Committee for Infrastructure
Minutes of Proceedings 12 June 2024
Committee for Infrastructure Minutes of Proceedings 12 June 2024.pdf (219.58 kb)
Location: Room 29, Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mr John Stewart MLA(Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Danny Baker MLA
Mr Keith Buchanan MLA
Mr Mark Durkin MLA
Mr Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Andrew McMurray MLA
Mr Peter McReynolds MLA
Apologies:
Mrs Deborah Erskine MLA(Chairperson)
Mr Cathal Boylan MLA
In Attendance:
Mrs Kathy O’Hanlon (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Phil Pateman (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr William Kinnear (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced in public session at 10:07 am.
The Deputy Chairperson assumed the Chair in the Chairperson’s absence.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declaration of Interests
Keith Buchanan declared an interest in relation to correspondence from Mid Ulster District Council, stating that he resides within this Council area.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Committee noted a memo from the Acting Head of Communications regarding the use of Zoom to join Committee meetings.
The Committee noted a memo from the Head of Information Systems Office regarding the extension of the deadline for responding to the Constituency Office Survey.
The Deputy Chairperson drew members’ attention to recent media articles highlighting the higher prices paid by passengers purchasing tickets for the Enterprise service in Belfast than those who purchase tickets in Dublin, and noted that the difference in cost cannot be wholly attributed to the subsidy on tickets purchased in Dublin.
Agreed: To ask Translink for information on the reasons, other than the subsidy, that tickets purchased in Belfast are more expensive than those purchased in Dublin; what plans Translink has to review these fares, particularly in respect of the new hourly Enterprise service that is expected to be introduced; and how Translink can ensure that passengers receive value for money on this service.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 5 June 2024.
5. Matters Arising
None.
6. Correspondence
A written briefing from the Electric Vehicle Association Northern Ireland (EVANI) on the current charging infrastructure and uptake of electric vehicles in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: To forward EVANI’s submission to the Department for Infrastructure for a response to the issues and recommendations contained within the paper.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the report on the public consultation on the ‘Review of Regional Strategic Planning Policy for Renewable and Low Carbon Energy’.
Agreed: To inform the Minister for Infrastructure that the Committee will wish to consider the summary report on responses to public consultations and the proposed way forward in order to have the opportunity to submit any views it may have in advance of any final policy decisions being taken.
Correspondence from Mid Ulster District Council regarding the A29 Cookstown Bypass Road Scheme.
Agreed: To invite representatives from Mid Ulster District Council and the Mid South West Deal partnership to provide oral evidence on the Mid South West Deal and the A29 Cookstown Bypass Road Scheme.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure providing further information requested during the oral evidence session on City Deals on 22 May 2024.
Agreed: To request clarification on the funding lifespan of the deals and how City Deal projects will be prioritised alongside other Infrastructure capital projects.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure providing further information requested during the oral evidence session with DfI Rivers on 15 May 2024.
Agreed: To commission Research and Information Service (RaISe) to examine the number of properties or developments in areas identified to be at risk of flooding for which planning permission has been granted in recent years.
Correspondence from the Minister for Infrastructure in response to issues raised by Mobile UK.
Agreed: To forward the response to Mobile UK and advise that issues relating to planning have been identified as a strategic priority for the Committee and their request to present to the Committee will be considered at an appropriate time in the forward work programme.
Correspondence from the Minister for Infrastructure in response to issues raised by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) regarding the York Street Interchange.
Agreed: To note the scheduled meeting between the Minister for Infrastructure and RSUA; and advise that issues relating to strategic infrastructure capital investment have been identified as a strategic priority for the Committee and their request to present to the Committee will be considered at an appropriate time in the forward work programme.
Copy of correspondence to the Minister for Infrastructure from Shopmobility Mid Ulster regarding indicative funding allocation for the 2024-25 financial year.
Agreed: To request a copy of the Minister for Infrastructure’s response to Shopmobility Mid Ulster once issued.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the implementation of the provisions of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.
Agreed: To schedule oral evidence from the Department on the implementation of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 in the Forward Work Programme.
The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:
- Response from the Minister for Infrastructure on vehicle design and the end of life of vehicles.
- Response from the Minister for Infrastructure on the enforcement of parking and waiting restrictions.
- Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to issues arising at the Committee’s meeting on 22 May 2024 on the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (Amendment) Order.
7. Active Travel - Sustrans – Oral Evidence
The following representatives joined the meeting at 10:17 am:
- Claire Pollock, Head of Sustrans Northern Ireland;
- Beth Harding, Active School Travel Manager, Sustrans; and
- Perla Mansour, Routes and Networks Senior Project Manager, Sustrans.
The representatives provided the Committee with an overview of the key successes and challenges to promoting active travel across Northern Ireland.
A question and answer session followed.
The representatives agreed to provide further information as requested during the evidence session.
The oral evidence session was reported by Hansard.
The evidence session ended at 11:22 am.
8. Active Travel – Department for Infrastructure – Oral Evidence
The following officials joined the meeting at 11:22 am:
- Colin Hutchinson, Director for Active Travel, Department for Infrastructure; and
- Peter McParland, Deputy Director for Active Travel, Department for Infrastructure.
The officials provided the Committee with an overview of the role and functions in developing and promoting active travel in Northern Ireland.
The officials agreed to provide further information as requested during the evidence session.
The officials left the meeting at 12:44 pm.
9. SL1 The U8133 (unnamed road) off Friary Road, Newtownhamilton (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024
The Committee considered a proposal for a statutory rule to abandon an area of road off Friary Road, Newtownhamilton. The statutory rule will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
10. SL1 The Footway between Peters Hill and Clifton Street, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024
The Committee considered a proposal for a statutory rule to abandon an area of road between Peters Hill and Clifton Street, Belfast. The statutory rule will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
11. SL1 The Lurgan Road, Portadown (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024
The Committee considered a proposal for a statutory rule to stop-up two locations on Lurgan Road, Portadown. The statutory rule will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
12. SL1 The Kings Lane, Warrenpoint (Stopping-Up) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024
The Committee further considered a proposal for a statutory rule to stop-up section of The Kings Lane, Warrenpoint. The statutory rule will be subject to the negative resolution procedure.
The Committee noted the response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the issues raised during the oral evidence session on 22 May 2024 on the proposal for the statutory rule.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
13. Subordinate Legislations – SRs Not Subject to Assembly Proceedings
The Committee noted the following Statutory Rule not subject to Assembly Proceedings:
- SR 2024/126 The Road Races (Loughgall Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024.
14. Subordinate Legislation – SL1s Not Subject to Assembly Proceedings
The Committee noted the following proposal for Subordinate Legislation not subject to Assembly Proceedings:
- SL1 The Road Races (Fincairn Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2024
15. In-Year Monitoring – June 2024
The Committee noted the Department for Infrastructure’s submission to the Department of Finance for the June 2024 monitoring round.
Agreed: To schedule oral evidence with departmental officials on the content of the submission prior to the summer recess.
16. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered the Draft Forward Work Programme until summer recess.
Agreed: To hold part of the oral evidence session on the A5 Western Transport Corridor on 19 June in closed session if necessary, due to the sensitivity of the issues that may arise in the course of the evidence.
Agreed: To update the draft Forward Work Programme to reflect any decisions taken today.
17. Any Other Business
None.
18. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, 19 June 2024 at 10:00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:51 pm.
Mrs Deborah Erskine
Chairperson, Committee for Infrastructure
19 June 2024
