Belfast Council has been told the south of the city has “suffered” when it comes to summer diversionary funding - and an emergency meeting has been called to cover concerns about antisocial behaviour in areas such as the Village.
Earlier in the year the council agreed to spend half a million pounds in July and August on a programme directing young people away from antisocial and criminal behaviour.
£250,000 was allocated for each month, and while August events were covered, overall the claimed funding for July only amounted to £202,255. No organisations from South Belfast were successful in their applications.
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Five groups in all were unsuccessful, the Greater Village Regeneration Trust, the McDonald Centre, The Hubb Community Resource Centre, Phoenix Education and Woodvale Cricket Club.
The council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, in a restricted item away from the public and press, were then asked how to deal with the underspend of £47,745.
They were asked to choose between giving it to the Greater Village Regeneration Trust in South Belfast, which was next in the scoring list and had passed one stage of the assessment process, allocating £9,549 to each of the five groups, or saving the money.
DUP Alderman Frank McCoubrey proposed allocating the entire underspend to the Greater Village Regeneration Trust. He was voted down, with four votes in favour, and 15 against the proposal.
Instead the committee passed a proposal by Alliance Councillor Michael Long to use the underspend “to develop a capacity building programme in the autumn for groups which might wish to deliver activities next July, with any remaining funding to be returned to departmental budgets.”
At the full meeting of Belfast City Council in City Hall this week, UUP Alderman Jim Rodgers told the chamber: “I have been approached by a few groups that have not been successful in attaining the level required to avail of the diversionary funding. I received an email from one group who has 11 consortiums working together to ensure the diversionary funding covers a vast area of South Belfast.
“I am concerned there could be serious issues over this area through the months of July and August, and I am aware that the PSNI also has grave concerns.”
Alderman Rodgers said of the council committee responsible for the funding: “All the councillors at the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting, and the entire body of the council, have seemed to be denied the right to express an opinion, and are currently unable to call in the matter for discussion.” He asked: “Has the S,P and R Committee not taken to itself privileges which are anti-democratic and potentially open to criticism?”
The alderman added: “Out of all the areas of the city of Belfast, there is one that has suffered, and it is South Belfast. I feel it is important in the interests of this council to work together united to investigate this immediately.”
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough proposed the council hold an emergency committee meeting “as soon as possible.” He said: “I recognise the same concerns (as Alderman Rodgers) about communities, especially working class communities in South Belfast.”
Alderman McCullough said he wanted the decision surrounding the Greater Village Regeneration Trust to return to the S,P and R committee, and to be “rescinded ultimately” with the help of council officers to reach the funding threshold. He said: “It isn’t much, but this money will go a long way in fostering good relations in that part of the city.”
Sinn Féin Council Micheal Donnelly said: “Our party has been very consistent in the approach to funding, and if an organisation doesn’t reach the threshold, then it shouldn’t receive the funding. However, if we need some clarity on organisations and their applications, then we are happy enough to have a special S,P and R to be called."
Alliance Councillor Michael Long told the chamber: “The proposal I made would see money from that diversionary fund for a number of groups in South Belfast, including GVRT, as well groups in East, West and North Belfast who weren’t funded in terms of building their capacity.
“The fact that a number of those groups were not able to meet the threshold means that there is a need for an improvement in that capacity.”
He added: “What you can’t do, when there is a scoring matrix, is put people through when they don’t meet the threshold. There is a very simple reason why that wasn’t done."
Details of when the emergency meeting will be held have not yet been given.
The annual scheme provides funding for community festivals and events in a bid to reduce tensions around July and August bonfires, but has run into controversy with Alliance, the SDLP and Green Party previously calling the results a DUP-Sinn Féin community funding “carve-up” lacking open process.
The local government auditor Colette Kane in a report two years ago said the fund could “lead to the perception of favouritism and is also unfair to groups not able to apply.” The fund was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, and in 2021 Sinn Féin and the DUP pushed through a decision to fund again the same groups from 2019, to the consternation of smaller parties.
Details of this summer's diversionary fund was released last month. Twaddell and Woodvale Residents’ Association received £100,000 for events in Woodvale park and other local venues from June to July. These will include a community cultural activity programme, diversionary youth work and three large scale musical events.
Charter NI received £41,170 for youth work, community, cultural, creative art and sporting events from July 4th to 12th “promoting heritage, educating on broader cultural contexts, and showcasing local artists.”
EastSide Partnership’s “Eastival” received £61,085 for a programme of music and community events from July 7th to 9th, including a large-scale community event, and the CS Lewis and Ballymacarrett walkway The council minutes state: “this project will work with youth practitioners to identify relevant young people.”
Overall the allotted funding for July amounts to £202,255.
In August, the Féile’s August Diversionary Dance Night received £100,000 for the “delivery of a free dance music event as part of Féile on August 8th and ongoing targeted outreach work in partnership with local community groups across Belfast.” A community event will also take place in Distillery Street.
Féile also received a further £75,000 for its South and East Summer Diversionary Intervention Programme. This involves the delivery of outreach and diversionary work during the summer, in the lead up to August 8th, a two-day community festival on the Lagan walkway and river from August 6th – 7th and a music event at St. George’s Market.
Ashton Community Trust received £75,000 for a number of diversionary outreach activities and community and sporting events, including a boxing event in the lead up to August 8th. The allotted £250,000 for August was all claimed.
