1. Purpose

1.1 This report is to outline the areas of business that will fall within the remit of the Committee.

It is important that Members have clear responsibility to connect strategy and delivery of services within the committee remit, and their contribution to delivery of the priority outcomes within the Corporate Plan.

It is therefore proposed that the service planning, allocation of resources, performance, and service opportunities relating to the areas outlined in 2.1.1 Key Functions will be all reported to the Environment and Economy Committee.

1.2 This is in line with the decisions taken at Council on 03 April 2023 with regards to good governance changes and the Scheme of Delegation.

The focus of this is to ensure that Council and Committees, through all Members, can drive the strategic direction and resource allocation against priorities but enabling officers to deliver services on a day-to-day basis in a streamlined and seamless way.

1.3 The text in red highlights the changes from the previous Terms of Reference.

2. Background

2.1 The following are the service functions that fall within the remit of the Environment and Economy Committee:

Key Functions

• Economic Development to include:
  • Skills and Entrepreneurship
  • Business Start Up and Growth
  • Investment and Funding
  • Investment and Place
  • Town Centre Development
• Climate and Sustainability to include:
  • Climate Change
  • Carbon accounting and management
  • Sustainability
• Neighbourhood Services to include:
  • Waste Management
  • Contract Management
  • Fleet Management
  • Waste Disposal
  • Household Recycling Centres
  • Street Cleansing
• Parks & Open Spaces
  • Car Parks
  • CemeteriesSporting Facilities
  • Harbours and Marinas
• Overview of Capital Plan and Budget
• Capital Delivery and Regeneration

2.3 All functions will be in line with the Committee’s agreed Terms of Reference:

• Ensuring the delivery of core services that meet the needs of the community, social economy and business sector.
• Build strong and effective integrated partnerships with key partners, including local business community through the Manufacturing Task Force, Labour Market Partnership, Local Economic Partnership (LEP), PEACEPLUS Partnership and other sectoral partnerships, Executive Departments i.e., Department for Communities, Department of Infrastructure, Department of the Economy, DEARA and the wider business sector ensuring regular reports are presented to the Environment and Economy Committee.
• Focus on ensuring Mid and East Antrim inform and influence at a regional level, including the new Programme for Government and Sub- Regional Economy Plan.
• Maximise opportunities to secure funding and programmes across a range of areas, including urban and rural development through PEACEPLUS, National EU and other Investment Funds.
• Focus on the delivery of the Building Control function and associated services, which includes Regulatory Services for the enforcement of Building Regulations, Dangerous Structures, Property Certificate, Energy Performance Certificates, Vacancy Property Inspections, Corporate Fire Risk Assessment, Street Naming and Postal Numbering.
• Focus on developing strategies around economy, regeneration and funding, environment and green growth with a strong emphasis on improving economic sustainability of the Borough.
• Attract inward investment through an innovative and dynamic approach to economic development and regeneration.
• Focus on creating the conditions to grow the economy and create jobs.
• Ensuring delivery of Council’s statutory duty where responsibility for ‘Promotion of entrepreneurship and encouraging business start-up’, ‘Provision for under-represented groups in entrepreneurship’ and ‘Promotion of social enterprise’ transferred to Councils from DFE/DETI as part of RPA in 2015.
• Ensuring successful management and delivery of €5.8m of PEACEPLUS funding across Mid and East Antrim for the period 2021 – 2027.
• Ensuring successful management and delivery of £4.5 million funding from DfE under the regional balance fund for the period 2025-2028.
• Focus on decabonising Council in line with the carbon emission reduction targets set out in the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022 (48% 2030, 77% 2040 and net zero by 2050).
• Lobbying central government to access funding streams to decarbonize Council activities.
• Promoting and embedding sustainably development practices in the exercise of our duties.
• Reducing adverse environmental impacts from daily operations.

2.4 Key Services areas

• Neighbourhood Services to include Waste Management, Fleet Management, Climate & Sustainability, Street Cleansing, Public Conveniences, Household Recycling Centres, Waste Disposal and Service Contracts, Harbours & Marinas, Parks & Open Spaces, Car Parks, Cemeteries, Sports Pitches and MUGAs.
• Climate Change including mitigation and adaptation planning and implementation
• Defining, measuring and monitoring Council’s Greenhouse Gas inventory
• Carbon Accounting across Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions
• Meeting carbon reduction targets in line with the Climate Change (NI) Act 2022
• Public Body Reporting on climate action (The Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (NI) 2024
• Environmental management including an Environmental Management System
• Environmental performance and benchmarking
• Sustainability including delivery of the UN Sustainable Development
• Goals and Council’s Sustainable Duty
• Climate, sustainability and environmental education and awareness
• Capital Plan, Capital Works and Regeneration
• Economic Development to include:
  • Skills and Entrepreneurship
  • Business Start Up and Growth
  • Investment and Funding
  • Investment and Place
  • Town Centre Development
  • Building Control
  • City Deal and Major Projects.

2.5 As part of the Scheme of Delegation, the Regulatory Services within Council, a number of Officers have been authorised to discharge functions relating to Building Control.

This includes serving statutory notices, implementing legislation, and discharging liabilities in accordance with legislation.

3. Key issues for Consideration

3.1 The role of the Environment and Economy Committee is the following:

• To approve strategies that are focused on the ambitious outcomes for residents e.g., Neighbourhood Services to include: Climate Change, Sustainability and Environment; Capital Works and Regeneration; Economic Development; Building Control; and City Deal and Major Projects.
• To review and monitor policies and procedures to ensure delivery in line with corporate priorities.
• To review performance on the relevant service areas, making recommendations for course correction when performance is not meeting targets.
• In relation to funding to consider opportunities for innovation and best practice to ensure continuous improvement and quality service delivery.
• To consider funding opportunities to assist in delivery of Corporate objectives.
• To direct available resources for the remit of services to achieve effective outcome improvement.
• To review fees and charges of all relevant Services.
• To oversee Building Control (except Planning) with the relevant delegations.
• To have management delivery in relation to funding secured for programme activity from central government, UK government, European funding sources and other funding bodies.
• To manage and receive regular reports on the Labour Market Partnership, Local Economic Partnership (LEP), PEACEPLUS Partnership, Go Succeed Service, Multiply and similar delivery mechanisms against Council’s strategic priorities.

4.General Considerations/Implications

4.1 Committees of Council can carry out decision making on behalf of Council to ensure the business of Council is transacted in a timely and efficient manner.

4.2 At present there are some delegations to officers, as set out in the Scheme of Delegation, however the delegations to Committees needs to be clarified.

This may take some time over the coming months to define.