COMMITTEE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY 2 MARCH 2011
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

Present:
Fred Cobain MLA (Chairperson)
Michelle McIlveen MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Billy Armstrong MLA
Cathal Boylan MLA
Allan Bresland MLA
Anna Lo MLA
Fra McCann MLA
Ian McCrea 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 Leonard MLA

The meeting commenced at 10.36am 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 meetings held on 23 February 2011

Agreed : The minutes were agreed for publication on the Assembly’s website.

3. Matters Arising

• Members noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance and Personnel on the monitoring of Departmental Post Project Evaluations (PPEs).
• Agreed: The Committee noted additional information from the Consumer Council, Northern Ireland Water, the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (NIC-ICTU) and the UNITE Union in relation to key issues and future challenges for water and sewerage services. The Committee agreed to consider this information as part of its report on key issues and future challenges.
• Members noted correspondence from the Minister for Regional Development acknowledging the Committee’s response to the Department on the Draft Budget 2011-15.
• Agreed: The Committee noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development and from Belfast Harbour providing clarification on a number of issues raised during briefing on 9 February 2011 and agreed to consider these items of correspondence as part of the Committee’s report on the Draft Budget.
• Agreed: The Committee noted a paper from the Minister for Regional Development on the Department’s achievements during the current mandate and agreed to consider this paper as part of its report on key issues and future challenges.
• Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development in relation to its February monitoring round return .

4. Committee report on the Draft Budget

10.43am Mr Robinson joined the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee considered a draft of its report on the Draft Budget 2011-2015 and, subject to agreed amendments, decided that the report be published.

5. Briefing on the A5 Western Transport Corridor (A5 WTC)

Members noted correspondence from the Department for Regional Development providing an update on the A5 and A8 road schemes.

Agreed: The Committee received a briefing from Ciaran McClean, Robin Bruce and Carol Porter of the Alternative A5 Alliance, and from Martin Hoy of Hoy and Dorman, Engineering Consultants, on the A5 Western Transport Corridor (A5 WTC) . Members agreed to write to the Department for Regional Development seeking clarification on the issues discussed.

11.25am Ms McIlveen left the meeting.
11.27am Ms McIlveen returned to the meeting.
11.29am Mr Cobain left the meeting; Ms McIlveen took the Chair.
11.33am Mr McCrea left the meeting.

Agreed: Following discussion, t he Committee agreed to reference the A5 Western Transport Corridor issue in its Legacy Report.

6. Briefing from the Consumer Council on its “Left High and Dry” report on the water crisis

11.38am Mr Armstrong left the meeting.

The Committee received a briefing from Antoinette McKeown and Aodhan O’Donnell of the Consumer Council on its “Left High and Dry” report on the water crisis .

12.18pm Mr McCrea Returned to the meeting.

Agreed: The Committee decided to write to the Consumer Council confirming its request for information on the calls it had received.

7. PSA Targets 2008-11 and Efficiency Delivery Plan 2008-11: 3rd Quarter Monitoring for 2010-11

Agreed: Members noted the Department’s third quarter monitoring for 2010-11 of its PSA Targets 2008-11 and Efficiency Delivery Plan 2008-11, and agreed to write to the Department requesting clarification on issues raised.

8. Subordinate Legislation

12.30pm Mr Armstrong returned to the meeting.

Members noted the following Departmental proposals to make subordinate legislation:

• The Road Races (Bush, Dungannon) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Prohibition of Right-Hand Turn (Enniskillen) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The One-Way Traffic (Ballymoney) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Disert Road, Draperstown (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Rowantree Road (C355), Dromore (Abandonment) 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 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 23 February 2011:

• The Road Races (Mid-Antrim 150) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Road Races (Garron Point Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Road Races (Benbradagh Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• The Parking Places on Roads (Disabled Persons' Vehicles) (Amendment No.7) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
• The Road Races (Tyrone Rally) 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.

Members noted receipt of the following statutory rule:

• The Bramblewood Grove, Banbridge (Footway) (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules reported on this statutory rule in his Eleventh Report to the Assembly for the 2010-11 Session, published on 25 February 2011, and raised no issues of concern.

Members considered the following statutory rules which were laid in the Assembly’s Business Office by the Department for Regional Development and are subject to the negative resolution procedure. Members noted that the Examiner of Statutory Rules reported on these statutory rules in his Eleventh Report to the Assembly for the 2010-11 Session, published on 25 February 2011, and raised no issues of concern:

• 2011/32 The Tullyrain Road (Route A26), Banbridge (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011;
• 2011/33 The Back Street at Carrick Hill and Library Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011; and
• 2011/34 The Candahar Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

In the absence of any objections, the following questions were put and agreed:

• ‘The Committee for Regional Development has considered Statutory Rule 2011/32 The Tullyrain Road (Route A26), Banbridge (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the rule.’
• ‘The Committee for Regional Development has considered Statutory Rule 2011/33 The Back Street at Carrick Hill and Library Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the rule.’
• ‘The Committee for Regional Development has considered Statutory Rule 2011/34 The Candahar Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and has no objection to the rule.’

Members decided that the Committee Clerk would inform the Business Office of the decisions made today.

9. Correspondence

The Committee noted the World Wildlife Fund’s Northern Ireland Manifesto for 2011.

Members noted the October 2010 edition of the Rural Community Network’s “Network News” publication.

Members noted the February 2011 edition of Sustrans’ “The Network” publication.

The Committee noted the Institute of Public Health’s publication “Active travel – healthy lives”.

Members noted the following Departmental press release:

• Cross border bridge at Belcoo/Blacklion welcomed.

10. Any Other Business

Forward Work Programme
Agreed: Members considered a revised forward work programme for the Committee and agreed that the revised work programme should be published on the Assembly website.

Having considered the items scheduled in the work programme, and the need for additional plenary sessions, Members decided that, where possible, the Committee would meet on Tuesdays for the remainder of the current mandate. In addition, unless it was necessary to meet during the last week of March, the final Committee meeting of this mandate would be in the week beginning 14 March 2011. Members decided to inform the Department for Regional Development of this decision.

Meeting with Stratagem, FonaCAB and Value Cabs
Agreed: Members noted that the meeting scheduled for 28 February 2011 with representatives of Stratagem, FonaCAB and Value Cabs on issues of concern for private hire taxi companies in Belfast has been rescheduled for Monday 7 March or Tuesday 8 March 2010.

Meeting in relation to civil aviation issues
Agreed: Members received an update from the Deputy Chairperson on a meeting on 1 March 2011 with Departmental officials in relation to the proposed Control Over Land Orders for Belfast International Airport and the City of Derry Airport. The meeting was attended by the Deputy Chairperson and Ms Anna Lo.

Agreed: The Committee noted the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation and agreed that it was content with the policy merits of the proposal.

• The City of Derry Airport (Control Over Land) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011.

Agreed: The Committee noted the following Departmental proposal to make subordinate legislation and agreed to write to the Department indicating that it was not content to progress this proposal before the end of the current Assembly mandate, as objections remained unresolved, and a meeting with residents in this area has yet to take place (scheduled for 28 March 2011), Members decided to list this item in the Committee’s legacy report.

• The Belfast International Airport (Control Over Land) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011

Members decided that the Committee Clerk would inform the Department for Regional Development of the decisions made today.

Agreed: The Committee noted a press article in relation to the Dungiven Bypass and agreed to write to the Minister for Regional Development seeking clarification on the issues raised in the article and on any progress made since the Committee last considered this matter.

11. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 8 March 2011 at 10.30am in Room 144, Parliament Buildings.

The Deputy Chairperson adjourned the meeting at 12.41pm.

Fred Cobain, MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Regional Development
8 March 2011

23 February 2011 / Menu