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Minutes
Minutes of the Special Meeting of Council
6th July 2004
Minutes of the Special Meeting of Council held on Tuesday 6 July 2004 at 7.30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, 47 Derry Road, Strabane.
Present:- In the Chair: Councillor J McNulty
Other Members: Councillors I Barr, A Bell, A Bresland, D Breslin, J Donnell, J Emery, D Hussey, T Kerrigan, T McBride, E McGarvey, C McGill, C McHugh, E McMenamin, B McNamee
Total = 15
In Attendance: Clerk & Chief Executive, Head of Finance,Administrative Assistant
Housing Executive representatives:
Dr John McPeake, Director of Design & Property Services
Mr Sean Mackie, Area Manager
Mr Noel McNulty, Assistant District Manager
Mr Brendan Adams, Area Planner
Mrs Hazel Faithfull, Area Information Officer
Mr Mervyn King, District Maintenance Officer
Apologies: Councillor B McMahon
The Chairman welcomed Members to the meeting and introduced the first item of business.
Audit Reports
Councillor Barr raised the issue whether the details of the Audit Reports should be in committee. He felt that the item should be dealt with confidentially.
The Chief Executive said that Council had a statutory function to make the information available to the public. He felt that Members could raise any specific issues in committee if they so wished.
Councillor Barr said that certain sections related to current or former Councillors and that, as the matter could be challenged in the High Court he felt that the item should be dealt with in committee until the matter was resolved.
Councillor McMenamin agreed with Councillor Barr’s comments and, following a query from Councillor McMenamin, the Chief Executive confirmed that no one would see the minutes if the discussion was in committee. However, he added that Council would still have to issue the abstracts of the accounts from the Auditor.
The Chairman felt that the entire meeting did not need to be in committee and that certain issues could be raised on a confidential basis.
Councillor Barr felt that there was a contradiction given that the Audit and Staff Committee was held in committee.
The Head of Finance (HF) clarified that the abstracts of the accounts and Audit Reports were public documents as from that evening and that the meeting was to give Members the opportunity of discussing the accounts before they went into the public domain. She added that any member of the public could contact the office and request copies of the abstracts and audit reports and felt that this was different to other items of finance discussed by Council.
Following a query from Councillor Barr the HF confirmed that the availability of the abstracts to members of the public was contained in the 1972 Act.
Councillor Emery felt that there was only one small section of the reports which dealt with sensitive issues and that the rest of the reports could be dealt with openly.
Councillor Breslin referred to Freedom of Information legislation, which would eventually make it difficult to retain in committee sections of minutes.
Councillor McBride felt that the Council was a public body and was therefore accountable to the public. He agreed that Freedom of Information would result in changes but added that the accounts had always been issued to the public if requested.
Councillor Barr appreciated the comments about Freedom of Information but felt that the custom and practice had been to discuss the audit reports in committee.
Councillor Barr proposed, seconded by Councillor McMenamin that the entire discussion be in committee.
The Chairman proposed an amendment that each financial year should be dealt with individually and Members could make a proposal to discuss the section in committee if they so wished. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Breslin.
The amendment was put to Council and carried with 8 votes to 4.
The Chairman clarified that the discussion on the audit reports would not be confidential but that Members could request that the meeting go into committee to discuss certain items.
Copies of the Audit Reports from the DOE Local Government Division for the four years ending 31 March 2003 had been previously circulated for Members’ attention.
Year Ending March 2000
Councillor Barr felt that Members understood the delay in the production of the reports and noted that each Member would be satisfied that the delay showed no failing on the Council.
Councillor Barr made reference to Item 8 of the report and said that it was unfortunate that any Member or former Member should find themselves in this position. He was of the opinion that this was not an issue that Members would have any influence on.
On the proposal of Councillor Barr, seconded by Councillor McBride the report for the year ending March 2000 was adopted.
Year Ending March 2001
On the proposal of Councillor Barr, seconded by Councillor McMenamin, the report for the year ending March 2001 was adopted.
Councillor Hussey joined the meeting at this stage.
Year Ending March 2002
On the proposal of Councillor Barr, seconded by Councillor McMenamin, the report for the year ending March 2002 was adopted.
Year Ending March 2003
On the proposal of Councillor Barr, seconded by Councillor McBride, the report for the year ending March 2003 was adopted.
Councillor McBride said that it was unfortunate that the loans were decreasing so slowly as this was a drain on finances but he understood that nothing could be done on the matter.
The Chief Executive thanked Members and the Head of Finance for the work undertaken in this regard. The Chairman added his thanks to the Head of Finance.
The HF said that much work had been undertaken and it was an accomplishment to get the accounts signed off. She added that the audit of the accounts for March 2004 would be dealt with in the next few months.
Housing Plan 2004-2005
The Chairman introduced the representatives from the Housing Executive and invited them to present the District Housing Plan for 2004 – 2005.
Dr John McPeake, Director of Design & Property Services said that it was a pleasure to be present at the meeting. He added that it was his first visit to the Council offices and he complimented the style of the building. He said that he wished to give details on the strategic issues of the Housing Executive (HE) and also act as support value for the other representatives. He said that the HE saw itself as a regional authority within the housing field which tried to adopt a strategic approach. He said that they had two key priorities: - homelessness and working with others to create a safer environment.
Dr McPeake said that the Housing Plan process and its presentation to Council was an important part of their work. He said that the HE had to achieve a sensible balance of dealing with local housing needs and added that each of the Housing Plans for the 26 Councils were unique and drawn up to reflect local issues of each district. He said that it was vital to share this assessment with Councils.
He made reference to anti social behaviour and said that it was a problem that affected the community as a whole and was not unique to HE estates. He added that such behaviour blighted the lives of innocent people and its implications were costly. He said that there had been much debate about the powers of the HE in this regard and clarified that they had the power to refuse accommodation to those with records of anti social behaviour and to obtain injunctions against such behaviour. He added that these new powers could not work in isolation and said that there was the need to work with Councils, the Police and community in general. He said that the main vehicle for this would be working on the Community Safety Partnerships.
Dr McPeake advised Members that homelessness was one of the most pressing social care issues and was not something that the HE could tackle on its own. He said that the most common cause of homelessness was the breakdown of relationships, which the HE had no control over. However, the HE wanted to be able to provide secure accommodation for the homeless with a need to move away from bed & breakfast accommodation. He added that they had succeeded in one aspect of this where no families with children should not be placed in bed & breakfast accommodation for more than 6 weeks.
Dr McPeake outlined the HE’s 5 areas of spending priorities for 2004/2005. He said that in dealing with their obligations as a landlord, they owned and managed around 100,000 properties with a maintenance and improvement budget of £115 million. He added that they also provided grant assistance to homeowners to improve and repair properties from a budget of £43 million. Other budgets included £31 million for disabled adaptations, £26.6 million for homelessness and £53 million for supporting people.
He concluded by saying that the HE was aiming to pursue their principal issue of providing a secure environment in which to live.
Mr Sean Mackie, Area Manager said he was pleased to return to the Council on the annual visit to present the Housing Plan and said that the issues raised at a local level would echo those mentioned by Dr McPeake.
Mr Mackie said that the HE had invested over £7 million last year with a further £6.5 million planned for the current year. He provided the breakdown of spending covering improvement and maintenance to HE houses and grants for the private sector. He added that an additional £2 million would be invested by the Housing Associations this year.
He noted that last year much work had been undertaken to 25 homes in Leckpatrick Gardens in Artigarvan, which involved the replacement of heating systems. He said that under the Home Energy contract the HE were conscious of replacing heating systems with efficient services. He said that work had started on a further 200 units within the district for which they had secured £¼ million through the Strabane LSP. He said that the HE continued to put a lot of emphasis on disabled people remaining in their homes and they had carried out 343 adaptations for this purpose. He advised Members that major improvements had been planned this year for 32 homes, heating replacements for 264 homes and external maintenance for 175 properties.
Mr Mackie advised Members that 10 years ago HE households stood at 37%, which had now fallen to 22%. He added that owner occupation was at 66%. He said that the private housing market had an effect on this and added that the private rented sector was also growing rapidly although he noted that HE houses were the best value properties that could be purchased.
Mr Mackie referred to homelessness within the district and said that there had been an increase from 106 to 196 households which had presented themselves as homeless, of which 55% were single. He noted the HE’s strategy for temporary accommodation and said that in Strabane town they had used SATH which provided good quality temporary housing.
He advised Members that there were 534 applicants on the waiting list for HE houses of which 237 were deemed to be in housing stress which equated to 30 points or more.
Mr Mackie referred to the replacement work undertaken to rural cottages and outlined the process of latent demand which was a testing exercise undertaken in Aughabrack and Burndennett to identify hidden housing need.
With regard to the private sector, Mr Mackie said that 275 grants had been completed which was a significant amount of work. He added that the HE had moved from a mandatory to a discretionary grant system.
In relation to houses in multiple occupation, the HE had moved to a mandatory scheme which meant that they would have more control over the living standards in the private rented sector.
Mr Mackie said that the HE put much emphasis on the working relationships they had with their partners, including the Council, tenants and community associations and recognised their contribution and the complementary role they played. He added that they were also involved with other statutory groups.
He noted that the HE had two neighbourhood Estate Wardens who help mediate between neighbours regarding any disputes. He felt that these had been well received and had been productive.
Mr Mackie advised that, as of 1 December 2003, the HE had taken over the responsibility for the provision of traveller specific locations.
He referred to the Group Repair Scheme, which was aimed at existing owners of privately owned properties to bring them up to a reasonable standard. He noted that the first scheme in the district was in Castlederg and related to 29 properties from which they had received an enthusiastic response from the owners. He added that the tenders had been received for this work.
Mr Mackie concluded by thanking Members and staff for their support over the year and he paid particular thanks to Councillor Kerrigan for his continued work on the Housing Council.
Councillor McGill
Councillor McGill welcomed the representatives and thanked the local office for their support during the year.
She queried the contribution made by counting empty dwellings within the private sector and also the testing exercise for latent demand within the rural district. She also asked for an update on Conthem Road.
In response, Mr Mackie said that the counting of empty dwellings gave the HE a much wider picture of the total housing market. He said that they did not have the solutions to all the problems but felt that it was worth drawing attention to the empty dwellings within the private sector. He clarified that this was not done on the basis of bringing together a clearance area but was just for their knowledge and being able to inform residents on how the private market was working in their area.
Concerning latent demand, he said that the HE presented the information to the Planning Service in the expectation that they would take that into overall consideration when they were looking at the amount of land to be zoned. He felt that this gave them a snapshot of what that demand would be.
With regard to Conthem Road, he advised that they had negotiated an arrangement for the location of the new treatment works. He added that the proposals had gone to the Environment & Heritage Service and the HE now had to address their queries. He said that they had an offer in principle for some financial support but needed to clarify the reality of the funding so that they could proceed with the scheme.
Councillor McGill said that it was important that the scheme proceed as it was long overdue.
Councillor McGill queried how scientific the research for latent demand was.
Mr Brendan Adams, Area Planner said that latent demand was part of the rural strategy and the process involved contacting local Councils, schools, churches and placing public advertisements for the return of information. He added that a leaflet was also produced which schools had copied and circulated through their pupils. In terms of accuracy, he said that from the 2 tests carried out, they thought they would have had a higher response but only 2 were received from Aughabrack and 7 from Burndennett who expressed a need for social housing. He felt that these statistics were low.
Councillor McHugh
Councillor McHugh welcomed the representatives and thanked them for the assistance provided during the year. He added that the grass cutting in his area had been resolved.
He queried if the Good Repair Scheme in the Castlederg area had been publicly advertised; what the HE could do about ongoing problems of squatting; levels of fuel poverty and the implementation of air quality schemes. He added that he was aware that many homes in the district would not be able to access grants in order to make necessary improvements due to the age of their property.
In response, Mr Mackie clarified that the group repair scheme was not publicly advertised and was not done on an individual basis. He said that criteria had to be met which was based on a survey of areas which involved the visual external inspection of properties for which 75% of them would have to qualify for repair. The process then involved contacting the residents by letter to establish if they would be interested in the scheme as 25% of the residents had to be on some form of benefit.
He noted that there were singular incidents of squatting within the district and said that self-allocation of properties was not acceptable. He added that the HE endeavoured to recover the property, which sometimes included court action.
Concerning fuel poverty, Mr Mackie said that the HE recognised the importance of air quality and were therefore carrying out many fuel changes within the district. However, he said that this would take time and there was a 10-year time frame. He added that, in broad terms about 10% of conversions were undertaken each year. He clarified that the HE did not grant-aid the private sector to alter their heating systems and that Warm Homes which was administered by Eaga undertook this role.
Councillor McHugh made reference to the poor air quality in areas of the district and noted the recent strategy the Council had undertaken in this regard. He said that the Strabane district area had to be prioritised.
Mr Mackie said that he was aware of the difficulties in the area and that the HE had given a commitment to proceed with the conversions over a timeframe.
It was agreed that Mr Mackie would be provided with details of the Air Quality scheme to include the information given to Council of age criteria for grants for HE properties.
Councillor Emery
Councillor Emery welcomed the representatives and thanked the local office for all their help on a day-to-day issues. He commended the HE on the walkway along the River Mourne and, as a member of the Strabane 2000 Board, he said that this tied in with their work. He also said that the bulb planting was also very much appreciated. He queried the start dates for the proposal for 10 houses at Ardstraw and the work to be undertaken at the Greenbrae site.
In response, Mr Adams said that it was anticipated to be on site at Ardstraw in September and that the work would take approximately 10 months.
Mr Mackie said that an exact start date for the work at Greenbrae had not yet been set as there were still ongoing discussions with Council and the intentions with regard to the site would not be implemented until outstanding issues had been clarified.
The Chief Executive said that he had written to the Department expressing the lack of needs for transient travellers. He added that Council had good co-operation with the local HE office and both were working in partnership on this issue.
Councillor Hussey
Councillor Hussey welcomed the representatives and thanked the local staff for their assistance. He noted that within the New Build Programme section of the Plan that the numbers were far short of what had been identified in the Annual Review. He raised the following issues: the target and programme for social housing within the district; the requirements of developers to ensure social inclusion within larger scale housing developments; congratulated the HE on the performance standard figures supplied and queried whether given those achievement figures, if there would be a requirement for service standards to improve; the need for alternatives to open fire provision given that the district had the worst recorded air quality in the UK; if empty houses were habitable he agreed that they should be brought back into the market; the West Tyrone Area Plan and its implications on latent demand; rent arrears with the district area.
Councillor Hussey declared an interest in Castleview Terrace as a previous resident who also had relatives currently living there.
In response Mr Mackie agreed that the new build figures fell short of funding available and said that it reflected the level of resources. He said that the social housing programme of the district was linked to section 5 on page 37 of the Plan. He advised that the target was not made up of a percentage of 1,500 houses, which was the overall global target. He noted that there was no requirement on the larger scale private developers to include an element of social housing within their schemes, as was the case in southern Ireland. He felt that this was an area that could be implemented in the future and the Planning Service would be able to zone areas for private or social developments so as to create a mixture of housing.
Mr Adams made reference to the Planning Framework contained within the Plan and said that the HE had been engaged in this new policy. He said that one of the issues was affordability on which they would be advising the Planning Service.
Dr McPeake was grateful for the positive comments on the performance standards. He said that there were 4 major measures used in the grant scheme. He added that, in the Province as a whole, the HE had not been able to meet those standards but they were endeavouring to do so and the process was kept under regular review. He added that they were challenging targets for them to meet.
Mr Mackie clarified that the Plan referred to habitable empty houses which information was provided from the Rates Collection Agency. He said that the latent need was a rolling programme and if there were areas within the district where there was untapped demand the HE would consider this and address if required. He confirmed that the rent arrears was outlined in Appendix 4 of the Plan and amounted to £½ million.
Councillor Kerrigan
Councillor Kerrigan welcomed the representatives. He raised the following issues: was there any encouragement to get empty houses occupied; he welcomed the group repair in Castlederg; living accommodation over shops in town centres; crossroads development within the Area Plan; he congratulated the HE for the revenue put into the district area.
Mr Mackie said that in an ideal world there would not be any empty houses and that the statistics were a snapshot of the overall situation. He advised Members that a pilot project had been initiated in Lisburn and Derry concerning lots over shops and this would conclude at the end of the current financial year. The HE had undertaken an interim evaluation and it had been hoped that the DSD would have run with the scheme but they had wanted to wait until the pilot project was complete. He said that the HE was committed to the concept and believed that it would be successful and were hopeful that this would develop outside the pilot areas in the second half of next year.
Mr Adams said that the HE would encourage crossroads schemes and, within the remit of the Area Plan, would undertake as many exercises as they could. He added that the basic settlement criteria which had to be identified included any church, school, houses, and community group. He said that crossroads developments did work but it was important to select the right areas and the HE was happy to attend meetings to explain and outline the concept.
Councillor Barr
Councillor Barr welcomed the representatives and paid tribute to the work of the HE over the past year, particularly the local office and the manner in which the staff responded to members of the public and Councillors which was courteous and efficient. He also paid tribute to the Maintenance Officers for their willingness to meet with Councillors on site in order to obtain a full understanding of what the perceived problems were.
He said that he sincerely hoped that the HE would make a speedy return of the Greenbrae site to Council. He noted that Strabane District Council was one of the first Councils to draw down funding to make a site available for travellers following which the HE took on the responsibility of providing long term housing for travellers who wanted to stay in the area. He said that the site had become surplus to demands but that Council did have a pressing need for the site.
Councillor Barr declared an interest as a resident of Bridge Street included in the Improvement and Planned Maintenance Programme Post 2004/2005.
He said that a maintenance inspection/survey had been undertaken on his house but understood that the works had been delayed. Mr Mackie agreed to contact Councillor Barr on this issue and believed that the delay could have more to do with the external maintenance.
Councillor McBride
Councillor McBride welcomed the delegation and commended them for their work over the last 30 years. He raised the following issues: as the largest landlord in Northern Ireland, he felt that the HE had a bigger role to play on air quality than the private sector and that the public expectations on social welfare were greater; cultural change and growth in private ownership in the rural areas; statistics did not reflect the need for housing in Aughabrack.
Mr Mackie advised that the finance for the programme re; air quality was ring fenced and therefore protected. He said that latent demand was not about the HE singularly trying to establish what the housing should be for an area but to obtain a whole range of views. He said that the HE was prepared to take on board and address any views and were happy to meet with groups.
Councillor McMenamin
Councillor McMenamin welcomed the representatives and complimented the local staff on the way they had dealt with requests from members of the public and Councillors. He raised the following issues: congratulated the HE on the walkway at the River Mourne; agreed with Councillor Barr’s comments on the Greenbrae site; the upgrade of the heating systems at Springhill Park would improve air quality; the HE’s powers on anti social behaviour.
Regarding anti social behaviour, Mr Mackie said that they had to have a balance of views from the community. He added that one of the changes in the new legislation was the grounds for possession of property and many more legal cases could now be taken on these grounds. He added that if such legal cases were successful the offending residents could be barred from HE properties for a number of years. However he said that the offenders could still apply for housing benefit and would be able to rent from private landlords, both of which the HE had no control over. He said that they would also have the ability to take out injunctions within housing estates. In general, he said that the HE would have greater control in some areas and not so much in others.
Councillor Breslin
Councillor Breslin thanked the HE staff for their support and guidance over the year. He raised the following issues: the proposed start date for the External Cyclical Maintenance (ECM) at Parkside Gardens; despite the tile cladding on the exterior of the houses being repaired, some was still coming off and injuries had occurred; requests by tenants for more parking spaces; proposed start date for Owenreagh Drive; 10 properties in Springhill Park which may have difficulty for the provision of oil; 3 pin locking system for doors; ID card system for all sub contractors following a pensioner being robbed at Barrack Street.
Mr Makcie said that he would check on the proposed schedule for Parkside Gardens and the cladding issues. He noted that car-parking issues would not be undertaken on an ECM scheme.
Councillor McMenamin left the meeting at this point.
Councillor Breslin noted that the District Manager had said that car parking would be taken into account.
Mr Mackie said that he could not comment on a commitment given by the District Manager but noted that additional car parking was not generally included in ECM schemes which came out of revenue budgets. He added that at least 50% of the residents who would benefit from the car parking had to be HE tenants, as the HE was not funded to provide additional car paring for the private sector.
Mr Mackie said that he would keep Members informed of the start date for work at Owenreagh Drive. He also understood that the issues concerning the 10 houses at Springhill Park had been overcome. He noted the policy for a 3 pin locking system for doors only applied on a scheme approved after a certain date but felt that the system would eventually be more generally used. He said that there had been major progress in home safety but that such security steps were very costly. Councillor Breslin felt that such steps would be value for money.
Mr Mackie said that he understood the motives for ID card systems for sub contractors and that organisations would have to look at this issue as a whole. Councillor Breslin felt that it would be good to see the HE leading the way on this issue.
Dr McPeake said that an ID card system was being considered within the construction industry under health and safety matters. He added that organisations like the HE had to satisfy requirements that they had operatives which were trained to the appropriate health and safety standards. He said that some firms were starting to introduce ID cards for a range of issues and he felt that such a system would become more common.
Councillor Bell
Councillor Bell thanked the staff of the HE for their co-operation over the year. She raised the following issues: start dates for work at Mourne Avenue and Croghan View; empty properties and the length of time to remove squatters.
Mr Mackie said that, with regard to empty properties, there was a legal process to follow which involved the abandonment of the tenancy. He said, with regards to squatting, the HE went as fast as the judicial system allowed and that it took time for people to comply with judgements etc.
Mr Noel McNulty confirmed that the HE had to date served 9 abandonment orders and recovered 2 properties. He added that there was another case currently in court. He noted that Marian Park was listed in the Plan, which incorporated other areas.
Councillor Bell added that there was some dissatisfaction among residents with the way that one household would get a grant and another would not.
Councillor Donnell
Councillor Donnell welcomed the representatives and thanked the staff locally and regionally. He raised the following issues: start date for work at Station Road; road at Bluebell Avenue, Cullion not adopted – lighting and footpaths not up to standards and there was a flooding problem which had not been satisfactorily addressed; ramp at main entrance of Colman Fold was always obstructed by vehicles and the no parking notice had been erased; felt that the standard of workmanship on Multi Element Improvements (MEI) was not what it should be which led to residents being unsatisfied and created problems with the HE; he welcomed the ongoing progress at Ardstraw.
Mr McNulty said the scheme at Station Road was due to start at the end of August. Mr Mackie added that they had approved the tender for the work but, as there were a whole range of houses the HE would have to liaise with the contractor.
Mr Mackie said that the problem at Bluebell Avenue was the sight lines and a piece of ground that was not in the HE’s ownership was required. He confirmed their commitment to get the road adopted. He understood that the flooding issue had largely been resolved but, if that was not the case, he would liaise with the engineer. He said that the HE was not in a position to enforce parking restrictions at Colman Fold. With regards to standards on MEI schemes, he agreed that improvements to their consistency was needed.
Councillor Bresland
Councillor Bresland welcomed the representatives and thanked the staff in the local and regional offices. He raised the following issues: he welcomed the work at Ardstraw; he had received complaints about a resident operating a business involving cars at Bluebell Avenue; issues concerning Churchside Court, Sion Mills.
Mr Mackie said that one of the elements of HE tenancy was that residents could not operate a business at the property. He agreed to follow up on this issue and that of Churchside Court.
General Queries/Comments
In response to Councillor Hussey, Mr Mackie said that he was not aware of any concerns regarding asbestos in HE houses in the Strabane district area. He added that appropriate surveys were undertaken prior to MEI schemes. He asked that any concerns in this regard be passed onto the HE.
Councillor McHugh requested a list of houses involved in the Castlederg group repair scheme.
Councillor Bell thanked the HE for the tree planting in Knockavoe Crescent.
In response to the Chairman, Mr Mackie said that a frank exchange of views on a regular basis was necessary. He added that tenancy agreement forms were important to enforce, especially with regard to animals.
The Chief Executive noted that Members had previously been issued with a document from the Planning Service on sustainable development in the countryside. He felt that input from the HE should be considered and added that the Council would be making a response.
The Chairman thanked all the representatives for attending the meeting and presenting the Housing Plan.
Any Other Business
Roads Service & Planning Service - Special Meeting of Council
The Chief Executive referred to a letter from the Business Manager concerning the proposed date of 21 July 2004 for the rescheduled Special Meeting of Council.
Following a discussion, it was agreed that the date was not suitable and the Chief Executive agreed that a further date would be considered.
Community Transport Week
The Chief Executive referred to a letter received from Easilift concerning Community Transport Week and noted the invitation for Members to attend the event on 16 August at 10.00 a.m. at the Translink Depot, Railway Road.
Invest NI
The Chief Executive noted that the Chairman had been invited to attend an Invest NI Seminar the following day but that it had been postponed until after the summer recess.
Bonfire in Castlederg
In response to Councillor McHugh, Councillor Hussey said that the alternative site was a piece of ground to the left of the bridge at the car park area. The Chief Executive clarified that the bonfire would not be held on Council owned land.
It was agreed to check that the Council had contacted the residential home concerned following previous discussion at Council.
Civil Service
Councillor Barr raised concern over the announcement that 600 civil service jobs in Derry were to be privatised. It was agreed to write to the relevant Minister expressing Council’s concern and requesting more information on the matter.
Planning Office Meeting – Mr Gilfillan
As the date was not suitable for Councillors, it was agreed to cancel the meeting and reschedule at a more convenient time.
The meeting concluded at 10.10 p.m.
DATED this 6th day of JULY 2004
SIGNED ___________________________
Clerk & Chief Executive
DATED this 14th day of SEPTEMBER 2004
SIGNED ___________________________
Chairman of the Council
