Committee for Infrastructure

Minutes of Proceedings 16 March 2022

Infrastructure Committee minutes 16 March 2022.pdf (185.09 kb)

Meeting Location:
Room 30, Parliament Buildings

Present:
Mr David Hilditch MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Present by Video or Teleconference:
Mr Roy Beggs MLA
Mr Cathal Boylan MLA
Mr Andrew Muir MLA
Ms Cara Hunter MLA
Ms Liz Kimmins MLA

Apologies:
Mr Jonathan Buckley MLA(Chairperson)
Mr Pádraig Delargy MLA
Mr George Robinson MLA

In Attendance:
Mr Jim McManus (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Bill Kinnear (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)

The meeting commenced at 10:06 am in public session.

1. Apologies

As above.

2. Chairpersons Business

The Committee considered draft correspondence from the Public Accounts Committee to the Minister for Infrastructure regarding Planning in Northern Ireland – Regional Planning Commission.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed the correspondence for issue to the Minister for Infrastructure.

3. Draft Minutes.

Agreed:      The Committee agreed the draft minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 9 March 2022 as amended.

Agreed:      The Committee agreed the draft minutes of today’s meeting would be circulated to members for agreement prior to signing by the Chair.

4. Matters Arising

None.

5. Correspondence

Correspondence from member of the public regarding various issues relating to obtaining a Taxi Driver Licence requirement to drive a wedding car. 

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to forward to the Department for information.

Invitation from Retail NI to Future High Street Summit, 30 March 2022.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the invitation.

Correspondence from Renewable NI regarding Statutory Consultee response timelines.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to forward to the Committee for AERA and DAERA.

Correspondence from Independent Review of Invest NI regarding a Call for Evidence.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

Examiner of Statutory Rules Eighteenth Report of the 2021-2022 session.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the report.

Assembly Research and Information Service briefing paper regarding PHV Licensing: Provisions for Wedding and Funeral Cars.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the paper.

Correspondence from a member of the public regarding Taxi Driver legislative requirements for the Wedding Car Industry.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to forward to the Department for information.

Correspondence from Department for Infrastructure on Synopsis of Responses: Consultation to consider making Careless Driving a Fixed Penalty Notice Offence.

Agreed:        The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

Correspondence from Department for Infrastructure on the Water, Flooding and Sustainable Drainage Consultation Report.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

Correspondence from the Head of the Civil Service (HOCS) regarding Permanent Secretary Appointments.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

Correspondence from Translink regarding launch Translink’s first new electric double deck vehicles into passenger service and the wider phased roll-out of Zero Emission buses for Metro in Belfast.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

Correspondence from a member of the public regarding the requirement for road maintenance at Cleland Park South, Bangor

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the correspondence.

Examiner of Statutory Rules Nineteenth Report of Session 2021-2022

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the report.

Examiner of Statutory Rules Twentieth Report of Session 2021-2022

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to note the report.

6.  Subordinate Legislation – SL1s – Not subject to Assembly Proceedings

The Committee considered the following six proposals for Statutory Rules not subject to Assembly Proceedings.

• SL1 - The Road Races (Spamount Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022.
• SL1 - The Road Races (Cairncastle Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SL1 - The Road Races (Drumhorc Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SL1 - The Road Races (North West 200) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SL1 – The Road Races (Tyrone Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SL1 - The Road Races (Maiden City Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

Agreed:         The Committee was content with the proposals for the Statutory Rules.

7. Subordinate Legislation – SRs – Not subject to Assembly Proceedings.

The Committee considered four proposals for Statutory Rules not subject to Assembly Proceedings.

• SR 2022 – 93 The Private Accesses on the A6 Castledawson By-Pass (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SR 2022 – 94 The Road Races (Craigantlet Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SR 2022 - 95 The Road Races (Tandragee 100) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022
• SR 2022 – 96 The Parking Places on Roads (Castle Place, Belfast) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

Agreed:         The Committee was content with the proposals for the Statutory Rules.

8. SR 2022 66 The Vennel, Bangor (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

The Committee considered the SR 2022 66 The Vennel, Bangor (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022.

Agreed:         That the Committee for Infrastructure has considered SR 2022-66 The Vennel, Bangor (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 and has no objection to the rule.

9. SR 2022 – 97 The Derrynaseer Road (Rubble Road), Omagh (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022

The Committee considered the SR 2022–97 The Derrynaseer Road (Rubble Road), Omagh (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022.

Agreed          That the Committee for Infrastructure has considered SR 2022–97 The Derrynaseer Road (Rubble Road), Omagh (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2022 and has no objection to the rule.

10. Road Haulage Association Briefing – Update on issues facing the freight/haulage sector.

The Representatives joined the meeting at 10.17 am.

• Mr John Martin, RHA Policy Manager (Northern Ireland)
• Peter Summerton, Managing Director McCulla Ireland Ltd

• Mark Tait, Director Target Transport Ltd (Starleaf)

The officials provided the Committee with an oral briefing.

A question and answer session followed.

The Chairperson thanked officials for their attendance.

The officials left the meeting at 11.53 am. 

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to include issues raised by the Road Haulage Association regarding the unsatisfactory nature of layby facilities for drivers in Great Britain in its Legacy Report for consideration by the successor Committee in the next mandate.

11. Departmental Briefing – Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Review.  

The Officials joined the meeting at 11.59 am.

• Joy Hargie, Principal Planning Officer, DFI
• Philip McGowan, Principal Planning Officer, DFI
• Stuart Freeman, Planning Officer, DFI (Starleaf)

The officials provided the Committee with an oral briefing.

A question and answer session followed.

The Chairperson thanked officials for the briefing.

The officials left the meeting at 12.34 pm

12. Committee for Infrastructure Legacy Report 2017-2022

The Committee considered the Draft Legacy Report.

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to publish the amended Report on the website.

13.   Any Other Business

Agreed:         The Committee agreed to write to the Department for Infrastructure highlighting the difficulty faced by the school transport sector and requesting that the department look at what support mechanisms can be put in place to alleviate the sector’s concerns. 

14. Date, Time and Place of next meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:39 pm

Mr David Hilditch MLA
Deputy Chairperson, Committee for Infrastructure 
16 March 2022