COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
TUESDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2011
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Allan Bresland MLA
Anna Lo MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Conall McDevitt MLA
George Robinson MLA
In Attendance:
Roisin Kelly (Assembly Clerk)
Trevor Allen (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Andrew Larmour (Clerical Supervisor)
Alison Ferguson (Clerical Officer)
Apologies:
Billy Armstrong MLA
Cathal Boylan MLA
Billy Leonard MLA
Ian McCrea MLA
The meeting commenced at 11.10am in open session.
Members noted papers which were tabled for consideration later in the meeting.
1. Apologies
Apologies are detailed above.
2. Draft Minutes of meeting held on 26 January 2011
Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.
3. Matters Arising
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 26 January 2011, on the gritting of footpaths and agreed to defer consideration of this correspondence to the briefing on this issue at the meeting of 9 February 2011 .
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 26 January 2011, providing more detailed information on its quarterly update on land identified for abandonment and disposal.
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 26 January 2011, on the A5 dual carriageway scheme.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, dated 27 January 2011, on the draft Sustainable Development Implementation Plan and agreed to defer consideration of this correspondence to the briefing on the Department’s Review of the Regional Development Strategy at the meeting of 9 February 2011 .
- The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development, dated 27 January 2011, providing a progress update on the Trunk Road T8 Orders.
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from Sustrans to the Department for Regional Development, and the Department’s response, on the Draft Budget and agreed that any concerns that Members might have in relation to this correspondence should be addressed during the Departmental briefing on the Draft Budget, requested for 9 February 2011.
- The Committee noted follow-up information provided by the Freight Transport Association as a result of the Committee’s stakeholder event on the Draft Budget on 26 January 2011.
- Agreed: The Committee considered, and agreed for issue, correspondence from the Chairperson to the Speaker on the timeline for consideration of the Draft Budget and Budget 2011-15.
4. Committee consideration and response on the Department’s February monitoring round
11.13am The meeting moved into closed session.
Members noted the Department for Regional Development ’s submission to the February 2011 Monitoring Round, which had been marked as restricted by the Department.
Agreed: Members agreed a response to the Department, subject to agreed amendments, on the Department for Regional Development’s February 2011 Monitoring Round position.
11.17am Mr Cobain joined the meeting and took the Chair.
11.24am The meeting returned to open session.
5. Subordinate Legislation
Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:
- The Parking Places on Roads (Strabane) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Portadown) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Roads Races (Sperrin Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Ballymena) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Road Races (Tandragee 100) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
- The Prohibition of Traffic (Ardoyne, Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Members noted that the SL1 memos from the Department on the above proposals made no reference to their having been the subject of a public inquiry. Members also noted that, i n relation to The Prohibition of Traffic (Ardoyne, Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011, the local residents affected have been surveyed by Belfast City Council and the local community group and no objections were received. Members noted that the Department has confirmed that the police service and relevant local councils affected by the above proposals have been informed, and the Committee office has not received any comments from the relevant councils regarding these policy proposals.
Members considered the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation, which were noted at the Committee meeting on 26 January 2011:
- The Prohibition of Waiting (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Parking Places on Roads (Lisburn) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- The Road Races (Cookstown 100) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
- The Roads (Speed Limit) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.
Agreed: Members agreed that the Committee would write to the Department, indicating that it was content with the policy merits of these SL1s.
6. Correspondence
- Agreed: Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in relation to a consultation document on Priorities for Sustainable Growth and agreed to forward any comments on the consultation document to the Committee office. The Committee also agreed to consider a response on the consultation at the meeting of 9 February 2011.
- Members noted an invitation from the Committee for Enterprise, Trade and Investment to the launch of its Renewable Energy Inquiry Report on 17 February 2011 .
7. Any Other Business
Forward Work Programme
Agreed: Members considered a revised forward work programme for the Committee and agreed that the revised work programme, subject to amendment, should be published on the Assembly website.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to schedule briefings on 9 February 2011 from the Department for Regional Development and Belfast Harbour on the Draft Budget.
Aviation issues
Agreed: The Deputy Chairperson updated Members on issues discussed at a meeting on 31 January 2011 in relation to Members’ concerns regarding aviation policy and the Department’s proposals to legislate on the control over land in the areas surrounding Belfast International Airport and the City of Derry Airport. Members agreed to write to the Civil Aviation Authority raising the issues of concern.
Committee Stakeholder Event – 23 February 2011
Agreed: The Committee agreed to consider a paper, at the meeting of 9 February 2011, in relation to its stakeholder event on 23 February 2011.
Other Issues
Agreed: The Committee discussed a pilot in Scotland to use liquid de-icer on roads during severe winter weather and agreed to request a research paper on this issue from Assembly Research and Library Service and also to consider the issue during the Committee briefing on the gritting of footpaths, scheduled for 9 February 2011.
8. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 February 2011 at 10.00am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
The Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 11.42am.
Fred Cobain, MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
9 February 2011
31 January 2011 / Menu
