Causeway Coast & Glens Statutory Transition Committee Held in: Moyle District Council Offices at 5.00pm 24 April 2014 Present: Ballymoney Borough Council Coleraine Borough Council Ald Frank Campbell Ald Norman Hillis Ald Bill Kennedy Cllr Sam Cole Cllr John Finlay Cllr George Duddy Cllr Ian Stevenson Cllr William King Cllr Philip McGuigan Ald Maura Hickey John Dempsey Stephen McMaw (TM) Ciara Toner Limavady Borough Council Moyle District Council Cllr Brenda Chivers Cllr Joan Baird Cllr James McCorkell Cllr Robert McIlroy (Chair) Cllr Dermot Nicholl Cllr Cara McShane Ald Michael Coyle Cllr Donal Cunningham Cllr Colum Thompson Causeway Coast & Glens District Council David Jackson Item Detail/ Summary/Action Officer 1. Apologies R Lewis (Moyle), L Flanigan (Limavady), T McCaul (Limavady), P Carr (DSD) CT 2. Declarations of Interest None. CT 3. Minutes of the meeting held on 27 March 2014 Agreed: On the proposal of Councillor Baird and seconded by Councillor King CT that the minutes of the Statutory Transition Committee meeting held on 27 March 2014 be agreed (previously supplied). 4. Matters Arising 4.1 Position of the Chief Executive David Jackson confirmed that he had officially taken up his new post as Chief Executive of Causeway Coast and Glens District Council on 23 April 2014. 4.2 Update on Project Team DJ D Jackson provided Members with an update on the status of the recruitment process for appointing a project team. The Staff Commission had been involved in the process. The posts would be filled as a secondment opportunity for ‘at risk’ staff within the Cluster Councils. A draft job description had been shared and agreed with the Staff Commission for the roles of HR and Finance Lead and it was hoped that shortlisting for the posts would take place on 13 May with subsequent interviews on 20 May 2014. The hope was to appoint both roles concurrently. 5. Capital Project Approval M Quinn provided details of those existing Capital Expenditure Projects DJ (previously supplied) greater than £250K which required approval of the STC. Members were advised these projects had previously been agreed by each individual Council within the cluster but that Department of the Environment (DOE) guidance had stated each project required the approval of the STC before commencing. It was further advised that some of these projects had already commenced. Following discussion on the topic, D Jackson suggested the following: Any project in receipt of 100% funding should proceed; Those commenced projects should proceed as it would be financially detrimental to suspend them; Projects which had yet to commence should seek approval from the Shadow Council; Any prospective projects over the next 6 month should be shelved to allow a clear indication of the financial situation going into the Shadow period. Agreed: On the proposal of Alderman Hillis and Seconded by Councillor Duddy that with the exception of the 100% funded Benone Beach project, a decision on the Capital Projects be deferred to the Shadow Council. Following a member’s question, it was advised that D Jackson would investigate further those Capital Projects which had commenced without STC approval. The TM advised that as far a known, the regulations did not stipulate any legal issues surrounding deferral of such a decision to the Shadow Council but would confirm this with the Department of the Environment (DOE). 6. Councillors’ Code of Conduct – Consultation Response D Jackson provided members with an enhanced response to the Code of DJ Conduct Consultation (previously supplied) after taking into account the views of the STC Committee at the Workshop on 10 April 2014. At the Workshop, consideration was given to the NILGA response that had previously been circulated to the cluster councils. Further changes to the enhancements, as detailed in the report, were proposed as follows; Paragraph 2 – Vexatious accusations should include a penalty; Paragraph 5.2 – Seek clarity to the definition on Land and whether this would include Development Land. Agreed: That members approve the enhanced consultation response, incorporating the above comments, as supplementary detail to the NILGA response. 7. In Committee Members agreed to address this item ‘In Committee’ at the end of the Meeting. 8. Strategic Planning Policy Statement (SSPS) – Consultation Update Members had previously received a presentation regarding a Draft Response TM to the Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland (previously supplied) prepared by Fleming Mounstephen Planning at the STC Workshop on 10 April 2014. Agreed: That members endorse the Draft Response to the Strategic Planning Policy Statement for Northern Ireland from Fleming Mounstephen Planning as detailed in the report. 9. Shadow Arrangements and Draft Local Government Regulations Consultation The TM sought Members comment on the proposed response to the Shadow TM Arrangements and Draft Local Government Regulations Consultation (previously supplied). Following consideration to the response, the following enhancements were proposed; Response to question 6 to include clarification surrounding those Members representing joint committees; 2 Response to question 12 to include the provision for the DOE to consult with Councils when drafting Regulations. Agreed: That members endorse the enhanced response to the Shadow Arrangements and Draft Local Government Regulations Consultation as detailed in the report. Following a member’s question, D Jackson confirmed that the transfer of existing loans to the Shadow Council would be added to the risk register. Councillor Thompson left the meeting. 10. Transition Managers Report STC\2014\4\10 (previously supplied) 10.1 Member Capacity Building Programme TM It was advised that £100k was available through the Department of the Environment (DOE) to facilitate a Capacity Building Programme for those elected members to the new Causeway Coast and Glens Shadow Council. At the STC Workshop on 10 April 2014, Members considered a range of key themes that could form a Capacity Building Programme. Feedback from the Workshop had since been incorporated into a proposed Capacity Building Programme and included key themes: Context and Responsibility New Legislative Requirements Transferring Functions Core Competencies Agreed: That approval be given to submit a business case to the Department of the Environment (DOE) for Capacity Building funding. Councillor McShane left the Meeting. 11. Correspondence (previously supplied) 11.1 Regional Transition Committee (RTC) - Notes of Meeting - 26 March 2014. CT Noted. 11.2 Sport NI – Sports Facilities Strategy for Northern Ireland – 28 March 2014. DJ Noted. Agreed: On the proposal of Councillor McGuigan and seconded by Councillor Duddy that D Jackson investigate funding opportunities with Sport NI in relation to the Sports Facilities Strategy for Northern Ireland. 11.3 Department of the Environment (DOE) – Guidance to Councils and STC’s on the Accounting Treatment of Election Expenses – 25 March 2014. Noted 11.4 Letter from Fermanagh and Omagh STC to Minister of the Environment re Councillors’ Allowances – 16 April 2014. Noted. 11.5 Department of the Environment (DOE) - The Draft Local Government Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 – 18 April 2014. D Jackson proposed that members email their comments on the Draft Local Government Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 Consultation to him by mid- May. Agreed: That Members provide comment to D Jackson on the Draft Local Government Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 Consultation by mid-May which would be included in the response to the Department. 12. In Committee 3 13. AOB 13.1 Election Update J Dempsey, the Deputy Returning Officer, informed the Committee that electoral nominations were running smoothly and would continue until 1pm on Tuesday 29 April, 2014. 13.2 Message of Thanks The TM thanked members for their commitment and hard work throughout the tenure of the Voluntary and Statutory Transition Committees and wished Members every success in the impending Elections in May. Members also expressed their well wishes to the Chair of the STC, Councillor Robert McIlroy. 14. Date of Next Meeting The date of the next official meeting would be the Annual Meeting of the TM Shadow Council in June, 2014. 4 .