A full meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council was held on Tuesday 7th September 2021.
The Mayor Councillor Richard Holmes reminded members that he was opening a Book of Condolence for Pat Hume.
In his remarks he said that Mrs Hume has been a great support to her husband John, and he said his thoughts and prayers were with her family at this time.
The opening of the meeting also heard from Council’s Veterans’ Champion Alderman McKillop who paid tribute to military personnel for their service Afghanistan, including those who lost their lives in the country. She said the UK needed to provide safe refuge to those who had helped the forces, and that Northern Ireland must play its part to assist those who have risked so much.
During the meeting, elected members ratified the following decisions:
Environmental Services committee
Local air quality management
Approve an offer of grant monies from DAERA to continue an Air Quality Monitoring Programme within the Borough for the current financial year.
LiveSmart grant funding
Approve the allocation of the LiveSmart Community Environmental Grant Programme Funding to 23 successful applicants (subject to criteria being met).
The purpose of the programme is to provide small grants, up to a maximum of £500, to local community and voluntary organisations. The grants are to give financial assistance to allow them to improve the general cleanliness in their local area, particularly in respect of litter, promote recycling, reuse and waste reduction, and look at ways of reducing carbon footprint by taking simple, practical actions such as planting.
Noise complaints
Members noted an enhancement to Council’s noise complaint investigation service by subscription to the Noise App platform. This free app enables a person disturbed by noise to record the incident on their smart phone and submit it directly to Council’s Environmental Health team.
Leisure and Development committee
Coleraine Leisure Centre
Approve a required additional resource of up to £20k to deliver an Outline Business Case for the redevelopment of Coleraine Leisure Centre.
Coleraine Bomb Memorial
Build and locate a permanent memorial at Coleraine Town Hall, and a plaque at the site of the bomb at Railway Road.
This follows a period of engagement carried out between April - July this year with victims and families to determine the design, location and wording of a permanent structural memorial to those who lost their lives in the 1973 bomb.
Anti-poverty strategy
Approve an Anti-Poverty Action Plan for 2021-22 along with proposals for the spend of confirmed and expected Covid related Community Support Programme funding from Department for Communities.
The Action Plan follows on from the Anti-Poverty Stakeholder Steering Group agreeing a series of Objectives and Strategic Actions to set the direction for their work. These include increased coordination between organisations working with those most in need in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, supporting those on low incomes or those in financial crises to maximize their income and minimise their costs, improving the capacity of those that support those most in need, promoting better information, signposting and communication and working in partnership with others to tackle the causes of poverty.
Trail Development Causeway Coast Way
Approve a new Permissive Path Agreement between Council and Dundarave Estates Ltd, in relation to agreed lands on the Causeway Coast Way for a period of 25 years. The Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 allows Council to make use of Permissive Path Agreements as a means to secure quality recreational access to private land.
Age Friendly
Members were updated about the establishment of an Age Friendly Alliance & Forum with relevant partners to raise awareness and interest in the Age Friendly agenda and engagement of local people. Council now employs an Age Friendly Co-Ordinator and has been engaging with community planning partners to develop an Ageing Well Model. This model is based on a community planning led partnership approach to support and promote longer independent quality living for older people. It supports positive ageing with assistance, where ‘our older people are active, respected and supported in their community’. The model also includes a partnership approach to the commissioning of ageing well services for older people in the Borough.
Portrush Recreation Grounds
Members noted progress to date with the redevelopment of Portrush Recreation Grounds at a total cost of £3.32m and approved a £1.89m investment to enable Council to appoint the recommended contractor, FP McCann Ltd. This decision is subject to confirmation of DfC partnership funding of £1.43m and affordability within Council’s Capital Programme. This constitutes the Final Investment Decision and will allow the project to proceed to ‘Stage 3 – Construction’ which is due to commence in September 2021 and complete in June 2022. The existing lease with Portrush Bowling Club will be reviewed and agreed with the club prior to a revised lease being considered by the Land and Property Committee.
Seaport Avenue Coastal Erosion
Approve plans to advance to Stage 3 of the Capital Works process for repair works to failed sea defence infrastructure at Seaport Avenue, Portballintrae, accepting the most economically advantageous tender from JPM Contracts Ltd at £31,500 (excluding VAT).
For further details about the meeting go to https://www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk/council/minutes/tuesday-7th-september-2021-council-meeting
As per normal Council procedures, all decisions are subject to the ‘call-in’ process.
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