual amenity. He was of the opinion that the Movilla Road was one of the gateways into Newtownards and he therefore wished to add betterment to what was already in situ.

Responding to a question from Councillor Cathcart, Mr Cullen established that the open space would be maintained by way of a management company.

The proposal was put to the meeting and with 9 voting FOR, 1 AGAINST, 3 ABSTAINING and 2 ABSENT it was declared CARRIED.

The voting was as follows:

FOR (9) AGAINST (1) ABSTAINING (3) ABSENT (2) Aldermen Councillor Aldermen Alderman Carson McIlveen Gibson Graham Fletcher Keery Thompson Girvan McDowell Henry Councillors Barry Cathcart Dunne McClean Walker

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Girvan, seconded by Alderman Carson, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

(Councillor Thompson re-entered the meeting at this stage – 7.46 pm)

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4.5 LA06/2016/0175/F – Unit 21P, Enterprise Road, Bangor

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix V).

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer guided Members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Bangor Central . Committee Interest: Local application which involves a departure from the development plan and which is recommended for approval . Proposal: Change of use to funeral directors from a vacant industrial unit . Site Location: Unit 21P, Enterprise Road, Bangor . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer outlined that this applicant was seeking Full planning permission for the change of use from a vacant industrial unit to a funeral directors at unit 21P Enterprise Road, Bangor. The application had been brought before Planning Committee for consideration as it involved a departure from the development plan and has been recommended for approval.

The proposal constituted a departure from the Plan in this case as it involved a use which would fall outside of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan’s definition of employment uses for areas zoned as existing employment. The Plan specified that acceptable employment uses within employment zonings include uses falling under Class B of the Use Classes Order which included business, light industry, general industry and storage and distribution. As the proposal was for a funeral directors which was classed as a ‘sui generis’ use or a use not falling under any particular use class, it would therefore fall outside of the BMAP definition of employment use.

Site and Proposal She stated that the site was located within the development limit of Bangor in the Balloo South Business Park located to the east of the main Newtownards Road carriageway. The area was zoned as existing employment in the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan under designation BR07. The immediate area surrounding the site was comprised of existing industrial and starter business units as well as a variety of other non industrial uses including a bathroom and kitchen retailer and Christian resource centre. Unit 21P under consideration was currently vacant and was the middle unit of a block of 3 which were originally approved as industrial starter units back in 2007. The adjacent unit at 21Q already operates as Barry McBratney Funeral Directors having been granted change of use in November 2012 by the Department. The current application is proposed as an extension to this existing business.

Policy Considerations The Senior Professional and Technical Officer clarified that the main policy considerations for this application were contained within the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, the Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland and Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning and Economic Development. As the site was located within an existing area of employment within the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, the

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Belfast Metropolitan Area Employment Strategy applied. This specified that acceptable uses within those areas should be based on Class B of the Planning Use Classes Order ie for business, light industrial, general industrial and storage and distribution use.

Paragraph 6.89 of the SPPS stated that planning permission should not normally be granted for proposals that would result in the loss of land zoned for economic development use however it did detail that Councils may wish to retain flexibility to consider alternative proposals that offer community, environmental or other benefits that are considered to outweigh the loss of land for economic development use.

Policy PED 7 of PPS4 stated that development that would result in the loss of land or buildings zoned for economic development use would not be permitted. It did however state that an exception would be permitted for the development of a sui generis employment use where it could be demonstrated that the proposal was compatible with the predominant industrial use in the area.

She confirmed that the Plan had made provision for employment uses in Bangor by zoning a total of 115 hectares of land for employment of which 23 hectares was undeveloped land under designation BR05. In addition to that, the Council’s Development Plan Team had undertaken a study of existing employment land throughout Bangor – 411 sites were identified and of those, 72 were recorded as unoccupied, giving an occupancy rate of around 82%.

Therefore, she clarified that whilst the proposed use would constitute a use falling outside of Class B of the Use Classes Order, given the substantial amount of land still available for employment, and economic development use within Bangor and the number of units currently vacant, it was considered that the approval of change of use for this small unit with a floor space of only 120sqm would not result in any significant loss of land or buildings zoned for employment use and would not prejudice the implementation of the overall aims and objectives of the plan. Furthermore, the change of use would comply with PPS4 which allowed for sui generis employment uses within existing employment zonings and given the number of other non-industrial uses within the area and the fact that the proposal involved an extension to an already well established business, the proposed use was considered to be compatible with the surrounding uses.

Conclusion In summary it was considered that the proposed use was acceptable at that location. Given its small scale and the amount of undeveloped and vacant economic development sites still available within the area, it was considered that the granting of planning permission would not result in any significant loss of zoned land and would not compromise the overall aims and objective of the plan. The Senior Professional and Technical Officer confirmed that no objections to the proposal had been raised and none of the statutory bodies consulted including Environmental Health and Transport NI had raised any objections to the proposal. Therefore having carefully balanced all of the material planning considerations, it was recommended that FULL planning permission should be granted.

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RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor McClean, seconded by Councillor Dunne, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

4.6 LA06/2016/0374/F – Patton’s Lane and Gray’s Lane, High Street, Holywood

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix VI).

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) guided Members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Holywood and . Committee Interest: Council application . Proposal: To install two decorative archways as part of a town regeneration scheme. These will provide a decorative entrance to the existing laneways within the town centre . Site Location: Patton’s Lane and Gray’s Lane, High Street, Holywood . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer (Acting) outlined that the site was located at the entrances to Patton’s Lane and Gray’s Lane on High Street in Holywood – the lanes were positioned almost opposite to each other. Patton’s Lane was a pedestrian link from High Street to Church View and Gray’s Lane was a pedestrian link from High Street to a car park accessed via Hibernia Street. The site was located within Holywood Town Centre, Holywood Primary Retail Core and Holywood South Area of Townscape Character.

She detailed that the archway at Gray’s Lane was approximately 4m wide and 4.5m high and the archway at Patton’s Lane was 2.3m wide and 3.4m high. The materials comprised galvanised and powder coated steel and the design was a simple arch with lettering on top of the arch. The archways were to be recessed off the footpath and set into the buildings on either side.

The scale, design and materials were considered to be sympathetic to the surrounding buildings and streetscape and it was considered that the archways would enhance the character and appearance of the ATC. They were not considered to have an impact on the setting of the nearby listed Holywood Library but to contribute positively to the overall character of the area. The Senior Professional and Technical Officer concluded that the Planning Department’s recommendation would therefore be that the Committee granted FULL planning permission.

Responding to a question from Alderman Keery, the Senior Professional and Technical Officer articulated that the archways were part of the wider town centre regeneration for Holywood.

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RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Dunne, seconded by Councillor Barry, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

4.7 LA06/2016/0405/F – Hamilton Road Community HUB and Advice Wing, 39 and 39A Hamilton Road, Bangor

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy documentation (Appendix VII).

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer guided Members through a PowerPoint presentation which included a summary of the application, existing and proposed plans and photographs of the site:

. DEA: Bangor Central . Committee Interest: Council application . Proposal: 2 no. building identification signs comprising of stainless steel lettering and corporate pennant with 40mm deep returns and diffused LED backlight, 1 no. three sided ground illuminated totem sign with PPC aluminium folded panels and stainless steel insets and 5 no. small size aluminium panel signs with exterior grade vinyl text and graphics . Site Location: Hamilton Road Community HUB and Advice Wing, 39 and 39A Hamilton Road, Bangor . Recommendation: Grant Planning Permission

The Senior Professional and Technical Officer outlined that this application was for consent to advertise for a variety of signage at the Council’s new Community Hub at Hamilton Road, Bangor. The application had been brought before Planning Committee for consideration as it is a Council application.

Site The site was located at the junction of Hamilton Road and Mills Road in Bangor and also lay within Bangor Central Area of Townscape Character. The site houses the Council’s recently completed community hub.

Proposal She verified that the proposed signage comprised 2 main building ID signs comprising stainless steel lettering and the corporate pennant. Those were located on the elevation facing onto Mills Road and the elevation facing the internal parking area. An illuminated totem sign was also proposed to the front of the site on Hamilton Road, as well as 5 small directional signs at various locations throughout the site.

It was considered that the proposed signage fully met the requirements of the relevant planning policies contained within Planning Policy Statement 17: Control of Outdoor Advertisements and Planning Policy Statement 6: Areas of Townscape Character. The scale, design and materials of the signage blend sympathetically with the host building and the cumulative impact of the signage would not be overly dominant in the street scene and would maintain the overall character and appearance of the ATC. On that basis, it was recommended that Consent to Advertise was granted for the proposal.

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Councillor Cathcart proposed, seconded by Councillor McClean, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

As the signage was now erected, Councillor Walker enquired if retrospective approval would be given. He also asked if it was an offence to have done so without obtaining planning approval.

In reply, the Senior Professional and Technical Officer commented that those signs were not in place when the application was first submitted. Additionally, any enforcement action was dependent upon the impact and any potential issues. The signage in question did not present any demonstrable harm and she reiterated it was not deemed retrospective when advertised.

The Chairman implied that it was not an offence as such but there was a risk that the applicant would be asked to remove the items.

The proposal was put to the meeting and with 12 voting FOR, 1 AGAINST, 1 ABSTAINING and 1 ABSENT it was declared CARRIED.

The voting was as follows:

FOR (12) AGAINST (1) ABSTAINING (1) ABSENT (1) Aldermen Alderman Aldermen Alderman Carson Fletcher McDowell Graham Gibson Girvan Henry Keery Councillors Barry Cathcart Dunne McClean McIlveen Thompson Walker

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor McClean, that the recommendation to grant approval of the planning application be adopted.

5. UPDATE ON PLANNING APPEALS

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Commissioner’s reports and report dated 6 September 2016 from the Head of Planning providing an update on planning appeals.

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New Appeals Lodged

1. The following appeal was lodged with the Planning Appeals Commission on 15 August 2016 against the serving of an Enforcement Notice.

Appeal reference: 2016/E0013 Application Reference: X/2012/0018/CA Appeal by: Mr John Beers Subject of Appeal: Unauthorised building along eastern boundary Location: Rear of 42 Drumhirk Road, Comber, BT23 5NN Decisions

2. The following appeal was decided on 27 July 2016:

Appeal reference: 2015/E0047 Application Reference: X/2014/0065/CA Appeal by: Mr and Mrs Gary Howell Subject of Appeal: An alleged unauthorised dwelling Location: Land at 283 Killaughey Road, Donaghadee

This was an enforcement appeal against the serving of an Enforcement Notice on 22 January 2016 against an alleged unauthorised dwelling at the site.

The previous planning authority (the Department of the Environment) granted full planning permission for ‘the conversion of garage and extension to side of dwelling to provide parent accommodation’ on 16 September 2010. The garage in question was that on the appellants’ house and the extension was also to that same house. The appeal development was built on the approved site and was ‘attached’ to the appellants’ house. It displayed many of the built features of the approved development but also differed from it in a number of aspects of its built form, and was being utilised as a separate dwelling.

The appeal was brought under the following grounds (as specified under Section 143 of the Planning Act (NI) 2011):

a) That, in respect of any breach of planning control which may be constituted by the matters stated in the notice, planning permission ought to be granted or, as the case may be, the condition or limitation concerned ought to be discharged

d) That, at the date when the notice was issued, no enforcement action could be taken in respect of any breach of planning control which may be constituted by those matters

f) that the steps required by the notice to be taken, or the activities required by the notice to cease, exceed what is necessary to remedy any breach of planning control which may be constituted by those matters or, as the case may be, to remedy any injury to amenity which has been caused by any such breach

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g) That any period specified in the notice….falls short of what should reasonably be allowed

The decision:

. The appeal on ground ‘d’ fails . The appeal on ground ‘a’ succeeds and the deemed application is granted (the Commissioner considered that, taking into account the planning history and the personal/medical circumstances, refusal of the deemed planning application would cause genuine hardship, and as such the appeal development fulfils the terms of Policy CTY 6 of PPS 21 (Personal and Domestic Circumstances) . The Enforcement Notice is quashed

The Commissioner’s Report was attached for information.

3. The following appeal was dismissed on 03 August 2016:

Appeal reference: 2015/A0198 Application Reference: X/2015/0068/F Appeal by: Ms Sharon McClements Subject of Appeal: New dwelling and garage (removal of existing office and storage buildings/workshop) Location: 15A Rowreagh Road, Kircubbin

The Council refused planning permission on 25 September 2015 for the above development for the following reasons:

i. The proposal was contrary to Policy CTY1 of Planning Policy Statement 21, Sustainable Development in the Countryside in that there were no overriding reasons why this development was essential in this rural location and could not be located within a settlement

ii. The proposal was contrary to CTY 3 of Planning Policy Statement 21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside in that the redevelopment proposed would not bring significant environmental benefits to the locality

iii. The proposal was contrary to Policies CTY1 and CTY3 of Planning Policy Statement 21, Sustainable Development in the Countryside, in that the overall size of the proposed replacement dwelling would have a visual impact significantly greater than the existing building

The Planning Appeals Commission upheld Reasons for Refusal i) and ii). The Commissioner’s Report was attached for information.

4. The following appeal was dismissed on 17 August 2016:

Appeal reference: 2015/A0236 Application Reference: LA06/2015/0111/F Appeal by: Mr Trevor McCullough

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Subject of Appeal: Replacement Dwelling, Garage and Boathouse Location: 1 Gransha Road, Kircubbin

The Council refused planning permission on 06 November 2016 for the above development on the basis of PPS 21: Sustainable Development in the Countryside, specifically Policies CTY 1, CTY 3, CTY 13 and CTY 14.

The Appellant, in his Statement of Case, requested that the Commission issued a “partial approval” for elements of the development. That partial approval would relate to the new garage, access and ancillary works, removing the replacement dwelling element, boathouse and the area of hardstanding associated with the boathouse at the eastern end of the site. The policy context therefore changed to the Addendum to PPS 7: Residential Extensions and Alterations (APPS7) and the Council supplied amended Reasons for Refusal at the informal hearing based on criterion (a) of Policy EXT1 of APPS7, criterion (d) of Policy CTY13 of PPS21 and criteria (b) and (e) of CTY14 of PPS21.

The Planning Appeals Commission upheld the Council’s Reasons for Refusal supplied at the hearing. The Commissioner’s Report was attached for information.

Scheduled Hearings

5. The following appeals had been scheduled for hearing:

Appeal reference: 2016/A0059 Application Reference: X/2013/0332/F Appeal by: Mr and Mrs P Rankin Subject of Appeal: Refusal of “Sympathetic conversion and reuse of existing vernacular buildings as a single dwelling” Location: Adjacent to 8b Killaughey Road South, Millisle Date of Hearing: 04/10/2016 10.30 Informal Hearing Venue: Park House, Great Victoria Street, Belfast Commissioner: P O’Donnell

Appeal reference: 2016/A0076 Application Reference: LA06/2016/0062/F Appeal by: Mr Gordon Duff Subject of Appeal: Partial change of use of agricultural outbuilding to a dwelling with remaining retained Location: 40m West of 283 Killaughey Road, Donaghadee Date of Hearing: 10/11/2016 11.00 Informal Hearing Venue: Park House, Great Victoria Street, Belfast Commissioner: Boomer

Details of appeal decisions, new appeals and scheduled hearings can be viewed at www.pacni.gov.uk.

RECOMMENDED that Members note the content of this report.

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RESOLVED, on the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Alderman Girvan, that the recommendation be adopted.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor Barry, seconded by Councillor McClean, that the public/press be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of confidential business.

6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

6.1 Fish Quarter Quarry, Rubane

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

6.2 Planning Agenda – Any Other Business

Councillor Dunne indicated that he had raised the above matter at last month’s meeting. Once again he enquired if ‘any other business’ was an item on the Planning Agenda.

The Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning undertook to liaise with the Director of Organisational Development and Administration on the matter and report back to the Committee in due course.

NOTED.

6.3 Stewart’s Place, Holywood

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

RESOLVED, on the proposal of Councillor McIlveen, seconded by Alderman Keery, that the public/press be re-admitted to the meeting.

7. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 8.26 pm.

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ITEM 8.2

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Environment Committee was held in the Council Chamber, 2 Church Street, Newtownards on Wednesday, 7 September 2016 at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair: Councillor Barry

Alderman: Henry

Councillors: Armstrong-Cotter Fletcher Boyle Martin Cathcart McAlpine Cummings Smart Douglas

Officers: Director of Environment (D Lindsay), Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment (R Brittain), Head of Waste and Cleansing Services (N Martin), Head of Assets and Property Services (P Caldwell) and Democratic Services Officer (H Loebnau)

In Attendance: Councillor Robinson

1. APOLOGIES

Councillor Barry introduced himself in his new role as Chair of the Environment Committee. He extended his thanks to the outgoing Chair (Councillor Boyle) and asked members of the committee to be patient with him and inform him directly of any mistakes he might make.

Apologies were received from Councillors Edmund, Ferguson, Leslie and Roberts.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman asked Members to advise of any declarations of interest and Alderman Henry and Councillor Martin declared an interest in Item 5 - War Memorials Refurbishment.

3. PARKING AT DONAGHADEE SLIPWAY (FILE 65376)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that Members would be aware that the public realm scheme in Donaghadee was completed in October 2015. The scheme included significant improvements to the area between the slipway and the war memorial and the creation of an area now known as the Marine Gardens.

EC.07.09.16

However, once the public realm scheme was completed, the adjacent rough stoned area at the top of the slipway (outside of the public realm scheme area) looked inadequate and in need of improvement in order to match the quality of finishes in the surrounding area. That area had been used primarily by slipway users but also for occasional general parking as it facilitated convenient public access to the beach.

It was acknowledged that the vast improvements to the Marine Gardens would likely attract visitors and therefore it seemed logical to resurface the area and mark it out to regulate and improve parking facilities. Care was taken to consult with the main users of the facility ie. the sailing club who regularly used it 3 times a week. A layout was agreed that was deemed to provide adequate car parking yet not prohibit access for vehicles with boat trailers wishing to use the slipway.

However, Officers had recently been made aware of a number of complaints citing that the newly marked out area was not appropriate as any cars parked in that area could cause an obstruction to slipway users and it had been suggested that parking should be completely prohibited in the area. One complainant cited the Buncrana tragedy and aired concerns over the facility attracting increased numbers of vehicles to the vicinity of the slipway.

Conversely, many residents welcomed the changes and had been vocal about their desire for the area to remain a publically accessible space, proposing that any perceived hazards could be mitigated by the addition of adequate signage.

It was therefore clear that a decision must be made on the issue of parking in that area.

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RECOMMENDED that Council decide on the most appropriate option from the following:

1. Leave the area marked out for 9 spaces, with improved signage warning users of the hazards and requesting considerate parking so as not to cause an obstruction. 2. Remove all line marked parking spaces and erect signage requesting that cars must not be left unattended 3. Attempt a compromise by removing the spaces most likely to cause an obstruction (the 4 bays facing the entrance including the disabled bay) with improved signage warning users of the hazards and requesting considerate parking so as not to cause an obstruction.

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The Head of Assets and Property Services explained the background to the situation at the slipway and outlined the options suggested in the recommendations. He reported that consultation had taken place, most significantly with the sailing club as the most regular users of the slipway.

Councillor Boyle congratulated the officers on the work which had been carried out and proposed that Option 1 be adopted. Councillor Martin was happy to second that proposal.

Members were in agreement with Option 1 but asked officers to monitor the situation going forward.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Boyle, seconded by Councillor Martin, that Option 1 be adopted.

4. BANGOR ROTARY CLUB – TREE OF REMEMBRANCE (FILE 65281)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment detailing that officers had been contacted by Bangor Rotary club with a request to use the Christmas tree located at Danske Bank, Bangor as a “Tree of Remembrance”

The basic premise of the scheme was to allow people to remember those who would not be able to spend Christmas with them due to death or illness.

Comber Rotary Club introduced the scheme a number of years ago whereby on the lead up to Christmas members of the public could write a short message for a loved one onto a luggage type label (in exchange for a donation*) which would then be attached to a lanyard system and hoisted up the Christmas tree. The scheme normally ran for 3-4 days in mid-December and the messages would stay on the tree for the remainder of the festive period.

Participation in the scheme would require Council staff to fabricate the device that enabled the messages to be hoisted up the tree using a pulley type system. Fabrication of a device for the Bangor tree would cost around £300 but it would be envisaged that this would last a minimum of 15 years.

* Bangor Rotary Club had informed officers that all donations would be given to Bangor based charities.

RECOMMENDED to proceed with the fabrication of the pulley system and grant permission for the Rotary Club to use the Christmas tree at Danske Bank for the Remembrance Tree scheme on specific dates yet to be determined.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Alderman Henry and Councillor Martin left the meeting at 7.12 pm)

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5. REFURBISHMENT OF WAR MEMORIALS

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that the Centenary of WW1 would be commemorated in 2018. It might be recalled that to mark the Centenary a proposed scheme existed to improve and refurbish Council owned War Memorials within the Borough.

The Memorials varied greatly in age and condition, but most could benefit from at least some form of refurbishment such as cleaning. The scale and range of works would vary from monument to monument.

Officers had recently been engaged with relevant stakeholders including the Royal British Legion Group 8 Branch, as well as community representatives, to define an initial scope of works.

To proceed with the scheme an Integrated Design Team (IDT) would now need to be employed to take the initial scope of works and turn that into a ‘technical design with cost estimates’, which would involve further input and agreement from relevant stakeholders.

£20k was available from current budgets to facilitate employing the IDT to progress the scheme to technical design stage.

RECOMMENDED that Council note the report, and that once the scheme had been developed, a further report be brought back, which detailed proposals for each site, along with the scheme Business Case.

Councillor Smart stated that the Borough’s war memorials were an important part of the built environment and needed to be preserved and protected. The Head of Assets and Property Services said that £20k had been set aside from the property and assets budget but that was the maximum that could be spent and it could well be a smaller amount.

Councillor Fletcher thanked officers for the work undertaken in connection with the memorials and queried if the Gillespie Memorial would be included. The Head of Assets and Property Services said that that memorial would be considered if the budget allowed.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cummings, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the recommendation be adopted.

6. Q1 PERFORMANCE REPORT – ASSETS & PROPERTY SERVICES (FILE 43600) (Appendix 1)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment detailing that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil that requirement Council approved the Performance Management

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Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with 4 of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans were agreed by Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

Report for current Quarter attached.

Key points to note:  The newly introduced system of condition surveys and planned refurbishment projects was working well with all surveys and projects completed as planned.

Key achievements:  100% pass rate for PSV achieved. The national average pass rate was 75% and at the local test centre it was 68%. That was testament to the thorough inspections and robust maintenance regime in place that helped keep the fleet safe and operational.

Emerging issues:  The KPI showing an MPG reduction of 5.98% would require further consideration and refinement. In the absence of benchmark data from legacy NDBC, that average MPG figure was compared against legacy Ards only. The routes of bin lorries were naturally very different in the new Borough and MPGs would therefore fluctuate dramatically. Further investigation would be needed to establish the true validity of that performance indicator.  With zero roadside audits completed it was naturally a cause for concern. Transport section was currently undergoing a transformation and additional resources were planned to ensure that requirement was met.

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 A 7% overspend was noted, representing £81.5k. That overspend could be attributed to the Transport and Technical sections. The Transport section was seeing increased maintenance costs due to a number of vehicles that were overdue for replacement and had to be kept in service in order to smooth out capital expenditure in the longer term. The Technical section had had to take on several unplanned projects at Aurora for works falling outside of the management contract with Serco.

RECOMMENDED that the report is noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Boyle, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

7. NI LOCAL AUTHORITY COLLECTED MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT STATISTICS JAN-MARCH 2016 (FILE 53041)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that the Northern Ireland Environment Agency published official waste management statistics for all Councils in Northern Ireland on a quarterly and annual basis. Those statistics were very significant for the Council as they provided a formal definitive position on its progress towards meeting various key statutory recycling and landfill diversion targets.

The latest officially published report was for the last quarter of the 2015/16 reporting year, January to March 2016. The full report could be accessed on DAERA’s website at: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/northern-ireland-local-authority-collected- municipal-waste-management-statistics-january-march-2016

There were a number of very significant observations worthy of highlighting in respect of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s performance:

 Ards and North Down Council was the only NI Council to exceed its annual 2015/16 ‘NILAS’ allowance for the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste, and had had to rely on transfer of over 3,500 tonnes of landfill allowance from other Councils who had surplus allowances.

 The primary reason for the exceedance of its annual NILAS allowance was the amount of waste received at the Council’s Household Recycling Centres (HRCs); during the January to March 2016 quarter we received 75% more waste per head of population into our centres compared to all other NI Councils and we landfilled almost twice as much HRC waste per head of population compared to other Councils.

 In stark contrast to the situation at our HRCs, our kerbside (wheeled bin) household recycling rate rose to the best in Northern Ireland; at 37.8% we recycled the highest proportion of our kerbside collected household waste and that was significantly higher than the average NI Council figure of 31.5%. During the fourth quarter of the 2014/15 reporting year our kerbside 7

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household recycling rate was just 31% compared with an average for all NI Councils of 34.2%.

 The above performance improvement was primarily because of our new initiative on the brown and green bin recycling of food waste which was introduced during the January to March 2016 reporting period. The proportion of all our kerbside collected household waste that was recycled through composting (green and brown bins) almost doubled compared to the same period in 2014/15, up from 12.4% to 21.1%. During the January to March 2016 reporting period, our 21.1% kerbside composting rate was by far the best in Northern Ireland and was almost double the average NI Council rate of 12.6%.

 Our headline municipal recycling rate for the January to March 2016 quarter stood at 38.9%, which was marginally above the NI Council average of 38.1%. In the same period in 2015 our overall municipal recycling rate was just 33.8% compared to a NI Council average of 36.8%.

 It was estimated that if we had limited the landfilling of HRC waste to the NI Council average, our overall municipal recycling rate for the January to March 2016 quarter would have been around 49% rather than the actual figure of 38.9%. Along with our other existing and planned recycling programmes, that would see us easily meet both our statutory 2020 NILAS landfill diversion target and our recycling targets, and further to that it would place us in a very good position for achieving the targets we had set out in our Sustainable Waste Resource Management Strategy.

 The above summary highlighted that we had a big challenge ahead, but very importantly it highlighted very encouraging outcomes from the early phase of our Strategy implementation. Where we had implemented changes thus far to our waste management services, those are reaping huge rewards. However, the rewards would be significantly undermined if we did not maintain a commitment to further reforms in the areas of most significance, not least the operation of our Household Recycling Centres.

Overall it was pleasing to note from the latest quarterly statistical report on waste management that we were making significant progress in the right direction. The quarterly reports provided the key official waste management ‘health check’ for us and they would be used to provide further interim assessments of our progress in regard to the key targets set out in our Sustainable Waste Resource Management Strategy.

RECOMMENDED that the above report be noted.

Members congratulated the Director and his officers for an excellent set of results. Councillor Boyle reminded everyone about the recycling incentive of the Recycling Community Investment Fund and that the community had responded to the challenge. Therefore, they should see the financial benefit in terms of allocating the saved waste processing costs back into projects that enhance the Borough and local communities.

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The Director confirmed that officers were confident of a financial dividend because of the excellent community response to improved recycling services. On average, there had been a 30% drop in the weight of grey bin landfill waste collected as a consequence of the new food waste recycling initiative, however it had been unfortunate that this improvement had been offset somewhat by a sustained rise in the amount of waste collected at the Household Recycling Centres. With the recent change to HRC access restrictions to address the receipt of excess trade waste at those locations, it was anticipated that projected savings accrued through our householder recycling initiatives would now begin to show in our balance sheets. More detail would follow on the levels of savings accruing and proposals on how these would be dispersed and deployed back to the community.

Councillor Fletcher asked if Ards and North Down Borough Council could learn from other Councils how to reduce landfill further. The Director replied that some Councils were shipping waste abroad to Energy from Waste plants and this had resulted in lower figures for material sent to landfill. Councillor Fletcher suggested that Ards and North Down Borough Council might be in a better position than other Council areas in terms of landfill if it was doing something similar and that the official statistics did not seem to represent the full picture. However, the Director confirmed that it was an empirical fact that our Council was the only one to exceed its statutory landfill allowance last year, and that the detail of how all Councils manage every aspect of their waste was clearly set out in the official report. He advised however, that reliance upon simply sending mixed waste (including highly valuable recyclable materials) to plants for energy recovery was not deemed to a sustainable approach and the Ards and North Down Council model was to maximise upstream separation of recyclable materials by householders and businesses, where the quality and value of resources were maximised. Other Councils might have chosen not to place the same focus on upstream recycling, instead seeking to legally avoiding exceedance of their landfill allowance by sending waste abroad. This however would not assist a council in complying with the 2020 statutory recycling target of 50%.

Councillor Boyle accepted what the Director had said and still believed that ratepayers should be rewarded for the efforts they had made to recycle food waste. He said that the Council should maintain its focus on selling the benefits of recycling.

Alderman Henry welcomed the improvements of conditions at the Household Recycling Centres and several householders had praised him and staff on how pleasant it now was to use the Council’s facilities at the Household Recycling Centres.

Glass recycling at the kerbside would be the next challenge and should pay dividends because of the significant weight in that material. A large number of householders were asking for that and it would be greatly welcomed.

Councillor Martin reminded everyone that every piece of waste had a cost to the community. When recycling initiatives were introduced they seemed complicated but they quickly became second nature within households and savings were of great benefit both in financial terms and in the effects of pollution.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, that the report be noted.

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8. CENTRAL-LOCAL REPORT AND ACTION PLAN ON WASTE MANAGEMENT (FILE 53030/72010) (Appendix II)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment detailing that Officers from DAERA and Local Government had been working to collectively consider the challenges and opportunities ahead for the management of waste in Northern Ireland.

The attached report and action plan had been prepared under the auspices of SOLACE and NILGA.

Many of the issues raised and key measures discussed in those documents for tackling the whole subject of sustainable waste resource management had already been incorporated into the Council’s own agreed strategy, and there were certainly a number of further opportunities to work collaboratively with other local and central government stakeholders in pursuit of that goal.

RECOMMENDED that the attached report and action plan be endorsed by Council.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor Martin, that the recommendations be adopted.

9. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (FILE 43600)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment detailing that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil that requirement Council approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with 4 of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans were agreed by Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

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Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

Report for current Quarter attached.

Key points to note:

 The only target missed was percentage spend against budget. That related to the profiling of budgets rather than a significant overspend and would be addressed in the next quarter.

Key achievements:

 Provisional estimates showed that the Council’s municipal recycling rate had increased significantly to just under 50% for the 1st quarter, from just over 44% in the same period last year.

Emerging issues:

 Whilst the amount of waste landfilled was within the allowance for the first quarter of the year, that was only by 5% and therefore left the Council perilously close to exceedance by the end of the year as things stood. It was therefore worth reiterating the point made in the separate Waste Management Statistics report, about maintaining a strong focus on key service changes aimed at remedying the situation.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Martin, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

10. LIVE HERE LOVE HERE (FILE 92017)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment advising that as previously reported the Council had added its support to the regional campaign Live Here Love Here organised by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The small grants aspect of the campaign closed at the end of July with seventeen local applications, requesting a total of £60,156 as listed below, being received. Members should be aware that the maximum funding available to groups in Ards and North Down through the scheme was £13,500.

1. Cairn Wood Community Group 2. The Friends of Portaferry Presbyterian Church 3. Whitehill Community Association 4. Portaferry Community Collective 5. Ballywalter Community Action Group

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6. Comber Regeneration Community Partnership 7. 1st Kircubbin Scout Group 8. Community Association 9. Prospects Road Residents Group 10. Ballyphilip Youth Club 11. Millisle Youth Forum 12. Millisle and District Community Association 13. Clandeboye Primary School 14. Kilcooley Womens Centre 15. Kilcooley Womens Centre 16. Friends of Portavoe Reservoir 17. The Boy's Brigade (Belfast Battalion) Following the assessment of the applications the scoring panel agreed to fund the projects detailed below. Those represented a fantastic range of local environmental improvement projects - conceived, supported and delivered by citizens (young and old) from local communities across the Borough. That very significant level of interest shown in the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme was a great barometer of the commitment of Ards and North Down residents to caring for and improving the areas in which they lived.

Project Name Organisation Requested Proposed Summary Amount funding AND-001 Love Cairn Wood Cairn Wood £5,000 £1,200 The project would introduce Community small and gentle changes as to Group how the forest was being looked after by creating a sense of ownership for the forest users. They would introduce a dog poo wormery and signage within the forest area. The aim of the project was to promote ‘Love Cairn Wood’ and to encourage people to keep the site clean and also boost tourism. AND-003 Work, Sit, Speak Whitehill £4,900 £1,000 The community would & Play Community transform the open grass area Association in the centre of the estate; which was currently troubled by litter and dog fouling, to become a colourful and welcoming picnic area. Seating and flowers would instil pride in the area and provide a place for adults and children to relax and enjoy peace.

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AND-004 Portaferry Clean Portaferry £2,105 £1,200 The project would provide the Up Task Force Community group with gardening Collective equipment plants and litter picking gear to tackle neglected areas within the community. The residents wanted the area to look good and would work together with 7 groups, schools and sea scouts etc. AND-005 Ballywalter an Ballywalter £2,600.97 £1,000 The project aimed to install attractive and Community raised beds and replant a row welcoming village Action Group boat feature on Main Street. The group would like to upgrade and bring back ownership of planting scheme as well as raising the height of the beds to make the planter more accessible to the members of the Senior Gardening Club. That would become a focal point in the village. AND-006 Colour Glen Link Comber £5,000 £1,200 Following on from last year’s Phase 2 Regeneration success, phase 2 of the glen Community link project would see the Partnership group clear behind an overgrown wall which had a history of dumping etc. Residents would plant a new scene with colour along the main route into Comber. AND-007 Kircubbin Scout 1st Kircubbin £1,010 £500 Young people would direct the Group Shoreline Scout Group project and say ‘where they Challenge would clean next’. The group knew that litter was an issue that faced all the coastal communities in the area and they would visit local beaches and tackle the litter. They would purchase their own litter picking equipment to carry out their clean-up campaign of local beaches. AND-008 Ballyhalbert Ballyhalbert £5,000 £1,200 The project would see the Rocks Community group landscape the stony Association area between footpath and

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rock defence and develop new grassy area with some planting and signage about local interest points and dog fouling. AND-009 Good Prospects Prospects £4,462 £1,200 Residents wanted to clean up Community Road and reclaim the alleyways to Garden Residents create a shared space for the Group community with raised beds Bangor and planting. The group would turn a problem into a community asset and create a wildlife and pollinator corridor. AND-010 Portaferry Pride Ballyphilip £1,200 £500 Group of young people would Youth Club design, plant and manage a garden in semi-wasteland next to the youth club. Specific plants had been selected to improve pollination and invite insects into the garden. A local gardener would guide young people and help nurture skills to distract them from antisocial activities and to involve them in community. Lots of members. AND-011 Delivering the Millisle Youth £5,000 £1,500 The project would visually and message Forum personally get the message out that the youth wanted the village to be litter free. The groups would erect signage and develop branded materials that they would distribute to households in the village. That will add another element to the regular clean ups that the group carried out and reinforced the long term benefits that would impact the community if litter was decreased. AND-014 She Shed Kilcooley £5,000 £1,000 The group would establish Volunteering Womens Northern Ireland’s first version Initiative Centre of Men's Shed! They would empower members of the community to gain new skills by restoring and upcycling

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items destined for landfill. That would be an intergenerational project that would include the wider community and work with many partner organisations to bring pride to the community, they saw this being the first step to becoming a social economy.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee notes the report.

Members were in agreement that any incentive to keep the Borough clean and tidy was to be greatly welcomed. Councillor Martin proposed the recommendation and asked if those groups who were unsuccessful in achieving funding were given feedback. The Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment confirmed that they were and explained that Keep NI Beautiful administered this feedback.

Councillor Smart was happy to second the proposal and queried how the initiative could be taken forward in terms of marketing and creating awareness; he was disappointed to observe that Newtownards was not represented. The Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment confirmed that Council actively promoted the initiative at a local level and was very much a partner with Tidy NI in the overall marketing of the scheme.

Councillor Cathcart referred to the Good Prospects Community Garden. He was pleased to see that problems in that area in terms of alleyways and the environment would be improved and that ownership and responsibility would be encouraged.

Councillor Fletcher noted that some projects had only received a percentage of what they had requested such as Comber Community Regeneration Project which was producing a great result in their area.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Martin, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the recommendation be adopted.

11. RESULT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS (FILE 2016/13356, 2015/1115, 2016/10824, 2016/18082, 2016/28283, 90202)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment detailing that at Newtownards Magistrates Court on 17th June 2016 Ms Alison Winter of 28 Westburn Crescent, Bangor was convicted of not having a valid licence for her dog. Ms Winter was fined £20, ordered to pay £166 costs and a £15 offender levy.

At Newtownards Magistrates Court on 17th June 2016 Ms Gillian Boyd of 8 Mount Pleasant, Bangor was convicted of not having a valid licence for her dog and for the

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EC.07.09.16 dog straying. Ms Boyd was fined £80 and £150 for each offence respectively and, ordered to pay £369 costs and a £15 offender levy.

At Newtownards Magistrates Court on 29th July 2016 Mr Normon Johnston of 28B Killyvolgin Road, Ballywalter was convicted of his dog attacking a person. Mr Johnston was fined £250 and ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 offender levy.

At Newtownards Magistrates Court on 15th July 2016 Ms Ashton Gillespie of 58 Beechfield Drive, Donaghadee was issued with an exemption certificate for a pit bull terrier type dog. Control conditions required the dog to be muzzled and kept on a lead while in a public place and when not on a lead kept in a secure building, yard or enclosure had previously been placed on the dog by Council officers.

At Newtownards Magistrates Court on 15th July 2016 Mr John McCrea of 14 Silverbirch Crescent, Bangor was convicted of refusing to provide his name and address when requested by an authorised officer of the Council who had witnessed a littering offence. Although the case for the littering offence was dismissed, Mr McCrea was fined £150 and ordered to pay £150 costs and a £15 offender levy.

RECOMMENDED that the report is noted.

Councillor Cathcart referred to the pit bull dog from Donaghadee and commented on the Belfast pit bull dog, Hank, who had been in the news recently. Ards and North Down Council had responded well to the situation and had helped to create a positive relationship with the owner and encouraged improved behaviour/control of the dog. He congratulated Council officers who had done an excellent job.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the recommendation be adopted.

12. PAVEMENT CAFÉ LICENSING (FILE LR/PC / 90101) (Appendix III, IV, V)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that Delegated Powers were granted by Council to the Committee for this item.

The Pavement Cafés Act (NI) 2014 would come into operation on 1st October 2016 and to meet its statutory duty the Council would need to agree the licensing system and fees.

An officer working group from the 11 Councils had been working with the following bodies to produce guidance to ensure that there was a similar licensing practice across the Province:

 Department for Communities  Transport NI  Hospitality Ulster  PSNI  Planning Service

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What is a pavement café? A Pavement Café Licence authorised a person who carried on a business involving the supply of food or drink (in or from premises) to place furniture (tables, chairs etc.) on a public area for use by their customers. That included cafés, restaurants, pubs, retail outlets providing refreshments, takeaways, supermarkets with a deli counter etc.

How would an application be assessed? Section 2 of the guidance document offered advice on what the Council would consider appropriate for a pavement café licence including:

 Pedestrian and vehicular access;  Size and layout;  Likely disturbance to other businesses or residents  Furniture design  Safety issues

In general, the pavement café area would need to be set up immediately adjacent to the premises. However, a licence for a remote café may be granted where:

o The proposed café did not interfere with vehicular or pedestrian traffic flow; and o The licence holder was able to demonstrate that they would be able to exercise proper control and supervision of the remote pavement café area.

Days and Hours of Use The Council could control the days and hours of use for a pavement café.

Alcohol Alcohol may be consumed (but not sold) in a licensed pavement café area unless:  The business was an ‘off sales’ as defined under Article 5(1) (b) of the licensing (NI) Order 1996; or  The Council was satisfied that by permitting persons to consume intoxicating liquor in a licensed pavement café it was likely that there would be disorder; or  The premises were not licensed under the Licensing Order (see note below) and were located within an area designated under Council bye laws prohibiting the consumption of intoxicating liquor.

Note: Only premises licensed under the Licensing Order as a public house, a hotel, a restaurant or a guest house with a restaurant would have the licensed indoor area for the consumption of alcohol extended to include the pavement café area.

1. Proposed Licence Fee and Period of Licence

The Committee should note that in August the Council delegated powers to the Committee to set the licence fee and duration of licence in order that the statutory consultation could take place. Also if there were no comments received regarding the fees following the public consultation, that the fees were confirmed.

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Section 12 of the Licensing of Pavement Cafés Act (NI) 2014 gave a district council the power to charge licence fees to offset the cost of administering the pavement café licensing scheme.

Fees may be charged for the following:

1. Grant of a licence 2. Renewal of a licence 3. Variation of a licence (in relation to applications to vary licence conditions, the licensable area, or removal of an alcohol prohibition).

The Council could also decide on the duration of licence which could be indefinite.

Duration of Licence It was also proposed that a licence be issued for a 3 year period to reduce the administrative burden on businesses.

Proposed Level of Fee Councils had discretion to charge a reduced fee, or waive the fee. The licensing scheme could not be used as a general revenue raiser.

Section 12 of the Act required the Council to publicise the fees it intended to charge and make available to the public the details of how those were calculated. It also stated the circumstances where refunds of fees must be made (i.e. refusal to grant, renew or vary a licence, less any administration costs necessarily incurred) and provided discretion for the Council to refund in other circumstances.

Recent case law and EU Directives had emphasised that a Council could not charge for the cost of enforcement activity against unlicensed activities but only for enforcement in relation to granted licences.

The Council was entitled to consider that where fees appeared to be cost restrictive for local businesses, or where there was a recognised benefit to the local economy, it may bear some or all of the costs of administering the scheme and may determine that a lower level fee would apply.

Once agreed the fees must be publically advertised and the public could forward their comments for up to 28 days. After considering any comments the Council may confirm the fees.

Method of Fee Setting

The NI Licensing Forum representing members from all 11 Northern Ireland Councils had proposed a template for calculating the fees which would be followed in this report.

The fee construction system contains a combination of the following elements: (i) Licence Grant Administration, (ii) Licence Renewal administration (iii) Monitoring Compliance.

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(i) Licence Grant Administration

Broadly this element of the fee construction was the time taken to process an application from initial enquiry, processing and finally issuing the decision. It included the time taken to complete the administrative tasks of receiving correspondence, updating the records database with application details and officer actions, processing of payments, production and dispatch of documents including the notice of the final determination of the application.

The time allocated to the consideration (including any inspections and/or consultations/negotiations that may be required) and determination of the application by one of the officers was also reflected in the total cost.

(ii) Licence Renewal Administration

This element represented the time and costs allocated to a licence renewal. It was made up of allocations of time and costs for the processing of an application for renewal from receipt of application through to issue.

(iii) Monitoring Compliance

That element comprised of the activities allocated to the monitoring of compliance with any licence issued. It included dealing with complaints, pro-active monitoring (including inspections) and joint operations with partner agencies.

The calculations used to determine the proposed fees were detailed in the appendix.

Proposed Fees

Admin Monitoring Total fee Refundable Element Element (rounded up) element Grant of £177.50 £46.50 £225.00 £35.00 Licence Renewal of £101.00 £46.50 £150.00 £0 Licence Variation of £84.50 0 £85.00 £0 Licence

Refund of fees

Council was required to refund fees if an application was not granted, minus any administrative costs incurred by the Council.

It was proposed that £35.00 of the fee for the grant of licence would be refunded if after consideration a licence was not granted.

2. LICENCE CONDITIONS

It was proposed that standard licensing conditions as shown at appendix V be

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EC.07.09.16 agreed. Those would cover the day to day responsibilities of the Licensee to manage and control their premises.

If a licensee failed to comply with the conditions then legal action could be taken against them.

3. DELGATION OF POWERS

It was proposed that:

 The Licensing and Regulatory Services Manager could issue a renewal of Licence if there were no comments or concerns raised from the consultation process;  Authority was delegated to the Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment to revoke, suspend or vary a licence if that was considered to be in the public interest and there was not sufficient time to put the matter before Council for agreement.

RECOMMENDED that the Council agrees:

 That a Pavement Café Licence will be granted for a period of 3 years;

 The proposed level of fees for a Pavement Café Licence;

 That the fees were published in two local newspapers and on the Council web site;

 If there were no significant comments received within 28 days of publishing that the proposed fees be adopted by the Council;

 The Licence conditions for Pavement Café;

 Delegated authority to renew licences to the Licensing and Regulatory Services Manager; and

 Delegated authority to the Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment to revoke, suspend or vary a licence if that was considered to be in the public interest.

The Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment explained that this referred to premises selling food and drink and would permit them to put out tables and chairs in front of their premises for customers to use. It was planned that there would be as much consistency as possible across Northern Ireland (although certain discretions were permitted within Councils) and a consultations process had begun with the PSNI, Planning Services, tourism and other relevant bodies.

Councillor Boyle expressed his opposition to the way the matter was being handled. Sufficient time had not been allowed for a full consultation period. The reality was that this would be implemented on 1st October regardless of what the consultation process threw up. He also expressed his reservations on the Environment 20

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Committee being tasked with potentially sanctioning it. He therefore could not accept it.

(Councillor Armstrong-Cotter left the meeting at 8.00 pm)

The Director advised that a full report would be brought back to the committee on any significant feedback arising from the consultation, and the proposed fees etc. would only be implemented if there was no significant adverse response noted during the public consultation period. The needs of the disabled population were noted and also those who had children in prams.

Alderman Henry said that he was generally in favour of the fees recommended although they were in no way related to the amount of tables outside. The fee would be £225 for a three year licence, which amounted to just £75 per year for approval to significantly extend usable customer space by a business.

Members wondered what would be defined as a remote café and although this was not set out in the legislation, it seemed that it would need to be reasonably close for the purposes of carrying food and drinks.

Councillor Cathcart called for a consistent approach across the Province. Cafes could potentially be doubling the space they had available to serve customers so it was clear that from the application fees involved that the aim was not to make money on the part of Councils.

A business consultation had taken place in Donaghadee recently and 12 businesses had attended giving more positive feedback than what had originally been thought likely. It was possible that different Councils would set different fees.

There would be the need for planning permission from Councils and that would be an additional layer of bureaucracy. Solace had written to the Permanent Secretary to define pavement cafes as ‘permitted development’ in the relevant planning legislation.

Council did not expect to be inundated with applications on 1st October and it was likely to be several months before this Council was in a position to issue licences, by which time it was hoped that the planning situation would be resolved.

Councillor Boyle repeated that he believed the process as it stood was messy. Council would need to publicise this on its website, in local newspapers and appropriate premises in the Borough. It should also be engaging with the Chambers of Commerce.

When members were asked to vote on whether to take the recommendation forward 8 voted for and 2 were against. The proposal was therefore declared CARRIED.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cummings, seconded by Alderman Henry, that the recommendation be adopted.

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13. Q1 PERFORMANCE REPORT – BUILDING CONTROL, LICENSING AND NEIGHBOURHOOD ENVIRONMENT (FILE 43600) (Appendix VI)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil that requirement Council approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with 4 of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans were agreed by Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

Report for current Quarter attached.

Key points to note:

13 of the 19 KPI’s established for the Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment Service were being met including overall spend against budget, a reduction in reported levels of anti-social behaviour and cleanliness of the Borough.

Four of the KPIs relating to customer satisfaction were recorded as “unknown”. Processes were being developed in order to capture customer feedback primarily through the use of customer satisfaction surveys. The Neighbourhood Environment Team had been the first section to initiate the process and a summary of the feedback from 199 returned surveys to date was provided below.

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Poor How would you rate the overall service from the NET provided 6% Neither Very Poor 7% 10%

Very good 52% Good 25%

Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree 4% 6%

Neutral 10% Somewhat agree 16% Strongly agree 64%

The NET Officers were very helpful and courteous

Overall how satisfied were you with NET actions towards the Dissatisfied improvement of the situation 8% Very Dissatisfied 12% Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Very satisfied 8% 44%

Satisfied 28%

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The Building Control and Licensing and Regulatory Services were also developing similar processes to capture customer satisfaction data and feedback and it was anticipated that would be ready to proceed within the next month. Similar performance information would be provided to the Committee in due course.

One target relating to the number of online dog licence applications being received was presently not being met. A challanging target had been established in order to prioritise and encourage the use of the Council’s online services. Initial feedback from the public was that they were wary of using the service as the initial login required the customer to register their details on the local government online portal. Officers had developed guidance notes that they now issued with licence reminders and that was helping improve take up of the service. Other improvements had been introduced including a customer’s ability to make application for several dogs on the same form making the process simplier and quicker while email reminder, when licences were due for expiry, had also recently been introduced for those who had made application through the online portal. Initial feedback had been positive as users could then easily apply for the licence renewal through clicking on a link.

The Licensing and Regulatory Service had been developing its policies and processes relating to the introduction of the Licensing of Pavement Cafes due to come into effect on 1st October 2016. As part of the process Officers had begun a consultation and awareness raising programme aimed at local chambers of trade to help highlight the new legislative requirements and seek comments on procedures and licensing requirements.

Building Control had also been looking at how it delivered its services and in particular providing a platform through which online applications could be made and processed. That would not only improve the customer’s access to the service but also assist back office staff within the service by streamlining the administrative process around processing applications. The introduction of the system which was presently being tested before release would be an important step towards a paperless office.

Key achievements:

Although it was early in the reporting cycle it was encouraging that a broad range of targets were being met and on occasions surpassed.

Targets set around the processing of Licencing and Building Control applications were being met, demonstrating both sections’ commitment to delivering high quality services that support local businesses and developers. The target set for the Licensing and Regulatory Service concerning during performance inspections of places of entertainment was also being met and surpassed, highlighting the efforts being made to monitor such premises compliance with licence terms and conditions - particularly around the important issue of safety.

The number of groups involved in environmental improvement programmes and projects primarily through the Live Here Love Here programme and Big Spring Clean

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The reduction in reported levels of anti-social behaviour was also encouraging but clearly could not be taken for granted, and continued coordination of effort from a range of partner organisations was required to help tackle that important issue.

Emerging issues:

The establishment of KPIs was an important driver for service improvement and helped prioritise service delivery and allocation of recourses. This year’s plans were the first for the service and it was important that the KPIs were reviewed to ensure that they reflected the priorities detailed in the Corporate plan and were the most relevant ones for supporting the Council’s Performance Improvement Plan. The initial review of the KPIs would indicate that they were relevant as they focused on important outcomes which could have an impact on improving the Borough.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Martin, seconded by Councillor Cummings, that the recommendation be adopted.

14. BUILDING CONTROL ACTIVITIES (FILE 91000)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that the report provided information on the principal activities of the Building Control Section in relation to the enforcement of the Building Regulations.

(a) Number of Applications Received

Full Plan Applications 2016/2017 100 80 60 40 20 0 No of of Applications No Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Jan-17 Feb-17 Mar-17

April 2016 - March 2017

May-

Apr-16 16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Building Notice 190 252 227 156 Applications Regularisation 61 130 143 248 Applications

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(b) Fee Income

Total Monthly Income from Building Control Fees 100,000.00 90,000.00 80,000.00 70,000.00 60,000.00 50,000.00 40,000.00

Income Income £ 30,000.00 20,000.00 10,000.00 - Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Jan-17 Feb-17 Mar-17

April 2016 - March 2017

Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Total monthly 49,352 69,824 74,286 93,168 fees received Cumulative monthly 49,352 119,177 193,463 286,636 income to date

Forecast 51,400 74,000 82,200 60,700 Income to date

July figures are provisional as the way Building Control income is accounted is changing.

(c) Department Output

Department Apr- May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Output 16

Full Plans 69 54 53 49 Approvals issued Full Plans Rejections Notices 78 47 38 64 issued Building Notices 141 131 141 104 certificates issued

Regularisation 57 51 117 79 Certificates issued

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(d) Inspections

Inspections Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Total Inspections 1225 1406 1396 1007

(e) Dangerous Structures

Dangerous Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Structures Initial Inspections 2 0 3 1 Re-inspections 0 0 2 1 Recommended for 0 0 0 1 Legal Action

(f) Plan Assessment Turn-around times (Financial year to date)

Domestic Plans assess with 21 days 64% Non-Domestic Plans assessed with 35 days 75%

(g) Property Certificates

Property Certificate Income 2016/2017

25,000.00

20,000.00

15,000.00

10,000.00

Income Income £ 5,000.00

- Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Jan-17 Feb-17 Mar-17 April 2016 - March 2017

Property Certificates Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16 Jul-16 Aug-16 Sep-16 Oct-16 Nov-16 Dec-16 Received 295 307 312 258 Processed 297 300 309 265 Building Control Average 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Response Time

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Monthly fee 18,420 17,042 22,597 14,315 PC income Monthly PC 10,000 10,000 19,000 19,300 fee forecast

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

Reference was made to Stewart Place in Holywood and the fact that the road had been closed for six weeks. The decision had had a serious impact on traders in that area and the fact that the building was Listed had added to the complications. The Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment said that Council’s Building Control section had responsibility primarily for public safety. Remedial work had been necessary so that the building would not cause injury and be unstable. Building Control had worked closely with the contractor and were in regular discussion with relevant bodies. There was no longer any danger to the public.

The Director referred to the structural complexities of the building and the fact that it was Listed, all of which meant the road closure situation could not be resolved more quickly. If Council had not engaged with those involved as it did, the process would have taken considerably longer. The Council was not to blame in any way and had acted proactively in a difficult situation. The Chair placed on record his thanks to Richard McCracken who had worked hard to resolve the situation.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Martin, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

15. THE GOATS TOE LIQUOR LICENCE NOTIFICATION (FILE LL 1047/90101)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that notification of an application under Article 44 of the Licensing (NI) Order 1996 was received on the 22 June 2016 in respect of the Goats Toe, Bingham Mall, Main Street, Bangor.

The application was to serve or consume alcohol in the first floor outdoor beer garden until 1.00 am with a drinking up period of 30 minutes.

On the 27 April 2016 Council had agreed to lodge an objection with the Courts against a previous application made on11 April 2016. The application was heard by the County Court on the 24 May 2016 and during the hearing the applicant withdrew their application for an Article 44 licence for the beer garden. Council’s solicitor was then instructed to withdraw the Council’s objection and the Article 44 licence was granted only for the indoor areas on the property.

As the new application was the same as the original application, officers instructed the Council’s solicitor to lodge an objection with the Court.

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Following discussions with the applicant, the application was subsequently withdrawn.

RECOMMENDED that report is noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor Martin, that the recommendation be adopted.

16. APPLICATION FOR ENTERTAINMENT LICENCE (FILE LR/EL / 90101)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that in December 2015 the Council considered an application for the grant of an entertainments licence from Mr Paul O’Kane for the Groomsport Inn, High Street, Groomsport.

Council had received 3 letters of objection to the granting of the licence on the grounds of unreasonable noise and disturbance. A deputation from the applicant was heard in December 2015 following which it was agreed to grant the licence subject to the following conditions of licence being met:

1. That the applicant carried out noise attenuation work to the building structure recommended by his noise consultant. Following such work the consultant would verify the completed work and the ability of the structure to adequately prevent noise breakout which had been causing unreasonable disturbance to the occupiers of nearby residential premises.

2. The Environmental Health Service would subsequently monitor to ensure that entertainment held in the premises was not causing unreasonable noise disturbance.

3. Subject to the above, the licence would be granted for a period of six months.

4. During that period if noise complaints were received and substantiated by the Environmental Health Service the licensee would be required to again engage a noise consultant to propose what further works may be required. Any necessary mitigation measures would be implemented to the satisfaction of the Council officers.

5. Should a licence be issued, officers would be provided with delegated powers to include additional conditions of licence; which were aimed at ensuring effective controls were in place to control the level of noise emanating from the premises and noise created by patrons. Such conditions would include the requirement to:-

 Prepare and submit a noise management plan which addressed such issues as;

 Ensuring patrons left the premises quickly and with minimal noise vehicle /taxi noise

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 Ensuring windows and doors were suitably sealed and kept closed when entertainment was in progress. In view of that it was important that a suitably silenced mechanical ventilation system was provided and adequate

 Investigate the installation of a noise limiting device if required

 Measures to prevent alcohol being taken out of the premises for consumption outside

Current Situation

The applicant employed an acoustic consultant who made a number of recommendations regarding the premises to control the noise. Council Officers were subsequently advised that the acoustic consultant had confirmed that the works had been completed and that the music/noise from the premises would not now cause unreasonable disturbance to local residents.

One of the original objectors had since contacted the Council on a number of occasions since January stating that music and noise from the premises was regularly causing them unreasonable disturbance.

Environmental Health had now completed noise monitoring within neighbouring premises and had confirmed that on a number of occasions music was still audible within the residential premises and the level would be judged as unreasonable.

As the applicant had not met the conditions set by Council to permit the Licensing and Regulatory Service to grant the licence it was recommended that the licence application be refused. It should also be noted that residents were still being unreasonably disturbed by noise and music from the premises.

RECOMMENDED that the application for the grant of an entertainment licence for the Groomsport Inn be refused.

Councillor Boyle advised that he had become very disturbed to read of this situation and wondered if Council had given up trying to assist businesses. He had driven to Groomsport himself and spoken to the applicant. He had viewed the premises and found them to be immaculately kept and respectable. He had spoken to the resident of the nearest dwelling and found that the occupier fully supported the business.

Referring to the sound problems he noted that that had been addressed. He noted that this was a long standing business and had been trading for 30 years with no issues before. Progress had been made in modifying aspects of the business so he believed Council should give its support where possible and continue negotiations for one further month.

Alderman Henry saw no difficulty either with allowing another month to resolve the situation. He had represented Groomsport for 23 years as a Councillor and had never known of problems at the business. He noted that it only needed a small level of objection to potentially destroy a business and that annoyed him.

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Councillor Cathcart also rose to give his support to the deferral of a decision and that Council should also work with its businesses to reach compromises. He was concerned about the negative impact this could have on the business.

The Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment confirmed that licencing officers always worked with licensees in an attempt to facilitate the continuation of business where at all possible in harmony with local residents. There was much work going on in the background to facilitate the business and to eliminate the problems. Officers would not object to working on this for another month using the time productively to seek a resolution agreeable to all concerned.

Councillor Martin, who represented Groomsport, had also visited the premises and was also happy to defer a decision for another month to allow outstanding issues to be ironed out. He urged a consistent approach in dealing with these matters to avoid Council facing judicial action.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Boyle, seconded by Alderman Henry, that a decision on the matter be deferred for one month.

17. PROPOSAL STREET NAMING (FILE 91200)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report from the Director of Environment detailing the following street naming proposals:-

Development in Carrowdore

A large development comprising of 98 dwellings was currently under construction on lands at Main Street, Carrowdore. There were four new streets required to serve this new development and the developer had suggested MacNeice Court, MacNeice Gardens, MacNeice Meadows and MacNeice Way in respect to the memory of the poet Louis MacNeice who was buried in the Church in Carrowdore.

RECOMMENDED that the new name of MacNeice Court, MacNeice Gardens, MacNeice Meadows and MacNeice Way be adopted.

Development in Portaferry

A small development comprising of 23 dwellings was currently under construction on lands at 75-85 High Street, Portaferry. The developer had suggested Templecraney Mews due to the close proximity of their development to the remains of the 17th century Templecraney church and was in keeping with the general neighbourhood.

RECOMMENDED that the new name of Templecraney Mews be adopted.

Development in Holywood

A small development comprising of 8 dwellings was currently under construction on lands at 83a Victoria Road, Holywood. The developer had suggested Twisel Brae Lane due to the Twisel Burn running alongside the south west boundary at the back of the development site and was in keeping with the general neighbourhood.

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RECOMMENDED that the new name of Twisel Brae Lane be adopted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Martin, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Councillor Boyle and Alderman Henry left the meeting at 8.50 pm)

18. SEUPB ATLANTIC AREA PROGRAMME ‘SUNROOF’ PROJECT (FILE 79002)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Director of Environment detailing that Action Renewables was a locally based not-for-profit company involved in supporting commercial renewable energy development and in developing and supporting European Projects. The organization’s aim was to be the leading provider of Renewable Energy Expertise and the partner of choice for sustainable energy solutions, and it provided advice and information to government agencies.

Action Renewables had submitted a Stage I application for a SEUPB Atlantic Area Programme project called ‘Sunroof’. The bid was for €3million which would be split across a number of regions within the Atlantic Area, and it is hoped that if successful €400,000 could be allocated for use in Northern Ireland.

The aim of Sunroof would be to stimulate the development of electric vehicle usage charged by renewable energy sources and boost eco-innovations in the field of eco- efficiency. The project would create a cluster of transatlantic stakeholders as partners who would then run pilot tests in partner regions, promote the development of electric vehicle usage charged by renewable energy sources and test the commercial viability of the use of renewable energy as a charging source.

The funding application was a two stage process. If the Stage 1 application (already submitted) was successful, then a more detailed application would need to be submitted by Action Renewables for Stage 2. In preparation for Stage 2, Action Renewables was seeking interested parties that it could partner with in order to help deliver the project, and had requested that Ards and North Down Borough Council work with them as an Associate Partner.

As an Associate Partner the Council would have access to pilot schemes, site visits to other regions and partner meetings at little or no cost to Council.

A possible partnership opportunity that had been discussed with Council officers was the utilizing of some of the funding to lease an electric car or small van over a 2–3 year period and testing its viability across a number of council functions, eg Waste & Cleansing Supervisors, Parks staff, Town Hall courier. The vehicle would be charged from renewable sources only, which would offer the potential of utilizing renewable energy generated at Balloo Waste Transfer Station. That was only one possible option – others may be considered during the submission of Stage 2 of the funding application.

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Additionally, Associate Partnership offered the opportunity to get involved in meetings, site visits and discussions around the use of electric vehicles charged by renewable sources in commercial uses and provide valuable input ourselves around the real practicalities.

Financial Implications

The project would be 75% grant funded, with the remaining 25% sought from other local sources – yet to be determined/agreed (potentially DAERA).

RECOMMENDED that the Council agrees in principle to become an Associate Partner with Action Renewables for the Sunroof Project. At that stage there was no formal commitment to be involved in the project, and further detail of the Stage 2 application would be brought to the Council in due course.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor Douglas, that the recommendation be adopted.

19. NOTICE OF MOTION

19.1 Notice of Motion Submitted by Councillor Robinson

Councillor Robinson submitted her amended Notice of Motion.

Proposed by Councillor Robinson seconded by Councillor Cathcart

“That this council recognises the concern of some traders and residents in Bangor that one hour free, on-street parking does not present sufficient time to allow full use of shops and businesses, particularly for elderly users and those with mobility difficulties.

The Council therefore tasks Council officers to engage with Bangor Chamber of Commerce to gauge support for the extension of free, on-street parking to two hours. Based on the outcome of this engagement the council may make representation to the Minister for Infrastructure”.

Councillor Robinson thanked members for the opportunity to bring forward her Notice of Motion. She said that the parking restriction of one hour in Bangor town was restrictive for people with mobility issues and those who were managing young children. Local businesses in the town had spoken to her believing that free parking for two hours should be introduced to encourage people to stay in town for longer.

(Councillor Boyle and Alderman Henry entered the meeting 8.56 pm)

Councillor Cathcart was happy to second the Motion. A number of people had spoken to him about increasing the free parking time to two hours. He recognised that it was also important to have a good turnover of parking in the town too. He asked for the Chamber of Commerce in Bangor to be consulted to seek its view.

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Alderman Henry said that he could not support the Motion since he considered that one hour of free parking offered a quick turnaround of traffic within the town. Councillor Fletcher could also not support the Motion since he saw this as purely a Bangor problem and to encourage passing trade a one-hour parking system was likely to be better.

In summing up, Councillor Robinson asked if it could be trialled in Bangor town centre to test how it worked.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Cathcart, that this council recognises the concern of some traders and residents in Bangor that one hour free, on-street parking does not present sufficient time to allow full use of shops and businesses, particularly for elderly users and those with mobility difficulties.

The Council therefore tasks Council officers to engage with Bangor Chamber of Commerce to gauge support for the extension of free, on-street parking to two hours. Based on the outcome of this engagement the council may make representation to the Minister for Infrastructure.

19.2 Notice of Motion Submitted by Councillors Barry and Roberts

Proposed by Councillor Barry, seconded by Councillor Boyle

“This council notes the degree of public concern for Hank the dog and public opposition to breed specific legislation; recognises that the pit bull terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog; acknowledges that the main reason dogs are aggressive is due to how a dog has been treated and trained by its owners; and calls on the Minister for Agriculture and Environment and the Northern Ireland Assembly to hold owners responsible for the actions of their dogs and to bring an end to breed specific legislation.”

An amendment was made to the Notice of Motion to include “to review legislation and guidelines issued to Council” instead of “bring an end to breed specific legislation”.

Councillor Cummings told Members that he had a great love for dogs. He believed that Council should act for practical reasons and consider that the physiology of a dog could have an impact on the way it behaved. He spoke of the jaws of dogs and the bite, grip and lock they could have. The bite/death ratio was also discussed and deaths in humans were more commonly associated with some dogs over others.

Councillor Fletcher supported Councillor Cummings. He said that Pit Bulls were normally strong and often raised to be aggressive dogs. The Pit Bull should be taken seriously as a very dangerous dog.

Councillor Wilson disagreed with Councillor Fletcher stating that certain breeds of dog were preferred by different types of people and the temperament of the dog could be influenced by that.

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It was noted that Hank was not a Pit Bull. The reaction of Council officers in Belfast was perhaps not the most appropriate and officers from Ards and North Down Borough Council were praised for the manner in which they engaged with dogs and their owners to resolve problems.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Barry, seconded by Councillor Boyle, that this council notes the degree of public concern for Hank the dog and public opposition to breed specific legislation; recognises that the pit bull terrier and related breeds are physiologically no different from any other breed of dog; acknowledges that the main reason dogs are aggressive is due to how a dog has been treated and trained by its owners; and calls on the Minister for Agriculture and Environment and the Northern Ireland Assembly to hold owners responsible for the actions of their dogs and to review legislation and guidelines issued to Council.

19.3 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Robinson

Proposed by Councillor Robinson seconded by Councillor Wilson

“That this Council follows the lead of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and prohibits the mass release of Chinese lanterns and balloons in the interests of both our environment and our wildlife.”

An amendment was made to the Notice of Motion to include the release of balloons “on Council land” in the interests of both our environment and our wildlife.

Councillor Robinson explained the issues related to Chinese Lanterns. The lanterns were made of wire and bamboo. They had grown in popularity with the public and when lit the lanterns could reach heights of 1,000 metres and could drift significantly.

Chinese lanterns could present hazards and in some countries were thought to be a fire risk. They could also prove to be dangerous to animals and the RSPCA were not happy with the danger they could present to vulnerable animals. As well as being frightened of them animals and sea creatures could ingest parts of the associated litter of the lanterns or the wires and this could lead to entrapment. Owls were particularly vulnerable.

At sea they could be mistaken for flares and marine conservation groups classed the debris as litter in the sea.

The Civil Aviation Authority were also unhappy with the use of the lanterns and they had now been banned in China itself.

The Fire Authority also saw them as a nuisance and the danger of fire led to unnecessary call outs straining the service and public resources further.

Whilst Councillor Robinson had no wish to “rain on anyone’s parade”, she called on Chinese Lanterns to be banned on Council land.

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Councillor Cathcart supported the general thrust of the Notice of Motion and queried if it was something the public asked Council about. Officers would report back on the issue and what could be done about it to have more controls at planned events.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that Council officers bring back a report on the feasibility and issues around prohibiting the mass release of Chinese lanterns and balloons in the interests of both our environment and our wildlife.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC AND PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Boyle, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of business.

20. FUTURE HARBOUR MANAGEMENT OPTIONS (FILE 65373)

*** IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

21. FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SERVICES (FILE 79001)

*** IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

22. CONTRACT EXTENSION – ENVIRONMENTAL WARDEN SCHEME (FILE 92018)

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

23. TENDER FOR THE PURCHASE OF UP TO 10 No. REPLACEMENT (6x2) 26 TONNE GVW REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLES (FILE 77062)

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

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Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

READMITTANCE OF PUBLIC AND PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Cathcart, seconded by Councillor Martin, that the public and press be readmitted to the meeting for the undernoted items of business.

24. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

24.1 Felling of Trees at Ward Park, Bangor

Councillor Douglas enquired if Council was aware of any plans to fell trees at Castle Park for development of a sewage system. Members were assured that no felling of trees would take place until there was clarification of plans.

24.2 Fly Tipping in the Borough

Councillor Fletcher queried if Council was experiencing an increase in fly tipping and how Council was dealing with that. It was noted that the Neighbourhood Environment Team had not seen an increase in illegal dumping recently and the Councillor was pleased to hear that.

24.3 High Hedges

Councillor Martin spoke about high hedges and the problems they could pose for neighbours and he asked for guidance and clarification of Council procedures in dealing with that. In response the Head of Building Control, Licensing and Neighbourhood Environment said that Council interference should be seen as a last resort position. Parties should seek a resolution between themselves. There was relatively good guidance online and Councillors should direct the public to that.

25. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 9.59 pm.

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ITEM 8.3

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Regeneration and Development Committee was held in the Council Chamber, 2 Church Street, Newtownards on Thursday 8 September 2016 at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair: Alderman M Smith

Aldermen: Irvine McDowell

Councillors: Adair Menagh Armstrong-Cotter McClean Cooper T Smith Gilmour Walker Ferguson Wilson

In Attendance: Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning (C Mahon), Head of Regeneration (B Dorrian), and Democratic Services Officer (E Brown)

Also in Attendance: Aldermen Fletcher and Henry

1. APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Councillors Allen, Cummings, Leslie and Roberts and the Head of Economic Development and Tourism (C McGill).

NOTED.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman asked for any declarations of interest and none were advised.

NOTED.

3. VILLAGE PLAN UPDATE – FILE REF: 141858 (Appendix I)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 18 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Village Plan.

Background

The process to develop six individual village plans for Kircubbin, Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter, , Portaferry and had now been almost completed and a full copy of each would be forwarded in due course. RDC.08.09.16PM

Attached was a summary of the projects that had been identified in each draft action plan. They had been grouped by theme and also the lead organisation for delivery had been suggested.

Some projects were self-contained and may have been ready for consideration, while others would require much planning and the support of other statutory bodies and possibly the involvement of the private sector as well. It was important to remember that those plans were a vision for the villages over the coming 15 - 20 years and some of the projects may have seemed to be very aspirational now, but that did not diminish their potential for the future.

The Paul Hogarth Company had also been commissioned to review the existing ten plans and to produce action plans in the same format as the attached. In doing that, it would greatly assist the Council in assessing the viability of all the projects collectively across the villages of the Borough.

Next Steps

1. General review of the new draft plans

This was being undertaken to proof read the documents and to challenge the thoughts behind some of the stated lead organisations – to be completed by mid- September.

2. Implementation Plan

A working group of Council officers mainly consisting of Heads of Service and Service Unit Managers had been set up to develop an assessment process for the evaluation of all projects and then to undertake that action. This would enable all projects to be assessed using a consistent approach. This would be done for each of the sixteen villages, with the assessment being per village. It was not intended to have one overall list of scored projects where it may have been perceived that projects in each village were competing against a project in another village. A copy of the draft scoring matrix was attached which may have needed some refinement following consideration by the working group. At present it was planned to use the projects’ scores against the agreed criteria, as a ranking tool.

It was envisaged that this process would be completed by the end of October 2016.

The assessment would allow for projects of a similar type to be collated, which would make the process more streamlined when seeking funding or issuing tenders for work.

Once the first assessment had been completed and projects were identified that the Council may wish to proceed with or funding may be available for in the remainder of this financial year or the next, the lead Council section would develop full costings for the project. The costings would be done at that time to ensure they were as accurate as possible, being ever mindful that projects costs could quickly vary. Following that, the list of identified projects could be produced for the first suggested 2

RDC.08.09.16PM delivery period which was to March 2018. It would be important to identify at that stage if funding was being applied for, which Section would take the lead and where the match funding would be available from.

Once the above was completed a workshop for all Elected Members would be held where an overview of all sixteen plans could be given and the outcome of the assessment process. It was envisaged that this would be held in November and members would be notified of the date well in advance.

3. Community Involvement

Once the Council workshop had been completed and the draft implementation plans had been presented to the Council, a series of meetings would be held in each of the sixteen villages. It was planned that a Village Plan Group would be formed in each village, from representatives of existing groups. It was intended that there would be regular contact with that group on the implementation of their Village Plan.

It was anticipated that the first series of meetings would be commenced by December 2016.

4. Statutory Partnership

Where projects had been identified and the lead organisation would be a statutory agency, meetings would be held with them to advise them of the various projects and to seek a commitment that they would consider them in its future plans. It was felt that the community planning process may be the vehicle for that.

It was expected that this could be completed by February 2017.

Once those plans had been assessed and actual projects developed, funding applications could be made wherever possible. It was expected that one source of funding would be the Village Renewal measure within the Rural Development Fund which was planned to be opened for calls early in 2017. However, if other grant sources became available, consideration would be given against the funding criteria.

Also once all the projects were identified some sections within the Council may agree to undertake some from existing budgets. That was why at the assessment stage it was essential that as many Heads of Service were involved as possible. It would also help them forward plan as the delivery of certain projects could be included in future Service Delivery Plans and the necessary budgets could be bid for or where necessary added to the Council’s Capital Projects Plan.

RECOMMENDED that the report be adopted.

Councillor Adair rose to pay tribute to the Head of Regeneration and his team for the excellent village plans they had commissioned. He believed the plans demonstrated the Council’s commitment to rural communities and supported the approach in working together with stakeholders in partnership. He was keen to see the plans used as a living document and hoped that statutory agencies would make a commitment to consider the various projects in its future plans. 3

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Councillor Gilmour welcomed the new Chair of the Committee, Alderman M Smith. Concurring with Councillor Adair’s comments, the member welcomed the update and the potential of the village plans going forward.

Rising in support, Alderman McDowell expressed a number of concerns. In the first instance he hoped that the plans were more than just a wish list. He then asked whether the plans had been costed and how much of those costs would the Council be expected to meet.

In response, the Head of Regeneration advised that the plans were aspirational plans that looked forwards to the coming 15 to 20 years. He noted that a significant level of consultation had been undertaken including holding many meetings. He advised that there had been buy-in from most groups in the villages and he was pleased to report that there were now 16 active plans. Furthermore, he advised that the plans had not been costed as essentially it would be impossible to cost, for example, 149 projects and therefore only those projects that looked like runners would be costed or where some of the projects could be done in-house. In addition, current costings would not be relevant in three years. Finally, he stated that a Rural Fund of £870,000 would be available for grant aid up to 2020 and money would be spent on every village.

Councillor Adair believed it was vital to invest in villages and was encouraged to hear that agreed projects would be fulfilled and every village would benefit.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, that the minutes be adopted.

4. PUBLIC REALM UPDATE – FILE REF: CG11606

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 26 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Public Realm works.

Background

Both North Down and Ards Councils had commenced public realm works in towns in their areas prior to the merger in April 2015. That had resulted in work being undertaken in Bangor, Newtownards, Holywood, Comber and Donaghadee to a value in excess of £20m. That work had been done in partnership with the Department for Communities (formerly DSD).

Current Position

The following points summarised the current status of the five schemes:

1. The public realm schemes in Bangor, Holywood, Comber and Donaghadee had been completed and were now in the defects period. That was for one year post practical completion. At present most of the issues identified had already been addressed. 4

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2. Safety Audits had been carried out on the schemes in Bangor and Holywood. That had been a condition of the planning approval. Those had identified a number of operational issues which were currently being discussed between the Council’s agent and Transport NI. A further report on those would be presented in due course. 3. Newtownards Public Realm scheme was due to be completed on 27 September 2016. A one-year defects period would then commence but it was anticipated that the contractor would undertake any works identified as soon as possible. 4. Revitalisation Schemes were underway in all five towns with an estimated spend in the region of £1.1m on local projects to be completed by 31 March 2017.

Project Board meetings had been planned for September at which an update on all outstanding works would be given and the financial position of each scheme would be presented. A further report on those would be brought in due course.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee notes the above.

Referring to the sunken pavement lights, Councillor Wilson enquired about their lifespan and associated guarantee.

In response, the Head of Regeneration advised that that week an inspection had been carried out by the company overseeing the lighting and had identified faulty lights; the company had guaranteed that it would remove and replace those at its own expense. Continuing, he advised that the Council had to look at how it would clean the pavements going forward so that the lights would not be damaged; there was a procedure in place to maintain the integrity of the streets. Furthermore, the upkeep of that lighting would fall under Council maintenance and therefore lights would be repaired as and when required.

Councillor Menagh commented that an adequate maintenance programme was required where the public realm works had been carried out, as significant investment had been made there. He was keen to see that areas such as Conway Square were cleaned regularly given that they may be hired out for others to use.

The Head of Regeneration responded that the Council was currently looking at machinery and chemicals that would be suitable for cleaning all five towns. A regular clean could be done during the summer and there was also a plan in place for a winter clean.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor McClean, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

5. UPDATE ON PROJECT 24 AND THE HUB – FILE REF: 141973

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 26 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on Project 24 and The Hub.

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Background

Project 24 (P24) had been developed and implemented by North Down Borough Council and the Department for Social Development just over three years previously. The concept had been to deliver an initiative that would bring regeneration to a portion of the Queen’s Parade site, and create a meanwhile use facility for the development of the arts sector. The use of shipping containers, as studios, had been unique and the later installation of the marquee which was known as The Hub greatly enhanced the use of the area. That project had received a number of awards and had been cited as ‘best practice’ by a number of organisations.

It had always been envisaged that the project would be temporary, with it ceasing in March 2017, to allow for the development of the Queen’s Parade site.

Current Position

At present P24 was operating at full capacity with all pods being occupied. The creation of the social pod had proved to be very successful and was widely used.

The Hub was also regularly used for a wide variety of events. Some of those were organised by the Council with some being community events, with others being organisation lead events.

It had been envisaged that a recommendation would be made to the Committee to windup the initiative in March 2017 as previously planned. However, at a recent meeting with officials from the newly formed Department for Communities (DfC) it had been requested that because of the success of the project and as the process to appoint a preferred developer for Queen’s Parade was still ongoing, P24 should be extended until March 2018.

DfC had also agreed to make finances available for the maintenance of the area and animation of the site, on receipt of an agreeable business plan. A business plan had been submitted for the remainder of the current financial year. It was envisaged that a meeting would also be held in September to finalise any issues and for DfC to then issue the Council with a Letter of Offer for funding.

In the meantime, and to keep the Council’s options open, planning applications had been made to renew the approvals for P24 and The Hub until at least March 2018.

A further report would be presented once a Letter of Offer had been received from the Department.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee notes the above.

Alderman Irvine was pleased that P24 would be extended, particularly as The Hub was an excellent open space for the Council and others to hold events. He requested an update on the status of former pod users.

In response, the Director advised that Pod Users had undertaken business mentoring and been business incubators and from that, other businesses and jobs 6

RDC.08.09.16PM had been created. She further advised that the monitoring had to be completed and signed off and interested artists had to demonstrate how they would mentor for example, group/individual mentoring, free to consume classes or other ways. She added that Craft UK was visiting P24 whilst in Northern Ireland in the Autumn.

Councillor Walker asked if there was a chance of overlap with the Queens Parade project and whether there was an alternative site for the pods to be relocated to.

The Director advised that there was no intention of the project continuing at its current location beyond April 2018, to allow for the development of the Queen’s Parade site. If an overlap did occur, P24 could be lifted and relocated to a temporary location, near Bregenz House and planning permission would be sought in advance of any move.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor McClean, seconded by Alderman Irvine, that the recommendation be adopted.

6. NORTHERN IRELAND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2014-2020 – FILE REF: CG10187BPT V

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 22 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning stating that Ards and North Down Rural Partnership (the Partnership) had closed its first call for Rural Business Investment applications at the end of July. The Partnership had received five applications worth £64,090.40 of grant aid. The assessment of those applications would have been completed by Monday, 5 September. Subject to the appropriate approvals and ratification by the Board, it was anticipated that the first Letters of Offer to rural businesses under the new Rural Development Programme would be issued immediately after that date. Associated PR would be organised to maximise that good news story.

Alongside the roll out of the Rural Business Investment Scheme, a series of Rural Basic Services community pre application information workshops had been held across the Borough. There had been approximately 40 people in attendance. As a result, the Partnership had received ten Expression of Interest applications worth £679,649 in grant aid. In addition, a request had now also been issued to Council departments to complete an Expression of Interest form for any potential Council led projects. Following a review of all the applications received, a report would be presented to the Partnership Board so that future calls for full applications under that scheme could be planned and managed accordingly.

The next stage in the local Implementation Plan was to seek applications under the next round of Rural Business Investment Scheme funding, which was due to reopen later that year. In preparation, five Rural Business Investment Pre Application Information Workshops would be held at various locations across the Borough including Signal Business Centre, Ards Business Centre, Portaferry Market House and Lisbane Community Centre; and those would commence week beginning 22 August until 9 September 2016. In order to maximise the funding opportunities for

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RDC.08.09.16PM the benefit of the local rural economy associated promotional activities would be targeted to reach a wide audience of rural businesses as possible.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee notes the above.

Rising in support, Councillor Adair commented that the Council was leading the way in rural development. He was glad to see funding being allocated at an early stage and also that the programme would grow through partnership with communities. He believed it would go far in providing jobs and investing in rural communities.

Alderman McDowell sought clarity on what would be classed as rural. In response, the Head of Regeneration stated that rural included any settlement with up to 5000 inhabitants. That therefore included everywhere in the Borough other than the five towns.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, seconded by Councillor Menagh, that the recommendation be adopted.

7. REGENERATION SERVICE UNIT PLAN Q1 2016/17 – FILE REF: 160127 (Appendix II)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 16 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Regeneration Service Unit Plan for Quarter 1 2016/17.

Context

The Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil that requirement, the Council had approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with 4 of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans had been agreed by the Council in April 2016.

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Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

The report for current the Quarter was attached.

Key points to note:

 An overspend in the budget for the first period was identified mainly because additional agency staff had been used to cover staff on long term sick and grants that had been paid out had been reimbursed after the period end.  During the period two key members of staff had gone on long term sick. That had greatly affected the Units attendance levels, as well as the number of projects that could be undertaken. As of 30 June 2016 the two officers were still on sick leave.

Key achievements:

 A brand for the five towns with five sub-brands had been developed and was being used.  The Rural Development Partnerships’ Implementation Plan had been in the first two to be accepted in full by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.  Public Realm schemes in Holywood, Comber and Donaghadee had been completed within the period.  Confirmation of £1.1m for revitalisation schemes in all five towns had been received from the Department for Communities.  The first major piece of public art in Bangor being the Bangor Bell had been unveiled.

Emerging issues:

 The amount of officers’ time and associated costs of administering the revitalisation schemes was more than first anticipated.  The continuing rise in the number of projects to be delivered.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

Alderman Irvine had a staff related query and the Director advised that the matter could be discussed in Committee. Alderman Irvine was content with that.

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AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Adair, that the recommendation be adopted.

8. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM SERVICE UNIT PLAN Q1 2016/17 – FILE REF: 160127 (Appendix III)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 16 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Economic Development and Tourism Service Unit Plan for Quarter 1 2016/17.

Context

The Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil that requirement, the Council had approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with 4 of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans had been agreed by the Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

The report for the current Quarter was attached.

Key points to note:

 All areas were performing well and in certain instances above target due to efforts by all team members while structures and roles were being confirmed. 10

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Key achievements:

 Exploris had opened on 15 August 2016 and the agreement was working well.  SLA with Invest NI for business start delivery had ensured our jobs targets were not only on track but slightly ahead of target.

Emerging issues:

 With the uncertainty on the way business start would be delivered in the coming period under ERDF (EU Funding), the Council would be going out to tender for an interim programme which may take time to bed in and affect targets going forward.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cooper, seconded by Alderman Irvine, that the recommendation be adopted.

9. CHRISTIAN HERITAGE WORKING GROUP MINUTES – FILE REF: 170726 (Appendix IV)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 17 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Christian Heritage Work Group.

Background

The Christian Heritage Working group, initially established by legacy North Down Borough Council, had continued to meet on a regular basis to develop the Christian Heritage product across the new Borough, although a large focus was on the work of St Columbanus and the Columban Way.

A meeting of the Christian Heritage Working Group had been held in Tower House, Bangor on 2 August 2016. The minutes of the working group were attached.

The minutes referenced an event in November 2016. Each year an annual meeting and programme of events was held in Bangor organised by the Friends of St Columbanus to include a concert, a performance including music and an ecumenical service. Activities were also run by Ards and North Down Borough Council to include historic talks. A further report would be presented providing further details when the programme was confirmed.

RECOMMENDED that the minutes of the Christian Heritage Working Group be noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor McClean, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

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10. TOURISM EVENTS GRANTS FUND 2017-18 – FILE REF: 171456

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 18 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning stating that in November 2015, the Tourism Events Fund for 2016 had been publicised and a workshop had been delivered to prospective applicants. The fund had been heavily oversubscribed in 2015 with twelve new applications, bringing the application number to a total of 29 eligible applications.

Council Grants Policy

Since the previous year, the Council had further approved the Corporate Grants Policy and Procedures. In light of the introduction of that, the Tourism Events Grants Policy had been reviewed and amended accordingly. The majority of the content of the Corporate Grants Policy had already been incorporated within the Tourism Events Grants Policy however, some minor amendments were required to deliver a tourism events grant programme which was consistent with the principles of the Corporate Grants Policy and Procedures. Those included the following:

 A scoring methodology taking into consideration the Council’s new Corporate Objectives of People, Place, Prosperity and Performance.  Applications had to pass a minimum pass mark to be eligible for grant award.

It was anticipated that the Tourism Events Grants Application process would be advertised in October with an open call time of 6 weeks. The tourism unit would hold a workshop for all applicants as per previous years. The outcomes of the applications would be reported to the Committee for consideration in December. The successful applicants would then be notified in January 2017, for planning purposes, but confirmation of grants would not be released until the end of February following the estimates process.

RECOMMENDED that the Committee approves the amendments to the Tourism Events Grants Procedures.

Alderman Irvine asked if a workshop would be held for existing applicants.

In response, the Director advised that more workshops would be held and they would be open to both new and existing applicants. She added that the workshops would be publicly advertised and more would be held if required.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Cooper, that the recommendation be adopted.

11. YEAR OF FOOD AND DRINK UPDATE 2016 – FILE REF: 150604

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 15 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Year of Food and Drink 2016 providing an update on the Year of Food and Drink 2016.

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Background

2016 had been designated the Year of Food and Drink by Tourism Northern Ireland.

Officers continued to work with Tourism NI and Food NI and cross departmentally to develop the programme of events, food tourism and business development initiatives and to support the growth of the food sector across the Borough. The objective of the year was to lay the foundations for Ards and North Down becoming known as the premier destination to experience food excellence in Northern Ireland.

Promotion of Ards and Down at St George’s Market and Balmoral Show

The Council had availed of the opportunity to utilise the Tourism NI bespoke Year of Food and Drink Stand, at St George’s Market in Belfast, over six days across two weekends, 13 - 15 May 2016 and 20 - 22 May 2016. The Council had partnered with five local businesses; Flavour First (local fruit and vegetables); Salty Dog (Restaurant and hotel); Miss Keowns (Tea); Bull House Brewery (Craft Beer) and NI Food Tours (Hand-made Macaroons and bespoke food tours) to promote the area, its hospitality sector, agri-food sector and upcoming food related events. Also, in partnership with two local businesses Papas Minerals (speciality drinks and cordials) and Farmageddon (Craft Beers) and Food NI, the Council had secured a presence at the Balmoral Show in the Food Pavilion. Destination had had a stand in Shopping Village, promoting the destination alongside two local businesses Pier 36 and The Narrows Social to promote their offer in the area.

Events Food Programme

Two annual calendar events, to showcase the food sector, had been delivered by the Tourism unit in June.

Sea Bangor, 4-5 June 2016 had offered 17 food producers the opportunity to participate in the Sea Bangor café. Food demonstrations had taken place throughout the day, with Paula McIntyre hosting two sessions, and the very successful BBQ demonstrations and competitions highlighting food businesses, attracted both amateur and professional entrants.

The Comber Earlies Food Festival on 25 June, had hosted 50 food producers on the Square and showcased the Comber Early potato through five food demonstrations from the bespoke Ards and North Down Food Showcase mobile kitchen (in partnership with Food NI). The highlight had included a demonstration by celebrity English chef Tom Hunt. Two further food tents, had showcased the Comber Early heritage through three further chef demonstrations, sampling and children’s craft. 96% of food traders had stated they would return the following year with good to very good/sold out sales logged (exhibitor research was conducted by Food NI).

In July 2016 the first of the Food Showcase series had taken place in Portaferry. The first event had been complementary to the Skiffie programme on 30 July and had included local chef demonstrations (Saltwater Brig and SERC) and artisan food stalls. The second event, the Portavogie Seafood Festival had been a standalone Food Showcase and had taken place on Saturday 13 August 2016. The programme 13

RDC.08.09.16PM had included six food demonstrations from the mobile kitchen, including local celebrity chef Jenny Bristow in two sessions, SERC seafood cookery demonstrations, ten food producers, a fish market stall delivered by Rockabill and a themed Fish market, which had provided interpretative and craft areas for the family.

Those events had attracted a total of 62,000 visitors to date. Three further Peninsula Food Showcases were to be delivered in the remainder of the season:

 10 September 2016, Donaghadee (part of Donaghadee Lights up event)  9 and 10 October 2016, Ballywalter  29 October 2016, Greyabbey

Schools programme

A Schools Programme, Food and Drink Masterclass was being developed in partnership with Youth Enterprise Northern Ireland which would take place on 16 November 2016 in the Signal Business Centre. That would involve local schools, mainly secondary, with workshops taking place throughout the borough which would create an understanding of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. A Dragon’s Den model would be used for the students to pitch to representatives from the food industry.

Business Development Programme for the Food Sector

A Food and Drink Business Development Programme was also being developed and in response to feedback from businesses pilot workshops would take place in October and November 2016. It would consist of three different workshops with a variety of content covering branding, positioning strategy and communication plans specific to the food and drink sector. Future programme development would also cover areas of Business Competitiveness, Export, Product Development, Legal Issues, Funding, Partner sourcing, Market/Produce Research and Packaging. The Branding programme would be the first to be delivered followed by workshops and 1-1 business mentoring focusing on common issues.

Strategic Calendar

An Ards and North Down Food and Drink specific web based event calendar had been developed and was a tool for local businesses to promote their food and drink themed events.

The Year of Food and Drink 2016 was the beginning of a longer term strategy to build on the Ards and North Down agri-food identity, which was already recognised but which could be better supported to develop its real potential. A further report would be brought to the Council on additional activities and impacts and work as it developed.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes this report.

Rising in support, Councillor Adair commended the Director on the success of the events to date. He mentioned in particular the Portavogie Seafood Festival at which 14

RDC.08.09.16PM he was pleased to have accompanied the Deputy Mayor. He noted that the festival had attracted around 4000 visitors to Portavogie from the UK, Europe and America, who had been able to enjoy the local food and products at the events. Many of the visitors were there for the first time and hoped to return again. The member hoped that events such as the festival would be done on an annual basis.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, that the recommendation be adopted.

12. QUAY MARINAS FIRST QUARTER REPORT – APRIL TO JUNE – FILE REF: 141671 (Appendix V)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 9 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning stating that Quay Marinas operated Bangor Marina on behalf of the Council. As part of the Agreement, Quay Marinas provided a quarterly and annual report which was presented to the Committee as received.

Attached was the first quarter report for 2016-17. The report covered the entire range of activities that were undertaken in the Marina.

Quay Marinas requested an opportunity to present to the Members of the Regeneration and Development Committee in October 2016.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes this report.

Alderman Irvine asked if berth holders would be invited to join the deputation.

In response, the Director advised that the intention was for Quay Marinas to make a presentation however, she was happy that Quay Marinas be asked to consider the inclusion of berth holders.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, that the recommendation be adopted.

13. THE BUSINESS BOOST PROGRAMME – FILE REF: 500541

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 19 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the Business BOOST Programme.

Background

As previously reported to the Council, the Business BOOST contract had been awarded to Core Consulting Ltd in March 2016.

The Business BOOST Programme aimed to help each participant to work strategically, identify processes which were inefficient, issues which were hindering productivity and internal/external performance, define how to address those and 15

RDC.08.09.16PM would provide a framework for strategic planning, planned growth, sustainable employment, market development and where appropriate consideration of exporting and its potential for growing the business.

The Economic Development Team had proceeded to recruit companies through a very thorough process between April and June 2016. Each company which registered an interest in the programme had been offered the opportunity to meet on a one-to-one basis with the Team to assess its needs and be considered under one of the three tiers of the programme.

The initial targets for this programme had been as follows:

Targets Achievements 20 companies recruited under Tier 3 (22 20 companies successfully recruited hours mentoring) Note: 14 additional companies recruited under a Mini-Boost programme (half as day mentoring) through extension of contract as demand was very high. 5 mandatory workshops over one year 2 delivered See table below for delivery of the other 3 17 companies having completed Tiers 1 and 2 invited to the 5 workshops.

Total number of companies accommodated through the three tiers of the programme: 51

The following figures highlighted the significant demand for this programme:

 64 Expression of interest forms completed  51 company assessments completed Tier 1 Boost Assessment and Tier 2 (Diagnostic Tool)

This had resulted in:

 20 Tier 3 BOOST Programme companies recruited (22 hours one-to-one mentoring)  14 Mini BOOST Programme companies recruited (one half day one-to-one mentoring)  17 companies invited to participate to the 5 main Workshops proposed under the BOOST programme.

The businesses selected under this programme were all SMEs and they stemmed from the following sub-sectors:

Food and Drink, Professional Services, Pet food, Shop Fitters, Print & Packaging, 16

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Professional Services, Construction, Dental Distribution, Financial Services, bespoke Furniture, Health & Beauty, Photography, Textile, Financial Services, Training/Consultancy, IT Services, Motor Services, Childcare, Retail, Research Services, Building Design, Arts & Crafts, Silversmith, and Signage.

The Programme had officially been launched on 23 June 2016 at The Space SERC, in Bangor to which 32 Businesses had attended.

The following speakers had shared their experiences:

 Petra Armstrong, Armstrong’s Twisted Fish  Eamon Fitzgerald, EC Fitzgerald  Professor Alistair Fee – Innovative Marketing

The following table highlighted the workshops which had taken place and would take place over the duration of the programme.

Workshop Title Date

Programme Launch & 23 June, 2016 1 “Innovative Growth Strategy” (Morning Session) 9 August, 2016 2 Marketing – and how to sell (Evening Session) 6 September, 2016 3 How to get and manage the right people (Evening Session) 18 October, 2016 4 How to manage operations and finance (Evening Session) 6 December, 2016 5 Managing growth and ensuring ongoing action (Morning session)

The programme was performing extremely well and had already exceeded original targets for delivery. It was expected that a second cohort would be recruited early the following year and some companies had already registered on a waiting list.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes the progress under the Business BOOST programme.

Councillor Cooper commented on the excellent progress made under the programme and the enthusiasm shown by the participants, adding that the programmed had benefits on the ground.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Cooper, seconded by Alderman Irvine, that the recommendation be adopted.

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14. AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PROGRAMME UPDATE – FILE REF: 500532

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 19 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing an update on the AND Social Enterprise Programme.

Background

The aim of the Social Entrepreneurship programme was to use innovation to create sustainable, scalable solutions to our most pressing social challenges. Working at the intersection of business, non-profit, and government, social entrepreneurs blended models to create innovative, sustainable, and scalable mission-driven ventures to effect positive social change.

In order to assist individuals and groups to achieve that aim across the Borough, the AND Social Entrepreneurship programme had been running since the end of December 2015 and would run for a two-year period.

The programme, which was delivered by Workwest aimed to:

 Support social economy business start-ups at pre and post start stages;  Provide guidance and business development support;  Clearly identify financial sustainability attainment for social enterprises through traditional and innovative means;  Build capacity and skills of the entrepreneurs;  Provide post start-up mentoring to ensure optimum economic impact on the community and increase survival rate;  Link social entrepreneurs with appropriate networks  Evaluate Strategic Added Value of projects in the area;  Create an easily accessible multi-media tool box for applicants which can be used during all phases of the programme and beyond.  Assist groups considering Social Enterprise as a model to evaluate options and to support them on the journey from concept (Preparatory Phase) to establishment (Core Phase) and post start support.

The Economic Development Team had successfully recruited the targeted number of social enterprises under the preparatory and core phases and was progressing into the Post-Start Strategic mentoring phase:

Target for Preparatory phase Number of companies completing the phase 15 14 completed One company decided not to proceed 3 companies are on the waiting list and ready to proceed Target achieved for year 1

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Target for Core Phase Number of Companies completing the phase 10 7 completed 3 companies transferring from Preparatory phase Target achieved for year 1 Target for Post start strategic Number of companies completing Mentoring the phase 10 1 completing at present Others to transfer between now and December 2016

The Economic Development Team had been monitoring progress against targets and was meeting monthly with the delivery agent to ensure that the programme was implemented as planned.

It was expected that the first year of the programme would conclude on time and on target in December 2016 and that a pipeline for year two applications would be created before that time.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes the content of the report.

Councillor Armstrong-Cotter commented that it was good to see the targets being met.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, seconded by Councillor Cooper, that the recommendation be adopted.

15. SOMME CENTENARY WORKING GROUP MINUTES AND PROGRAMME UPDATE – FILE REF: 160064 (Appendix VI)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 12 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning stating that a meeting of the Battle of the Somme Centenary Working Group had been held in the SIGNAL Centre, Bangor on Friday 10 June 2016. The minutes of the working group were attached.

Programme of Events

The first Council run event to commemorate the Somme Centenary had taken place on 19 May 2016 with the launch of the Somme Exhibition titled ‘One Man’s Road to the Somme’ at the North Down Museum. The Exhibition had honoured this true and moving story of one man’s road to the Somme through personal letters, images and objects and explored the life of local man, Captain James S Davidson. The exhibition had focused on his life before the war, preparing for war in the training camp at Clandeboye and his fateful journey to the Somme on 1 July 1916. The exhibition had run from May to July and had featured items from the Davidson personal family collection and loan items from the Estate.

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In addition to Council led events, the National World War One Centenary Committee had held a National Government led initiative at The Somme Museum and Helen’s Tower. The Somme Museum had been the location for Northern Ireland’s overnight National Vigil on 30 June to 1 July 2016. The other locations had been London, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The Council had supported that National event.

Poppies which had been made by local school children and community groups had been laid outside the Town Hall in a symbolic poppy shape on Friday 1 July 2016.

On Saturday 2 July 2016, a Drumhead Service had taken place at the Town Hall, Bangor followed by a Veterans parade through the Town Centre.

Some comments from some of those who attended events could be summarised as saying that the programme of events had delivered a fitting and encompassing tribute to the sacrifice of those who had suffered at the Battle of the Somme.

Visitor numbers

Event Visitor Numbers Launch of Battle of Jutland Exhibition 60 Battle of Jutland Exhibition 6,277 Davidson Exhibition Launch 35 Davidson Exhibition 18th May to 14th 13,419 July 2016 Family Fun Day at Somme Museum and 15,000 parade with Newtownards and Bangor District Orange Lodges Irish Guard Performance in Ward Park 50 with Deputy Mayor in Attendance Blackwood Exhibition Launch 42 Blackwood Exhibition 700 Touring Exhibition - Comber 55 Touring Exhibition – Holywood Evening 60 Helens Tower to Somme Museum 100 tickets sold Walking Tour National Vigil at Somme Museum 400 Somme Commemoration Service, 5,000 Drumhead Service and Veterans Parade, Bangor. Film Screenings – ‘War Horse and My 25 Boy Jack’ Somme Ward Park Concert with 300 Salvation Army Band Total to date 41,523

Many more events throughout June and July had taken place and The Somme Centenary Joint Events Planner was attached and featured all the remaining activities planned.

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Some of audiences and visitor numbers at the events were still to be confirmed. An evaluation on all the events would be presented in a final report following the completion of the calendar of events.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes the minutes of the Somme Centenary Working Group on 10 June 2016 and the Events Planner.

Councillor Ferguson wished to place on record her thanks to the participants of the Group who had worked hard throughout the year. She noted that Somme events had been held in towns and villages across the Borough. She advised that the Group would be meeting for the final time the next day and she looked forward to hearing a full update on the most recent events.

Concurring with those comments, Councillor Menagh commented that all the Somme events had been well supported. He noted that the final event would take place in 2018 with the commemoration of the end of the First World War.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Ferguson, seconded by Councillor Menagh, that the recommendation be adopted.

16. RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF MOTION TO MAY CORPORATE COMMITTEE 2016 – FILE REF: 500498

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 19 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning providing a reminder of the Notice of Motion and the subsequent response.

Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Walker and Councillor Wilson to May Corporate Committee 2016:

“That this Council recognises the value of Crowdfunding as a potential source of funding for a growing number of community based projects. It also acknowledges that it can be a challenging undertaking for any group who might only employ the platform for one project and so instructs Officers to bring back a report on how we as a Council might best provide advice and offer practical assistance to community groups and others interested in investigating this line of funding.”

Officers recognised how important sources of funding were to businesses and members of the business support team provided advice and signposting to relevant sources of funding, including options support as crowdfunding and investor capital, as part of the one-to-one advice service.

In addition, an event to address the subject of crowdfunding had been organised by the economic development team to guide businesses on the various areas and processes and opportunities. Key speakers and influencers within the crowdfunding sector had been invited to share their expertise. Details of the event and the feedback was listed below for information.

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RAISING FINANCE THROUGH CROWDFUNDING

AGENDA

8.30 - 9.00 Arrival/Networking/Breakfast

9.00 Welcome to SIGNAL

9.00-10.00 Raising Finance Through Crowdfunding Julia Groves, UK Crowdfunding Association

10.00 – 10.30 Crowdfunding in Northern Ireland Cody Reddie, CoFunder (NI) Ltd

10.30 – 11.00 How to Design, Launch & Market a Crowdfunding Campaign Philip McAleese, MD See.sense

11.00-11.15 A Local Success Story - Keen Aimee Beimers, MD Keen Nut Nutrition

11.15 – 11.30 A Local Success Story - Mike’s Fancy Cheese Mike Thompson, MD Mike’s Fancy Cheese

11.30 – 11.45 Panel Q&A

11.45 – 11.45 Julia Groves – Close

11.45 – 12.00 Networking in the Atrium – Product Showcase

FEEDBACK

Module Title Masterclass Date/Time 11th of March 2015 Speaker: Julia Groves, Cody Reddie, Philip McAleese, Aimee Beimers, Mike Thompson No registered 49 Feedback 22 100% based on number of returned feedback forms * Figures may not add due to rounding

5 4 3 2 1 Please score the following Very Excellent Good Average Poor Good

1 Level of satisfaction with speaker 74% 22% 4%

2 Speaker content 70% 26% 4%

3 Time and duration of event 62% 33% 5%

4 Catering 41% 36% 18% 5%

5 Overall satisfaction of the event 57% 43%

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If you have scored any of the above criteria ‘3’ or less, please tell us why and suggest how it may be improved.

Legacy wealth advert was less ‘interesting’ – content jumped around and was repeated – not well prepared

Did you make any new contacts at this event? 18– yes; 4– no reply

What was the most useful part of the event? What was least relevant? Why?

- First Session + Case stories; - Examples of companies who used Crowdfunding; - Understanding of Crowdfunding; - Real businesses sharing their experiences; - Questions and answers; - Gaining an understanding of how Crowdfunding works and doesn’t work; - This event probably is not - Julia Groves was fantastic. Mike (Thompson) was appropriate for my organisation at the most relevant to me, so was pretty inspiring; this stage, but worth exploring - Presentations; today; - Being made aware of fact that this type of funding - Cofounder – too much of a sales could be sourced in Northern Ireland; pitch; - Hearing from Julia + the whole London perspective - Not reply – 10; was excellent + complemented five local stories very - Not applicable – 5; well; - Nothing – 2; - Increased information + awareness of Crowdfunding; - None – 2; - Excellent balance between information + practical examples; - All; - Ideas; - Talks by successful crowd funded clients; - Seeing/Learning from Crowdfunding campaigners; - All of it really but learning about options; - Networking opportunities and quantity of speakers; - Expertise of Julia Groves + Case studies; - Overviewing the detail of Crowdfunding

Was the content pitched at the right level? What improvements, if any, do you think should be made for future events?

- None – 1; Not applicable - 3; No reply – 11; - Yes - 20; Absolutely - 1; No reply - 1 - A bit more time for each speaker; - Similar events held more often; - Today was just excellent; - One to one session afterwards; - The section by Cofounder did not have documentation matching the slides

Are there any business topics you would like to Other Comments see covered by SIGNAL to help your business? - Overall very good; - No reply – 17; - Great event, very informative and well - More on Funding; organised; - Projectors, cash flow, costing; - Connectivity; - Experiential learning courses; - Very good; - Body Language/presenting target; - Great course. Answered nearly all my - Business Start-up: No.1 business agenda questions focus - No reply – 16

The programme of business support events which was run each year was created mainly based on the feedback received from businesses and was therefore responsive to their needs and was adapted accordingly each year.

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As those events were business focussed they had not included community groups. However, groups registered on our Social Enterprise Programme, which aimed to assist groups to explore and potentially set up as a social enterprise, could access financial advice tailored to their needs which may incorporate details on a variety of funding sources including crowd funding. Each of the business development programmes would also assist businesses to access information on any sources of funding including crowd funding.

The Community Development Section also ran grant workshops for potential applicants for Council funding. The potential of crowd funding could be raised at those workshops and access to various sources of funding could be made available and referrals could be made to the business support team if the need arose for specific detail.

RECOMMENDED that the Council notes the practical advice and assistance on crowd funding which the Economic Development and Community Development sections delivers.

Councillor Walked thanked officers for a comprehensive report, however he did not believe that it had fully answered his Motion. He asked whether, in a case where crowdfunding was not applicable, if the Council could give advice on other sources of funding and how to apply for same.

In response, the Director confirmed that there would be an officer with that expertise available to provide advice and assistance. She also advised that officers from Community Development were also available to provide advice and assistance.

Referring to Bangor Drama Club and its deputation to the Committee earlier in the year, the Chair advised that representatives from the Club had met with an officer and had found their advice and assistance helpful.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Walker, seconded by Councillor Wilson, that the recommendation be adopted.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

Item 22 – Exploris Update

At this stage in the meeting Councillor Adair proposed, seconded by Alderman Irvine, that Item 22 – Exploris Update be taken out of Committee and discussed in public.

Councillor Wilson sought clarification from the Director.

In response, the Director advised that the report had been written well in advance of the meeting and therefore some information contained in the report was already in the public domain. As such she was content for the matter to be discussed publicly.

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22. EXPLORIS UPDATE

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning stating that Exploris Aquarium had reopened to the public on Monday 15 August 2016 following a full refurbishment programme of works.

Visitor Numbers

The reopening of Exploris on 15 August 2016 had generated great interest and demand for tickets had been high. From opening day to 31 August 2016 the Aquarium had had 37,203 visitors which was an excellent start to the trading year. It had also had a very positive effect on other trade within the town.

Mutual Liaison

Now that the facility was operational the Council would work closely with the operator, Aquarium Exploris Ltd to ensure all requirements were met and all targets were achieved. A Mutual Liaison timetable had been set up for that purpose and the first monthly meeting had been held with the operators on Thursday 25 August 2016. At that meeting the operation of the facility had been discussed. No accidents had been reported. With a number of complaints, mainly about queuing, having been received, a prompt and robust complaints procedure to reply to complaints had been working well in the first few weeks. A Mutual Liaison meeting, to review the first quarter, would take place in November and a quarterly update report would be presented to the Regeneration and Development Committee thereafter.

Communications

The Public Relations and press from the 25 July 2016 to the opening date of the 15 August 2016 had achieved a value of £113,923.86. The PR had achieved 22 articles of which 81% had been positive and 19% had been neutral.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

The Director reported that events had been moving at pace and by close of play the previous evening, 41,312 visitors had been in attendance. A fall off had occurred following the commencement of the new school term, however there had still been approximately 2,000 visitors per day to Exploris.

Continuing, the Director advised that three key operational issues had come to light since Exploris opened, however they were all as a result of the centre’s success. The first issue was a lack of available parking. To address that, the caravan park had been reopened and there were operatives that opened and closed that each day. Currently officers were investigating the possibility of using other Council- owned lands for temporary car parking in the short term.

Secondly, there was currently only one external toilet, however officers were looking at providing additional toilet facilities for visitors queuing outside. Furthermore, there

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RDC.08.09.16PM was the option of repurposing a storeroom to create additional internal toilet facilities and that was being investigated.

Thirdly, whilst the aquarium had opened during a time of dry and sunny weather, if visitors had to queue outside during times of inclement weather, cover would have to be provided. Gazebos could be erected as a temporary measure, however officers were looking at options for a permanent queuing cover in anticipation of the next high volume of visitors at Halloween and then Christmas.

The Director assured members that the key issues were being addressed and going forward, a quarterly report would be brought to the Committee.

Rising in support, Councillor Menagh expressed his support for Councillor Boyle and the other people that had worked hard to get Exploris regenerated and re-opened. He was keen to see the facility maintained so that it could continue to benefit the surrounding area. He noted that he would be taking a bus-load of people to Exploris in October.

Also rising in support, Councillor Adair commended the Director and her team and the former acting Director of Development at legacy Ards Borough Council (Brian Dorrian) for their work in regenerating Exploris. He acknowledged the difficulties in reaching that stage and he highlighted that it demonstrated what privatisation could achieve, given that the Council could not have financed such a project. He continued, a new day had dawned for Exploris particularly given the phenomenal number of visitors to date. He believed it demonstrated the Council’s commitment to Portaferry and the rest of the Ards Peninsula. He was keen to see the benefits of Exploris harnessed for the whole Peninsula, particularly as it had beaches and scenery equal to that of the North Coast. He believed investment in the Peninsula was needed and that funding should be sought to market it effectively.

Concurring with those comments, Councillor Ferguson commended Council officers and staff at Exploris for their hard work. She commented that she had been overwhelmed by the knowledge of staff at Exploris. She referred to the aquarium providing quiet sessions on Thursday evenings for children with conditions such as autism, stating that it was fantastic that such services were being provided.

The Director advised that the sessions were called Quiet Time and would initially run from 4-6pm every Thursday. She added it was vital to ensure that as many of the population as possible could enjoy the facility and so during the quiet sessions, the lights would be turned low and numbers would be limited.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor McClean, that the recommendation be adopted.

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17. NOTICE OF MOTION – FILE REF: DS35

17.1 Notice of Motion submitted by Alderman Fletcher and Alderman Henry

“That this Council, in support of local food producers and Northern Ireland Year of Food, endeavours to use local products and menus for Council sponsored Civic functions and considers other ideas for promotion of local and artisan food.”

Alderman Fletcher spoke to his motion stating that three months had passed since he first brought this motion to Council and he suggested that it may now be out of date.

In light of that, Alderman Fletcher proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Menagh, that the word ‘endeavour’ be replaced with ‘continues to endeavour’.

Continuing, Alderman Fletcher stated that the Mayor had taken on the mantle of promoting local food including that she had used local products and menu for her installation dinner in August. He took the opportunity to congratulate the Mayor on her use of local food producers at her Installation Dinner and hoped that that would continue to be the case at future civic events. He noted that this area was ‘the garden of Ulster’, a special place with top quality produce and producers, and as such the Council should take every opportunity to promote and use those producers by showcasing them at every possible occasion, civic functions for example.

The Alderman referred to the Year of Food and Drink 2016 as a bespoke event, the success of which should be built on and new ways found to continue to promote local produce which included cheese, yogurt, sauce and ice cream makers; a rich tapestry of produce was available.

Referring then to supporting local food festivals, Alderman Fletcher highlighted the upcoming Harvest Fair in Newtownards which was due to be held on 23 September 2016. He believed the Fair could benefit from some input and he advised he had spoken with Mr Clive O’Neill who had some good ideas that could transform the Fair and also benefit Newtownards and Bangor Markets. He asked that going forward, the Council considered showcasing local produce at future town Fairs, and that could potentially develop this Borough as a bespoke provider for local produce; having a delicatessen type of feel. He also referred to the opening hours of the Fair and asked that consideration be given to extending the closing time to 6.00/7.00pm as currently the Fair was over by 3.00pm.

In conclusion Alderman Fletcher spoke of Portaferry Gala Week which had attracted thousands of visitors, and he noted that a market had also been held in the town during that week. He believed the market square in Portaferry lent itself to a market and wondered if special markets could be held there, for example at Halloween and Christmas. He hoped members would support his motion.

The seconder, Alderman Henry, proffered his support to Alderman Fletcher and local producers and also encouraged members to support the motion.

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Rising in support Councillor Adair commended Aldermen Fletcher and Henry for bringing the motion. He believed it was a timely motion that could build on the momentum of the Year of Food and Drink. He referred to the iconic Market House building in Portaferry and commented it would be great to see the building brought to life by using it as a market venue. Furthermore, the member believed there was considerable local interest in having a market for local produce and he commended the Mayor for supporting local producers and believed now was the time to build on that success.

Concurring with previous comments, Councillor Armstrong-Cotter proposed an amendment to the motion, to include that officers liaise with Clive O’Neill. The proposed amendment was seconded by Councillor T Smith. Furthermore, the member stated that she liked the idea of developing an artisan market, adding that we had the nicest food in the UK and exported much of it and therefore it was vital to celebrate our produce and continue to support our producers.

Alderman Fletcher confirmed that he was happy to accept the amendment.

Rising in support, Alderman McDowell commented that this area was renowned for agri-food businesses and he was encouraged to see that people were willing to travel into the Borough to see something different and experience new products and tastes. He referred to the Comber Fair market which hosted a wide variety of food producers and he noted that when people spent money in the Borough it would enable small businesses to grow.

Councillor Menagh expressed his support for the motion, commenting that this Borough produced the best food in Northern Ireland. He noted that the Newtownards Harvest Fair used to be fantastic, however in recent years it had not been as much of a success. He hoped that that could change and that other markets would be lifted as well, adding that so much could be achieved when people worked together.

Councillor Walker supported the motion and also proposed an amendment, seconded by Alderman McDowell, that the words ‘and drink’ were included after ‘local food’.

Alderman Fletcher confirmed he was happy to include that amendment.

In conclusion, Alderman Fletcher advised he was encouraged by the enthusiasm of members for his motion. He hoped all members’ comments would be included in the strategy moving forward and he believed the Council was on the right path in respect of promoting the local produce that we took pride in. He looked forward to seeing an improved Harvest Fair and advised that the Fair could trace its origins back to the 1600’s and was also mentioned in a poem in the Montgomery Manuscripts and other publications such as the Ards Chronicle. He looked forward to an enhanced tourist product.

The Director advised that the Council had agreed the work of the food and drink strategy for 2016 and highlighted that markets fell under the remit of the Environment Directorate. She confirmed that officers would liaise with Mr Clive O’Neill. She 28

RDC.08.09.16PM further advised that there was currently no capacity to make any changes for the Harvest Fair in 2016 due to its immanency.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Fletcher, seconded by Alderman Henry, that this Council, in support of local food and drink producers and Northern Ireland Year of Food, continues to endeavour to use local products and menus for Council sponsored Civic functions and considers other ideas for promotion of local and artisan food.

FURTHER AGREED TO RECOMMEND, that Council officers liaise with Mr Clive O’Neill.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Ferguson, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of confidential business.

18. LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISTRICT TOURISM STATISTICS 2015 – FILE REF: 160124 (Appendix VII)

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

19. PICKIE FUNPARK QUARTER 1 2006-17 – FILE REF: 171006

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

20. PORTAFERRY TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE INITIATIVE (THI) – FILE REF: CG3380A564

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

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21. REDEVELOPMENT OF LAND ADJACENT TO HIBERNIA STREET, HOLYWOOD – FILE REF: REG 001

*** LEGAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

23. REQUEST TO LEASE LAND, SIR SAMUEL KELLY LIFEBOAT – FILE REF: LP64 (Appendix VIII)

*** COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

7. REGENERATION SERVICE UNIT PLAN Q1 2016/17 – FILE REF: 160127

*** STAFF IN CONFIDENCE ***

*** NOT FOR PUBLICATION ***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to any individual.

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor McClean, seconded by Councillor Walker, that the public and press be re-admitted to the meeting.

24. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Strategic Document

Councillor Walker asked for an update on the Strategy.

In response, the Director advised that the Strategy was an integrated document for regeneration development and tourism development; and its purpose being to inform on the same. Currently that piece of work was eight weeks behind schedule, however that was as a result of being responsible for the delivery of timebound Council projects including new events, Exploris and Planning issues. She reported that the documentation was progressing in procurement terms but a check had to be done to ensure it was conforming with the delayed Tourism NI strategy. She confirmed that the Strategy would be delivered for members’ approval by the end of 30

RDC.08.09.16PM the financial year and meanwhile the lost time would be gained back where possible and the deadline would still be met.

The Director added that due to the level of work, the Head of Service was only able to take her summer leave now and that was the reason she was absent from the meeting.

TERMINATION OF MEETING

The Chair thanked everyone in attendance for a productive and positive meeting.

The meeting terminated at 8.17pm.

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ITEM 8.4

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Corporate Services Committee was held in the Council Chamber, 2 Church Street, Newtownards on Tuesday 13 September 2016 at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair: Councillor McIlveen

Aldermen: Carson Gibson Keery McDowell

Councillors: Gilmour Muir (7.08 pm) Chambers Smart Kennedy T Smith

Also in Councillor Robinson Attendance:

Officers: Interim Director of Finance and Performance (John Pentland), Head of Human Resources (Rosemary McCullough), Head of Administration (Amanda Martin), Compliance Manager (Sarah Teer), Community Planning Manager (Patricia Mackey), Receptionist/Administrator (Suzann Flowers), Democratic Services Officer (Jennifer Glasgow)

1. APOLOGIES

Apologies for inability to attend were received from Alderman Graham, Councillor Barry, Councillor Brooks and the Director of Organisational Development and Administration.

An apology for lateness was received from Councillor Muir.

The Chairman advised that the Director of Organisational Development and Administration had suffered a family bereavement and extended his condolences to her on behalf of the Committee.

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman asked for any declarations of interest.

No declarations were received.

NOTED.

CS.13.9.16

3. DEPUTATIONS

3.1 Transport NI - Annual Report

The Chairman welcomed the Transport NI representatives to the meeting:- Simon Richardson – Divisional Manager Stanley Lamb – Section Engineer Heather Bradley – Network Development Engineer

Mr Richardson thanked the Committee for the opportunity to present Transport NI’s Annual Report.

Mr Richardson advised that Transport NI was now part of the new Department for Infrastructure, known as DFI TNI. Referring to the report he stated that there had been significant work completed across the road network in the Borough in the previous year and hoped members appreciated the efforts of staff within Transport NI to deliver those projects and schemes. That said, he stated that 2015-2016 had been one of the most difficult years in recent history for Transport NI from a funding and service delivery point of view.

Mr Richardson explained that Transport NI had had to operate on significantly reduced budgets in 2015-2016. The local budget allocation was made up of both resource and capital monies. Resource spending was money that was spent on the maintenance of the existing road network. Capital spending was money that was spent on new roads, new infrastructure, resurfacing etc. Given the clear differences Transport NI were unable to take money from capital allocation and spend it on maintenance.

Mr Richardson outlined that the resource budget was under the most pressure and the capital budget less so, hence members may have noticed that major resurfacing and development works had progressed at a time when maintenance work was curtailed. He recognised that this could be a source of frustration to members of the public and indeed some public representatives. He explained that because of the restraint on resource budgets TNI had been unable to utilise external contractors to carry out routine maintenance activities for the majority of the year, so the work had to be carried out by internal maintenance staff at a much reduced level of service than in previous years.

To try and maximise the outputs and to deliver the best possible services, the in- house resources teams worked closely with Operations and Maintenance colleagues to plan and programme work in the most effective and efficient ways.

Mr Richardson outlined the main functions where Transport NI had to provide a limited service in the previous last year: -

Grass cutting – a decision was taken to reduce the number of cuts from 5 in urban areas and 2 in rural areas to 1 cut across all areas during the season. Sight lines were cut at junctions more frequently, as and when required, for safety reasons.

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Gully cleaning – in the early part of the year gullies had been cleaned on a response basis only, however, that was enhanced during the year and gullies were now cleaned in urban areas at least once per year.

Weed control – Transport NI was unable to provide a routine service however it did provide a weed control service in relation to invasive species.

Road defects – resources had to be concentrated on the more heavily trafficked roads which meant some rural roads did not receive the same level of maintenance that they would have done in previous years.

Street Lighting Maintenance – operated at a much reduced service – in a normal year Southern Division street lighting maintenance was provided by internal Maintenance staff in TNI while the 3 others Divisions used external contractors. Last year when there was a restriction on using external contractors the Southern Division Street Lighting staff were spread across the whole of NI to try and provide a level of service across the 4 Divisions. That resulted in a reduction in capacity in this Division of approximately 75%. In the later part of the year, additional money had been made available and external contractors were able to be utilised for street lighting repairs.

Mr Richardson assured the Committee that this was not the level of service that he wished to deliver to the Borough and across Southern Division and stated that it had been a very difficult year for all TNI staff.

Budgetary constraints remained, however, in June 2016 the Department had secured an additional £5m for routine maintenance work – that had allowed for the following work to take place:

 Complete 2 grass cut per year across all areas, with sight lines being cut as required;  Clean all gullies twice per year in urban areas and once per year in rural areas;  Provide a weed control service using external contractors – that was on-going in the Borough at present;  Repair the majority of pot holes on all roads; and  Continue to repair street lights.

In relation to rural roads the new DFI Minister, Chris Hazzard, was concerned at the impact of reduced funding on the rural road network and had secured an additional £10m capital allocation in June to instigate a Rural Road Initiative. The initiative would see the worst sections of rural roads being treated with small scale resurfacing schemes. For example, on short lengths of road where there were a relatively high number of potholes, instead of repairing each one, considerations may be given to undertaking short lengths of resurfacing. Also on sections where no actionable defects were recorded but the road surface was crazed or distressed it may also be suitable for treatment under the initiative.

Mr Richardson advised that inspectors were on the roads on a daily basis and had a good handle on which roads were in most need. Accordingly, Mr Lamb, the Section Engineer, and his staff had developed a list of small scale resurfacing schemes on

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CS.13.9.16 rural roads that were in particularly poor condition which would benefit from the funding. The list of roads was not included in the report as it had only recently been developed so he had asked Mr Lamb to send the list, of approximately 75 locations across the Borough, to the Council for distribution to all Councillors. He encouraged Members to report any roads they believed to be in need of attention to Transport NI for consideration. However, he stressed that only the worst sections of road would be eligible for consideration and there was only a limited number of additional schemes that could considered on top of the 75 or so currently listed.

In relation to Street Lighting, Mr Richardson confirmed that TNI had been able to secure funding for external contractors for maintenance work. That meant that all of the internal workforce would remain in Southern Division and would not be distributed to other Divisions, therefore retaining all available capacity within the Division. That said, the number of electricians in the Division had been reduced as a result of the Voluntary Exit Scheme across the Northern Ireland Civil Service, reducing capacity in this area. Mr Richardson advised that the overall impact of the Voluntary Exit Scheme had resulted in a significant number of people leaving the service. In Southern Division, numbers had been reduced by around 15% in a short period of time. Those staff reductions, coupled with the financial constraints, meant that the capacity to operate as Transport NI had done in the past was no longer available. Therefore, the aim now was to use the resources and staff available to deliver the maximum amount of work on the ground as possible.

Mr Richardson stated that there was a need for Transport NI to re-think the way they assessed requests for improvements schemes. Those included minor works such as new junction improvements and Local Transport and Safety Measures, including Traffic Management, Traffic Calming, Pedestrian and Cycling measures. In the past every request had been assessed almost immediately to try to provide a substantive answer within a short turnaround time. For example, if TNI received an improvement request in Donaghadee, it would visit the site, assess the situation, complete traffic surveys, make a recommendation and then provide a substantive response to the requestor. They might have encountered a different request in the same area a few weeks later and would have to repeat the process. With less staff there was no longer the capacity to divert to those reactive assessments because the focus would be on delivering works on the ground, presenting a need to assess requests collectively in a more efficient and effective manner. This meant that improvement schemes would be assessed together making it easier to compare and prioritise. That would not only save staff travelling time and costs but would provide a better priority list of schemes.

Mr Richardson stated that Transport NI still wanted the public to bring requests to it so that they could be assessed however, the assessment process would be carried out when compiling future Local Transport and Safety Measures programme which would be provided to the Council.

The Chairman interjected at this stage and advised that the time limit for the presentation had been reached.

Mr Richardson stated that he wished to provide an update to Members on the delivery of the new ferry. In general, the project had been on target but last minute

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CS.13.9.16 technical problems had meant that the planned delivery date of 31 August was not possible. The problems had now been resolved and sea trials were planned for 16 September 2016. Delivery within the following 2 weeks was anticipated although that would be subject to favourable weather conditions for the crossing.

The Chairman thanked Mr Richardson for the presentation and invited questions from Members.

Alderman Gibson questioned if the new gully scheme had commenced, noting that many of the gullies he had witnessed were overflowing. He welcomed the new road improvement scheme for rural roads and referred to Kilmood Church Rd, Killinchy, as a road that needed attention. In response, Mr Richardson stated that the gully scheme had commenced and efforts were being made to mobilise into a more normalised situation.

Alderman McDowell suggested that, in future, from a strategic point of view the removal of weeds and grass cutting be should be considered as a higher priority. The Borough had become extremely untidy and its upkeep had, he believed, been ignored. Alderman McDowell referred to the cycling improvements that had been made in Bangor and asked that consideration be given to cycle lane improvements in Newtownards. He highlighted areas where the cycles lanes stopped abruptly and referred to the Comber Road as an example. Alderman McDowell further referred to the North Street/Talbot Street junction. He welcomed the works that had occurred in the area however noted the difficulties faced for vehicles turning right into Upper North Street advising that there had been accidents at the junction.

In response, Mr Richardson agreed with the suggestion of Alderman McDowell in terms of weed removal and grass cutting. Transport NI had found themselves in a difficult situation due to budget pressures and had received a significant number of complaints. In terms of cycle lanes, areas were reviewed in conjunction with the cycling unit and Newtownards was on the radar for improvement works.

In terms of the North Street/Talbot Street Junction, Ms Bradley explained that the situation was being monitored and works were scheduled to take place in the next number of weeks. Those works would involve the placement of double signal heads. She advised that the developer had paid for the works in the area which had taken place as part of the development brief.

Alderman Carson asked for details of the share the Southern Division received from the additional funding. Mr Richardson explained that the division had received a significant proportion of the funding in the sum of approximately £3.5m.

Alderman Carson highlighted that parts of the Portaferry Road were in atrocious condition and the grass needed attention. Whilst visiting parts of the North Coast and Fermanagh during the Summer he felt their grass and weeds had been attended to better and expressed concerns that this Borough had fallen behind. Alderman Carson described the weeds around the Borough as “a shame and a disgrace” and made the area unattractive to tourists to the Borough. In response, Mr Richardson reassured him that the division had not been disproportionately disadvantaged. The same situation had occurred in terms of weeds and grass across the province. He

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CS.13.9.16 explained that it took time to mobilise the contractors. Contractors had to be laid off and re-employed.

In response to a question from the Chairman, Mr Richardson advised that the other divisions would also be receiving two grass cuts.

Councillor Smart raised questions regarding the process for making requests to Transport NI for an area to be given attention. In response, Mr Richardson stated that it was inefficient for officers to be making visits to remote sights on a random basis. Therefore, Transport NI had reviewed how sites were assessed and visits would now be undertaken and in a collective manor.

Ms Bradley further explained that the Ards and North Down Borough was somewhat unique in that good records of the areas within it and the requests associated with each existed for reference. She explained that with the majority of requests they would be able to provide a quick and accurate response as to whether a scheme was programmed or if it had been given a low priority. Transport NI aimed to provide a response within 15 days. If it was concluded that a request was not valid at the current time, then it would be held on a monitoring list.

The Chairman thanked the representatives for attending the meeting and they withdrew from the meeting.

3.2 NIPSA – Closure of Regional Electoral Offices

The Chairman welcomed Mr Dooley Harte to the meeting and invited him to make his presentation.

Mr Harte provided an overview of the proposals to close the Regional Electoral Offices and NIPSA’s concerns in that regard. He advised that the Electoral Office employed 46 staff and 40+ staff on casual contracts. Over recent years the Electoral Office had seen cuts in its resource budget and that was set to further decrease. NIPSA had requested financial information to justify the closure from both the Chief Electoral Officer and the NIO on a number of occasions and to date had not been provided with that information. He stated that NIPSA believed the reasons for the closure were purely financial. The leases of the electoral office buildings in Newtownards and Ballymena had terminated. The local Council had agreed to host the Ballymena offices for a temporary period of 6 months however that proposal had been refused. Mr Harte stated that there had been significant political support in the Assembly for a motion to retain the six regional offices. Furthermore, NIPSA had sought meetings with the NI Affairs Committee and the Secretary of State. Mr Harte outlined that currently the regional electoral offices undertook the following:-  Assembly, Westminster and European Elections  Referendums  Electoral Identification  Voter Registration  Promoted Voter Participation

He stated that NIPSA had grave concerns on the future proposals, which included Councils taking over elections, as well as Councils providing electoral identification

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CS.13.9.16 services and a voter registration service. Mr Harte stated that he was aware the Council had met with the Chief Electoral Officer and he encouraged it to response to the consultation document which was due to be issued that month. He further noted that the voluntary exit scheme for employees was due to be concluded by December which he felt was scandalous. Mr Harte expressed his disappointment at the lack of engagement on the closure proposals that had occurred overall.

The Chairman invited questions from Members.

Alderman Carson asked how many of the Electoral Office employees were NIPSA Members. In response Mr Harte stated that out of 46 staff he believed there were only two employees who were not members of the NIPSA union. He further expressed concerns that the post of Chief Electoral Officer had been advertised, therefore there was no accountability for the ongoing process.

The Chairman advised that the Chief Electoral Officer had attended a recent meeting of Council and the Council had clearly articulated its views on the matter. He thanked Mr Harte for his presentation and Mr Harte withdrew from the meeting.

4. 2015/16 ANNUAL PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT REPORT (FILE FIN 30)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report dated 6 September 2016 from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance detailing that the Local Government Finance Act (NI) 2011, and the supporting Prudential and Treasury Codes, issued by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), required the Council to approve financial policies and strategies for its capital financing and treasury management activities. As a minimum, the Council was required to receive and approve an annual strategy at the commencement of the year, a mid-year review and an annual report after the close of each financial year.

The report met the last requirement of an annual report for the 2015/16 financial year. The purpose of the report was to highlight performance against the Prudential Indicators which were set for capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activities set out in the Council’s annual strategy, which had been approved in February 2015.

The annual strategy for 2016/17 had been approved in February 2016. Members would receive the mid-year review for the strategy in the Autumn of 2016 and the annual report in the summer of 2017.

1. Capital Expenditure & Financing

The Act and CIPFA’s Prudential Code required the Council to set and monitor a series of Prudential Indicators (PIs) for capital expenditure and financing which ensured that, within a clear framework, the capital investment plans of the Council were affordable, prudent and sustainable.

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1.1 Capital Expenditure

The following table summarised the total amount of capital expenditure incurred during 2015/16 compared to the original estimate approved by Council.

Estimate Actual Variance

Indicator £’000 £’000 £’000 Capital Expenditure 2015/16 36,680 13,934 (22,746)

The variance in actual expenditure for the 2015/16 year, which was below the estimate by approx. £22.7m, was primarily due to time slippages on the following schemes, resulting in re-profiling of the budgets to later years:

 New Leisure Centre, Newtownards - £13.5m;  Queens Hall/Library Project, Newtownards - £2m;  Public Realm Schemes - £2.4m;  Holywood Sports Strategy – £1.75m;  Movilla Cemetery Extension - £1.2m;  Hamilton Road Community Hub - £0.6m.

1.2 Capital Resourcing

The table below summarised how the capital expenditure for 2015/16 of £13.9m had been financed: £ Capital Expenditure 2015/16 13,934,312 Financed by: Capital Receipts Reserve (3,054,658) Capital Fund/Earmarked Reserves (828,850) Repairs & Renewals Fund (28,931) Grants (212,433) Revenue Contributions (46,363) Balance to be met from borrowings 9,763,077

The unfinanced balance of £9.7m required to be met from borrowings. This formed part of the Capital Financing Requirement (see 1.3 below) and was financed through an annual charge for minimum revenue provision (MRP).

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1.3 Capital Financing Requirement

The Council’s underlying need to borrow to finance capital expenditure was termed the Capital Financing Requirement (CFR). The CFR was simply the total cumulative historic capital expenditure which had not yet been met from either revenue or capital resources and was essentially a measure of the Council’s underlying need to borrow.

The actual positions on the CFR and Gross Borrowing at 31/03/16 compared to the estimates were as follows: Estimate Actual 31/03/16 31/03/16 Indicator £’000 £’000 Capital Financing Requirement 79,443 60,519 Gross Borrowing 74,571 55,636 Under/(Over) Borrowing Requirement 4,872 4,883

The change from the estimated position to the actual position was a consequence of the underspend on capital expenditure resulting from slippages in those schemes outlined in section 1.1 above.

The under-borrowing position at 31/03/16 of approx. £4.8m indicated that historic capital expenditure had been temporarily financed from internal revenue resources. It was expected that borrowings would be required to be taken out during 2016/17 for the historic and current year capital expenditure.

In order to ensure that borrowing levels were prudent over the medium term, the Council’s gross external borrowing should not, except in the short term, exceed the total of the CFR in the preceding year plus the estimates of any additional CFR for the current and following two financial years. The forecast CFR for 31/03/18 (based on the Council’s approved capital investment plan) was approx. £87m. In that regard, it was considered that the Council’s borrowing level at 31/03/16 of £55.6m was prudent.

1.4 External Borrowings

During 2015/16, there was no requirement to take out any new loans.

Loan principal repayments of £2,431,253 were made on existing loans during the year. That resulted in a level of external borrowings at 31 March 2016 of £55,635,952.

The maximum gross borrowings at any point during the year was £58,067,205. This meant that the Council maintained its borrowings within both its authorised limit and operational boundary during the year, which could be seen from the table below.

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2015/16 Indicator £’000 Authorised Borrowing Limit ^ 79,571 Operational Boundary for External Borrowing * 74,571 Maximum Gross Borrowing 58,067

^ The authorised limit - Section 13 of the Local Government Finance Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 requires the Council to set an authorised limit for borrowing. The Council does not have the power to borrow above this level.

* The operational boundary – the operational boundary is the expected borrowing position of the Council during the year. Periods where the actual position is either below or over the boundary is acceptable subject to the authorised limit not being breached.

1.5 Ratio of Financing Costs to Net Revenue Stream

This indicator measured the proportion of the revenue budget that was allocated to finance capital expenditure and the table below showed that the actual for the year was comparable to the estimate.

2015/16

Indicator % Financing costs as a % of net revenue – Actual 15.0% Financing costs as a % of net revenue – Estimate 14.9%

1.6 Debt Rescheduling and Average Interest Rates

Officers were not able to avail of any debt rescheduling opportunities during the year as the combination of relatively low interest rates and the differential of 1% between new borrowing rates and premature repayment rates on government loans did not create any viable options.

The average interest rate for the Council’s total debt portfolio at 31 March 2016 was 6.09%.

2 Treasury Management

The Councils Treasury Management Policy and Strategy adopted the key principles of CIPFAs Code of Practice and had been set in accordance with the guidance issued by the Department of the Environment (now the Department for Communities).

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2.1 Investment Strategy 2015-16

The objectives of the Council’s investment strategy were safeguarding the repayment of the principal and interest on its investments on time, with the investment return being a secondary objective. As with previous years, the investment climate for 2015/16 was one of overriding risk consideration, particularly that of counterparty risk. As a result, implementation of the operational investment strategy during the year required short-term investments, when funds were available, to be placed with the Council’s approved high quality counterparties.

For the year to 31 March 2016, the Council earned interest of £33,536, having entered into investment deals with the approved financial institutions summarised below.

Average Average Average Interest Deposit Interest Term Earned Size Rate Bank of Scotland £3.5m 28 days 0.47% £ 18,307 Barclays Savings - - 0.25% £ 15,229 Total £ 33,536

The Council’s limit for total principal sums invested for periods longer than 364 days was £500k. During 2015/16, the Council did not enter into any investments which were for periods longer than 364 days.

2.2 Debt Related Treasury Activity Limits

There were three debt related treasury activity limits. The purpose of those were to restrain the activity of the treasury function within certain limits, thereby managing risk and reducing the impact of any adverse movement in interest rates. However, if those were set to be too restrictive they would impair the opportunities to reduce costs / improve performance. The indicators were:  Upper limits on variable interest rate exposure. That identified a maximum limit for variable interest rates based upon the debt position net of investments;  Upper limits on fixed interest rate exposure. That was similar to the previous indicator and covers a maximum limit on fixed interest rates;  Maturity structure of borrowing. These gross limits were set to reduce the Council’s exposure to large fixed rate sums falling due for refinancing, and were required for upper and lower limits.

The table below showed the position at 31 March 16 against the limits set for the year for each those indicators. The Council remained within the limits set for all indicators with the exception of one, the upper limit for fixed rate borrowing maturing in ten years which was exceeded by 1.1%. That was considered low risk in the medium term and would be reviewed in the current and following financial years.

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Limit set Actual at Interest rate exposures for 2015/16 31/03/16

Quantity of debt held at variable interest rates - upper limit 30% 14%

Quantity of debt held at fixed interest rates - upper limit 100% 86%

Lower Limit Upper Limit Actual at Maturity structure of fixed interest set for set for 31/03/16 rate borrowing 2015/16 2015/16

Under 12 months 0% 15% 0.5%

12 months to 2 years 0% 15% 0.2%

2 years to 5 years 0% 20% 3.4%

5 years to 10 years 0% 30% 14.8%

10 years and above 30% 80% 81.1%

RECOMMENDED that Council notes the 2015/16 Annual Report on the Prudential Indicators for capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activities.

The Interim Director of Finance and Performance explained the content of the report to Members.

Councillor Smart raised if taking an interest-only loan would be a better option given the low interest rate. He also asked the length of the Council’s longest interest-only loan. In response, the Director explained that using the Council’s surplus cash was the best short-term option as the borrowing rate was still much greater than a Deposit rate that could be achieved on any surplus cash. He added that the position was under constant review, on a daily basis, and consideration given as to when a tipping point might occur between long term borrowing and short term deposit rates. However, he said the Council had now exhausted such cash reserves and borrowing requirements would soon kick-in for 16/17. The Council’s longest interest-only loan was in the region of 10-15 years.

(Councillor Gilmour withdrew from the meeting – 7.56 pm)

In response to questions from Alderman McDowell, the Director advised that the UK Municipal Bonds Agency was attempting to pull the collective strength of many UK Councils with a view to issuing Bonds and hence enabling Councils to borrow at rates circa 0.3 to 0.4% per annum less than those offered by Public Works Loan Board. The Bonds Agency had recently presented to NI Council Finance Officers. The Director said the concept was good but the major drawback was the Joint & Several Liability that would be applicable to all participating Councils borrowing from UK MBA. From a personal point of view the Director explained that he would have

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CS.13.9.16 difficulty recommending a Joint & Several Liability concept and UKMBA were looking at options for tailoring a solution for Northern Ireland. In response to Alderman McDowell’s query regarding the EIB fund, Mr Pentland noted that this was an interesting proposition where very low rates – possibly sub 1% per annum - could be available. However he said their facility tended to be a minimum of Euro 200m and 50% of the Project value inferring schemes totalling Euro 400m. Consequently, there may be scope for pooling Northern Ireland Councils’ borrowing requirements and he understood that NILGA and also the NI Finance Minister were examining the potential for this with the EIB. He was aware that Derry City & Strabane District Council had ambitious road capital spend projects which could be included to give scale to any collective borrowing.

(Councillor Gilmour re-entered the meeting – 7.58 pm)

The Chairman questioned the level at which that the Council’s capital reserves should be maintained. In response the Director stated that the target for the General Fund Reserve was ideally £3.0m to £4m or equating to approximately 5% of the revenue & capital budget. He advised the Committee that the latest Financial Statements indicated that the Council was operating within these limits.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Chambers, seconded by Councillor Smart that the recommendation be adopted.

5. BUDGETARY CONTROL REPORT (FILE FIN45)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Reports dated 6 September 2016 from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance. The Budget Report covered the period 1 April 2016 to 31 July 2016 and the Revenue Budgetary Control Report by Directorate was also laid out. The Net Cost of Services as recorded at the end of July was £12,559,721 compared with a budget of £12,764,858 giving an underspend to date of £205,137 (1.6%).

Explanation of Variance

A Budgetary Control Report by Income and Expenditure by Directorate was shown on page 5 which analysed the overall favourable variance (£205,137) by expenditure (£222,703 favourable) and income (£17,565 adverse).

Community & Wellbeing

Expenditure - £79.6k (2.0%) better than budget to date. The favourable variance was mainly made up of the following: -

1. Community & Culture - £57.9k favourable. a. Payroll £26.9k due to vacancies in Community Development, Arts and Museums, Externally Funded Programmes; b. Guitar Festival £9.0k under spend, which has been offset by a corresponding reduction income;

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c. Arts Programmes £7.1k; Good Relations and PCSP grants £8.7k were under spent, however these were expected to come back into line as the year progressed.

2. Leisure & Amenities - £12.2k favourable. a. Energy costs £24.6k due to lower tariffs than budgeted for; b. Euro Football Championships screens £21.6k adverse. These were events which were agreed after the budgets had been set; c. Sports Development grants £4.6k and Ards Half Marathon £3.4k were under spent, however those were expected to come back into line as the year progressed.

Income - £83.6k (6.4%) worse than budget to date. The adverse variance was mainly made up of the following:-

3. Leisure & Amenities - £69.9k adverse. Ards LC £46.1k; Comber LC £8.3k and Londonderry Park £19.6k.

ENVIRONMENT

Expenditure - £41.1k (0.6%) worse than budget to date. The adverse variance was mainly made up of the following:-

4. Waste and Cleansing Services - £93.5k adverse. a. Payroll £53.2k adverse due to increased overtime. One of the main factors was overtime incurred in delivering brown bins to residents. b. Recycling initiative schemes were set out in the table below

£’000 Commentary Landfill 291.1 2.6k tonnes less than budget brown/green bin waste (159.8) 3.0k tonnes over budget caddy liners (74.9) financed from savings on landfill brown bins (57.6) financed from savings on landfill) Total (1.2)

Blue bin waste £17.2k adverse because tonnage was 100 tonnes over budget; Garden waste £28.9k (0.6k tonnes less than budget); Household recycling centres waste £55.6k adverse because of actual tonnage being higher than budget. A new initiative was underway to address this issue.

Building Control, Licensing & Neighbourhood Environment - £48.7k favourable. Payroll £56.7k largely due to vacancies in Building Control £41.6k;

REGENERATION, DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

Expenditure - £89.4k (4.8%) better than budget to date. The favourable variance was mainly made up of the following:-

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6. Economic Development & Tourism - £69.4k favourable. a. Payroll £35.2k due to vacancies within Economic Development and Tourism; b. Creative Industries £7.2k; Signal Centre £3.0k; Economic Development £2k; various Tourism events and activities £16.5k. These under spends were expected to come back into line as the year progressed.

7. Planning - £25.3k favourable. a. Payroll £32.5k due to vacancies; b. Advertising £5.1k.

Income - £61.0k (12.1%) better than budget to date. This favourable variance is mainly made up of the following:-

8. Regeneration - £36.7k favourable. a. Comber Traffic Assessment project grant £26.7k in respect of the 2015/16 year. Donaghadee THI £8.6k.

9. Planning - £23.3k favourable. a. Planning fees £23.2k ahead of budget.

FINANCE & PERFORMANCE

Expenditure - £5.1k (0.4%) better than budget to date.

10. The over spend with regard to Finance and Performance headquarters was mitigated by the under spend in Internal Audit.

ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT & ADMINISTRATION

Expenditure - £78.1k (5.6%) better than budget to date. The favourable variance was mainly made up of the following:-

11. Administration & Customer Services - £80.0k favourable. Payroll £18.8k; Bangor Town Hall £15.7k; Church Street Offices £9.3k; Insurance £9.3k; Members £9.7k; Customer Services £4.9k.

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BUDGETARY CONTROL REPORT By Directorate and Service

Period 4 - July 2016

Note Year to Date Year to Date Variance Annual Variance Actual Budget Budget £ £ £ £ %

Community & Wellbeing

100 Community & Wellbeing HQ 40,610 47,500 (6,890) 146,200 14.5 110 Environmental Health 415,386 427,800 (12,414) 1,422,000 2.9 120 Community and Culture 548,328 582,700 (34,372) 1,762,300 5.9 130 Leisure and Amenities 1,747,846 1,690,150 57,696 5,247,400 3.4

Totals 2,752,171 2,748,150 4,021 8,577,900 0.1

Environment

200 Environment HQ 51,035 49,000 2,035 150,400 4.2 210 Waste and Cleansing Services 4,411,901 4,325,340 86,561 12,960,600 2.0 220 Assets and Property Services 1,521,886 1,513,433 8,453 4,610,600 0.6 230 Building Control, Licensing & Neighbour (27,875) 36,400 (64,275) 172,700 176.6

Totals 5,956,947 5,924,173 32,774 17,894,300 0.6

Regen, Development & Planning

300 Regen, Dev & Planning HQ 46,926 47,700 (774) 144,000 1.6 310 Regeneration 183,323 214,000 (30,677) 931,400 14.3 320 Econ Dev & Tourism 868,923 939,260 (70,337) 2,853,900 7.5 330 Planning 108,156 156,800 (48,644) 567,000 31.0

Totals 1,207,328 1,357,760 (150,432) 4,496,300 11.1

Finance & Performance

400 Finance & Performance HQ 60,549 37,000 23,549 111,300 63.6 410 Internal Audit 7,711 26,100 (18,389) 79,400 70.5 420 Finance 463,991 468,600 (4,609) 1,375,100 1.0 430 Performance & Projects 636,258 642,600 (6,342) 1,873,600 1.0

Totals 1,168,509 1,174,300 (5,791) 3,439,400 0.5

Org Development & Administration

500 OD & Admin HQ 40,511 40,700 (189) 122,200 0.5 510 HR & OD 231,408 229,225 2,183 736,100 1.0 520 Administration & Customer Svcs 950,565 1,026,600 (76,035) 3,378,800 7.4

Totals 1,222,484 1,296,525 (74,041) 4,237,100 5.7

Chief Executive

600 Chief Executive 71,753 75,000 (3,247) 225,600 4.3 610 Community Planning 54,379 58,600 (4,221) 178,700 7.2 620 Corporate Communications 126,149 130,350 (4,201) 449,700 3.2

Totals 252,281 263,950 (11,669) 854,000 4.4

NET COST OF SERVICES 12,559,721 12,764,858 (205,137) 39,499,000 1.6 16

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BUDGETARY CONTROL REPORT By Income and Expenditure

Period 4 - July 2016

Expenditure Income Note Actual Budget Variance Actual Budget Variance £ £ £

Community & Wellbeing

100 Community & Wellbeing HQ 40,610 47,500 (6,890) - - - 110 Environmental Health 629,323 632,000 (2,677) (213,937) (204,200) (9,737) 120 Community and Culture 780,446 838,300 (57,854) (232,118) (255,600) 23,482 130 Leisure and Amenities 2,518,646 2,530,850 (12,204) (770,800) (840,700) 69,900

Totals 3,969,026 4,048,650 (79,624) (1,216,855) (1,300,500) 83,645

Environment

200 Environment HQ 51,035 49,000 2,035 - - - 210 Waste and Cleansing Services 4,984,261 4,890,740 93,521 (572,359) (565,400) (6,959) 220 Assets and Property Services 1,562,839 1,568,533 (5,694) (40,953) (55,100) 14,147 230 Building Control, Licensing & Neighbour 714,572 763,300 (48,728) (742,447) (726,900) (15,547) ------Totals 7,312,706 7,271,573 41,133 (1,355,759) (1,347,400) (8,359)

Regen, Development & Planning

300 Regen, Dev & Planning HQ 46,926 47,700 (774) - - - 310 Regeneration 262,082 256,000 6,082 (78,758) (42,000) (36,758) 320 Econ Dev & Tourism 1,010,721 1,080,160 (69,439) (141,798) (140,900) (898) 330 Planning 453,594 478,900 (25,306) (345,438) (322,100) (23,338)

Totals 1,773,322 1,862,760 (89,438) (565,994) (505,000) (60,994)

Finance & Performance

400 Finance & Performance HQ 60,549 37,000 23,549 - - - 410 Internal Audit 7,711 26,100 (18,389) - - - 420 Finance 464,726 468,600 (3,874) (735) - (735) 430 Performance & Projects 636,258 642,600 (6,342) - - -

Totals 1,169,245 1,174,300 (5,055) (735) - (735)

Org Development & Administration

500 OD & Admin HQ 40,511 40,700 (189) - - - 510 HR & OD 231,408 229,225 2,183 - - - 520 Administration & Customer Svcs 1,053,556 1,133,600 (80,044) (102,991) (107,000) 4,009

Totals 1,325,475 1,403,525 (78,050) (102,991) (107,000) 4,009

Chief Executive

600 Chief Executive 71,753 75,000 (3,247) - - - 610 Community Planning 54,379 58,600 (4,221) - - - 620 Corporate Communications 126,149 130,350 (4,201) - - -

Totals 252,281 263,950 (11,669) - - -

NET COST OF SERVICES 15,802,055 16,024,758 (222,703) (3,242,335) (3,259,900) 17,565

RECOMMENDED that the Committee notes this report. 17

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The Interim Director of Finance and Performance outlined the content of the report to Members. The budget overall was currently favourable, largely due to budgeted payroll and staff vacancies that remained unfilled. There had been £53.2k of an overspend in the Environment directorate that was primarily due to overtime as a result of understaffing and other overtime payment had been required for the delivery of brown bins to meet the objectives of the recent re-cycling initiative. The income figure was favourable due to income from planning and building control fees, however, an adverse budgetary performance had been experienced at the Ards and Comber Leisure Centres.

Alderman McDowell referred to the surplus and questioned if the budgets were challenging enough. He expressed a degree of concern in respect of the favourable variances at the end of successive financial years and asked if the budgets were providing a true and accurate picture. He also raised the question of whether the Council had levied too high a rate. In response the Director explained that the 15/16 budget was the first of the new combined Council and the full outworkings were unknown at the time the 16/17 budget was being constructed. In terms of the 16/17 budget, it was still early in the financial year and budget profiling may result in a surplus showing at the end of Period 4 which could well be eroded as the year progressed. The Interim Director stated that the 17/18 Budget setting process was about to commence and lessons learned from 15/16 and 16/17 to date would be used to challenge any initial budget assumptions.

Alderman Carson asked for an explanation for the term ‘HQ’ after each of the directorate headings within the budget. He was also of the view that brown bins were delivered by a contractor and therefore questioned why overtime had been incurred. In response the Interim Director of Finance and Performance stated that he would revert back to the Member with a response in due course.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Alderman Keery, seconded by Councillor Smart that the recommendation be adopted.

6. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL FUNDS (FILE FIN58)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 6 September 2016 from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance stating that, in the preparation for Local Government Reform, the Council had formally established a Capital Fund (to defray capital expenditure) and a Repairs and Renewals Fund (to defray revenue expenditure in respect of repairing, maintaining, replacing and renewing buildings, works, plant, equipment or articles) at the Special Finance and Resources on 3 February 2015.

Due to an oversight the Council did not establish an Earmarked Fund, as had been used in a legacy organisation and had been included in the Council’s first set of Financial Statements. That fund was considered beneficial to the general financial management of the Council as it would allow finance for specific projects, which were either capital, revenue or mixed in nature, to be carried from one financial year to the next in limited circumstances.

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RECOMMENDED that Council approves the establishment of the Earmarked Fund.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Alderman Gibson, that the recommendation be adopted.

7. REVISION TO INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY (FILE 287109) Appendix I

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 1 September 2016 from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance attaching Pages 30 and 31 – Information, Communication and Technology Policy (Change Management), Appendix 4 – Business Technology/Security Change Request form and Appendix 13 – Change Requests. The report reminded Members that the Council had recently approved the Information, Communication and Technology Policy which had been put in place to protect the organisation’s Business Technology assets from threats whether internal or external, deliberate or accidental.

In line with best practice and in light of a recent audit review it was recommended that a minor amendment was made to the Information, Communication and Technology Policy to incorporate Change Management (pages 30 and 31). That aimed to establish clear management direction and procedure for change management and control of Business Technology and Firewall/Security assets.

RECOMMENDED that the revised Information Communication and Technology Policy be adopted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Councillor Chambers, that the recommendation be adopted.

8. PERFORMANCE REPORTING Q1 2016/17 Appendices II – VII

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Reports from the responsible Directors attaching relevant KPI Report Q1 2016/17. The reports reminded Members that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil the requirement, the Council had approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with 4 of these highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

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Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans had been agreed by the Council in April 2016.

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

8.1 Corporate Communications

Key points to note:

 Posts within the corporate communications team had not been filled until 1 June 2016 causing a delay in the implementation of some service plan actions.  New media monitoring system to better record and evaluate coverage was procured and introduced in August 2016 – that would assist with securing coverage  Target for answering media enquiries – delays were mainly caused when the relevant service area was unable to provide feedback quickly. The importance of meeting deadlines and identification of likely press issues in all service areas would be discussed with managers during future PR planning meetings.

Key achievements:

 Completion of the five town centres branding project  Introduction of face-to-face team briefing system about corporate plans and performance for all staff  Creation of three animations for social media/website to help engage residents with Council services and events (food waste video, community planning video and Somme heritage video).

Emerging issues:

 Further work to be done on the process for dissemination of information to ‘hard to reach’ staff  Priority for next quarter to progress work on a new Council intranet.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

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8.2 Community Planning

Key points to note:

 The Community Plan was on schedule to be published by 1 April 2017.  The second phase of the Big Conversation had been launched towards the end of June so the postcards gathered during the first reporting quarter only occurred towards the end of the quarter.  Strategic Community Planning Partnership meetings had been reasonably well attended but some of the smaller partner organisations had issues adequately resourcing 11 Community Planning Partnerships. Work was ongoing to further develop and enhance partner engagement.

Key achievements:

 The Big Conversation brand had started to become recognisable.  Twitter @myvoicemyAND was growing at a steady rate and an increasing number of people/organisations have been using #myvoicemyAND within their own tweets.  An animation featuring key landmarks within the Borough had been developed to market the Big Conversation. This was launched at an event in North Down Museum where community representatives spoke about some of the issues affecting them and their hopes regarding the impact the Community Plan could have on their lives.  47 stakeholder organisations were actively involved in helping develop the Plan.

Emerging issues:

 Ongoing engagement with the public and with community planning stakeholders needed to be carefully considered to ensure people did not get frustrated by the process.  An age friendly and a community resilience project had emerged as initial areas of collaborative work.  Consideration was required on how to collaborate on community planning outcomes, indicators and projects across neighbouring council areas.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

8.3 Finance

Key points to note:

 Performance regarding the issue of monthly budget reports had suffered following the introduction of a wider ranging monthly accruals process and as a result of the first financial year end process. Although, there was an improvement for period 4, management would consider ways of streamlining the month end process further. It was expected that the target would be

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achieved by the January 2017, however, on average, for the year the 10 working day target would not be met.

Key achievements:

 Supplier payments statistics continued to improve for the third quarter in a row, with 46% of suppliers being paid within 10 working days and the average time to pay now only 22 days.

Emerging issues:

 Members were also reminded of a report by the Federation of Small Businesses in regard to the speed of supplier payments in each of the 11 Northern Ireland Councils. In quarter 1, of this year, the Council paid 79% of suppliers within 30 calendar days compared with 63% for the previous year. Management was considering ways of continuing to improve the Council’s performance and enhance internal controls by introducing a fully electronic Purchase-to-Pay system. A 30 day payment target would be considered to be included in the next Finance service plan.

8.4 Performance & Projects

Key points to note:

 The period covered by this report in Quarter 1 (Q1) included only those Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for which data was available on a quarterly basis and it should be noted that any biannual or annual KPIs would be reported in either Quarter 2 or Quarter 4 respectively.

Key achievements:

 Expenditure within budget  Very high staff attendance and no turnover  Investment in staff through regular briefing and development  No successful procurement challenges  Performance Improvement Plan agreed during this period – with progression of same facilitated by Performance and Projects Service  100% network uptime during this period plus investment in ICT capabilities such as enhanced Wi-Fi  Positive progression of projects during this period (see regular CPPB report for further detail) including for Hamilton Road Community Hub and Exploris Aquarium which had since been completed

Emerging issues:

 Expenditure as a percentage of overall Council spend was at 5.47% against a target of 5%. That was due to lower overall Council expenditure during Q1 and it was anticipated that the target would be achieved by year end.

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 93% of services calls had been addressed within target timescales. That was lower than the stated target of 95%, primarily due to staff shortages which would be addressed following the filling of a currently vacant post.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

8.5 Administration

Key points to note:  The period covered by the report (Quarter 1) included only those Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for which data was available on a quarterly basis. It should be noted that any biannual or annual KPIs would be reported in either Quarter 2 or Quarter 4 respectively.  Targets not covered in this report related to Equality, Health and Safety, Surplus Land Assets, Environmental Management, Staff and Customer Satisfaction, Services to Elected Members and quality of Civic Events.

Key achievements:  One Emergency Planning Desktop Exercise had been completed ahead of schedule.  100% of Internal Audit exercises carried out within the Administration Section received a “satisfactory” report, however, only one audit relating to Emergency Planning/Business Continuity was carried out during this period. (Satisfactory audit reports had also been received in relation to Customer Complaints procedures and Data Protection compliance shortly before the reporting period commenced). That was considered a positive indicator, particularly during a period of continued change.

Emerging issues:  At the end of the first quarter, the Council had failed to meet its 100% target for compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004 as it did not respond to 100% of requests for information within the legislative timeframes. The author believed that a percentage lower than 100% was unacceptable. Training had been delivered to around 300 staff members to aid understanding of legislative responsibilities, change attitudes towards information disclosure and raise awareness of the Council’s core value of integrity which encompassed openness and transparency in its relationships with the public and partners. Information management systems had been reviewed and improvements made to develop a culture of respect for information

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

8.6 Human Resources

Key points to note:

 Within the HR and OD Service Plan there were a total of 9 Key Performance Indicators, 5 of which were being measured in the 1st quarter. The remaining 4 would be measured either half yearly or annually.

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 The report showed that in the 1st quarter the HR and OD Section had fully met 3 of the 5 KPIs being measured, alert had been signalled with regard to 1 KPI and 1 KPI had not been met.  The alert was with regard to % staff attendance within the HR and OD section. That was due to one member of the team being on long term sick over this period. However, the officer had since returned to work.  The 1 KPI which had not been met in the 1st quarter was with regard to the % of staff within the Council attending Absence Policy Training. The target was set for 30% of staff to have attended training in the 1st quarter, however, only 15% had attended. The HR and OD service had concentrated on ensuring key staff received that training in the first instance and all managers had now been trained. Training was ongoing for the rest of the organisation and an Action Plan was in place to ensure all staff receive this training within the 2016/2017 year.

Key achievements:

The filling of posts in the new Council structure was progressing satisfactorily. All posts down to 5th tier in the organisation i.e. around 200 posts had now been filled and work was progressing through a variety of methods to ensure all staff were confirmed in a post within the financial year. All the key HR policies had been developed, negotiated and implemented throughout the entire organisation and training had been provided to managers with regard to those.

The new Absence Policy was being embedded and managers were given advice and guidance in order to ensure consistency of approach. It was anticipated that, over time, that would improve % absenteeism figures in the Council. The absence figures for the first quarter of this year were lower than the final quarter of last year.

Pride in Performance conversations were taking place with staff in line with the Council’s Performance Management process and an external trainer had provided advice and guidance to help managers adopt a coaching style approach in the delivery of those.

The Staff Consultative Committee was functioning effectively and was an ideal vehicle to enable management to effectively communicate and seek feedback from staff. That enhanced other communication methods introduced within the Council.

Emerging issues:

Although achieving Investors in People was a Key Performance Indicator within HR and ODs Annual Service plan, it was not referred to in the first quarter as it would be measured later in the year. The HR and OD Service was continuing to work towards achieving Investors in People accreditation by December 2016. Although it would be an incredible achievement if the Council achieved that accreditation by December, the main reason the target was included as a key target within Ards and North Down Borough Council’s first Corporate Plan was to demonstrate the Council’s commitment towards its staff. Working towards IIP sets the Council high standards with regard to investing in the organisations most valuable resource i.e. its

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CS.13.9.16 workforce. To achieve this accreditation, the Council must have effective communication and staff performance management processes in place.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Keery, seconded by Alderman Carson, that the above recommendations be adopted.

9. COMMUNITY PLANNING UPDATE (FILE CPL5) Appendices VIII, IX, X

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 20 July 2016 from the Chief Executive attaching Strategic Community Planning Partnership minutes of March 2016, Community Planning Outputs paper from 3rd meeting of Thematic Delivery Groups (June 2016) and Ards and North Down’s Community Planning Newsletter (Issue 3) August 2016. The report detailed that Community Planning had come into operation on 1st April 2015 as part of the full implementation of local government reform. The new duty required Ards and North Down Borough Council, as lead partner, to be responsible for making arrangements for community planning in our area. The legislation stipulated that the Council must work with statutory bodies and its communities to develop and implement a shared vision for promoting the well-being of our area, community cohesion and to improve the quality of life of all our citizens.

The Local Government (Community Planning Partners) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 had come into operation on 15 March 2016.

Ards and North Down’s Strategic Community Planning Partnership The approved minutes of the third meeting held in March 2016 were attached to the report for information.

The fourth meeting of the Strategic Community Planning Partnership had taken place on 21 June 2016. The purpose of the Strategic Partnership was to agree the overall strategic direction of the Plan as well as demonstrating each organisation’s commitment.

The fourth meeting of the Partnership had been held on 21 June 2016 and issues discussed included:  Peace IV Draft plan Emerging Issues;  Workings and outputs of Thematic Delivery Groups;  Data and evidence update;  Big Conversation engagement plan;  Community planning workshop October 2016;  Programme for Government and Ards and North Down’s Community Plan;  Collaborative working between statutory partners and 11 councils; and  Strategic Environmental Assessment.

Ards and North Down’s Thematic Delivery Groups The Strategic Community Planning Partnership was supported by five Thematic Delivery Groups. The Thematic Delivery Groups were made up of operational staff

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CS.13.9.16 from the strategic partners as well as the community and voluntary sector, the business community and other organisations who had expressed interest in being involved. There was a legal requirement for the Partnership to publish the Community Plan at the end of March 2017. Ensuring that happened meant that the TDGs had to make progress at each of their meetings via an agreed set of desired outputs. Those and their status was outlined in the table below.

Date TDG Outputs Status January 2016 1st Agree scope of priorities identified by Big Complete Conversation April 2016 2nd Consider possible high level outcomes and Complete the focus of activities that may relate to the achievement of such outcomes June 2016 3rd Consider evidence regarding outcomes and Complete identify long list of potential indicators. Identify additional data that will be needed to clarify where additional support/interventions are needed October 2016 4th Workshops to finalise 15 year outcomes, In intermediate outcomes, indicators, targets, Development and assign responsibility The Strategic Community Planning Partnership meeting in December would sign off the draft outcomes and intermediate outcomes which would then go out for public consultation January 2017 5th Agree actions and delivery mechanism Framework of Community Plan out for 8 week public consultation with SEA and EQIA The Strategic Community Planning Partnership meeting in March would endorse and agree the Community Plan for publication and consider a future meeting schedule for the Strategic Partnership. April 2017 6th Review structure of TDGs to reflect content and delivery of Community Plan Agree reporting mechanism

Emerging Outcomes of Ards and North Down’s Community Plan Ten emerging outcomes were currently being considered for the Community Plan. Those would be refined at the September and October workshops. The potential outcomes were that: 1. Ards and North Down was a great place for children and young people to grow up; 2. Older people were valued, their voices were heard and they were supported to enjoy full and positive lives for longer; 3. People had the resources necessary to meet their everyday needs; 4. People felt empowered, included and able to take responsibility for the wellbeing and inclusivity of their communities; 5. People took control of their own personal wellbeing by making appropriate lifestyle choices; 6. People were safe and felt safe; 7. People had the opportunities and support necessary to acquire the skills for learning, life and work;

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8. People wanted to do business here as our economy is attractive, nurturing, competitive and sustainable; 9. People had access to high quality local services, facilities and infrastructure; and that 10. Our natural and built environment was accessible, protected, enhanced and adverse impacts were minimised.

Attachment two contained the outputs paper from the third meeting of the Thematic Delivery Groups with more detailed information on the thinking behind the outcomes and the potential indicators.

Community Planning Workshop for Elected Members A workshop for Elected Members had been arranged for 27 September in Londonderry Park. The aim of the workshop was to gather feedback from Elected Members on the potential outcomes and what the Community Plan should seek to achieve over 15 years. Members’ contribution would help determine the final, high- level, list of outcomes as well as the indicators that should be used to measure progress towards those outcomes.

The Big Conversation Engagement Plan The Big Conversation was Ards and North Down’s Community Planning Partnerships method of engaging the public and other stakeholders in the community planning process. The Big Conversation postcard and workshop (November 2015) was used to identify a long list of priority issues that had been refined via the Thematic Delivery Groups.

On 27 June 2016 the Big Conversation had been re-launched to increase participation and awareness across the Ards and North Down Borough about community planning and how people could become involved. A second postcard and a short animation had been commissioned to help promote the Big Conversation and to encourage people to go online and take part in a survey that had been developed around the issues already identified by the public. The survey results would help clarify specific issues regarding service delivery. 470 responses have been gathered since 27 June 2016 to the date of this report. The closing date for the survey was 25 September 2016. During September a project would take place with South Eastern Regional College to ensure the opinions and issues affecting young people were collected as part of the Big Conversation.

The animation had been shared via Twitter and social media. Connections across the Community Planning partnership would be used to distribute the animation via their digital networks. The press and local communities attended a launch along with communication officers from Community Planning Partners. Ards and North Down’s Community Planning newsletter help to promote and encourage engagement with the development of the community plan.

The revised postcard had been distributed via the same mechanisms as used previously. A short survey on the postcard would direct people towards completing the more comprehensive online survey.

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Following on from the survey a number of public workshop/focus groups would be held. That would ensure the public continued to have an opportunity to input into the plan throughout its development and not just within the formal consultation window when the draft plan had been written.

RECOMMENDED that this report be noted.

The Community Planning Manager spoke to the report highlighting the salient points. She encouraged Members to attend the Workshop arranged for 27 September 2016 which was designed to give them an opportunity to have an input into the plan. She added that there was still an opportunity for members to provide input through the consultation process.

Alderman Gibson welcomed the feedback and progress on community planning and the update report from the Officer. The Chairman explained that the Community Planning Partnership was a stakeholder group and included representation from elected members.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the recommendation be adopted.

10. 2018 REVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCIES - PUBLICATION OF PROVISIONAL PROPOSALS REPORT Appendix XII

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 6 September 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching BCNI Provisional Proposals Report. The report highlighted that the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland had published its Provisional Proposals Report on Tuesday 6th September 2016 for consultation. The closing date for comments was Monday, 28th November 2016.

Representations could be submitted either online at www.bcni2018.uk, by email at [email protected] or by writing to the Secretary to the Boundary Commission:

Eamonn McConville Secretary to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland The Bungalow Stormont House Stormont Estate Belfast BT4 3SH

RECOMMENDED that Members determine if a Council response was required to the proposals.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Councillor Kennedy that responses be made individually by members or by political parties.

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11. BLAIR MAYNE BURSARY SUB COMMITTEE (FILE ADM24) Appendix XIII

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 19 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching minutes of meeting held on 18 August 2016. The report detailed that following a decision of the Council in May 2016, the first meeting of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Blair Mayne Bursary Sub-Committee had been held on 18 August 2016. The Minutes of the Meeting were attached to the report and contained the following recommendations:

1. To appoint Mr T Troughton and Mr M Cairns as external contributors 2. To fill the vacant position of a third external contributor by asking the Blair Mayne Research Society if it wished to nominate a contributor for the reasons outlined in the minutes.

The Minutes also contained a request for permission for the Sub-Committee to proceed as quickly as possible after its next meeting, scheduled for 20 October 2016, to advertise the next tranche of the Blair Mayne Bursary to allow for bursaries to be awarded early in 2017.

RECOMMENDED that the Minutes and the recommendations contained therein be adopted and permission granted as outlined above.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Smart, seconded by Alderman Keery, that the recommendations be adopted.

12. BURIAL CHARGES – CONCESSIONARY ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ARMED FORCES (FILE BG15269) Appendix XIV

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 26 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching Equality Commission for Northern Ireland’s Written Evidence on the Implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland. The report explained that in February 2015, the Shadow Council had agreed to ask officers to bring back a report investigating if any concessions on Burial Charges could be given to serving members or former members of the Armed forces who originally had resided in the Borough. A report had been subsequently tabled with a recommendation to note the content as it was not deemed possible to apply resident’s charges because of the Council’s obligations under Section 75 of the NI Act.

Officers had been asked to reconsider this matter and bring back a further report, taking into consideration the Council’s support for the Armed Forces Community Covenant to ensure that those serving in the Armed Forces were not discriminated against.

A further report had been tabled at the meeting of the Corporate Services Committee in March 2016 presenting details of independent legal advice received in response to the proposal to offer concessionary burial charges to the Armed Forces. The advice was given from several legal perspectives, taking into consideration the implications 29

CS.13.9.16 arising from Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998, Sex Discrimination (NI) Order 1976 and Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

The recommendation contained in that report was that the legal advice be noted and no further action be taken. When put to the vote, the recommendation was not carried.

At the Council Meeting in March 2016, when the above Minutes of the Corporate Services Committee were tabled for ratification, it had been resolved that the matter be referred back to the Committee and that the advice of the Equality Commission be sought in the meantime. During the debate at that meeting, the proposer had stated that the motive behind his proposal was to assist not only those serving in the Armed Forces who had been posted outside the Borough but also their families and he had expressed the view that, in the event that a family member died while living outside the Borough with a related member of the Armed Forces, they should also be treated as a resident for the purposes of applying Burial Charges in the Council’s cemeteries.

Advice from Equality Commission for Northern Ireland Council Officers duly sought the advice of the Equality Commission on whether the Council could “legally and fairly apply the resident’s fee for graves, or rights of burial, to members of the Armed Forces and their families who have moved out of the Borough”. As that was not the policy at present, the advice the Equality Commission had provided was general in nature. It stated that, should the Council decide to adopt a policy whereby it applied the resident’s fee for members of the Armed Forces and their families, it would be prepared to offer more specific advice, if appropriate.

The Equality Commission went on to state that it had provided the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee with a submission to its enquiry on the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant in Northern Ireland. The submission concerned the equality laws in Northern Ireland and how these related to the Armed Forces Covenant. A copy of the written evidence had been attached to this report. In the evidence, the Equality Commission advised that, while the Section 75 duties must be complied with when a public authority makes a decision to develop or review a policy, Section 75 did not in itself prohibit the development of particular policies.

In relation to the proposal to offer concessionary burial charges to members of the Armed Forces and their families, as outlined above, the Council must ensure that it complied with Section 75 equality scheme commitments. The Equality Commission understood that the Burial Charging policy had been “screened out” and that a recommendation not to implement the proposed policy (application of concessionary charges) had also been screened out. Should the Council determine that the policy may go ahead, the Commission advised that the Council should revisit its screening process.

In terms of anti-discrimination legislation, the provision of preferential treatment to the Armed Forces and their families could be indirectly discriminatory on grounds, for example, of race or sex or political opinion. The Equality Commission referred to the detailed advice provided by the Council’s Solicitor previously on indirect

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CS.13.9.16 discrimination and recommended that, if further consideration was being given to the policy, the aim of the policy needed to be clearly established so that decisions could be made with regard to whether the treatment (proposed policy) was indeed a proportionate means of achieving this legitimate aim. It appeared that there may be differing considerations with regard to what would be considered proportionate and the Council could review this in the context of the policy development and screening process. For example, the considerations may differ for Armed Forces personnel and more distant family members.

Current Position The Council had now received both legal advice and the advice of the Equality Commission on the matter. The advice from the Equality Commission was non- committal as the Council had not as yet adopted a policy to apply the resident’s fee for burial charges to existing and former members of the Armed Forces and their families. The Equality Commission had merely stated that it would provide further advice should the Council decide to change its policy in this respect. It did, however, advise on the matters which would require consideration should the Council decide to adopt such a policy. It stated that the legal advice which had already been received should be one such matter for consideration.

Members were reminded that the legal advice, tabled in detail at the meeting of the Corporate Services Committee on 8 March 2016, had concluded that “in order to apply the resident’s charges for those members of the Armed Forces who are formerly residents of the Borough, and who do not have a permanent address in the Borough, the Council would have to identify a proper purpose for the introduction of the change in burial charges having taken account of all relevant material and give valid reasons, based on sound evidence, for the change in approach and the introduction of the differential pricing policy. The signing of the Armed Forces Covenant is not a sufficient premise on which to base the policy as it purports to deal only with serving and former members of the armed forces and their families who resided in the Borough. In any event, preferential treatment of members of the armed forces may raise issues under Section 75 and equalities legislation in respect of the provision of goods, facilities and services”.

RECOMMENDED that, in light of the foregoing legal advice and, in the absence of “valid reasons” and “sound evidence” for changing the policy, the status quo prevails on how burial charges are applied to former and serving members of the armed forces and their families and that they are treated in the same manner as other residents and non-residents of the Borough.

The Head of Administration outlined the content of the report highlighting that definitive legal advice could not be provided given that the Council were not adopting the policy at the present time.

The Chairman drew Members attention to the legal advice and asked Members to bear in mind the implications of not following it.

Alderman Keery stated that he was puzzled by the report and the legal advice as there was reference made to former Members. He stated that his proposal had related to serving members of the Armed Forces. In response, the Head of

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Administration stated that the legal advice and the recommendation applied to and was inclusive of both former and serving members of the Armed Forces.

Alderman Keery stated that he could not accept the Officer’s explanation as his proposed related only to serving members of the armed forces and the advice given was for something different.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Councillor Smith the recommendation be adopted.

Alderman Keery wished to be recorded as dissenting.

13. FUTURE OF NEWTOWNARDS COURTHOUSE, REGENT STREET, NEWTOWNARDS (FILE CG12132)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 24 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration detailing that in January 2016 the Council had welcomed the recommendation by the Department of Justice to retain Newtownards Courthouse following consultation on the rationalisation of the Court Estate. In doing so, it had expressed its disappointment that a threat continued to hang over the future of the courthouse and called for the Council to develop proposals, on its own and in partnership with its community and statutory partners, to maximise the use of Newtownards Courthouse with a view to ensuring that access to justice remained in the Borough.

The Head of Administration and the Community Planning Manager had subsequently met with the Regional Court Business Manager and the local Office Manager on 2 March 2016 and had been taken on a familiarisation tour of the Court facilities at Newtownards Courthouse. The purpose of the meeting was to ascertain the current level of use of the facilities and to identify potential additional uses for them to reinforce the need to retain the facilities in the longer term and, where possible, generate income to offset the running costs and therefore contribute to the Department of Justice’s requirement for the Court Estate to realise savings.

Current Facilities and Resources at Newtownards Courthouse Newtownards Courthouse comprised 4 Courtrooms (Courtrooms 1 and 2 were traditional courtroom settings, while Courtrooms 3 and 4 were more “conference style” facilities), together with 6 Consultation Rooms. All were currently used for criminal court, civil court and family court proceedings.

The Courthouse currently employed 25 Staff (some of whom work part-time), and had an agency agreement for a number of G4 Security Staff.

The visit had revealed that the Court Service had been hit badly by the voluntary exit scheme and personnel to deliver any additional services at the Courthouse were limited. Efforts had been made to encourage the Appeals Services to use the building but they were not generally keen to do so as the building was perceived to be intimidating.

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The management of Newtownards Courthouse would be happy to facilitate outside bodies to use its premises and some events have been held there in the past. Reference was made to Bishop Street Courthouse which had been the location of a number of plays and Armagh Courthouse where “The Frankenstein Chronicles” had been filmed.

If the building was in use outside of normal working hours, it actually cost the Courts money as they had to arrange for at least 2 G4S personnel to man the building at all times. In principle, however, it could be opened up in the evening.

Issues The use of Newtownards Courthouse was subject to the following restrictions:-  Any use of the building could not interrupt normal business and therefore the building was generally not available until late afternoon for any purpose other than supporting the courts in session and associated activities.  The Court Service did not charge for profit, in principle, for the use of its facilities (in keeping with the ethos of all Government buildings). It was only expected to achieve cost recovery.  The Courthouse management would be prepared to consider any requests to use the building, however, some would need to be approved by the Lord Chief Justice. That said, it would not rule any use out, provided it could be accommodated.  Difficulties arose, however, in that Courtrooms could not be booked out in advance, only when it was clear that a Courtroom would be free. While the Magistrates’ Court calendar was laid down months in advance, it could receive additional cases, rendering what may have been free space no longer available. For example, the Coroner’s Office had asked to use the Courthouse but it needed it on five consecutive days and, while it was free for use some of that time, it was not free on five consecutive days so the Coroner had to seek alternative accommodation.  Solicitors used consultation rooms regularly, however, no charge was applied and no income was generated by this practice.  The Courthouse did not charge for car parking, however, it may review its car parking policy in the future.  The Court Service could not charge organisations such as Victims Support, NSPCC or Women’s Aid as those were voluntary/charitable agencies. It could charge the Council or the Public Prosecution Service (although the latter had stopped using Courthouses and has offices in Crown venues).  To charge the Probation Service or Youth Justice Agency would not result in income being generated for the Department but in income simply being moved around the Department, with no net gain.  Any rent that could be charged would amount a very small annual sum.  The Regional Manager had suggested that the Council could put it to the Department of Justice that Courthouses should charge for the use of consultation facilities and car parking. He highlighted that it was difficult to differentiate between the use of accommodation for compulsory consultation (cases being heard in court) and other consultation uses.

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 It was not appropriate to have PSNI using court facilities – the Courts were independent from the PSNI and security was provided by an external security agency.  The Probation Board still used the Newtownards Courthouse for interviews but such practices took the consultation rooms out of circulation and the Courthouse management was repeatedly told that there were not enough consultation rooms to meet the daily demand. The use of consultation rooms by outside agencies would have to be restricted to (late) afternoon.  Use of the Courtroom space for, for example, filming would also be limited. While there might be scope for moving some furniture within the Courtrooms, usage which interfered with the IT configuration would not be acceptable. Any alteration to courtrooms would have to be agreed with the Judiciary. Filming during holiday periods, provided requirements did not interfere with the IT set up, might be possible.

The former Minister for Justice’s statement had assured that any Courthouse left open would be safe “for now”. The Court Service was about to be faced with budget cuts in the following year but the regional Manager believed they could be tolerated.

Suggestions The Regional Manager had suggested that the joint use of buildings by Justice agencies, e.g. Probation Board and Youth Justice Agency, as had been recommended in a report some years ago, would present a potential saving to the Department of Justice.

He stated that he would be happy to work with anyone who had a suggestion as to the alternative or additional use of the Court Estate, and Newtownards Courthouse in particular, but his priority would be to focus on delivering the function of the Court Service.

Discussions with Representative of Local Solicitors’ Association The Head of Administration had subsequently spoken with Mr Clive Fullerton, representative of the Local Solicitors’ Association, about the future of Newtownards Courthouse.

Mr Fullerton believed that Newtownards Courthouse could be used for delivery of the following functions which were currently centralised in Belfast: * Social Security tribunals * Planning Appeals * Appeals (Compensation) * Parking tribunals (These currently have to go to Bedford House, Belfast)

He acknowledged that:  the Courts were traditionally busiest in the morning and that the Department of Justice may not be in favour of using its facilities for anything outside the justice remit. He added that, in his opinion, Newtownards Courthouse could be made functionally busier if more Crown Court matters and criminal trials were heard there, however, these did not seem to be prioritised and the facilities for juries and jurors were poor, particularly where members of the jury came from the Newtownards area.

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 the majority of consultation rooms were used for criminal work and charges could not be levied in such cases. He further acknowledged that it would be difficult to use Newtownards Courthouse for much outside of its statutory functions.

Next Steps In light of the above restrictions placed on the use of Newtownards Courthouse and the limited ability to make savings or generate income, it was proposed that Council requests a meeting with the Minister for Justice, Claire Sugden, to present its case for the continued and long-term retention of the Newtownards Courthouse and to seek her views generally on the Rationalisation of the Court Estate.

Once a date had been agreed with the Minister a further report would be brought back with regard to the make-up of the delegation to meet the Minister.

RECOMMENDED that the report be noted and the proposed course of action be agreed.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Kennedy, seconded by Councillor Chambers, that the recommendation be adopted.

14. LIGHTING UP OF BUILDINGS (FILE LP37)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Report dated 19 August 2016 from the Director of Organisation Development and Administration stating that the Council had received three requests to light up its buildings to help mark and raise awareness of the following days:

1. 10th October – Light up purple to mark World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day was observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. The Day provided an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

2. 17th November – Light up purple to mark World Pancreatic Cancer Day

Pancreatic cancer was the 7th most common cause of cancer related deaths. It had the lowest survival rate of all major cancers, with just 2-10% of those diagnosed living more than 5 years. According to a worldwide survey, sixty percent of people knew “almost nothing” about pancreatic cancer. World Pancreatic Cancer day aimed to bring people together to draw attention to pancreatic cancer and highlight the need for greater awareness, funding, and research.

3. 15th October - Paint the town Pink campaign for Cancer

The Comber & Ards Action Cancer Group was participating in the ‘Paint the town pink’ campaign again this year which had very successfully raised £1,700 in 2015 for the Charity. As part of the campaign the group had requested that the Council lights

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CS.13.9.16 up pink the Town Hall in Newtownards and also the Major-General Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie statute in Comber.

The Council had the ability to light up the Town Hall Arts Centre (Newtownards) using an LED uplighting system, and the Town Hall Bangor using induction lighting. There was no infrastructure to support the lighting of statues.

RECOMMENDED that the Council agrees to support the campaigns detailed above and adds these campaigns to the list of future events to be supported in this manner, but that it does not light up the statue of Major-General Sir Robert Rollo Gillespie.

Councillor Muir questioned how late requests to light up Council buildings were dealt with and if there was a policy. In response the Compliance Manager advised that a policy needed to be formed on how late requests, particularly those in response to a world event, were dealt with.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Smith, seconded by Alderman Gibson that the recommendation be adopted.

15. REQUEST TO LEASE LAND AT MOSS ROAD, MILLISLE (FILE LP18) Appendix XV

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 19 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching a corresponding map. The report detailed that the Council had previously received and agreed to a request from Millisle and District Community Association to lease the land shown edged red on the attached map for an initial period of 5 years, with the possibility of an extension. They wished to lease the land for the purpose of erecting a polytunnel and some raised flower beds for use by the community association and residents of Millisle.

The land currently acted as a buffer for the adjacent civic amenity site, and was vacant scrubland. Council officers were consulted and no objections were raised.

Correspondence had been received from Millisle and District Community Association advising that it no longer wished to take on the lease, however the recently constituted Millisle Health and Wellbeing group would seek to lease the land for the same purpose as previously requested by the Community Association.

RECOMMENDED that the Council agrees to lease the above land to the Millisle Health and Wellbeing group for a period of five years for the purposes of erecting a polytunnel and raised flower beds subject to:

 A suitable lease agreement being agreed;  Land and Property Services determining a suitable consideration;  the Community Association indemnifying the Council against all claims which may result from their occupation of the property and the activities being undertaken;  the Community Association having adequate public liability insurance, a copy of which of which must be forwarded to the Council; 36

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 the property being maintained in a good and substantial state of repair and to the satisfaction of the Council’s officers or agents;  the property to be returned to the Council in a good and substantial repair upon termination of the lease;

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Smith that the recommendation be adopted.

16. REQUEST FOR WAYLEAVE FROM PHOENIX GAS (FILE LP77) Appendix XIV

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching a map and photograph. The report detailed that the Council had received a request from Phoenix Gas seeking a wayleave over Council land at South Street carpark, as shown on the map. The wayleave was for an extension to its distribution pipeline which would include the installation of a gas service and other associated equipment which, when complete, would form part of the Company’s gas network infrastructure. In order to complete the necessary works, which were expected to take 3 days, Phoenix gas had requested that the parking spaces shown on the photograph were blocked off.

Consultation had taken place with Council officers and no objections had been raised.

RECOMMENDED that the Council accedes to the request and permits the works on the conditions that Phoenix Gas:  indemnifies the Council against all claims which may result from the works;  re-instates the areas to the satisfaction of the Council’s officers;  compensates the Council for any loss of income which would have been generated from the car parking spaces which are to be closed off.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, that the recommendation be adopted.

17. APPOINTMENT OF AN ADULT SAFEGUARDING CHAMPION (FILE 380170)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 13 September 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration detailing that the Council had received correspondence from Volunteer Now on the regional policy, published in 2015, on Adult Safeguarding Prevention and Protection in Partnership. The policy applied to organisations working with, or providing services to, adults across the statutory, voluntary, community, independent and faith sectors and aimed to improve safeguarding arrangements for adults who were at risk of harm, abuse, exploitation or neglect.

The policy came with new operational procedures, definitions, roles and responsibilities which meant that action would be required by organisations to ensure

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CS.13.9.16 that adults at risk and adults in need of protection receive support and assistance. One of the roles was that of an “Adult Safeguarding Champion” (ASC).

While all groups and organisations working with adults were encouraged to identify an ASC, organisations with staff or volunteers who were subject to any level of vetting under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 must have a nominated ASC.

The ASC’s role was to provide strategic and operational leadership and oversight in relation to adult safeguarding in an organisation and to implement its adult safeguarding policy statement.

The ASC must also ensure that the organisation, in that case the Council, safeguards adults at risk by:  Recognising that adult harm was wrong and that it should not be tolerated;  Being aware of the signs of harm from abuse, exploitation and neglect;  Reducing opportunities for harm from abuse, exploitation and neglect to occur; and  Knowing how and when to report safeguarding concerns to HSC Trusts or the PSNI.

While the Council already had an officer responsible for Safeguarding, the purpose of the report was to establish that she would also be the Council’s Adult Safeguarding Champion in the context of the regional policy.

RECOMMENDED that the Council’s Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) be nominated as the Council’s Adult Safeguarding Champion and that safeguarding partners, e.g. South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, be informed accordingly.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Gilmour, seconded by Alderman Gibson, that the recommendation be adopted.

18. QUARTERLY REPORT ON EQUALITY AND GOOD RELATIONS (SECTION 75 OF THE N.I.ACT 1998) – SEPTEMBER 2016 (FILE EQ33)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 24 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration. The report detailed that the Council’s Equality Scheme included a commitment to provide a progress report on a quarterly basis to the Council’s Corporate Services Committee. That was to ensure that the Council’s obligations to meet its equality and good relations duties and responsibilities, as identified in Section 75 of The Northern Ireland Act 1998, were continuously monitored by the Council.

The report listed the actions of Council officers to meet the statutory duties since 1 July 2016:

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Screening of Council policies Council officers continued to screen council policies as an integral part of the policy development process. Completed screening forms were scrutinised by council officers at the Internal Screening Panel on Section 75 and Sustainability. Comments and queries received in relation to the adverse or potential adverse impact the policy may have were reported to the policy writer and where appropriate mitigating measures were implemented or the policy reviewed.

External Consultative Panel on Equality and Good Relations The Ards and North Down Borough Council External Consultative Panel on Equality and Good Relations had met on Thursday 9 June 2016 in the Marine Court Hotel, Bangor. The challenge workshop had facilitated the Council in scrutinising the outcome of 17 screened policies. Comments and queries received were used by council officers to identify potential issues that may adversely impact on service users and potential users.

The consultative panel members present agreed that as a number of members had resigned from the panel that the Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) should look to invite new members to the panel. It was suggested that panel members were selected on the criteria that the individuals were outward looking as well as being representative of the groups to which they belonged.

To date four new members had accepted the invitation and the Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had arranged training to ensure they were aware of the purpose of the consultative panel and their role within it.

The next Challenge Workshop had been arranged for Wednesday 19 October 2016.

Quarterly Consultations The Council had a requirement within the Equality Scheme to publish the outcome of screened policies quarterly. The most recent quarterly report had been uploaded onto the Council’s website on 1 July 2016. The next quarterly report would be uploaded to the website and issued to consultees on 3 October 2016. To date the Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had received one written response to the recent screening report, and that had been responded to. No significant issues had been identified to date.

Translations During this period no requests for translations of documents had been received. The availability of The Big Word for telephone translation had been publicised across the council with a positive response from employees in relation to its availability and benefits in a number of areas of service delivery.

Disability Forum The Disability Forum had met on Wednesday 15 June 2016 in the Town Hall, Bangor. The members had a presentation from Alan Munro, McAdam Design, on the proposed new Leisure Centre at Dairy Hall, Newtownards. He took questions from potential users who were disabled or represented those with a disability on how the design and building regulations had been implemented to consider the range of users. The Manager from Leisure Ards also outlined how the centre would be

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CS.13.9.16 operated and how the needs of all users and potential users would be incorporated throughout the planning process. The questions and comments on design had been considered and the responses would be given to members of the forum at the next meeting on Wednesday, 28 September 2016 when the group would also be provided with an update on pavement legislation.

Diversity Champions The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) was undertaking the Diversity Champions accredited programme in partnership with University of Ulster. The programme aimed to provide participants with the underpinning knowledge, skills and appropriate behaviours to promote and embed good practice in equality and diversity across local government.

It Takes All Sorts Following the two events in November 2015 which introduced employees to some of the diverse range of customers the council offered services to, a programme had been arranged for Tuesday 8 November and Thursday 10 November 2016 to which elected members and employees would be invited to attend. The event would have a range of speakers on relevant topics and employees from across the Council would have the opportunity to meet colleagues they would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet. The detailed programme for each session and booking arrangements would be made available from early October.

Community Planning The script of the Community Planning Big Conversation DVD, which had been launched in June 2016, had been published in easy read format and subtitles had since been added, ensuring that the information was accessible to a broad range of individuals and groups and encouraging participation.

DisabledGo The annual consultation and update for the public would be held on Thursday 22 September 2016 in St Marks Church Hall Complex, Newtownards, at 10.00am and in the Marine Court Hotel, Bangor, at 1.30pm. All elected members would be invited to attend. The event had been arranged by DisabledGo in accordance with its contract agreement.

Complaints about disability access A complaint had been received in relation to the distance a visitor to the museum had to walk to get to the upper gallery. In response to this the museum had purchased a standard self-propelling wheelchair that was compatible with the stair lift in the museum. The individual had been informed of this action.

Equality Action Plan The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) continued to work to deliver that action plan in a meaningful and timely manner to ensure the Council was meeting its statutory duties.

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Disability Action Plan The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had reviewed the Disability Action Plan for year one and added an additional four actions as identified as good practice in service delivery.

Training The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had attended a seminar organised by ECNI on the needs of those with a disability accessing services, information and premises. The learning had been used at the appropriate meetings and also facilitated the update to in house training for employees on disability awareness.

The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had attended a workshop organised by ECNI to address issues around the screening of policies and equality impact assessments. It identified the value of screening policies as early as possible in the policy development process, and highlighted how screening forms could best capture relevant information and pertinent data.

The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had delivered training to two groups of summer scheme staff in July 2016 as part of their induction training on safeguarding and Section 75 awareness.

From 1 September 2016 a training programme would be delivered across the Council for all employees to make them aware of their duties as detailed in Section 75 of The Northern Ireland Act 1998 in relation to equality of opportunity and good relations. It would also focus on the requirement to monitor service users; the Council’s duty to safeguard children, young people and adults who might be vulnerable; and employees’ duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and Disability Discrimination Order 2004.

Safeguarding The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) had attended a meeting of local authority safeguarding officers organised by the Local Government Staff Commission. At this meeting the issues for children and young people from the LGBT community and their families had been highlighted. That information would be used to address issues in relation to both safeguarding and Section 75.

The Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding) has also attended meetings on behalf of the Council with the South Eastern Trust Steering Group on Safeguarding Children and Young People as well as with the Local Area Adult Safeguarding Partnership and the Safeguarding Board NI South Eastern Panel.

The Council’s Safeguarding Steering Group had met for its first meeting on 25 August 2016 to ensure the policy was implemented across the council, was relevant and officers on the group were aware of relevant issues from across the Council.

Carers Event The Council had been praised for the support it had given to carers when it hosted a Carers’ Event in the Town Hall, Bangor on Thursday, 9 June 2016. This had been held in partnership with South Eastern Trust Carers and was attended by the Mayor.

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It gave carers the opportunity to enjoy a motivational talk and have time out for themselves during carers week.

Alternative Formats The Corporate Plan had been made available in alternative formats and the Borough Magazine had been made available on audio recording to all residents registered with RNIB.

IMTAC The Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) continued to circulate relevant reports to the Council for information or consultation, as appropriate. Those were available from the Compliance Officer (Equality and Safeguarding).

ECNI The Annual Report on Section 75 and Disability Duties for Ards and North Down Borough Council had been submitted to the Commission on Wednesday, 17 August 2016 in advance of the 31 August 2016 deadline.

RECOMMENDED that this report be noted.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Councillor Gilmour, that the recommendation be adopted.

19. FAIRTRADE BOROUGH STATUS (FILE SUS4) Appendix XVII

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 29 August 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching Ards and North Down Fairtrade Action Plan. The report referred to a previous report tabled in June 2016 recommending that the Council supports Fairtrade and a move towards achieving Fairtrade Borough Status. A number of queries had been raised by Members in relation to potential costs and the effect on local farms and businesses, and it had been agreed that a further report would be brought back providing more information on the work which would be involved to achieve Fairtrade Borough Status.

In order to be awarded Fairtrade status for the borough, local communities must meet certain criteria or “goals”, detailed below:

 Goal 1: Local council passes a resolution supporting Fairtrade, and agrees to serve the option of Fairtrade products (for example, in meetings, offices and canteens), with the exploration and review of internal public procurement to include Fairtrade. This goal has already been achieved following the Council meeting in June 2016.  Goal 2: A range of Fairtrade products (at least four) must be readily available and served in a number of the area’s shops and catering establishments through a stock taking exercise.  Goal 3: Local workplaces and community organisations, such as places of worship, and schools, are encouraged to support Fairtrade and to use Fairtrade products whenever possible.

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 Goal 4: Use is made of the media and events to raise awareness and understanding of Fairtrade across the community.  Goal 5: A local Fairtrade steering group, which is representative of the local community and has a member of the council, is convened to ensure the Fairtrade campaign continues to develop and gain new support.

The Fairtrade Action Plan broke down the Goals into individual steps, and detailed any potential costs, officer input and provides estimated timescales. There had been a lot of work already carried out in order to achieve the Bangor Fairtrade Town status and, although that status had lapsed, it could be used as the basis to build an application for borough status. The table also included details of work on fairtrade which was ongoing throughout the Borough via third parties.

To clarify the second point on the effect on local farmers, Fairtrade promoted developing countries in products that were not produced in the UK, eg cocoa, coffee, bananas, tea, sugar and cotton. The aim would be to promote Fairtrade and local produce together.

RECOMMENDED that the Council agrees to support Fairtrade and moves towards achieving Borough status through the implementation of the attached Fairtrade Action Plan.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Alderman McDowell, that the recommendation be adopted.

20. OPERATION OF CALL-IN-PROTOCOL Appendix XVIII

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Chief Executive attaching draft call- in requisition form. The report reminded members that Section 41 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 required Councils’ Standing Orders to make provision for reconsideration of a decision if 15% (6 members) presented to the Chief Executive a requisition on either or both of the following grounds: -

a) That the decision was not arrived at after a proper consideration of the relevant facts and issues;

b) That the decision would disproportionately affect adversely any section of the inhabitants of the district.

Current Status

The Council’s current Standing Order 22(3) referred to the process which the Council currently applied, that being:- “In relation to a recommendation made by Committee, a requisition must be presented within five days of the receipt of the Council Agenda to which the Minutes of the Committee meetings are appended. In relation to a decision made by Committee under delegated powers, a requisition must be presented within five days of the date of the Committee meeting. In relation to a decision made by Council, a requisition must be presented within five days of the date of the meeting.”

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The Standing Orders further stipulated in section 22(7)(a) that:-

“The following decisions shall not be subject to call-in:

(a) a decision on a regulatory or quasi-judicial function which is subject to a separate appeal Mechanism.”

Issues

Although the Council was compliant with legislative requirements a review of the procedures had been completed. A new Protocol had been recommended for consideration to streamline the process and make it more clear for Members.

Recommended Protocol

It was recommended that a decision log (cleared by the relevant Director) be issued within five working days of a Committee meeting.

In respect of decisions made by Council, it was recommended that a decision log (cleared by the Chief Executive) be issued within five working days. That would include:-

 Any amended Committee decisions  Any Notice of Motion debated at the Council meeting  Any reports upon which decisions are taken In all cases, the Call-in timeframe would commence upon receipt of the relevant correspondence as outlined. The process would impact upon the actioning of decisions following Council meetings, to allow for the call-in period to be completed.

A Call-in of a decision must be received by the Chief Executive within five working days of receipt of a decision log, and no later than 5.00pm on that day. The following process would then apply:-

Requests for Call-in for procedural reasons

If, at 5.00pm on the fifth working day following the provision of the relevant correspondence at least 6 Members had requested a decision which was subject to Call In to be reconsidered (on procedural grounds) and had stated on their request the reasons why that should be the case, the Chief Executive shall within 1 working day of that date confirm that the request had the support of the minimum number of Members required and that those Members had stated the reason why the particular decision should be reconsidered. If any Call In request from a Member had not highlighted on their request why the decision should be reconsidered and had not redressed that omission upon being advised of such by the Chief Executive within the Call In period, then the Chief Executive would deem that request to be inadmissible.

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If a decision was properly Called In by at least 6 members then a meeting of an Ad Hoc Committee comprising the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the 5 Standing Committees would be convened to consider if the Call In request was a valid one. That Ad Hoc Committee would be entitled to:

1. Decide that the request was valid and refer the decision back to the Committee which made it for reconsideration, in which case the decision would not be up for ratification at the Council meeting;

2. Decide that the request was not valid and, in the case of a decision taken under a Committee’s delegated authority, decide that the decision should be implemented or

3. Decide that the request was not valid and, in the case of a decision for ratification by the Council, refer the decision to the Council.

Requests for Call-in on grounds of Community Impact

Any request for Call In of a decision on Community Impact Grounds must state in the reasons given as to why the decision should be called in:

1. The community that would be affected by the decision; and

2. The nature and extent of the disproportionate adverse impact

After the expiry of the five working days following the provision of the relevant correspondence, if the minimum required number of Members (6) had properly called in a decision and given the required evidence then the Chief Executive would within one working day seek the opinion of a practising solicitor or barrister.

Where the legal opinion confirms that the call in has merit, the Chief Executive would:

1. Circulate the legal opinion to all Members; and

2. Include the decision in question on the agenda for the next available meeting of the Council at which any decision will be required to be taken by a qualified majority (80%) of Members present and voting.

Where the legal opinion indicated that the call in does not have merit, the Chief Executive would:

1. Circulate the legal opinion to all Members; and

2. Make arrangements for the decision to be implemented (where the original Committee making the decision had delegated powers) or tabled for ratification at the Council meeting on the usual simple majority system.

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Implications of adopting Protocol

1. Amendment to Standing Order 22(3) – Call-in Process

Replace with “Any request for Call-in must be made within five working days of receipt of the decision log for the meeting at which the relevant decision was taken.”

RECOMMENDED that the Council adopts the Call-in Protocol as outlined and amends the Council’s Standing Orders as outlined, following the normal process to do so.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Smith, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the recommendation be adopted.

21. CONFERENCES, INVITATIONS ETC.

21.1 Invitation from Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland to their Annual Dinner Appendix XIX

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 7 September 2016 from the Director of Organisational Development and Administration attaching invitation. The report detailed that an invitation had been received from the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland for Council’s representative to attend the Association Annual Dinner, to be held in Cultra Manor, Holywood on Thursday 27 October 2016.

The cost to the Council would be a contribution of £40 towards pre-dinner drinks, the meal and wine.

The Council’s representative on this Association was Alderman Keery.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves the attendance of Alderman Keery at the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Northern Ireland - Annual Dinner, on Thursday, 27 October 2016 as Council’s representative at a cost of £40.00.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Councillor Muir, that the recommendation be adopted.

22. NOTICES OF MOTION

22.1 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor T Smith

“That this council writes to the Justice Minister and to the Lord Chief Justice highlighting the concerns of many in our country over the unduly lenient sentences being handed down by Judges in cases of animal cruelty. We would urge both the Minister and the Lord Chief Justice to do all they can to ensure that appropriate sentences are given to those convicted of these despicable crimes.”

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Proposed by Councillor Smith, seconded by Alderman Gibson that the Notice of Motion be adopted.

Councillor Smith spoke to his motion stating that the legislation was being ignored and that this was unacceptable. He stated that those who caused needless suffering and harm to animals needed to receive the full force of the law. He believed that the judicial system was failing the protection of animals. Councillor Smith called for the support of the Committee and for action to be taken over the unduly lenient sentences.

Alderman Gibson fully supported the Motion and referred to the inconsistences in the sentences handed down when such cases had been brought before the Courts. He stated that cruelty to any animal was unacceptable.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND:- that the Notice of Motion be adopted.

22.2 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Robinson

"We are proud to live in a diverse and tolerant society. Racism, xenophobia and hate crimes have no place in our country. We in Ards and North Down Borough Council condemn racism, xenophobia and hate crimes unequivocally. We will not allow hate to become acceptable. Ards and North Down Borough Council will work to ensure local bodies and programmes have support and resources needed to fight and prevent racism and xenophobia. We reassure all people living in the Ards and North Down Borough that they are valued members of our community."

Proposed by Councillor Robinson, seconded by the Councillor Smith that the Notice of Motion be adopted.

Councillor Robinson spoke to the motion advising that she had tabled it on the suggestion of a number of constituents, and that she was happy to bring it before the Council. She believed the motion was timely due the increase in hate crimes and incidents since the recent Brexit vote. A recent UTV report had claimed that there were almost eight hate crimes per day in Northern Ireland currently – that was quite a shocking figure, and the issue needed addressed. Councillor Robinson spoke of some of the incidents that had occurred including the vandalising of Jewish graves in a Belfast cemetery, the homes of foreign nationals being attacked and defaced, hate-filled posts on social media - one 53yr old woman had only just avoided a jail term recently for posting extreme racist comments and inciting hatred on social media - she was now claiming that 'occult forces' had made her do it. Councillor Robinson made mention of a number of recent newspaper headlines and highlighted that people from ethnic backgrounds living locally had reported receiving comments like 'when are you going back home?' and she was greatly concerned by these. She felt that the Council needed to show that it would not tolerate these types of crimes. She stated that, in Northern Ireland, people are all too aware of the harm that divisions and hatred can cause and called upon the Committee, and the Council, to support the motion to reassure those living in Ards and North Down Borough Council area that they were valued equally.

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On seconding the motion, Councillor Smith stated that it was important for the Council to send a message that people of all races living within the Borough were valued and very much part of society. He stated that elected members had a role to play in building a better Borough.

Councillor Chambers rose in his support of the motion and asked if the Council currently undertook programmes to combat racism and xenophobia. In response the Head of Administration stated that in general terms the Council undertook programmes of work through its Good Relations Programme, Peace IV Initiatives and Equality Scheme, as well as via the PCSP and other partnerships.

Councillor Kennedy understood the philosophy behind the motion however felt the motion itself was contradictory to it. He explained that treating everyone fairly and with respect also included treating those people with respect those who set out to perpetrate such crimes.

Councillor Muir endorsed the motion and stressed that the Council should also support and encourage residents to report all hate crimes to the Police. Many crimes had gone unreported and the Police needed to have the intelligence available to follow up on crimes.

On summing up, Councillor Robinson stated that she fully appreciated the work that was undertaken by the Good Relations and other Council sections.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND that the Notice of Motion be adopted.

22.3 Notice of Motion submitted by Alderman Henry

"That this Council marks the 21st Anniversary of Positive Futures, a charity supporting people with a learning disability, acquired brain injury or autistic spectrum condition, and in recognition of the good work they do within the Borough, give a Civic Reception during the period 1 October 2016 and 30 September 2017."

The Chairman advised that Alderman Henry had asked for the Notice of Motion to be deferred to the next meeting of the Committee.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Smith, seconded by Councillor Chambers that the Notice of Motion be deferred to the October meeting of the Corporate Services Committee.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Smart, seconded by Councillor Alderman Carson, that the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of confidential business.

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23. REPORT ON CORPORATE PROJECT PORTFOLIO BOARD MEETING HELD 21 JUNE 2016 (FILE PCU14) Appendices XX, XXI

*** IN CONFIDENCE ***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

24. EXTENSION OF MOBILE TELEPHONY CONTRACT Appendix XXII

*** IN CONFIDENCE ***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

25. LEASE OF PARKS DEPOT, DONAGHADEE (LP76) Appendix XXIII

*** IN CONFIDENCE ***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

26. RENEWAL OF LEASE, THE BOATHOUSE, BANGOR (FILE LP73)

*** IN CONFIDENCE ***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

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27. REQUEST TO FILM AT BANGOR CASTLE LEISURE CENTRE (FILE LP)

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

28. LAND AT BOWTOWN ROAD (FILE OS479B) Appendices XXIV, XXV

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

29. CONSENT OF ASSIGNMENT – BJ MARINES

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

30. DEED OF RECTIFICATION – RATHGAEL ROAD, BANGOR Appendix XXVI

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

31. ABSENCE REPORT – Q1 2016/17 Appendix XXVII

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

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Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

32. PRIDE IN PERFORMANCE CONVERSATIONS SCHEME (FILE HR2) Appendix XXVIII

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

33. ACTING UP ALLOWANCES AND HONORARIA Appendix XXIX

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

34. EARLY RETIREMENT (FILE 20107)

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

35. BUDGET SETTING AND DISTRICT RATES FOR 2017/18 (FILE FIN56)

***IN CONFIDENCE***

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

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RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

On the proposal of Alderman Carson, seconded by Councillor Kennedy, it was agreed that the public and press be re-admitted to the meeting.

36. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There were no items of any other business.

TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 8.59 pm.

52

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Community and Wellbeing Committee was held in the Council Chamber, 2 Church Street, Newtownards on Wednesday, 14 September 2016 at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:

In the Chair: Councillor Dunne

Alderman: Irvine

Councillors: Adair Martin Boyle McAlpine (7.01pm) Brooks Menagh Chambers (7.03pm) Muir (7.01pm) Douglas (7.01pm) Smart (7.23pm) Edmund Thompson Kennedy

Officers: Director of Community and Wellbeing (G Bannister), Head of Community and Culture (J Nixey), Head of Environmental Health Protection and Development (M Potts), Head of Leisure and Amenities (I O’Neill), and Democratic Services Officer (P Foster)

WELCOME

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting, including those present in the public gallery.

1. APOLOGIES

Apologies for inability to attend were received from Alderman Smith and Councillor Cooper.

NOTED.

(Councillors Douglas, McAlpine and Muir entered the meeting at this stage – 7.01pm)

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman asked for any declarations of interest and none were made.

NOTED.

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3. DEPUTATION

3.1 Millisle Regeneration – Provision of a Community Hub (Appendix I)

The Chairman welcomed Ms Jo Scott and Mr Tommy Beck of Millisle Regeneration to the meeting and invited them to make their presentation.

Ms Scott thanked members for the opportunity to address them and introduced herself and fellow director, Mr Tommy Beck. She stated that their third director Mr Bill Megraw sent his apologies as he was currently out of the country. Ms Scott then proceeded to guide members through a PowerPoint presentation in respect of the provision of a Community Hub at Millisle.

(Councillor Chambers entered the meeting at this stage – 7.03pm)

Ms Scott advised that Millisle Regeneration had been formed in 2015 with responsibility to drive forward Millisle’s Village Plan, ‘Millisle 2024- Moving Forward’. It had adopted a ‘bottom up’ approach consisting of a variety of organisations and individuals based in Millisle including the local , Churches and Football Club amongst others. She stated that Millisle Regeneration was a Company Limited by Guarantee and registered with the Charities Commission and as such that should be beneficial when attempting to secure funding. Ms Scott then continued to outline the structure as detailed in the diagram below.

Members were informed that the Millisle Village Plan had identified a need for a community centre/community hub, the purpose of which would be to: 2

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 To provide a focal point for the community and visitors  To provide a facility that everyone could share in and make use of  To provide a retail unit to contribute to sustainability

Ms Scott advised that they had identified premises on Main Street, Millisle, currently Joyland Amusements, which had been for sale for some time. Discussions had been undertaken with the proprietor who had indicated a willingness to lease the premises on a two-year lease with the option to extend or buy in the future. Continuing, Ms Scott outlined a draft refurbishment plan and indicated that usage of the facility was anticipated as detailed below:

 Drop-in Community Information Point  Tourists Information Point  Signposting  Internet Cafe  Surgeries  Job Club  Education  Capacity Building  Health & Well Being

She added that the premises would be open to all and would provide a wealth of information in its role as ‘Gateway to the Peninsula’. It was noted the front area of the unit would be utilised for retail purposes which would support the sustainability of the facility while helping to increase economic activity on Main Street, Millisle. The premises would also provide a base for the Community Association, a Wi-Fi hub and internet café. At this stage Ms Scott informed members that currently the village of Millisle scored 226 out of 890 on the deprivation scale and therefore a facility of this nature was very much needed for the local community.

In summing up, Ms Scott referred to the associated refurbishment costs which, it was noted, were expected to be approximately £10,000 with running costs in the region of £10,000 to £15,000 per annum. Rental was anticipated to be £500 per month and the facility would be staffed entirely by volunteers.

Ms Scott thanked members for the opportunity to address them.

Members were invited to raise any queries they had and the following comments were made: -

 Ms Scott indicated that the Council grant would support the facility for the initial year and added that the retail unit would be a very important contributory factor which it was hoped would cover half of the overall rent.  Further sources of funding would be explored from organisations such as the Down Rural Area Partnership and the Big Lottery Fund.  Millisle Regeneration had already been working with Ards Business Centre in respect of this project and that had proven to be very beneficial to date. 3

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 Currently members met at a community room in a social housing fold once a month on a Monday night and prior to that they had met at a variety of members’ homes.  It was hoped the retail unit would house a charity shop for the Millisle Youth Forum which had previously been very successful in the village.

(Councillor Smart entered the meeting at this stage – 7.23pm)

 Ms Scott confirmed that currently the village of Millisle sat in the lower third of the deprivation scale scoring 226 out of 890. The village scored highly in relation to issues such as long-term ill health, lack of qualifications, unemployment, lack of vehicle access and the number of single parents.  Discussions had already been undertaken with the South Eastern Regional College (SERC) in relation to establishing what education opportunities may be available.  Many members welcomed the proposals being put forward and were heartened to see how far the village of Millisle had come and commended all of the those involved wishing them every success for the future.

The Chairman also expressed his thanks to Ms Scott and Mr Beck for their attendance and great enthusiasm for their proposals and wished them well for the future going forward.

(Ms Scott and Mr Beck left the meeting at this stage – 7.29pm)

4. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION – CHILDREN’S SERVICES CO- OPERATION ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 2015 (Appendix II)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Correspondence dated 4 July 2016 from the Department of Education detailing the Children’s Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.

RECOMMENDED that the correspondence be noted.

The Director of Community and Wellbeing provided a brief synopsis of the correspondence for members’ ease.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Edmund, seconded by Councillor Chambers, that the recommendation be adopted.

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5. QUARTER 1 PERFORMANCE REPORTS

5.1. Community and Culture Performance Reporting Q1 – File Ref: CW22 (Appendix III)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 16 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil this requirement Council approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with four of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the four PIP priorities. Service Plans had been agreed by Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

Report for current Quarter attached.

Key points to note:  Number of C&V groups availing of Community Development Support, represented the number of C&V groups who had sought advice and support from the Councils Community Development Officers in Q1 = 84

 Number of individual engagements represented the number of individuals engaged in community consultation to develop the Councils PEACE IV Plan in Q1 = 618

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Key achievements:  Performance against targets in relation to Community Development Support had exceeded expectations, despite some challenge from the community in relation to the community engagement process to develop the Community Development Service Plan (2016-2017)

 Performance against targets for Q1 in relation to individual engagements had exceeded expectations, largely due to the interest from public in relation to the EU Peace IV funding.

Emerging issues:

 Staff attendance was lower than expected due to a number of staff on long term sick in Q1. Staff attendance was being continually reviewed and procedures were in place to support staff welfare.

RECOMMENDED that the report is noted.

Alderman Irvine noted the low level of staff attendance referred to in the report and suggested that some clarity could be provided on that ‘In Committee’.

In order to provide some clarification, the Director of Community and Wellbeing confirmed that the matter was being addressed and was progressing well.

Alderman Irvine indicated that he was content with the Director’s response.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Chambers, seconded by Councillor Douglas, that the recommendation be adopted.

5.2. Leisure and Amenities Performance Reporting Q1 – File Ref: CW22 (Appendix IV)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 1 September 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil this requirement Council approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with four of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

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Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the four PIP priorities. Service Plans had been agreed by Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January – March June

Report for current Quarter attached.

Key points to note:

 Leisure continued to perform well reaching and exceeding key targets on attendances and sales.  Quest had been retained at Ards Leisure Centre  Leisure continued to build on relationships with Trusts and other voluntary groups to deliver programmes to meet the needs of all of our Community  Parks were working with more voluntary groups than ever before to help make the Borough a more attractive place to live and work  Parks were working on finding a method to record usage of all our parks which was a difficult task because of their open nature, at Kiltonga wildlife park where a counter had been installed at the entrance to the park they had recorded over 125,000 visitors over the previous period  Parks continued to do well in both Green Flag and Best Kept Britain in Bloom competitions  Sports Development were reaching out to more clubs and club officials than ever through a mix of funding and training.  Community Centres were hosting a wider range of activities that reflected the changing needs of Communities

Key achievements:

 Quest  Best Britain in Bloom award  Green Flag  STEM retained  Highest recorded rate of take up in swimming lessons

Emerging issues:

 Low level of income per user  High level of usage across all parks 7

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RECOMMENDED that the report is noted.

Councillor Chambers noted the achievements referred to in the report namely the Council’s recent success in the Green Flag and Best Kept Britain in Bloom competitions and the retention of Quest at Ards Leisure Centre.

Councillor Chambers proposed, seconded by Councillor Boyle, that a letter of congratulations be sent to all members of staff at the Council’s Parks section and Ards Leisure Centre.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Thompson, that the recommendation be adopted.

FURTHER AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Chambers, seconded by Councillor Boyle, that a letter of congratulations be sent to all members of staff at the Council’s Parks section and Ards Leisure Centre.

5.3. Environmental Health Protection and Development Performance Reporting Q1 – File Ref: CW22 (Appendix V)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 16 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that the Council was required, under the Local Government Act 2014, to have in place arrangements to secure continuous improvement in the exercise of its functions. To fulfil this requirement Council approved the Performance Management Policy and Handbook in October 2015. The Performance Management Handbook outlined the approach to Performance Planning and Management process as:

 Community Plan – published every 10-15 years (currently being developed)  Corporate Plan – published every 4 years (2015-2019 plan in operation)  Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – published annually (2016/17 plan published 30 June 2016)  Service Plan – developed annually (approved April 2016)

The Corporate Plan 2015-19 set out 17 objectives for the plan period, with four of those highlighted as priorities for the 2016-17 year in the PIP.

Each of the Council’s 15 Service Plans outlined how each respective Service would contribute to the achievement of the Corporate objectives, with particular focus on the 4 PIP priorities. Service Plans were agreed by Council in April 2016.

Reporting approach

The Service Plans would be reported to relevant Committees on a quarterly basis as per the following table:

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Reference Period Reporting Month Quarter 1 (Q1) April – June September Q2 July – September December Q3 October – December March Q4 January - March June

Report for current Quarter attached.

Key points to note:

 Food Sampling rates had missed target as sampling was suspended for a short period while a new public analysts was appointed.  Materials for the Joint Health and Safety initiatives with the HSENI only became available in June 2016 instead of April. This was reflected in meeting only 16.6% instead of 50%  Percentage of caterers complying with the allergen requirements of the food information regulations. Computer coding to capture the data only available since mid-August.  Percentage of non-compliant caterers inspected achieving compliance within two months of inspection. Computer coding to capture the data only available since mid-August.  Percentage of re-inspections where improvement was noted. Computer coding to capture the data to be developed.

Key achievements:

 Continued integration of legacy Council protocols and procedures increasing uniformity of service.  Improved internal communication within the service through team meetings.

Emerging issues:

 Implementation of new legislation with regard to Food Hygiene Rating, nutritional labelling in food, tobacco control, increased service demands in relation to planning and noise control

RECOMMENDED that the report is noted.

Alderman Irvine referred to the allergen requirements of the food information regulations and non-compliant caterers and asked for an update on that.

In response, the Head of Environmental Health Protection and Development advised that the section was currently in the process of changing its software and a target of November/December 2016 had been set for its implementation.

At this stage the Chairman sought an update on the new legislation with regard to the Food Hygiene Rating scheme.

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The Head of Environmental Health Protection and Development confirmed that the appropriate legislation was in place and would come into effect in October 2016. From that date all food vendors would be required to display food hygiene rating information and comply with the legislation.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Douglas, seconded by Councillor Edmund, that the recommendation be adopted.

6. WORKPLACE HEALTH AND WELLBEING SUPPORT SERVICE – FILE REF: CW63

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 24 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Corporate Plan stated that the purpose of the Council was “to make Ards and North Down the best place to live, work, visit and invest.” There was also the Council’s vision that “Ards and North Down will be a place to be proud of which is more prosperous, vibrant, healthy, sustainable and where people enjoy an excellent quality of life.”

As part of the Council’s commitment to staff wellbeing, demonstrated by the desire to obtain Investors in People (IIP) award, an Employee Health and Wellbeing Group (EH&WG) was established to encourage and support staff across the Council to improve their health and wellbeing. There were also policies in place such as Flexible Working and Family Friendly Leave which were recognised to improve work life balance. Measures such as those should:

 Improve employee morale  Increase productivity  Reduce staff turnover  Reduce illness-related absence

In developing the staff health and wellbeing programme, free support was being offered on behalf of the Public Health Agency by Health Matters (Health & Safety) Ltd who had funding to deliver a range of free services to the Council and local businesses. Those included:

 Mentoring and support from an experienced Workplace Health & Wellbeing Coordinator  A health and wellbeing survey which identified employee health & wellbeing needs  An automated report detailing current workplace health and wellbeing needs for employers and personal health profiles for employees  Provision of resources such as action plan templates, guides, questionnaires and literature  Health and wellbeing talks/services delivered by our specialist coordinators for all staff  Award ceremony in recognition of workplace health and wellbeing success

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Of particular relevance and benefit would be the health and wellbeing survey to identify needs and form a baseline assessment against which to measure the success of future interventions. Having the survey undertaken by an outside organisation usually resulted in greater and more honest participation and would make the findings more robust.

An additional benefit from engaging with Health Matters (Health & Safety) Ltd would be the ability to make referrals to local businesses who were already involved with the “Mind, Body and Business” scheme as well as encouraging others to participate, with the Council leading by example. This also contributed to the aspirations in the Corporate Plan.

RECOMMENDED that the Council avails of the free Workplace Health & Wellbeing Support Service offered by Health Matters (Health & Safety) Ltd, on behalf of the Public Health Agency and in particular engages with the health & wellbeing survey to identify employee needs, for the benefit of all staff. Further, the Council should use the knowledge and experience of developing its own employee health & wellbeing programme to encourage and support local businesses who also may wish to avail of the service.

Councillor Chambers acknowledged the importance of Work Life Balance for Council employees and asked how it was proposed to bring the details of the support service to their attention.

In response, the Head of Environmental Health Protection and Development confirmed that the organisation Health Matters (Health & Safety) Ltd on behalf of the Public Health Agency would be carrying out a survey amongst Council employees in respect of their Health and Wellbeing.

The Director of Community and Wellbeing added that the Council already had in place an internal Health and Wellbeing Group which was operated by employees to take into consideration the health and wellbeing of employees.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Chambers, that the recommendation be adopted.

7. WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY – FILE REF: CW68 (Appendix VI)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating attaching an invitation to a World Mental Health Day event on 8 October 2016 to ‘connect over coffee’, tying in with ‘5 steps with health’. This was an opportunity to connect with organisations and members of the public. There would also be activities available, crafts and hobbies which could help maintain a positive mental health and wellbeing.

Members were also invited to help create ‘community’ bunting by providing hand written messages that highlight mental health and the ‘5 steps to wellbeing’ on cloth pendants, to be sown together to make the ‘community’ bunting that would inspire others to take care of their mental health. Action Mental Health would post out the

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RECOMMENDED that Council note this report.

Rising in support, Councillor Douglas informed members that one in four people experienced mental health issues and therefore public awareness events of this nature were very important and she encouraged everyone to support the event.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Kennedy, seconded by Councillor Douglas, that the recommendation be adopted.

8. SUICIDE PREVENTION: PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL BETWEEN SAMARITANS AND THE COUNCIL – FILE REF: CW23

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that previous reports to the Community and Wellbeing Committee (14/10/15 and 13/4/16) had considered the issue of suicide in the context of the number of cases in the Borough, the DHSSPS/Public Health Agency Protect Life Strategy 2012- 2014 (currently under review) and the role of the Council to support the Strategy with an Action Plan.

There had been a delay in the release of the new Strategy due to Ministerial changes but a meeting of the Suicide Strategy Implementation Body (SSIB) was scheduled for 20 September and Ards and North Down Borough Council (ANDBC) Environmental Health Manager, (Health and Wellbeing) was the new NILGA representative on this group and would feedback on progress with the Strategy and Action Plan.

There was currently a PHA led Mental Health Community of Interest in the South Eastern PHA area, which was a multi-agency group, again with ANDBC representation, which would lead on the implementation of the Action Plan under the new Strategy, once released, and it was envisaged that this would clearly identify where the Council had a key role in this important life protecting work.

In the interim, exploratory talks had been held with the Ards and North Down branch of the Samaritans (currently one of the Mayor’s nominated charities) to consider mental health protection and suicide prevention work for ANDBC, both internally and externally. The Samaritans were a recognised leading Charity who offered “anyone struggling to cope the time and space to talk about what’s getting to them”.

The Samaritans were proposing to strengthen the partnership with ANDBC through a Memorandum of Understanding setting out the following responsibilities of each organisation:

The Samaritans would:

 Provide emotional awareness and listening training for appropriate Councillors and staff.

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 Complement the councils existing arrangements to provide emotional support if requested to Councillors and Council staff who had been involved in distressing events/incidents in the course of their work.  Aim to provide emotional support to any groups/individuals signposted to them by ANDBC, and would accept third party referrals from ANDBC through agreed channels.  Begin discussion with the PSNI, Coastguard and ANDBC regarding the feasibility of signage to be erected at ‘hot spots’ along the coastal areas.

In return ANDBC would:

 Facilitate access by Samaritans to high risk groups and communities who may be at increased risk of suicide or poor mental health.  Facilitate access by Samaritans to other groups dealing with high risk groups and communities.  Provide and disseminate through its communication channels, when appropriate, Samaritans awareness/promotional material in Council premises, and to stakeholders and businesses with whom the Council had contact.  Consider erecting signage at risk points in Council area and particularly along the coastal areas if deemed appropriate after the consultation with PSNI and Coastguard.  Assist with promoting volunteering opportunities in Bangor and North Down Samaritans branch (which covered the ANDBC area) and Fundraising opportunities.

This MOU would greatly assist the Council in achieving many of the objectives already determined as desirable in previous reports, and would allow the Council to be proactive in promoting mental health in general and suicide prevention in particular in advance of the Strategy Action Plan. It would not however preclude the Council from working with other Mental Health and Wellbeing charities/organisations or undertaking any other actions that the Council may deem appropriate at any stage.

RECOMMENDED that the Council enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Samaritans to work together to promote emotional awareness and wellbeing among Councillors and staff; and through awareness raising facilitated by ANDBC, to the wider ANDBC residential community, Council Stakeholders and the local business community.

Councillor Douglas commented that she had previously volunteered with the Samaritans and therefore welcomed the initiative.

Councillor Muir noted that the Mayor, Alderman Girvan, had selected the Samaritans and the RNLI as some of her chosen charities during her Mayoral term and took the opportunity to congratulate the officers on the report. Continuing he acknowledged the importance of the initiative and subsequently welcomed the recommendation contained in the report.

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In response to a query from Councillor Kennedy in respect of the number of suicide attempts in the Borough, the Head of Environmental Health Protection and Development reported that legacy Council research had indicated a higher prevalence of suicide attempts in the Ards area. He added that if the member wished he could provide him with more accurate up to date statistics. It was noted that coastal areas and harbours where considered ‘hot spot’ areas and therefore it was the intention of the Samaritans to specifically target those locations.

Welcoming the initiative, Alderman Irvine noted the proposal to facilitate access to the Samaritans to high risk groups and communities and sought further clarification on how that would be progressed.

The Head of Environmental Health Protection and Development advised that the Samaritans would be assisted by Council officers to make contact with the relevant community groups in those high risk areas.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Douglas, seconded by Councillor Muir, that the recommendation be adopted.

9. ALLOTMENT PROVISION – FILE REF: PCA14

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that further to a notice of motion in November 2015 where Council requested officers to bring back a report on current provision of allotments across the new Borough and opportunities for further expansion, the following referred to progress to date in this matter.

The issue of allotment provision and the benefits both socially and from a health perspective had a significant impact upon lifestyles within towns and villages.

Currently within the Borough there were several different models of allotment provision which included council owned, community run and commercial enterprise.

Presently, allotments were located at the following locations: -

 Bryansburn Road, Bangor – Council owned  , Bangor – Community based  Ards Allotments, Newtownards – Commercial Enterprise

In addition to the current level of allotment provision, there was also a widely differing cost structure for allotment fees across each facility model.

In the past few years, there had been an increasing demand for the allotment plots within the Borough. The waiting list for the Bryansburn Road facility consisted of over 120 names and the provision of allotments was a recurring element within village and town plans across the Borough.

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In order to develop a sustainable approach to the provision of allotments across the Borough it was critical that community involvement and engagement took place and appropriate funding streams were harnessed accordingly.

In going forward, the following was proposed: -

 Suitable locations were identified based on need and community buy in.  Appropriate models of provision were explored, together with fee structures.  Areas of external funding were identified to cover capital set up costs.

Once a strategic approach had been identified taking into account the above, officers would bring a detailed report to Council setting out a plan to ensure that there was sufficient allotment provision across the Borough, taking account of resources available. Officers would work with colleagues in other directorates to derive suitable approaches to allotment provision, for example, where social enterprise was seen to be a desirable model for delivery.

RECOMMENDED that the above progress is noted.

Councillor Muir expressed his thanks to officers for the report following the submission of his Notice of Motion, adding that he appreciated the effort which had gone into it. Continuing he referred to the significant demand which there was for allotments and added that he had recently visited Ards Allotments with Councillor Menagh and been impressed with what he had seen there.

Also expressing his thanks to officers, Councillor Smart noted that of the three allotments located in the Borough, one was Council owned, one was community based and one was a commercial enterprise.

Referring to Ards Allotments, Councillor Menagh advised that the West Winds Environment Group had an allotment there which was used by young kids from the West Winds Estate. He added that while it was a commercial entity, it had links with the local community and he too commended officers for the report.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Councillor Smart, that the recommendation be adopted.

10. LOWER CRESCENT TREES – FILE REF: PCA 13

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that following concerns regarding a number of limbs falling from boundary trees at the Open Space and Play area at Lower Crescent, Comber, a tree condition survey was carried out.

The line of planting in question, consisted of 17 Hybrid Poplar trees that were in the region of 50 years old. This species of tree was relatively short lived and prone to develop both heavy brittle crowns and butt rot as they matured.

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CWB.14.09.16

As a result of the survey, it had been identified that the entire tree colony here was displaying crown defects and in addition, a few were displaying canker and butt rot.

Give the location of the trees, adjacent to a main road and children’s play area, the survey had recommended the following actions: -

 4 trees to be felled as they presented significant risk.  13 trees to be crown reduced in order to stabilise the tree and increase the life expectancy of the tree and reduce further inherent risk.

It was advised that the above works should be carried out in the coming months. The works could be covered from within the Parks and Cemeteries arboriculture budget and could be carried out by the appointed term contractor.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the removal of the identified trees and the crown reduction work to the remaining tree stock.

Councillor Menagh noted the good work which had been carried out by the Council’s Parks section in respect of this matter.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Menagh, seconded by Councillor Edmund, that the recommendation be adopted.

11. GREEN FLAG AWARDS – FILE REF: PCA12

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that as members would recall approval was given to put two sites forward for assessment under the Green Flag Award Scheme 2016. The Green Flag Award scheme was the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the UK.

The Green Flag Award Scheme encouraged high environmental performance and good management. Parks and green spaces were judged against following eight key criteria: -  Welcoming Place  Healthy, Safe and Secure  Clean and Well Maintained  Sustainability  Conservation and Heritage  Community Involvement  Marketing  Overall Management

The judging criteria also considered the fact that each park/green space would offer different kinds of facilities, and would be managed and developed to varying

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CWB.14.09.16 opportunities and constraints. Innovation and the way facilities offered were tailored to the needs of the community would also be taken into account.

Kiltonga Nature Reserve and Castle Park including Walled Garden had been entered for assessment.

Judging was carried out at the end of June 2016, and both sites were deemed to meet the appropriate criteria and had been awarded Green Flag status accordingly.

The accreditation of sites for Green Flag was a performance measurement element within the Parks and Cemeteries Service Plan and in going forward it was intended that additional sites would be assessed in the future to broaden the scope of Green Flag within Ards and North Down.

RECOMMENDED that Council notes the content of this report.

Councillor Adair paid tribute to the hard work which had been carried out by the Council’s Parks section in order to secure the accreditation.

Referring to Kiltonga Nature Reserve, Councillor Menagh advised members that toilet facilities were now available there and added that hundreds of people regularly visited the Reserve. He too commended the Council’s Parks section for its efforts.

Councillor Douglas echoed the comments of her colleagues and added her congratulations to the Director and all staff who had been involved.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Adair, seconded by Councillor Douglas, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Alderman Irvine and Councillor Chambers declared in interest in the next item and left the Chamber at this stage – 7.53pm)

12. BEAT THE STREET INITIATIVE – FILE REF: CW69

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that the Sports Development Unit was working in partnership with the Northern Community Leisure Trust to deliver a new community engagement initiative ‘Beat the street’ in Holywood.

‘Beat the Street’ was a UK initiative delivered by Intelligent Health funded by the National Charity Partnership of Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation and Tesco, who were working together to inspire people to eat better, get active and reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Beat the Street Initiative was coming to Belfast, , Castlereagh and Holywood from 14 September -2 November 2016 when communities would be engaged in a unique, fun and interactive game which people play by walking, cycling and running around the area. To take part they tap special cards on sensors called Beat Boxes which would be placed on lampposts and other street furniture located around the 17

CWB.14.09.16 community. Tapping two boxes within an hour records a journey. Players earn points and win prizes whilst taking part. It was free, fun and simple to take part. The location of the Beat the Street Boxes had been predetermined by the Intelligent Health mapping team who had worked with Transport NI to achieve this. The boxes would be installed and maintained by the Intelligent Health Team. Maps could be viewed and would be available online as soon as the programme went live.

The programme would last 12 months with three phases as follows:

1. Awareness raising 2. Delivery of programme (7 weeks) 3. Legacy programme where residents were supported to keep moving and signposted into further activity with a focus on key groups.

The participation target for Northern Ireland had been set at 60,000.

The initiative was led by the Intelligent Health Engagement Manager Dianne Whyte, who along with participation officers would oversee the implementation of the programme within Holywood. The role for the Council and the Northern Community Leisure Trust was really one of support and promotion.

Beat the Street did not require any financial contribution from the Council to deliver the initial 7-week programme in September 2016. Intelligent Health would conduct a review of the programme and provide Council Officers with participation figures and statistics on the outcomes of the programme. Programme outcomes that would be monitored would be number of participants, distance travelled, travel type (walk, run, cycle), gender breakdown and points accumulated.

This initiative was a great initiative to engage local communities on getting active within their own communities and across the wider Borough. It would be a useful programme to act as a pathway into the Sport Northern Ireland Everybody Active 2020 programme which was due to commence in early 2017.

RECOMMNEDED that Council note this report.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Edmund, seconded by Councillor Muir, that the recommendation be adopted.

(Alderman Irvine and Councillor Chambers re-entered the Chamber at this stage – 7.54pm)

13. PEACE IV CORRESPONDENCE – FILE REF: 142040 (Appendix VII)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report dated 31 August 2016 from the Director of Community and Wellbeing stating that further to his report to the August Council meeting where reference was made to a meeting to be held between officers and SEUPB, he could advise that this had taken place on 19 August 2016. The issues discussed were outlined in subsequent correspondence received from SEUPB dated 24 August which had been attached.

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Further correspondence was sent to SEUPB by SOLACE on 26 August, and a second letter from SEUPB received on 2 September, both of which were also attached.

The implications of communication received to date and from direct discussions with SEUPB it was understood that the UK Government had committed to fund its proportion of funds for programmes that were approved before the Autumn Statement, due in November. Therefore, officers were now working to a new deadline for submission of their stage 2 detailed application by 23 September, to allow the approval process to take place before the statement was announced. In addition, and on advice from SEUPB, the Councils proposed action plan included in the stage 2 application would concentrate on the delivery of as much of the planned programme as possible before the end of 2018, which was understood to be the earliest possible date of leaving the European Union.

RECOMMENDED that the contents of the attached correspondence is noted.

(Councillor Menagh left the chamber at this stage – 7.55pm)

Councillor Boyle warned members that this was a situation which they may have to get used to in the future going forward and agreed that it would be a challenge. He expressed concern about the Council’s ability to cope under such circumstances and asked the Director if he was content that his officers would have the ability to cope.

(Councillor Menagh entered the chamber at this stage – 7.56pm)

The Head of Community and Culture advised members that a number of meetings had already taken place with the Partnership scheduled to meet again the following week. Continuing she indicated that she was confident the new deadline could be met with a lot of extra hours put in by Council officers.

Councillor Muir expressed his thanks to officers and expressed the view that the position currently adopted by the British Government in respect of this matter was disgraceful. Continuing, he noted that Belfast City Council no longer had a Partnership and asked if there were any more details on the arrangements they had adopted.

In response the Head of Community and Culture informed the member that she did not attend meetings of the Peace Managers and instead liaised with other Councils in respect of cross border and cross community work to adopt a Partnership approach. She added that Gillian McCready and Nicola Dorrian attended meetings of the Peace Managers.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Martin, seconded by Councillor Thompson, that the recommendation be adopted.

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14. NOTICE OF MOTION

14.1. Notice of Motion Submitted by Councillor Chambers

Councillor Chambers proposed, seconded by Councillor Brooks that Council Officers prepare a report on the feasibility of Council providing, in the future, a dedicated facility in Bangor for skateboarding.

Councillor Chambers noted there had previously been mention of such a facility within the legacy North Down Borough Council Play Strategy and commended members for that while also acknowledging the Play Strategy which had been adopted by the legacy Ards Borough Council. Continuing he referred to the need for such a facility which had prompted his request for a report from officers. He added that it was a more common sport than what many would think adding that it was being considered a sport for the 2020 Olympics. It was noted the sport had a massive following and therefore there was a clear need for a location dedicated to it. Continuing, Councillor Chambers acknowledged its contribution to keeping anti- social behaviour at a low level and encouraged members to support his proposal.

Concurring with those comments and welcoming the Notice of Motion, Councillor Brooks reported that he was continually asked by the young people of Donaghadee about the provision of a skate park. He was aware of the large number of people who regularly practised the sport in car parks at night and suggested that consideration could be given to the old Community Centre/Bus Station at Donaghadee as a suitable location. He added that he was very happy that the proposal had been brought forward by his colleague.

Councillor Menagh expressed some concern with the proposal adding that consideration should be given to such a dedicated facility across the entire Council Borough. He noted that there would be provision at the new Leisure Centre at Ards adding that in Conway Square, Newtownards people regularly skateboarded there seven nights a week.

Rising in support of the proposal, Councillor Martin informed members that research had indicated costs associated with such a proposal could equate to £150,000- £300,000. Therefore, it may be classed as a Capital Project and one which may take several years to come to fruition like many other proposed projects currently in the pipeline. However, he welcomed the report which had been asked for and looked forward to reading its contents in due course.

Alderman Irvine indicated that he was content for a report to be brought back from officers on the feasibility of such a scheme however he noted the costs referred to by his colleague may be prohibitive. He suggested that something of this nature may be able to be incorporated into plans for Queen’s Parade.

Councillor Thompson proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Menagh, that Council Officers prepare a report on the feasibility of the Council providing, in the future, a dedicated facility across the entire Borough for skateboarding.

Councillor Chambers indicated that he would be content to accept the amendment. 20

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Councillor Muir indicated that he too was content with the amendment but urged caution in respect of potential insurance and statutory implications associated with such a facility which would require users to wear the appropriate protective clothing.

In summing up, Councillor Chambers commented that he had been heartened by members’ positive comments and agreed with the concerns raised by Councillor Muir.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND, on the proposal of Councillor Chambers, seconded by Councillor Brooks, that Council Officers prepare a report on the feasibility of the Council providing, in the future, dedicated facilities across the entire Borough for skateboarding.

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, on the proposal of Councillor Thompson, seconded by Councillor Boyle, that the public/press be excluded during discussion of the undernoted items of confidential business.

15. WHITESPOTS COUNTRY PARK AND HELENS TOWER WOOD – UPDATE ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECT – FILE REF: CX35

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

16. PORTAFERRY MARKET HOUSE UPDATE – FILE REF: PCU 17

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

17. CAIRN WOOD/BALLYSALLAGH FOREST AND UPPER RESERVOIR UPDATE

***NOT FOR PUBLICATION***

Schedule 6 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Council holding that information).

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED, that the public/press be re-admitted to the meeting.

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18. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

18.1. Progress on the Councils Playpark Strategy

Alderman Irvine sought an update on the progress of the Councils updated playpark strategy.

The Director of Community and Wellbeing advised that the new strategy was focusing on playparks throughout the Borough, MUGAs, and facilities such as wheeled parks, and that the earliest a draft report could be available would be by next spring. In the meantime, and in accordance with both legacy Council strategies, community consultation was currently being developed in respect of the installation of new play parks at Scrabo Estate, Newtownards and Linear Park, Bangor. He indicated that once the work associated with Peace IV submissions had been completed at the end of the month, community services officers would be able to focus their attention on this matter.

NOTED.

18.2. In Bloom Awards 2016

The Chairman advised that the In Bloom Awards for 2016 had taken place earlier that day at which Groomsport had received a second prize in its category and a commendation awarded to Newtownards War Memorial.

NOTED.

18.3. AGM Citizens Advice Ards and North Down

The Director of Community and Wellbeing reported that the Annual General Meeting of the Citizens Advice Ards and North Down (CAAND) had recently taken place and thanks had been expressed to the Council for its help and assistance. The Board of CAAND had asked that this be relayed to the committee at its meeting on the night, and that in response to some members concerns about the Newtownards office to confirm that it was fully committed to preserving and enhancing services in the area served primary by it.

NOTED.

19. TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 8.35 pm.

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Unclassified ITEM 8.5.1.

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Community and Wellbeing

Date of Meeting 28th September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Community and Wellbeing

Responsible Head of Service Head of Leisure and Amenities

Date of Report 15th September 2016

File Reference CX35

Legislation Youth and Recreational Services Order

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☐ No ☐ Not Applicable ☒

Subject Whitespots Country Park and Helens Tower Wood. Matter Arising

Attachments

As a result of a recommendation of the Community and Wellbeing Committee concerning the above, Council are asked to nominate two Elected Members to participate in the Project Steering Group for the scheme. This scheme seeks to develop the Whitespots Country Park and Helens Tower Wood in collaboration with the Somme Association and the Clandeboye Estate, to provide a potential new World War 1 Legacy Project and enhanced recreational and visitor park in that area.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that Council nominate 2 Elected Members as representatives on the Whitespots Country Park and Helens Tower Wood Project Steering Group.

Page 1 of 1

ITEM 8.6

ARDS AND NORTH DOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

A meeting of the Audit Committee was held in the Council Chamber, 2 Church Street, Newtownards on Monday, 19 September 2016 at 7.00pm.

PRESENT:-

In the Chair: Councillor Gilmour

Aldermen: Fletcher Gibson Irvine

Councillors: Armstrong-Cotter Muir Chambers Thompson (7.01pm) Ferguson Walker

Independent Member: Mr Sam Hagen

In Attendance: Ms Camille McDermott – Moore Stephens Ms Louise Kelly – Grant Thornton Mr Michael Barnett – Grant Thornton Mr Tomas Wilkinson - NI Audit Office

Officers: Chief Executive (S Reid), Interim Director of Finance and Performance (J Pentland), Head of Finance (S Grieve) and Democratic Services Officer (J Glasgow)

1. APOLOGIES

An apology for lateness was received from Councillor Thompson.

2. CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS

Councillor Thompson entered the meeting – 7.01 pm

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the external audit representatives.

3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

The Chairman (Councillor Gilmour) asked members to advise of any declarations of interest. No declarations were notified.

AC.19.09.16

4. MEETING WITH NI AUDIT OFFICE & INTERNAL AUDIT SERVICE IN THE ABSENCE OF MANAGEMENT

The Chief Executive, Interim Director of Finance and Performance, Head of Finance and Democratic Services Officer all withdrew from the meeting during the discussion of the item (7.02 pm – 7.05 pm)

Councillor Muir and Walker entered the meeting during the discussion of the item.

5. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS

(a) Report of Audit Committee meeting dated 27 June 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, seconded by Councillor Ferguson that the minutes be noted.

(b) Follow up Actions from Previous Meetings – Actions Register

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance detailing that in line with best practice, the purpose of the report was to make the Audit Committee aware of the status of outstanding recommendations of any outstanding actions from the previous Audit Committee meetings. The Committee would note that 3 actions were required from previous committee meetings, those were detailed in the table below:

Item Title Action Status March 2016 9 Corporate Risk Register Changes in register to be December 2016 highlighted 10 Statements of Assurance Significant issues to be September 2016 reported to Committee Delayed to December 14 Audit Committee Self- To be completed prior to September 2016 Assessment September meeting Delayed to March 2017

RECOMMENDED that Committee notes the report.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Chambers, seconded by Alderman Irvine that the recommendation be adopted.

6. OUTSTANDING EXTERNAL AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS (FILE FIN69) (Appendix I)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance attaching register of outstanding external audit recommendations. The

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AC.19.09.16 report detailed that the register had been prepared to align with best practice and to give an appropriate level of priority to those items.

The register detailed all recommendations made during the current financial year in addition to those made in prior years. New recommendations would be added to the register after the report to those charged with governance had been reported to Committee each September. It would also be circulated to Corporate Leadership Team and Heads of Service Team to ensure that actions were completed on a timely basis.

Updates since the last report to Committee in June within the register were in red.

June 2016 September 2016 Issued addressed 4 1 In progress 1 2 Not reached implementation date 3 3 Issue not yet addressed 3 1 No longer an issue 1 - Issues added from new reports - - Totals 12 7

RECOMMENDED that Committee notes the report.

In respect of Item 1 – Assets with £nil Net Book Value and Item 2 – Surplus Assets; Mr S Hagen asked if such items would have an impact on the financial statements given that the target date had been revised to 2017. In response the Head of Finance stated that it would not be in the intention to go back and review the asset lives of those fixed assets already fully depreciated, but rather review the lives allocated to new assets when they were purchased in order to avoid this happening in the future. He highlighted that the Council now had a vehicle replacement strategy in place and that would involve replacing vehicles on a more frequent basis. A review of assets that had been identified as surplus was currently underway with a view to putting in place a timetable for their individual disposal.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Muir, seconded by Councillor Thompson that the recommendation be adopted.

7. OUTSTANDING INTERNAL AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS (FILE AUD03) (Appendix II)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance attaching register of outstanding internal audit recommendations for Members information. That had been prepared to align with best practice and to give an appropriate level of priority to those items.

The register detailed all recommendations made during the current financial year in addition to those made in prior years. New recommendations would be added to the register after each internal audit report had been reported to Committee. It would

3

AC.19.09.16 also be circulated to Corporate Leadership Team and Heads of Service Team to ensure that actions were completed on a timely basis. Updates since the last report to Committee in June were in red.

June 2016 September 2016 Issued addressed - 38 In progress 12 25 Not reached implementation date 22 4 Issue not yet addressed 97 62 No longer an issue - 2 Issues added from new reports - 5 Totals 131 136

RECOMMENDED that Committee notes the report.

The Interim Director of Finance and Performance advised that an update report would now be brought to each meeting of the Audit Committee. He highlighted that the number of recommendations had increased by 5 following an audit undertaken. The Director highlighted that out of the 131 recommendations, 38 had been fully addressed and these would come off the total of 136 for the next Committee report. The aim was to reduce the number of recommendations not addressed yet further in the next quarter. He noted that the outstanding register was being given prominence at CLT and HOST meetings.

In respect of Item 59 – Business Technology staff should also review the arrangements for staff accessing their Council email account on their own devices to ensure that the remote management policies that are applied on Council-issued devices can also be applied for user-owned devices; Alderman Fletcher stated that he was concerned with ICT having access to employees personal mobile phones and the personal information held on them. He questioned the reasoning for such. In response Ms McDermott clarified that ICT would have the ability to wipe a Council mobile device if it was lost or stolen. She explained that there was a risk identified that if an employees’ personal mobile device who used to access their Council emails on that device and it was stolen then that Council information could potentially fall into the wrong hands. The recommendation sought to enforce a pin or pattern code when employees were accessing their emails from their own device.

Councillor Walker asked if the number of recommendations contained within register was high and what was the baseline figure. In response the Director stated that the number was high however a lot of the recommendations were only 6-9 months old. The Head of Finance stated that in his view the number of recommendations were high however he was working with the respective Heads of Service to reduce that number. He stated that he would ideally expect to see the register contain 50-60 recommendations.

In respect of Item 53 - A full directory of Council staff (including their roles and responsibilities) should be compiled and made available in the Council’s intranet; Alderman Irvine questioned if that directory would include information on the Heads of Service. In response the Head of Finance explained that directory would go much deeper and include information on staff throughout the organisation. The directory

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AC.19.09.16 was primarily for the use of front of house staff to allow them to direct calls to the appropriate section however noted that the directory would have wider uses.

In respect of Item 22 – Absence of Formal Agreement – Control Design Issue; Mr S Hagen noted that the recommendation had been given a priority 1 and raised questions regarding the current position. The recommendation detailed that Management responses were not received therefore it was not possible to complete follow-up testing on the review area. Mr S Hagen noted that the same positions had also been provided as an explanation in recommendations 12 – 15. In response the Head of Finance stated that he would take that matter up with the relevant Director and/or Head of Service

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Alderman Gibson, seconded by Councillor Armstrong-Cotter that the recommendation be adopted.

8. DRAFT REPORT TO THOSE CHARGED WITH GOVERNANCE

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above report.

Ms Kelly stated that the audit was now complete and the accounts were now ready to be issued for signing. From an audit perspective the work had went well and thanked the Interim Director, Head of Finance and the Finance team for all their assistance.

Mr Barnett took Members through the document outlining that the audit fieldwork was complete, subject to a review of subsequent events up to the date of the audit report. In addition, receipt of outstanding responses were awaited from the Council’s bankers, and the final conclusions on the review of the Council’s IT controls. A clean opinion was recommended. Mr Barnett drew Members attention to Page 4 which outlined the significant risk which had been addressed through the audit, those were as undernoted:-

Risk 1- Merger Accounting – Accounting for the merger of the legacy Councils and the transfer of additional powers to the Council is complex. There was a risk that movements in reserves resulting from the merger are not fairly stated and that inconsistent accounting policies have been applied.

Risk 2 – Financial Reporting Systems - The financial reporting of the Council is exposed to the risks regarding the integration of the legacy financial reporting and other supporting systems, including payroll systems.

Risk 3 – Property Plant & Equipment - The Council has acquired a substantial estate through the merger process. Given the volume of assets transferred there were risks with respect to valuation, ownership and obsolescence of certain assets.

In respect of the findings from the audit, Mr Barnett advised that there were 3 Priority 2 and 3 Priority 3 recommendations proposed. He outlined those to Members which were detailed in the report with the undernoted recommendations: -

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AC.19.09.16

1. Procurement - It is recommended that a formal procurement policy be adopted by the Council.

2. Leisure Centre Income and Cash Handling - Daily takings that are stored in the safe in lodgement bags should then be lodged to the bank on a timely basis.

Two people (receptionist and supervisor) should count takings and sign the takings summary at the end of each shift to reduce the risk of fraud. A cash handling policy should be adopted by the Council in order to establish best practice and contingency procedures at the council.

3. Prompt Payment - Council should ensure that proper systems and procedures are in place going forward so that prompt payment performance is improved and meets specified targets.

4. Title Deeds – It was recommended that the Council should establish a register of deeds, including details of the location of the deeds, and introduce procedures to ensure the register is maintained.

5. Asset Valuation - It is recommended that professional valuations be obtained in all cases, unless unconditional evidence of current value can be obtained.

6. VAT Controls - A VAT manual should be established to document the detailed procedures and processes for preparing the VAT return and should incorporate checks to confirm the accuracy of sales and purchase information entered on to the financial systems.

The VAT manual will act as a central record of VAT knowledge within the Council and provide source material for VAT compliance.

Mr Barnett referred to the adjustments that had had made to the financial statements and the misstatements that remained unadjusted. The major adjustment was a Capital Grant of £1,004,022 which had been included within the Opening Balance Sheet which should not have been carried forward to the current financial year. The prior year was adjusted by the amount but it had no impact on the net current year position. The audit opinion for the Council would then be sent to the Local Government Auditor.

Mr Barnett responded to questions from Members.

In respect of Risk 3 – Property and Equipment – The Council continues to pursue the accurate deeds of the car parks transferred to it as part of the transfer of off street parking powers; Alderman Fletcher referred to this aspect and questioned if all the deeds had been received by the Council. In response the Head of Finance stated that he was unsure if all the physical deeds had been received and stated that he would follow that up with the Compliance Manager. He explained that he was aware there were issues with the title transferred and that this is an issue for other Councils also.

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AC.19.09.16

Alderman Fletcher stated that if the matter was unresolved would that have an adverse impact on future audit. In response the Head of Finance stated he would have thought that it would be unlikely to affect the opinion in future audits. Endeavours would continue to pursue the Department. Ms Kelly stated that if a register had been compiled and the remainder of the deeds received she would expect that no comment would be made.

Mr S Hagen noted that the document was draft and questioned what changes were to be made. In response Mr Wilkinson stated that he did not envisage the document changing. It was presented to the Committee as draft and once approved and any outstanding information received that could be made final.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Thompson, seconded by Councillor Armstrong-Cotter that the draft report be approved.

9. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2016

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above.

The Chairman reminded Members that the Interim Director had provided an overview of the document at the previous meeting.

The Director stated that the only change from draft financial statements was in respect of the brought forward Capital Grant, as previously advised by Mr Barnett, on page 25 to the opening Balance Sheet. He reiterated that had not impact on the Net Balance Sheet or the Net Income position for the year.

The Chairman thanked the Director, Head of Finance and the staff involved in the preparation of the statements.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Chambers that the Financial Statements be approved.

10. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE GUIDANCE ON ASSURANCE RATINGS

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above guidance.

Ms McDermott explained that Internal Audits provided an opinion in each of the audit reports and an overall assurance opinion in the annual report. The definition of those opinions were set by the Department of Finance and periodically the Department would undertake a review. That had recently taken place and the Department of Finance had issued new guidance revising the assurance opinions and definitions of the priority ratings. Previously there were four assurance opinions substantial, satisfactory, limited and unacceptable. Ms McDermott explained that it had been found in some instances, management were striving to achieve substantial and using resources expenditure. It was found that was not making the best use of public finance. In future, there would be 3 assurance opinions: - Satisfactory 7

AC.19.09.16

- Limited - Unacceptable

The undernoted definitions were provided of the assurance opinions: -

Assurance Current definition New definition Opinion

Substantial There is a robust system of governance, risk No longer applicable management and control which should ensure that objectives are fully achieved.

Satisfactory Overall there is an adequate and effective Overall there is a satisfactory system of governance, risk management and system of governance, risk control. While there is some residual risk management and control. While identified this should not significantly impact on there may be some residual risk the achievement of objectives. identified this should not significantly impact on the Some improvements are required to enhance the achievement of system adequacy and/or effectiveness of governance, objectives. risk management and control.

Limited There is an inadequate and/or ineffective system There are significant weaknesses of governance, risk management and control in within the governance, risk place. Therefore there is significant risk that the management and control system will fail to meet its objectives. framework which, if not addressed, could lead to the Prompt action is required to improve the system objectives not being adequacy and/or effectiveness of governance, achieved risk management and control.

Unacceptable The system of governance, risk management The system of governance, risk and control has failed or there is a real and management and control has substantial risk that the system will fail to meet its failed or there is a real and objectives. substantial risk that the system will fail to meet its objectives. Urgent action is required to improve the adequacy and/or effectiveness of governance, risk management and control.

Furthermore, Ms McDermott outlined that definitions for the Priority 1,2 and 3 ratings had been changed to reflect organisational priorities rather than system priority. That should help identify significant issues at an organisational level.

Priority Our current definition New definition

1 Weakness with potentially serious Failure to implement the financial, systemic or reputational recommendation is likely to result in a consequences. Recommendation major failure of a key organisational requires urgent action. objective, significant damage to the reputation of the organisation or the misuse of public funds.

2 Non fundamental weakness with Failure to implement the potentially important financial, recommendation could result in the systemic or reputational failure of an important organisational

8

AC.19.09.16

consequences. Recommendation objective or could have some impact on requires prompt attention. a key organisational objective.

3 Improvement which represents Failure to implement the current Council procedure and / or recommendation could lead to an Best Practice. Requires attention. increased risk exposure.

Ms McDermott stated that bodies outside the Civil Service must have the new definitions implemented by 2017/18. However, it was the intention for Moore Stephens to implement the recommendations immediately for all future audits.

Alderman Fletcher expressed his disappointment that the ‘substantial’ opinion had been dropped. He stated that Officers put in a lot of efforts and felt substantial assurances were good for morale. Alderman Fletcher stated that the change would down grade the efforts of Officers and felt the removal of the assurance was a bad move.

Councillor Muir felt the ratings proposed were very good. He highlighted that the audit was undertaken for business compliance, to ensure standards were being met and the area of work was not undertaken for staff motivation. He felt that the new guidance simplified the process and welcomed the changes.

In response to a question from Alderman Gibson, Ms McDermott stated that through the audit good practice and methods that were working well would continue to be highlighted. The definition for satisfactory had changed meaning now ‘that overall there was a satisfactory system of governance, risk management and control’.

The Head of Finance assured the Committee that Officers were content when achieving satisfactory assurances.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Thompson, seconded by Alderman Gibson that the information be noted.

11. INTERNAL AUDIT

(a) Internal Audit Progress

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED: - Copy of the above.

The Ms McDermott advised that the purpose the summary report was to inform members of the Audit Committee of work carried out by Internal Audit during the period June – August 2016. The status of each planned audit to be completed by Internal Audit based on the Revised Annual Audit Plan was shown in the table below:-

Proposed Audit Area Status Assurance Rating Schedule Regeneration, Development & Planning Visitor Information Centres September - - Environment Fleet management August Fieldwork completed -

9

AC.19.09.16

Proposed Audit Area Status Assurance Rating Schedule Donaghadee Harbour January - - Community & Well-being Environmental Health January - - PCSP April Complete Satisfactory Grant Funding (e.g. Community November - - Festivals) Chief Executive, Finance & Performance and Organisational Development & Admin Corporate governance October - - Communications November - - Health & Safety August Ongoing - Overtime, TOIL and Flexi July Complete Satisfactory Debtors & Accounts receivable September - - Travel & subsistence November - - Asset management / Fixed assets January - - Capital Projects December - - Other Cash handling (formerly community October - centres)

Ms McDermott remarked that work was progressing well.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Thompson that the information be noted.

(b) Recently Completed Internal Audit Reports  Overtime, TOIL and Flexi Report – Executive Summary

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Copy of the above.

Ms McDermott stated that as a result of the audit of Overtime, TOIL and flexi-time, Moore Stephens provided the Council with a satisfactory level of assurance in that regard. Additionally, Moore Stephens had found the undernoted examples of good practice: - - Ards and North Down Borough Council had implemented a Flexible Working Arrangements Policy - Approved overtime forms were available for the overtime payments tested - Total overtime costs to date were within the overtime budget for 2016-17. Ms McDermott stated that there was no priority 1 or priority 2 findings and 5 priority 3 recommendations. As those were of a priority 3 rating she did not intend to outline those recommendations but those were included with the report.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, seconded by Alderman Gibson that the information be noted.

12. AUDIT COMMITTEE SELF-ASSESSMENT (FILE AUD02) (Appendix III)

PREVIOUSLY CIRCULATED:- Report from the Interim Director of Finance and Performance detailing that in March the Committee agreed to carry out a self- assessment exercise, in line with good practice.

10

AC.19.09.16

A check list had been attached for completion by Members, who were respectfully requested to complete in either soft or hard copy and return to the Head of Finance by 31 October to allow the results to be compiled for the next committee meeting on 19 December.

Alternatively, Members may want a workshop to be arranged to facilitate the completion of the checklist.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves the use of the attached self-assessment and considers whether it prefers these to be completed individually or as part of a workshop.

After reading through the self-assessment, Alderman Fletcher stated that he was somewhat appalled at his lack of knowledge. In response the Interim Director explained that the ‘don’t know’ column had been introduced for responses were Members did not know the answers. The Head of Finance stated Members opinions and answers would vary, however stated that it was important that Members did answer honestly to allow Officers to identify the true training gaps.

Alderman Irvine felt it would be beneficial to have a workshop for the self- assessment. However, he noted the purpose was for individual Members to be honest in their views on the issues asked. The Interim Director stated that a training workshop would be invaluable but the Officer hoped that the self-assessment form would be done individually first as to guide the training needs. He stated that if the workshop was held to work through the questionnaire then there would be a danger that such a collective approach would not fully reveal where the training needs lay.

The Head of Service explained that the purpose of the self-assessment was not to identify what Members knew and what they didn’t know individually, but rather what the knowledge was of the Committee as a whole. He was happy to meet with Members individually if they wished to be provided with guidance, but not to provide answers to the questions.

Alderman Gibson was of the view that training was essential and it was good to identify training needs and come together as a Committee.

The Chairman explained that it was up to the Committee if they wished to complete the self-assessment individually or collectively and if they felt a workshop would provide benefit.

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Walker, seconded by Councillor Muir that Members complete the self-assessment individually and that the results form a baseline for a training workshop.

Alderman Gibson asked that a hard copy of the self-assessment be sent to Members.

In response to Members questions, the Interim Director stated that it was not the intention for the check-list to be completing anonymously however Members could do so if they preferred.

11

AC.19.09.16

EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Councillor Armstrong-Cotter, seconded by Alderman Irvine that the public/press be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the undernoted item of confidential business.

(Councillor Thompson withdrew from the meeting – 7.53 pm)

13. FRAUD AND WHISTLEBLOWING UPDATE

***IN CONFIDENCE***

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

RE-ADMITTANCE OF PUBLIC/PRESS

AGREED TO RECOMMEND on the proposal of Alderman Irvine, seconded by Councillor Armstrong-Cotter that the public/press be re-admitted to the meeting.

14. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There were no items of any other business.

TERMINATION OF MEETING

The meeting terminated at 7.55 pm.

Circulated for Information

(a) National Fraud Initiative Report and press release

12

NORTH DOWN COMMUNITY NETWORK

North Down Community Network Resource Centre, 5 Castle Park Road, Bangor BT20 4TF Tel: 028 9146 1386 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ndcn.co.uk

Charity Registration: XR37170 NI Charity Number:102333 Company Number: NI050662

19th September 2016

Dear Mr Reid and Ards and North Down Councillors

I hope this finds you well. I am writing at the request of a collective group of ‘Centre Users’ who regularly use the council facility at Redburn Community Centre (and in some cases the Queens Hall facility), they are a collective group of community and church groups from the Holywood area. The group would to request the opportunity to make a deputation to the Ards and North Down Community and Wellbeing Committee; which we understand are meeting in October.

The group would like to have the opportunity to outline the valuable activities they deliver, their use of the Redburn facility, and the concerns they have about changes to council policies and practice regarding room access.

Thank you for your consideration of this request. If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Louise Little North Down Community Network

Supported by:

Unclassified

ITEM 10.1.

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Community and Wellbeing

Responsible Head of Head of Leisure and Amenities Service

Date of Report 26 August 2016

File Reference CW67

Legislation Recreation and Youth Services Order (1986)

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Delegation of Powers - Community and Wellbeing Committee - Kilcooley Playground

Attachments

It is recommended that the Community and Wellbeing Committee be granted delegated powers to award a tender to carry out an estimated £80k refurbishment programme at Kilcooley Playground, full details of the scheme will be included in the October report to the Community and Wellbeing Committee. This will enable a very tight timetable to be met in regard to undertaking the work in this financial year and before the weather becomes a potential factor.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Community and Wellbeing Committee be granted delegated powers to award a tender to undertake a refurbishment programme at Kilcooley Playground.

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Unclassified

ITEM 14

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Chief Executive

Responsible Head of Service

Date of Report

File Reference

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Kilcooley Community Partnership

Attachments

At the Annual Meeting held on 2nd June 2016, Councillor Smith was nominated as one of two Council representatives to the Kilcooley Community Partnership for a one year period.

Councillor Smith has subsequently advised that due to other commitments he is unable to attend meetings of the Partnership and has therefore resigned his position.

There is therefore a vacancy on the Partnership which requires a nomination from Council.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that one Member be nominated as a Council representative to the Kilcooley Community Partnership for the remainder of the one year term.

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Unclassified ITEM 15

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Finance and Performance

Responsible Head of Head of Performance and Projects Service

Date of Report 12 September 2016

File Reference 260501 - Performance Management

Legislation Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Annual Performance Report 2015-2016

Attachments Annual Performance Report 2015-2016

The Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 put in place a new framework to support the continuous improvement in the delivery of Council services in the context of strategic objectives and issues that are important to those who receive the services.

Section 92 of the Act places a requirement on councils to make arrangements to publish the comparison and assessment information relating to its performance before 30 September immediately following the financial year to which it relates1. In the first year following transition (2015/16) the Council is required only to report on how it has performed against the Statutory Indicators set out in The Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015. In future years we will be required to report against all of the objectives set out in the Council’s annual Performance Improvement Plans.

The attached draft Performance Report for the year 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016 reports on performance against the Statutory Indicators.

1 Performance Improvement Guidance Version 2 (post consultation) Page 1 of 2

Unclassified

In considering the report, the following should be noted:

1. Indicators and Standards (targets) are set by Central Government departments without having regard to local priorities and the resourcing required to achieve these. This was highlighted by the Council in recent consultation with the (now) Department for Communities 2. The Standards set did not appear to have been reasonably adjusted to take account of performance prior to transfer and the extent of change under local government reform in the case of functions transferring to the Council. 3. Regional performance on W1 ranged from 39.2% to 44.2%. Targets for W2 and W3 vary by Council and do not easily provide for comparison. 4. Planning Indicators P1 and P2 are new indicators to reflect the new hierarchy of development for major and local (previously minor, intermediate and major prior to transfer). The Council inherited a significant number of legacy applications upon transfer of which 82.5% were determined in the first year. 5. Regional performance against P1 averaged at over 46 weeks, ranging between 28.2 weeks to 70.2 weeks. Only one Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey, achieved the target. Regional performance against P2 averaged at over 19 weeks, ranging from 14 to 34.8 weeks, with 3 Councils achieving target. 9 Councils achieved the P3 target, ranging from 54.1% to 85.9%, despite a regional increase in caseload by 15.8%, with AND receiving the second highest number of complaints regarding alleged breaches after Belfast City Council. 6. Efforts are underway to improve processing times in Planning, whilst cognisant of the need to engender good design and positive place-shaping, and to reduce landfill tonnage. The Food Waste Campaigns and efforts to target misuse of Household Recycling Centres are already making a significant difference. 7. The Statutory Indicators only relate to a small range of Council services and do not accurately demonstrate overall performance. The Department for Communities intends to review the Indicators and Standards though the current Order will apply to subsequent years until such a review is completed. It is important that the Council and the wider Local Government Sector are involved in the development of future Indicators and Standards as these should be an appropriate gauge of performance and reflective of local needs and priorities. Consideration should also be given to the use of Indicators which reflect quality (outputs and outcomes) rather than process.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that this report is noted.

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ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT – 2015/2016

Under the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 the Council is required to publish information relating to its performance before 30 September immediately following the financial year to which it relates.

This report, for the year 1 April 2015 – 31 March 2016, has been developed looking back at how we performed against the Statutory Indicators set out in The Local Government (Performance Indicators and Standards) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015 and seeks to provide an accurate picture of our progress towards achieving the objectives set out in the Corporate Plan 2015-2019.

Our Vision is that Ards and North Down will be a place to be proud of which is Our Purpose is to make Ards and North Down the best place to live, work, more prosperous, vibrant, healthy, sustainable and where people enjoy an visit and invest. excellent quality of life.

Our Objectives

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT – 2015/2016

How we have performed

Economic Development:

Indicator: ED1 – The number of jobs Standard: EDS1 – To promote in each financial year the Target Actual Status promoted through business start-up activity following number of jobs through business start-up activity 85 125

The Invest NI Regional Start initiative is the national business start-up programme for Northern Ireland. The Council exceeded its target by 48%. Jobs were created mostly in the following sectors: Leisure/personal services: 25.5%; Professional services: 17.3%; Retail 17.3%; Manufacturing: 8% and Hospitality and Tourism: 6.7%. The majority of these jobs were created by individuals ranging from 35 to 44 years old (26.5%). 22.2% of the individuals came straight from full time employment whilst 21% had been unemployed for less than one year and 15% for more than one year (long-term unemployed).

Municipal Waste:

Indicator: W1 – The percentage of household waste collected by To progressively increase recycling to meet Target Actual Status district councils that is sent for recycling (including waste prepared the statutory target of 50% in 2020. 40% 40.4% for re-use). Indicator: W2 - The amount (tonnage) of biodegradable Local Standard: WS1 – To landfill no more than the 23,956 27,484 Authority Collected Municipal Waste that is landfilled. following tonnages of biodegradable Local Authority Collected Municipal Waste Indicator: W3 - The amount (tonnage) of Local Authority Collected To reduce LAC Municipal waste arisings % 97,732 99,766 Municipal Waste Arisings growth rate to below the NI average (1.6%) W1. The Council has exceeded its target of 40% for the 2015/16 year and agreed a new Sustainable Waste Resource Strategy during November 2015 that set a very ambitious target of 65% recycling by 2020 which is 15% above the statutory 2020 target of 50%. W2. The Council did not manage to achieve its target to landfill no more than 23,956 and exceeded it by approximately 3,500 tonnes. The Council is introducing a series of measures to reduce the biodegradable Municipal Waste tonnage sent to landfill (food waste collection initiative and controls on waste disposal at Household Recycling Centres (HRCs)) with the aim of meeting targets in future years. W3. The Council currently has the highest household waste collected total in NI, this has been attributed to abuse of HRCs by the commercial sector and new measures have been introduced to curb abuse.

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT – 2015/2016

Planning: Target Actual Status Indicator: P1 – The average processing time Standard: PS1 – Major applications processed from date within an of major planning applications valid to decision or withdrawal average of 30 51.8 weeks weeks Indicator: P2 – The average processing time Standard: PS2 – Local applications processed from date within an of local planning applications valid to decision or withdrawal average of 15 21.2 weeks weeks Indicator: P3 – The percentage of Standard: PS3 - % of all enforcement cases progressed to 70% 82% enforcement cases processed within 39 target conclusion within 39 weeks of receipt of complaint weeks P1. In the first year post transfer Ards and North Down was amongst ten other councils that failed to meet the target average processing time for major applications. This can be attributed to the large volume of legacy cases transferred from DOE to the councils, many of which had been in the system a considerable time prior to transfer and on which negotiation and resolution of issues were ongoing. P2. The Council determined 903 local applications, and was among eight councils which failed to meet the target for local applications, with the average across NI being 19.4 weeks. The Council seeks to engender the core planning principles identified in planning policy relating to the achievement of sustainable development, so whilst cognisant of defined targets for processing times, will seek to work with developers/applicants to support good design and positive place-making through the development management process. P3. In line with its Enforcement Strategy the Council places great importance on protecting our communities, our heritage and the natural environment from unauthorised development that causes harm or which shows a disregard for the planning system. An enforcement case is opened when there has been an alleged breach of planning control. During the period 2015-2016 AND received 338 complaints, the second highest number after Belfast City Council. In the same period a total of 273 cases were closed as follows: Remedied (52); Planning Permission Granted (27); Not expedient (42); No breach (138); Immune (14). In the first half of 2016/2017 the Council received 110 new complaints, and a total of 68 cases have been concluded which represents a figure of 86.8% against the target figure.

Unclassified

ITEM 16

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning

Responsible Head of Head of Economic Development and Tourism Service

Date of Report 13 September 2016

File Reference TO/VIC2

Legislation N/A

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☐ No ☐ Not Applicable ☒

Subject Northern Ireland Travel Awards - Best Visitor Information Centre 2016

Attachments None

The Tourism Unit has been advised that Bangor Visitor Information Centre has been shortlisted, as one of the five Visitor Information Centres for the Northern Travel Awards – Best Visitor Information Centre 2016. This year, the shortlisted candidates will be subject to a mystery shop, to determine the overall winner.

The Awards will be held on the evening of Friday 21 October at the Slieve Donard Hotel and Spa. There are two tickets available for each nominee, to purchase at the cost of £130 + VAT per ticket. The event is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2016.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Council approves the purchase of two tickets for the Northern Ireland Travel Awards, from existing tourism budgets, allowing the Council to be represented by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor and the Head of Economic Development and Tourism.

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Unclassified

ITEM 17

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning

Responsible Head of Head of Economic Development and Tourism Service

Date of Report 21 September 2016

File Reference 160094

Legislation N/A

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☐ No ☐ Not Applicable ☒

Subject North Down Business Awards and Ards Business Awards

Attachments None

Members will be aware that a decision was taken to Sponsor both North Down and Ards Business Awards.

The nominations are being finalised and the results will be announced at two separate Events.

1. North Down Business Awards at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel, Bangor on the evening of Friday 13 October 2016. 2. Ards Business Awards at the Queens Hall, Newtownards on the evening of Friday 11 November 2016.

As part of the sponsorship 5 complimentary tickets per event (with a further 5 tickets being distributed to business partners) are available for Elected Members, please note both the Mayor and the Chair of Regeneration and Development Committee will receive separate invites from the Chambers.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that nominations of 5 Elected Members be made to attend the North Down Business Awards and 5 Elected Members for the Ards Business Awards Event.

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Unclassified

ITEM 18

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Regeneration, Development and Planning

Responsible Head of Head of Planning Service

Date of Report 20 September 2016

File Reference

Legislation

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☒ No ☐ Not Applicable ☐

Subject Replacement of the Planning Portal

Attachments

BACKGROUND

The Planning Portal is the online software system that is used by councils and the Department for Infrastructure (previously DOE) to deliver their planning functions.

The contract for the current Planning Portal expires on 31 March 2019 and work to procure a replacement system before that time has already commenced.

DETAIL

The current Planning Portal was designed in 2003 and built at a time when central government held responsibility for all planning functions. It was therefore designed to deliver a unitary planning system, as opposed to the 2 tier system which is currently in place following the transfer of the majority of planning powers to local authorities under local government reform.

The contract for the current Planning Portal expires on 31 March 2019 and it is imperative that a replacement system is in place before that time to enable councils and the Department to continue to deliver their Planning functions.

Page 1 of 3

Unclassified

In the interim, the Department will continue to manage the Planning Portal as a shared service on behalf of all 11 councils. A Planning Portal Governance Board has been established to manage the remaining contract with Hewlett Packard and to oversee the procurement of a replacement system. The Governance Board is attended by representatives of the Department and all 11 councils and is chaired by Fiona McCandless, Deputy Secretary for Planning, Water & DVA at the Department.

Ann McCullough, Head of Planning, represents the Council on the Board.

Earlier this year, the Department engaged an IT services company, Kainos, to carry out a pre-Discovery exercise to determine a way forward in terms of replacing the Portal. That exercise was funded at considerable cost by the Department.

In carrying out the exercise, Kainos consulted with all 11 councils, the Department and other parties, including the Planning Appeals Commission. It considered a number of options, one of which is a single shared service across all councils and the Department. Other options considered included an individual system for each council and multiple shared services.

Following completion of the pre-Discovery Phase, Kainos made a recommendation to the Planning Portal Governance Board that the current Portal be replaced by one new single system as a shared service among all 11 councils and the Department. According to Kainos, the use of the Portal is broadly consistent across all councils and the Department and any deviations within organisations can be reasonably accommodated within a shared service based on modern technologies. The key advantages of the shared service, as identified by Kainos, include the delivery of economies of scale for all parties and consistent user experience.

Kainos estimates that the cost of delivering a shared service system would be a one- off capital cost of £4.9M, plus £600K per annum for ongoing support. These costs would be shared among all participating partners.

On 4 August 2016, the Department for Infrastructure wrote to all 11 councils seeking agreement to progress to the Discovery Phase of the project to procure a replacement system. In its correspondence, the Department proposed that the cost of completing this phase be split on a 50/50 basis between central and local government with the cost to each council estimated at £8-12K.

It is understood that all other Councils have responded to the Department advising that, in order to help inform a decision on the making of a financial contribution towards the Discovery Phase, the Department confirms that the work will include an analysis of all replacement options and their associated costs.

The Council has also advised the Department that one of the primary requirements of the Council for a replacement system is that it will facilitate the reform of Planning and the services we are delivering for our citizens. For that reason, it should facilitate and encourage innovation as well as integration with other platforms that already exist in local government, for example, environmental health and building control.

Page 2 of 3

Unclassified

For purposes of clarity, members are advised that all options for replacing the Portal remain at the exploratory stage and that any decisions regarding the procurement of a replacement system will not be taken without the prior agreement of members.

Further updates on the work to procure a replacement system will be provided as the project moves forward.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

A financial cost of £8-12K would be required to be paid by each Council to help fund the next element of the Discovery Phase, which would be met by the Planning budget.

Further costs are likely to be incurred as work to procure a replacement project advances, however, these will be advised.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Council approves the support to the next element of the Discovery Phase for a new Planning Portal at a cost of £8,000 to £12,000.

Page 3 of 3

ITEM 19

Ards and North Down Borough Council

Report Classification Unclassified

Council/Committee Council

Date of Meeting 28 September 2016

Responsible Director Director of Organisational Development and Administration

Responsible Head of Head of Administration Service

Date of Report 27 September 2016

File Reference CG 12172

Legislation Local Government Act (NI) 2014

Section 75 Compliant Yes ☐ No ☐ Not Applicable ☒

Subject Notice of Motions

Attachments Notice of Motions - Status Report

Please find attached a Status Report in respect of Notice of Motions.

This is a standing item on the Council agenda each month and its aim is to keep members updated on the outcome of motions. Please note that as each motion is dealt with it will be removed from the report.

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the Council notes the report.

NOTICE OF MOTIONS UPDATE – SEPTEMBER 2016

TO BE POPULATED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES TO BE POPULATED BY CLT

DATE NOTICE SUBMITTED COUNCIL COMMITTEE OUTCOME OF RESPONSIBLE MONTH IT OTHER NOTES RECEIVED BY MEETING REFERRED COMMITTEE DIRECTOR WILL BE ACTION DATE TO WHERE NOM REPORTED TO BE DEBATED BACK TO TAKEN COMMITTEE 07/11/14 Investigate concept Councillor 04/12/14 Governance Agreed Chief Ongoing behind innovation lab Walker 18.12.14 Executive

29/03/15 To ask officers to draft a Councillor 29/04/15 Council Agreed Community Ongoing Community Charter for Barry 27.05.15 & and Wellbeing the new Council 26.08.15 31/05/15 Permanent recognition of Councillor 24/06/15 Corporate Agreed Organisational Ongoing Rory McIlroy in Holywood Muir Services Development 13.10.15 and Administration 15/07/15 Report on current Councillor 22/07/15 Community Agreed Community September provision of allotments in Muir and and Wellbeing 2016 new Borough Wellbeing 09.09.15 & 11.11.15 15/09/15 Investigate feasibility of Councillor 23/09/15 Corporate Agreed Community & October primary school pilot Martin Services Wellbeing 2016 scheme re basic 13.10.15 computer programming

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TO BE POPULATED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES TO BE POPULATED BY CLT

DATE NOTICE SUBMITTED COUNCIL COMMITTEE OUTCOME OF RESPONSIBLE MONTH IT OTHER NOTES RECEIVED BY MEETING REFERRED COMMITTEE DIRECTOR WILL BE ACTION DATE TO WHERE NOM REPORTED TO BE DEBATED BACK TO TAKEN COMMITTEE 04/12/15 Future of Newtownards Councillors 17/12/15 Corporate Agreed Organisational September Courthouse McIlveen Services Development 2016 and 12.1.16 and Kennedy Administration 8/3/16 Crowd funding Councillors Council Corporate Agreed Regeneration September Walker and March 12.4.16 and 2016 Wilson 2016 Development 15/3/16 Council engages with Councillor Council Community Agreed Council August DARD Forest Service re Dunne March & 2016 Cairn Wood and 2016 Wellbeing Ballysallagh 13.4.16 15/3/16 Development of Park Run Councillor Council Community Agreed Community & September in Ballymenoch Park, Dunne March & Wellbeing 2016 Holywood 2016 Wellbeing 13.4.16 8/4/16 Closure of 20 GP ward in Alderman Council Corporate Agreed Community & October Bangor Community Smith April 2016 Services Wellbeing 2016 Hospital 10.5.16 14/4/16 Measures to prevent Councillor Council Environment Agreed Environment April 2016 Letter damage at Shore Road, Cooper April 2016 4.5.16 sent to Ballyhalbert Minister 19/4/16 Employment of 2 extra Councillor Council Environment Agreed Environment June 2016 environmental wardens to T Smith April 2016 4.5.16 address ongoing issues with dog fouling 19/4/16 Maintenance of area Councillor Council Community Agreed Environment Report around McKee Clock and McClean April 2016 & Wellbeing going Marina 11.5.16 October 2016

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TO BE POPULATED BY DEMOCRATIC SERVICES TO BE POPULATED BY CLT

DATE NOTICE SUBMITTED COUNCIL COMMITTEE OUTCOME OF RESPONSIBLE MONTH IT OTHER NOTES RECEIVED BY MEETING REFERRED COMMITTEE DIRECTOR WILL BE ACTION DATE TO WHERE NOM REPORTED TO BE DEBATED BACK TO TAKEN COMMITTEE 3/6/16 Call on Minister for Councillor Council Heard at Agreed Letter sent to Response Infrastructure to ensure T Smith June 2016 Council Minister going to sufficient resources for June 2016 Council grass cutting and weed 24.8.16 spraying 3/6/16 Lenient sentences for Councillor Council Corporate Agreed Awaiting animal cruelty T Smith June 2016 13.09.16 outcome of committee 8/6/16 NI Year of Food – Council Councillor Council R&Dev Agreed Awaiting to support local products Fletcher June 2016 8.9.16 outcome of and menus for council and committee sponsored events Alderman Henry 14/6/16 Support for Bangor Alderman Council C&W Awaiting Drama Club Smith June 2016 October outcome of committee 14/6/16 Request for quarterly Alderman Council C&W Awaiting reports on use of Smith June 2016 October outcome of community centres committee 23/6/16 Charging of community Councillors Council C&W Awaiting groups hiring community Barry and July 2016 October outcome of halls Roberts committee 28/6/16 Condemning hate and Councillor Council C&W Awaiting preventing racism etc. Robinson July 2016 October outcome of committee 4/7/16 Two-hour free on-street Councillor Council Environment Agreed Awaiting parking Robinson July 2016 7.9.16 outcome of committee 14/7/16 Civic reception for Josh Alderman Council n/a Amended Organisational Mayoral Magennis Irvine and July 2016 notice agreed Development reception to at Council be arranged

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DATE NOTICE SUBMITTED COUNCIL COMMITTEE OUTCOME OF RESPONSIBLE MONTH IT OTHER NOTES RECEIVED BY MEETING REFERRED COMMITTEE DIRECTOR WILL BE ACTION DATE TO WHERE NOM REPORTED TO BE DEBATED BACK TO TAKEN COMMITTEE Councillor and Dunne Administration 15/7/16 Marking the 21st Alderman Council Corporate Deferred to Awaiting Anniversary of Positive Henry July 2016 13.09.16 October 2016 outcome of Futures committee 2/7/16 Public opposition to breed Councillors Council Environment Agreed specific legislation Barry and August Committee Roberts 2016 September 8/8/16 Prohibiting the release of Councillor Council Environment Agreed Chinese lanterns Robinson August Committee 2016 September 17/8/16 That this Council rescinds Counillor Council Motion was the 'Commercial Waste Barry, August put to vote Controls at Household Cooper and 2016 and Recycling Centres' policy Robinson declared due to start on 22 August' LOST

17/08/2016 That Council officers Councillor Council Community Agreed prepare a report on the Chambers August and feasibility of Council 2016 Wellbeing providing,in the future, a September dedicated facility in 2016 Bangor, for skateboarding. 18/08/2016 Adoption of the Motor Councillor Council Neurone Disease (MND) Robinson September Charter and 2016 Councillor Cooper

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The Housing Executive Magazine for the Rural Community August 2016 Rural Matters

Focus On Social Housing Investment Scheme Are more rural homes needed? A new Rural Strategy Supporting Praxis Keeping Northern Ireland Beautiful Join the oil club Looking Forward

This year was the final year of our Rural Action Plan 2013-2016 and we started work on 57 of the 58 ambitious actions included in the plan. Encouraging progress was made on 95% of the actions.

Key achievements of this 3 year Rural Action Plan included:

47 rural housing needs surveys were undertaken to help rural Donald Hoodless communities examine the provision of social housing in their area (for details see pages 4-5);

372 social new build homes were delivered in rural areas;

The extension of floating support services (in rural areas across Northern Ireland) to help vulnerable people remain in their homes. Tailored care and support packages were made available (see page 9 for a feature on schemes in Fermanagh and Coleraine); Clark Bailie

Improvements to the fabric and energy efficiency of rural housing through 5788 ‘Warm Homes’ installations, 1478 ‘Affordable Warmth’ installations, 6846 boiler replacements and 2127 private sector grants;

The Housing Executive’s Oil Buying Clubs Scheme which was established in 27 rural communities (see page 11);

The introduction of the Housing Executive’s Rural Community Awards in 2014.

During 2015 we undertook a review of the ‘Rural Homes and People’ Strategy and published our draft proposals for public consultation in January 2016. We would like to thank everyone who provide the invaluable responses which have helped us to refresh our specific rural housing approach.

‘Sustainable Rural Communities’ the new Rural Strategy and Action Plan 2016-2020 will be launched in Autumn 2016.

The Strategy recognises the growing pressures from rural communities for local, affordable homes, the need to address increasing levels of unfitness and fuel poverty in rural areas and highlights the national recognition that there is a need to support an ageing population, especially in isolated rural areas.

The launch of the new Rural Strategy is timely given the Rural Needs Act in May is set to be fully introduced by 2018. The Housing Executive welcomes the opportunity to reinforce our commitment to identifying and addressing rural housing needs and to work in partnership with other departments, agencies and local councils in supporting sustainable rural communities. Draft Strategy document

Front cover pic: Junior Wardens in the North West litter picking (see Page 10).

Donald Hoodless, Chairman Clark Bailie, Chief Executive

2 In numbers What we did for rural communities 2015/16

148 1,151 New social People allocated homes started homes

L - R, Ward Erwin, Housing Executive; Conal McFeeley, Creggan Enterprises; Jennifer Hawthorne, Housing Executive; Hillary McClintock, Mayor Derry City & Strabane District Council; Kevin Hippsley, Hive Studios; Connor Smith, Housing Executive. Social Housing 585 5 Approved grant Areas included in applications building relationships Investment Scheme in communities programme We have £500,000 worth of Social Housing Enterprise Investment awards to make.

Our 2016 Social Housing Investment Scheme is now open We are offering for applications to support the local Education, Training 75 social economy and develop social 1,478 Rural groups & Business Start Up Affordable warmth in housing enterprise initiatives. The first schemes community Grants (up to £1,000) network round of awards saw 34 groups Bronze, Silver & Gold benefit and tangible changes have already been made within the Awards (£10,000 to successful communities. £50,000)

From Antrim to Fermanagh we to create something which could funded alterations businesses, bring about lasting gains to their micro-homes, digital studios, community. 12 1,419 Rural housing Boiler replacement online arts newsletters, upcycling needs tests schemes completed initiatives and soft play areas. A Applications to the award of up range of social enterprise based to £1,000 remains open until businesses were considered all available funds have been across Northern Ireland and allocated whilst the closing date through our second round of for the Bronze, Silver and Gold funding your rural community awards is 4pm Monday 22nd could also benefit. August 2016. Contact:- Social Investment Team, 46 We have awards ranging from Housing Executive Rural schools received energy £1,000 up to £50,000 and there are T: 028 9031 8333 awareness education real opportunities for local people E: [email protected]

3 Are more rural homes needed?

Does your Rural Community measure of real need. This is put up in the area and flyers left need more social and affordable because many people in rural areas in local shops and churches etc. homes? do not register as they feel they Sometimes a “Draw your Dream have little chance of being housed Home” competition is held if there Is your community faced with due to low numbers of available is a primary school in the area. housing problems and are not properties in their area. The result Along with their competition entry sure how to tackle them? Perhaps – no housing need identified sheet, each child is given a leaflet younger people are unable to get a and no new homes built. To try to bring home to their parents/ home, some families may be living to break the cycle, the Housing guardians, explaining about the in unsatisfactory housing, and Executive carries out an intensive housing need survey. Occasionally, older people could be occupying examination to encourage people we will go through neighbouring properties unsuitable for their who are in rural areas who are in Housing Lists as some people needs. The Housing Executive can housing need to register on the may have registered for housing help communities with this - by waiting list. in a nearby town, thinking homes working with your community to cannot be provided in their local undertake a ‘Rural Housing Need How does the survey work? area. Survey’. At the outset we would hold a How do people register their What is a ‘Rural Housing Needs meeting with the local community interest? Survey’? representatives to find out initial views. We would agree a The survey normally lasts 3-4 The Housing Executive uses the timetable with the local community weeks and for those interested, a housing waiting list to determine representatives and arrange simple phone call to the Housing where new social housing needs advertisements to be placed in the Executive gets the process to be built. However, in rural local papers to encourage people underway. Each person who areas, the waiting list can’t always to come forward and register. At responds is contacted and their be relied upon as an accurate the same time, posters will be current housing circumstances assessed. If they wish, they are added to the social housing waiting list for their local area.

How are the results analysed?

At the end of the survey, the waiting list is analysed to decide if there is now a need for new housing in the area.

We take into account: 1. How many add their details to the list; 2. Those who were on the Waiting List already; 3. Available social housing in the area; 4. Proposed regeneration or other Clachan Bridge, Plumbridge (Pic courtesy of Rural Housing) development initiatives.

4 Clockwise from above:- Children from St Paul’s Primary School Irvinestown who participated in a ‘Draw Your Dream Home’ competition this year with Area Manager, Eddie Doherty; Homes in Killinchy (Pic courtesy of Clanmil Housing)

Following the survey Where was surveyed during the Over the next two years housing conclusions may include: 3 year Rural Action Plan? schemes are due to start in: Armoy, Balnamore, Cullaville, • Where a demand for social Between 2012 -2015 we carried , Dunloy, Martinstown, housing is identified it will out surveys in 47 rural areas. Portglenone, , and be highlighted to housing Sion Mills. associations. They try to We concluded there was a need identify appropriate sites for for housing in: Will there be more Rural development and apply to , Armoy, Balloo, Housing Need Surveys? have them included in the Balnamore, Bellaghy, Carnlough, Social Housing New Build Carrowdore, Cloughey, We are planning more. We are Programme. Potential housing Cloughmills, Cullaville, Dromara, happy to visit and talk to local developments are subject Draperstown, Dunadry, Dunloy, community groups in rural areas to the availability of suitable Magheramason/Blackstone, where there is a desire to increase land, planning regulations and Martinstown/Glenravel, social or affordable housing. scheme costs Portglenone, Poyntzpass, Sion Mills, Tamnaherin and Toome • Details of those who express an interest in shared ownership Have houses been built will be, with the applicant’s following Rural Housing Need permission, forwarded to Co- Surveys? If your community group ownership Housing. wishes to discuss your Housing schemes have started in areas housing, please • Where no need is identified, the six rural settlements: contact waiting list will continue to be Balnamore, Carnlough, Cloughey, Eoin McKinney monitored in case housing need Dromara, Sion Mills and Toome. Housing Executive in the area rises in the future. T: 034 4892 0900 E: rural.housing@nihe. gov.uk

5 A new Rural Strategy

In February, the Housing Executive launched the draft proposals for our new Rural Strategy at an event in Oxford Island - Rural Housing: Practice to Policy. Upwards of 60 delegates, representing areas from Fermanagh to Rathlin and everywhere in between were there giving us their views.

Representatives from councils, Meanwhile Aidan Campbell community. He explained how government departments, rural highlighted the importance of the an inter-agency approach was support networks and community partnership that has developed necessary on Rathlin to encourage groups joined us at the event between the Housing Executive investment and support which which intended to: and his organisation, the Rural would enable the sustainability Community Network which of this isolated population. He • highlight why the Housing provides administration and focused on how the Housing Executive has a specific rural support for the Rural Residents Executive’s involvement in focus and how this shapes our Forum. Aidan promoted the role assessing housing need facilitated services and activities; of the Rural Residents Forum in the planning and development • demonstrate how our providing feedback on how new of the recent social housing intervention contributes to policies, strategies and services development at Church Bay. sustainable rural communities; may impact on rural communities and and in raising housing issues • get feedback on our new within their rural areas. proposals for the Rural Strategy.

Siobhan McCauley, Director of ‘Great to hear a speaker Regional Services in the Housing ‘Jenny was excellent... who was so positive about Executive, set the context for the a speaker who the work of NIHE’ event by considering the current demonstrated the issues facing rural dwellers and highlighting the opportunities importance of rural which will be presented through community self-help increased collaborative working projects so well’ through Community Planning. This was followed by a very different but equally as impressive presentation from Jenny Irvine ‘Reinforced the need to Community Case studies from ARC Healthy Living Centre in consider particular needs Irvinestown. David Quinny Mee from Rathlin of rural areas in policy Community Development Jenny was instrumental in development’ Association gave an animated developing a family centre in a insight into the unique issues problematic estate in Fermanagh which face residents of this island where intervention was long

6 Clockwise from above:- Siobhan McCauley, Housing Executive, Sinead Collins, Housing Executive and Patricia McQuillan, Moneydig Community Association and Chair of the Rural Residents Forum; Jenny Irvine ARC Healthy Living Centre Irvinestown; Housing Executive, Supporting Communities and Rural Community Representatives mingle. overdue to address social issues ‘Vibrant, shared, healthy and ‘Really enjoyed the which impacted on the health sustainable rural communities diverse range of speakers’ and well-being of many families where everyone has access to in the area. Jenny advocated the decent and affordable housing’. progress which has been made in providing opportunities and vital Our draft proposals included: services for people of all ages 1. Assist rural communities who in the area. She highlighted the wish to examine the need for These were discussed in detail, relationship which has developed and provision of affordable with examples of potential actions with the Housing Executive and housing in their locality; which could be delivered and the importance of the support 2. Help to improve the condition focusing on short, medium and services in enabling and sustaining of rural housing stock and long term outcomes which should tenancies. reduce fuel poverty; be measured throughout the life of 3. Provide housing support to the strategy being proposed. vulnerable people in rural areas; ‘Greater awareness of 4. Improve community safety, housing issues affecting cohesion and involvement ‘The event showed rural communities’ within our rural estates; and that rural at last seems 5. Offer funding and support to be to the fore’ which will assist in nurturing and developing their rural community. Draft Rural Strategy Proposals ‘Good introduction to After consultation with various ‘Very interesting and policy – a chance to think stakeholders, it was agreed that informative presentations’ the Rural Strategy should aim to with practitioners’ contribute to the overarching vision for rural housing:

7 Clockwise from above:- David Quinny Mee, Rathlin Community Development Association; Clachan Bridge, Plumbridge; Florencecourt, County Fermanagh (Pics courtesy of Rural Housing)

Workshops Going Forward:

Key issues raised by delegates • Recognition of the need for a All responses received are being included: specific rural approach will be considered in the development of required from funders, housing Sustainable Rural Communities: • The proposed Rural Needs providers, politicians and other The Housing Executive’s Rural Bill will be critical in enabling public policy/target makers; Strategy and Action Plan 2016- effective delivery of the 2020. The strategy is in the final Strategy; • The specific needs of young stages of development and will be people living in rural areas launched in Autumn 2016. • There is a need to define should be considered; what sustainable rural We would like to take this communities are and what • Welfare Reform/Universal opportunity to thank everyone sustainable rural development Credit and the effectiveness of who took the time to respond is; the mitigation package for rural to this consultation or to attend dwellers; any of our consultation events. • Partnership working is key We look forward to working with to delivery and this should be • There is a need to consider rural communities over the next enabled through Community how digital inclusion can be four years and are optimistic that Planning; increased in rural areas; the Community Planning process will provide a fresh opportunity to • A reduction in the public • Social isolation is a major identify and address rural needs. sector budget may have a issue for some people living in disproportionate impact on rural rural areas. communities; Contact Sinead Collins Housing Executive T: 034 4892 0900 E: rural.housing @nihe.gov.uk

8 L-R: Margaret in Castlehill House, Lisnaskea; Coleraine Praxis office. Partnership Focus - Supporting Praxis

The Housing Executive administers the Supporting People programme on behalf of the Department for Communities (DfC) to provide housing related support which aims to help vulnerable people live as independently as possible in the community.

Floating Support is a flexible free service that provides housing related support for short periods of time from a few weeks up to two years. It aims to help and support people who are in difficulties to remain independent and live for longer in their own home.

Praxis Floating Support Praxis Floating Support Widening work skills in Fermanagh in Coleraine Praxis Care has recently launched Supporting People fund Praxis to Supporting People fund Praxis to a new and innovative project provide housing related support to provide a Mental Health Floating in Portadown which provides a 35 older people and 20 people who Support service supporting 29 wide range of work skills training are experiencing mental health people and Dementia Floating for up to 30 adults with learning difficulties and need support to Support service supporting 15 disabilities. enable them to live independently people in the Coleraine area. in the Fermanagh area. The level This new service includes a bakery and type of support required is There is a group-work service and catering enterprise ‘Blissful identified before a tailored plan available offering 10 week courses Bites Bakery’, an allotment where is developed with the service to individuals with mental health, trainees can grow their own user and Praxis staff and also focusing on promoting health and produce ‘Cusher Meadows’ as where appropriate, other health well-being and developing leisure well as an activity group for older professionals such as the GP, activities e.g. walking groups, people with learning disabilities Community Psychiatric Nurse or cooking, gardening, relaxation and ‘On the Go’. Each of these social Social Worker. art/crafts. enterprises enable those using them to develop specialist work This Floating Support service This person-centred support skills whilst also providing a is designed to take account of service offered by Praxis aims friendly and bespoke service to the individual needs and maximise to address social isolation by local community. levels of independence in keeping facilitating activities which with the principles of recovery for encourage service users to ‘The development of the new those with a mental health need. improve their lifestyle and get Praxis Care Workskills service involved in community activities. represents significant investment Contact: in the lives of people with learning Castehill House, Church Lane, Contact: disabilities in Northern Ireland Lisnaskea Unit 2, Westbann Development and an opportunity to provide Tel: 028 6772 2778 Centre, 8 Court, Coleraine meaningful training and support Tel: 028 7032 7708 services’. – Nevin Ringland, Chief Executive of Praxis Care.

9 Junior Wardens in the North West helping to keep the countryside tidy. Keeping Northern Ireland Beautiful The Housing Executive is responsible for 87,000 homes across Northern Ireland along with a considerable area of green space.

We have a dedicated team, in or the glass that injures valuable With over 100,000 house, who along with contractors livestock. aim to keep these areas beautiful. people involved in We work with a range of agencies Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful cleanups last year a and the anti-litter charity, Keep has teamed up with councils in lot has been achieved Northern Ireland Beautiful, Northern Ireland, the Department to date. You and your which aims to inspire people to for Agriculture, Environment and take responsibility for creating Rural Affairs and Tourism NI, community could join cleaner, greener and healthier for ‘Live Here Love Here’ to get this growing movement communities. communities involved in looking to rid our land of litter. after where they live by supporting With the cost of keeping our volunteer clean-ups and providing streets clean rising to over small grants of up to £5,000 to Visit www.liveherelovehere.org £40millon a year it is in all our support community action. interests to prevent littering behavior. But there is a hidden The Housing Executive supports cost; its negative effect on the Live and Love Here Initiative. health and well being, road traffic We regularly help community accidents, tourism income and groups with clean ups in their crime rates. Litter and dog fouling areas and we welcome any blights our hedgerows, streets action that will help enhance the and parks. It can also be lethal, appearance of our estates. whether it is the plastic that chokes our precious sea life

10 BUYING OIL? SAVE£££ Join the club... the oil club!

Nearly 3,000 households have benefited from cheaper oil thanks to 27 oil clubs established across Northern Ireland.

With world oil prices increasing Membership is free and open More rural households are it is making good sense to to anyone – Housing Executive wanted to ‘join their local oil join an oil club. According to tenants, owner-occupiers, club’! the Consumer Council NI the housing association tenants and average price of 500 litres of oil those who privately rent. So contact our partner: in NI has increased by nearly £30 since the first week of Oil clubs are simple but Bryson Energy March 2016. effective; the more people T: 0800 142 867 who buy oil together the more TEXT: 079 3984 3716 The oil clubs, funded by the the cost can be reduced. Even E: [email protected] Housing Executive and managed better, households can buy as by Bryson Energy, have on little as 200 litres of oil. When to see if there is a club near you average saved members 12% all orders are put together a and start saving! per 500 litre fill. better price can be obtained and the saving made is passed on equally to all.

0800 1422 867 OILCLUBS FREEPHONE

Rural Matters August 2016 11 If English is not your first language and you need help with interpreting & translation the Housing Executive Embracing can provide free services on request, please ask for further details at your local office. all our neighbours

MANDARIN PORTUGUESE SLOVAK 如果英语不是你的母语，并且你需要帮 Se o Inglês não for a sua língua materna Ak angličtina nie je váš materský jazyk 助来进行口译和文字翻译，那么Housing e precisar de ajuda com tradução e a vyžadujete si pomoc s prekladom a Executive可以根据请求而提供免费的服 interpretação, o Executivo de Habitação tlmočením, kancelária úradu pre otázky 务，请在你当地的办公室询问进一步的 pode providenciar serviços gratuítos bývania (Housing Executive) vám ochotne 详情。 mediante solicitação, pode obter mais poskytne tieto služby bezplatne. Prosím, informações no seu escritório local. požiadajte svoju miestnu kanceláriu o viac CANTONESE informácií. 如果英語不是你的母語，並且你需要幫 LITHUANIAN 助來進行口譯和文字翻譯，那麽Housing Jei anglų kalba nėra jūsų gimtoji kalba ir For customers with sensory disabilities, Executive可以根據請求而提供免費的服 jums reikia pagalbos dėl vertimo žodžiu information can be provided in alternative 務，請在你當地的辦公室詢問進一步的 ir raštu, jums pageidaujant Housing formats like large print, Braille or audio. 詳情。 Executive gali suteikti nemokamas vertimo Sign language interpreters can also be paslaugas; dėl išsamesnės informacijos provided, but please give as much notice POLISH prašome kreiptis į vietinį skyrių. as possible to allow us to meet your Jeśli język angielski nie jest Państwa językiem request. ojczystym i potrzebują Państwo pomocy RUSSIAN w zakresie tłumaczeń ustnych i pisemnych, Если английский не является вашим Housing Executive oferuje bezpłatne usługi родным языком и вам требуется помощь tłumaczeniowe na życzenie. O szczegóły с устным и письменным переводом, prosimy pytać biuro lokalne. Жилищное управление может предоставить по запросу бесплатные услуги переводчика. За более подробной информацией обратитесь в ваш местный офис.

Useful Contacts

Housing Executive NI Water Health & Social Care Trusts Enquiries: 03448 920 900 Waterline: 0345 744 0088 Belfast Area HQ: 028 9504 0100 Textphone: 18001 03448 920 900 (interruption) Northern Area HQ: 028 9442 4000 Repairs: 03448 920 901- 24 hours Leakline: 0800 028 2011 South Eastern Area HQ: 028 9055 3100 Housing Benefit: 03448 920 902 Flooding incident: 0300 2000 100 Southern Area HQ: 028 3833 4444 Western Area HQ: 028 7134 5171 Benefits Gas Advice line: 0800 232 1271 Emergency: 0800 002 001 Citizen’s Advice NI: 0300 1 233 233 Textphone: 0800 232 1715 Minicom: 0800 731 4710 Advice NI: 0800 028 1881 Crime Housing Rights Service: 028 9024 5640 Electricity Emergency Calls: 999/ Women’s Aid Helpline: 0808 802 1414 Power cut: 03457 643 643 Textphone 18000 Minicom: 03457 147 128 PSNI non emergency: 101

Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 RS/ www.nihe.gov.uk 153/0 facebook.com/housingexecutive 8/16 @nihecommunity