A member of the new Belfast Cleansing Task Force has said he is “sceptical” about the new council body.
SDLP Councillor Séamas de Faoite, and member of Belfast City Council’s new task force, said “a much broader approach” was needed to the worsening problem of what is becoming known as 'Dirty Belfast'.
The first meeting of the new task force was held on Wednesday. It consisted of members from each party, senior council management and cleansing management, and was convened by the Lord Mayor, with officer recommendations to be returned this month.
Read more: Belfast littering task force must not be 'another talking shop', councillors warn
Sinn Féin Councillor Ciaran Beattie tabled the council motion to create the task force last month, which received cross party support. Belfast has seen months of bad headlines concerning littering, graffiti 'tagging', fly tipping, missed collections and rat infestation, with business owners and residents alike crying out against a perceived run-down city centre.
Members at the task force this week said the council needs to step up enforcement on private contractors, who are responsible for the majority of waste bags lying around the city centre. The issue of council money designated for alley regeneration last year, but which has still not been released, was also raised at the meeting.
SDLP Councillor Séamas de Faoite said after the meeting: “I went into the meeting sceptical that the task force could deal with all of the issues that have led to Belfast’s current crisis of confidence.
“We need more investment in cleansing teams in the city centre and neighbourhoods, more focus on work like street washing to ensure the streets are clean - not just litter free - and a zero tolerance approach to those who cause the problems, including commercial waste operators who leave bags and bins strewn across the streets. There must be swift action on these three points.
“I still however believe that we need a much broader approach to dealing with all of the challenges posed between the hours of 6pm and 6am in the city and in how both council and other government agencies and services operate in the night.
“That work should also focus on how we make our streets safer and livelier including tackling the scourge of vacant buildings. It’s past time for the Executive to bring forward their high street task force report.”
A number of councillors before the task force meeting showed scepticism at the possibility of solutions from one working group. Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth welcomed the creation of the new council body but added: “The task force has to have outcomes. If it doesn't it's just another talking shop. I'm done with endless talking shops.”
Councillor de Faoite said: “Ultimately there is the risk that we have every council service in the room but no-one from the Department for Infrastructure, Department for Communities or other Stormont departments and we run into usual problems about who has legal responsibility.
“There are also responsibilities on community and private organisations, particularly private commercial waste services, and those businesses who don’t help to look after the immediate area around their premises. (There should be) props to the businesses who do.”
He added: “And don’t get me started on transport. I know there are those in Translink keen to get night time services running to get people home safe and sound, but they need a Stormont budget to allocate the money to do it, and we all know the craic there.
“We have a massive vacancy problem, over a third of the units on our main thoroughfare are empty - no activity at all. When I was the only person who turned up at the Executive’s High Street Task Force in Belfast I urged them to treat this as an emergency. Where is that report?
“My colleagues Paul McCusker and Paul Doherty have been leading on the real crisis people are facing through poverty, homelessnesses and addiction. There is a long list of actions required to treat the addiction issue as the health crisis it is.
“Finally we’re a young city - younger than almost every other city on these islands. Young people’s social lives and interests do not end at 6pm. The city needs spaces for them to explore, learn, dance, make friends, create things and enjoy themselves.
"For me, some of the core tasks should be: clean the streets and keep them clean, support culture/arts to use vacant space and bring life back, get night buses running ASAP.”
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