Proceedings of the Regional Development Committee
Minutes of meeting held in part public/part closed session on Wednesday, 26 September 2001 in room 135, Parliament Buildings
1. Minutes of last meeting
2. Matters arising
3. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
4. OFMDFM consultation documents
5. Retail Planning Policy
6. Grass Cutting
7. Draft Budget and Draft Programme for Government (PfG)
8. Date of Next Meeting
Present were:
Mr A Maginness (Chairman)
Mr A McFarland (Deputy Chairman)
Mr PJ Bradley
Mr J Byrne
Mr W Hay
Mr D Hussey
Mr P McNamee
Mr G Savage
Apologies:
Mr D Ervine
Mr J Wells
Absent:
Mr R Hutchinson
In Attendance:
Mr L Barr (Committee Clerk)
Mr N Currie (Assistant Committee Clerk)
Mrs S Young (Executive Support)
Miss J Massey (Administrative Support)
Mr H Lowe (Assembly Research Team)
Ms S Kerin (Assembly Research Team)
The meeting commenced at 10.40am in public session.
The Chairman informed the Committee that Mr Jim Wells had been taken ill. It was agreed that the Chairman should write to Mr Wells on behalf of the Committee to wish him a speedy recovery.
1. Minutes of last meeting
The minutes of the meeting held on 19 September 2001 were agreed.
2. Matters arising
- Sustainable Growth and Development Conference
- Regional Transportation Strategy Conference
Members were informed of the arrangements for the conference to be held on 27 September 2001.
Members were informed of the arrangements for the conference to be held on 28 September 2001.
3. Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) - document on Transport Development Areas
The Committee considered the RICS document plus a briefing paper on the document prepared by the Assembly Researchers.
Agreed: The Clerk should write to the RICS, advising them that the Committee does not wish to receive a presentation at this stage, but will keep them in mind as the Regional Transportation Strategy is developed.
4. OFMDFM consultation documents:
(i) Victims' Strategy
(ii) Commissioner for Children
The Committee noted the consultation documents.
Mr Hussey joined the meeting at 10.46am.
5. Retail Planning Policy
The Committee considered the Minister's letter regarding his intention to announce the appointment of external consultants to carry out retail research which will inform the Department's new retail planning policy guidance.
As the research is expected to take six months to complete, the Committee was of the view that there should be a moratorium on planning permission for retail developments, until the policy guidance was completed.
Agreed: To discuss the matter further at next week's meeting.
The Committee considered a paper on planning and retailing prepared by the Royal Town Planning Institute in Ireland.
Agreed: To defer receiving a presentation from the Institute, until the Department produces the draft retail planning policy guidance.
6. Grass Cutting
At 10.51am Mr Colin James, Roads Service Chief Executive and Mr George Montgomery, Roads Service Section Engineer, joined the meeting. They briefed the Committee on the Department's grass cutting policy and answered Members' questions.
Mr Savage joined the meeting at 10.59am.
Mr James announced that there had been problems with this year's grass cutting, due to the tendering process for private contractors being delayed, plus the increased winter growth caused by mild, wet weather. A number of specific roads/motorways were mentioned by Members as needing grass cutting/verge maintenance. Mr James agreed to bring these to the attention of the appropriate Divisional Roads Managers.
Members raised a number of concerns in relation to the current policy, in particular road safety implications, aesthetic presentation of roads, value for money and the role of District Councils and local farmers.
Mr Bradley left the meeting at 11.46am.
Agreed: The Department should undertake a strategic review of its grass cutting policy, in consultation with the Committee. The Clerk should write to the Department to request a policy review.
The Chairman thanked the officials and they left the meeting at 11.47am.
Mr Hussey left the meeting at 11.48am.
Agreed: A press release should be issued regarding the Committee's request for a strategic review of the Department's grass cutting policy.
The Committee met in closed session.
7. Draft Budget and Draft Programme for Government (PfG)
At 11.52am the following Departmental officials joined the meeting:
Mr Jack McGibbon Director of Finance
Mr Paul Sweeney Deputy Secretary - Strategic Planning, Transport and Finance
Dr Andrew Grieve Finance Division
Mr Stephen Creagh Finance Division
The officials briefed the Committee on the draft Budget and draft PfG and answered Members' questions.
Members expressed concern that the draft PfG on page 42 states that "a target of 60% of urban housing growth to be provided within urban limits, without town cramming, by 2010". The Committee believed this wording to be a dilution of what had been agreed in the Regional Development Strategy and Assembly debate on 17 September 2001. The officials agreed to clarify this point as a matter of urgency.
Mr Byrne left the meeting at 12.20pm.
The Committee also expressed concern that 1.5(b) in the Public Service Agreement (page 109) refers to resurfacing of 350 lane km in each of the next three years, however, in the February 2001 PfG it refers to a target of resurfacing 500 lane km in each of the next three years. The officials agreed to raise this matter with the Economic Policy Unit.
The Chairman thanked the officials and they left the meeting at 12.39pm.
Agreed: The Clerk will draft a letter to the Finance and Personnel Committee, detailing the points raised by Members.
8. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 3 October 2001 at 10.30am in room 135, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting closed at 12.41pm.