Democratic Services Section Chief Executive’s Department Belfast City Council City Hall Belfast BT1 5GS 18th November, 2015 MEETING OF STRATEGIC POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE Dear Alderman/Councillor, The above-named Committee will meet in the Lavery Room - City Hall on Friday, 20th November, 2015 at 9.30 am, for the transaction of the business noted below. You are requested to attend. Yours faithfully, SUZANNE WYLIE Chief Executive AGENDA: 1. Routine Matters (a) Apologies (b) Minutes (c) Declarations of Interest 2. Restricted Items (a) Waterfront Hall - Steps Towards Implementation (Pages 1 - 38) (b) City Centre Regeneration Investment Fund (Pages 39 - 44) 3. Matters referred back from Council/Notices of Motion (a) Notice of Motion re: Energy Transition (Pages 45 - 46) (b) Arrangements for Council-operated, charged car parks during the Christmas period (Pages 47 - 52) - 2 - (c) Notice of Motion re: Animal Cruelty - Response from the Minister (Pages 53 - 56) (d) Hope Beacon Day Support Centre - Responses from the Trust and the Minister for Health (Pages 57 - 62) 4. Governance (a) Freedom of the City for the Nursing Service in Belfast (Pages 63 - 66) 5. Finance, Procurement and Performance (a) Financial Reporting – Quarter 2 2015/16 (Pages 67 - 70) (b) Restricted - Non Recurrent Expenditure 2016/17 (Pages 71 - 74) (c) Restricted - Rate Setting 2016-17 (Pages 75 - 82) (d) Rockefeller 100 Resilient Cities programme (Pages 83 - 86) (e) Contracts for Award (Pages 87 - 90) (f) Councils Approach to Reserving Specified Contracts for Specific Groups (Pages 91 - 114) 6. Physical Programme and Asset Management (a) Area Working Update (Pages 115 - 120) (b) Asset Management (Pages 121 - 132) (c) Advertising Opportunities on Council Land Property Assets (Pages 133 - 138) (d) Peace IV Update (Pages 139 - 144) 7. Equality and Good Relations (a) Good Relations Partnership Meeting – 9th November 2015 (Pages 145 - 156) (b) Diversity Working Group Meeting – 12th November 2015 (Pages 157 - 162) 8. Operational Issues (a) City Hall Management (Pages 163 - 168) (b) NILGA – Developing a Programme for Local Government (Pages 169 - 186) (c) Minutes of Budget and Transformation Panel Meeting (Pages 187 - 188) (d) Provision of Defibrillators (Pages 189 - 200) (e) Volunteering Policy (Pages 201 - 204) - 3 - (f) Requests for the use of the City Hall and the provision of Hospitality (Pages 205 - 210) 9. Issues Raise in Advance by Members (a) Audio Recording of Planning Committee Meetings - Councillor Long STRATEGIC POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE Subject: Notice of Motion re: Energy Transition Date: 20th November, 2015 Reporting Officer: Stephen McCrory, Democratic Services Manager Contact Officer: Jim Hanna, Senior Democratic Services Officer Is this report restricted? Yes No x Is the decision eligible for Call-in? Yes x No 1.0 Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues 1.1 To consider a notice of motion in relation to Energy Transition which, in accordance with standing orders, was referred to the Committee by the Council at its meeting on 2nd November 2015. 2.0 Recommendations 2.1 The Committee is requested to consider the notice of motion and to take such action thereon as may be determined. 3.0 Main report 3.1 Key Issues At the meeting of the Council on 2nd November, it was proposed by Councillor R. Browne and seconded by Councillor Heading, that: “This Council: recognises the serious challenges presented by climate change but also the significant economic benefits which are created through the development of an energy efficient economy; believes that the council must take a lead in planning for an energy transition and for energy transition to be a central aspect of the Belfast Agenda and all corporate planning documents; agrees to become fossil fuel free by 2050 and to set an interim target date for the city to become carbon neutral; and agrees to implement an energy transition action plan which includes a timeline of actions to be taken and policies to be implemented by the council to support renewable energy generation and energy demand reduction in Belfast.” Financial & Resource Implications 3.2 None Equality or Good Relations Implications 3.3 None 4.0 Appendices – Documents Attached 4.1 None STRATEGIC POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE Subject: Arrangements for Council-operated, charged car parks during the Christmas period Date: 20th November 2015 Reporting Siobhan Toland, Lead Operations Officer, Health & Environmental Services Officer: Contact Officer: Damien Connolly, Environmental Health Manager X Is this report restricted? Yes No X Is the decision eligible for Call-in? Yes No 1.0 Purpose of Report 1.1 Following discussion at Council, officers were asked to explore the costs and implications of making Council-operated car parks free-of-charge at additional times over the Christmas period. This report provides Members with a number of options and associated costs for further consideration. 2.0 Recommendations 2.1 Members are asked to: I. Consider the options outlined in 3.4 and determine which they wish to approve. II. Approve the use of Ormeau Avenue car park at weekends over the same Christmas period for public parking, free of charge. III. Approve the erection of signage to promote the Christmas parking initiative. IV. Note that the Bankmore Street and Smithfield car parks that are normally closed on Sunday will be open on Sundays from 1300 -1800 to accommodate the additional Christmas period demand. 3.0 Main report 3.1 Members will be aware that, as part of Local Government Reform, 30 off-street car parks transferred from the Department of Regional Development (DRD) to Council on 1st April 2015. 3.2 17 of these car parks charge for use and they provide 1481 spaces (see Appendix 1). Parking rates and chargeable hours vary across sites; however all are free on Sundays and while the majority are free after 6pm a small number charge until 9pm on certain nights. 3.3 The extended Christmas retail period runs from 27th November 2015 (Black Friday) until 3rd January 2016; and it was previously decided by the Transition Committee (9th December 2014) that car parks will be free of charge on 25th & 26th December 2015 and 1st January 2016. 3.4 Two options, in line with the primary retail period, have therefore been costed using income figures from the DRD for December 2014: Options Estimated cost 1. Free parking all day Saturday and after 6pm on Thursdays; £36000 Saturday 28th November to Saturday 2nd January inclusive. OR 2. Free parking all day Saturday and after 6pm on Monday-Friday. £40600 Friday 27 November to Saturday 2nd January inclusive. 3.5 Members will also be aware that the Council operates a staff car park on Ormeau Avenue with 105 spaces used for staff parking. It is recommended that although this car park is for staff use it could also be made available for public parking at weekends over the above limited period to facilitate this initiative. 4.0 Key issues 4.1 There will be a need for considerable promotion of this initiative through the Council’s website, media channels and social media. However, as there is still limited awareness of the Council’s ownership of these car parks it is suggested that signage is erected on the sites to raise awareness. Initial estimates for this are £3,000. 5.0 Financial & Resource Implications 5.1 Members should note that the loss of planned income over this period will have an impact on the year end position and will need to be accommodated within the overall council budget. 6.0 Equality or Good Relations Implications 6.1 None 7.0 Appendices 7.1 Appendix 1 - List of charged car parks, Belfast Appendix 2 - Details of extended shop opening hours, Belfast APPENDIX 1 - CHARGED OF STREET CAR PARKS OWNED BY BELFAST CITY COUNCIL Car park Charged hours Spaces Ashdale Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 90 Bankmore Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 46 Charlotte Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday -Saturday) 90 Corporation Square 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 193 Corporation Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 124 Cromac Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 104 Dunbar Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 34 Exchange Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 48 Fredrick Street 8am - 6pm (Monday - Saturday) 134 Hope Street North 8am – 9pm; (Monday-Saturday) 41 Kent Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 68 Little Donegall Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 109 Little Victoria Street 8am – 9pm; (Monday-Saturday) 88 Marlborough Avenue 8am – 6pm;(Monday-Saturday) 36 Smithfield, Winetavern Street 8am – 6.00pm;(Monday -Wednesday 109 and Friday -Saturday) 8am – 9pm (Thurs) Station Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 114 York Street 8am – 6pm; (Monday-Saturday) 53 TOTAL 1481 APPENDIX 2 - CHRISTMAS SHOPPING HOURS, BELFASTC CITY CENTRE STRATEGIC POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE Subject: Notice of Motion re: Animal Cruelty – Response from the Minister Date: 20th November, 2015 Reporting Officer: Stephen McCrory, Democratic Services Manager Contact Officer: Jim Hanna, Senior Democratic Services Officer Is this report restricted? Yes No x Is the decision eligible for Call-in? Yes x No 1.0 Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues 1.1 To bring the Committee’s attention a response which has been received from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding the Council’s notice of motion on Animal Cruelty. 2.0 Recommendations 2.1 The Committee is asked to consider the response and take such action as it may determine. 3.0 Main report Key Issues 3.1 The Council, at its meeting on 1st October, passed the following notice of motion, which