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COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Minutes of Proceedings
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Room 144, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Willie Clarke MLA
John Dallat MLA
William Irwin MLA
Raymond McCartney MLA
George Robinson MLA
Jim Wells MLA
Brian Wilson MLA

In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Gillian Lyness (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Clairita Frazer (Clerical Supervisor)
Jill McCoubrey (Clerical Officer)
Stephanie Galbraith (Researcher)

Apologies:
Cathal Boylan MLA
John McCallister MLA
Stephen Moutray MLA

The meeting opened at 10.32 am in public session.

1. Apologies

Apologies are detailed above.

2. Chairperson’s Business

Brian Wilson joined the meeting at 10.37 am.
William Irwin joined the meeting at 10.39 am.  

3. Draft Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of 19 September 2007 were agreed.

4. Matters Arising

PPS 14

The Committee noted a letter received from the Department dated 20 September 2007 in response to the Committee’s request for clarification on the PPS 14 ruling of 6 September 2007. Members noted that Mr Justice Gillen has set a further date of 27 September 2007 for a Hearing on remedies. Members were content to keep this matter under review.

Residents’ Parking Schemes Policy and the Disabled Persons (Badge for Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations Northern Ireland 2008.

The Committee noted the draft letters to the Department reflecting its views on the proposed Residents’ Parking Schemes Policy and the proposed Disabled Persons (Badge for Motor Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations Northern Ireland 2008 as expressed at the meeting of 5 September 2007. Members were content to issue these letters.

Crystal Alliance

Members noted the letter from the Department outlining the status of the Crystal Alliance contract.

NIPSA officials and David Hall joined the meeting 10.53am

5. Briefing from NIPSA officials and David Hall on the update Research Commissioned by NIPSA on the Review of Water and Sewerage Services and paper from Northern Ireland Water.

John Corey, General Secretary and Paddy Mackel from NIPSA and David Hall, director, Public Services International Research Unit, University of Greenwich, London briefed the Committee on the NIPSA’s submission to the Independent Review of Water and Sewerage Services and David Hall’s research paper commissioned by NIPSA. NIPSA agreed to provide the Committee with its response to Northern Ireland Water’s comments on David Hall’s research paper.

NIPSA officials and David Hall left the meeting at 11.34 am.

Members of the Great Northern Railway ( Ireland) joined the meeting at 11.36 am.

6. Briefing on Light Rapid Transit Network

Bob Pue, Chief Executive, David Bell, Director of Finance, Graeme Ferguson, Director of Engineering and David Gabbie, Secretary of the Great Northern Railway ( Ireland) briefed the Committee. Members decided to return to this issue later in the autumn schedule.

Members of the Great Northern Railway ( Ireland) left the meeting at 11.54 am.

Department officials joined the meeting at 11.55 am.

7. Briefing on Rapid Transit for Belfast

Mike Thompson, Director of Regional Planning and Alan Preston briefed the Committee on proposals for Rapid Transit for Belfast. Members noted the Committee would be returning to this issue later in the autumn schedule.

Department officials left the meeting at 12.08 pm.
Department officials joined the meeting at 12.09 pm.

8. Briefing on Titanic Quarter Development

John Angus, Senior Principal, Ports and Public Transport Division and Peter Barbour, Ports and Public Transport Division briefed the Committee on the Departments involvement in the Titanic Quarter Development. The Committee asked, and the Department agreed, to keep Members informed of progress on Titanic Quarter development.

Department officials left the meeting at 12.21 pm.
Department officials joined the meeting 12.22 pm.

9. The Trunk Road T8 (Randalstown to Toome) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007: and The Trunk Road (Toome to Castledawson) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007.

Roy Sherman, Roads Legislation Unit, Jim Beattie, Divisional Roads Manager and Uel Wilson, Roads Northern Division briefed the Committee on this proposed major road scheme.

Jim Wells declared an interest in the completion of the Environmental Quality Impact Assessment for the proposed Toome to Castledawson dual carriageway.

Jim Wells left the meeting at 12.25 pm.
Brian Wilson left the meeting at 12.28 pm.

Members agreed to return to this issue once the Public Inquiry has been completed.

Department officials left the meeting 12.44 pm.

10. Subordinate Legislation.

The Committee was content with the policy merits of the following SL1s noted at its meeting of 19 September 2007.

The Committee noted the following newly received SL1s:

Members noted receipt of The Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules to the Assembly and the Appropriate Committees , dated 24 September 2007. In the absence of any objections, the following questions were put and agreed:

Question put and agreed :

All those in favour – Willie Clarke, Fred Cobain, John Dallat, William Irwin, Raymond McCartney, and George Robinson.

There were no Members against.

Question put and agreed :

“That the Committee for Regional Development has considered the SR 2007/369 The B82 Killadeas Road, Kesh (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007and has no objection to the rule.”

All those in favour - Willie Clarke, Fred Cobain, John Dallat, William Irwin, Raymond McCartney, and George Robinson.

There were no Members against.

Question put and agreed :

“That the Committee for Regional Development has considered SR 2007/368 The Shaftesbury Road, Bangor (Abandonment) Order ( Northern Ireland) 2007; and has no objection to the rule.”

All those in favour - Willie Clarke, Fred Cobain, John Dallat, William Irwin, Raymond McCartney, and George Robinson.

There were no Members against.

Question put and agreed :

All those in favour - Willie Clarke, Fred Cobain, John Dallat, William Irwin, Raymond McCartney, and George Robinson.

There were no Members against.

Members were content that the Clerk should notify the Business Office on the decisions reached by the Committee in considering these Statutory Rules.

11. Correspondence

Members noted the following correspondence:

Members agreed to invite the Light Rail Transit Association to brief the Committee when it moves to consider rapid transit in more detail later in the autumn session.

Members noted this correspondence was handled in the following manner:

 

Members noted that this letter was forwarded to the Environment Committee for a response.

12. Any Other Business.

There was no other business.

13. Date, venue and time of next meeting.

The Committee noted there would be no Committee meeting next week as a visit has been arranged to Belfast Harbour. Next Committee meeting will be Wednesday 10 October 2007 at 10.00 am in room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.50 pm.

Signed:
FRED COBAIN MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development.
Dated:

19 September 2007 / Menu