Draft Programme for Government: Reform
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011Progress is promised on reforming education and local government after long delays. Apart from health and libraries, the last Assembly term was largely a missed opportunity for “Delivering High Quality and Efficient Public Services”. The draft Programme for Government’s reform plans, under that title, will be judged on whether education and local government are streamlined. Social clauses are due to be the first achievement of reform, introduced in 2012-2013. The most tangible benefit should be better access to life-enhancing drugs. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, inflammatory...[full story]
Politics: Labour and Northern Ireland elections
Monday, October 10th, 2011Labour considers election rights Labour has agreed to open talks on contesting elections in Northern Ireland, after pressure from local party members. They see this as a natural next step after the party allowed Northern Ireland residents to join (2003) and the formation of a Northern Ireland Constituency Labour Party (NICLP) in 2009. Local branches of the Fabian Society, the Co-operative Party and Labour Students have also been established. “I’m encouraged by what I’m hearing,” NICLP secretary Boyd Black told agendaNi. He found a “definite interest” in the idea but the party...[full story]
Local Government: Election summary
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011Local council elections mirrored many of the parties’ performances at Stormont. Emma Blee analyses the results. The Alliance Party has emerged as the biggest winner of the local council elections, profiting from the misfortune of the UUP and SDLP. It was a memorable election for the cross-community party, which increased its seats by 14 and doubled its representation in Belfast, again holding the balance of power. The DUP and Sinn Féin were resilient and remain the dominant parties, accounting for 53 per cent of the council seats. While the DUP stays on top, its numbers were slightly...[full story]
Local Government: Restarting council reform
Friday, March 11th, 2011The Executive has proposed new governance arrangements, ethical standards and powers for district councils. agendaNi reviews the recommendations. A partnership panel between local and central government is among the proposals outlined in the public consultation. The consultation document reads: “The existing relationships between departments and their agencies and the local government sector, whether at a representative level through the Northern Ireland Local Government Association or at a local level with individual councils, are informal, ad hoc and inconsistent. They do not provide...[full story]
Politics: High Sheriff’s ceremonial role
Thursday, March 10th, 2011Around 1,000 years ago a High Sheriff ran the military and looked after tax collection but the role is now much more honorary. Emma Blee writes. The office of High Sheriff is the oldest secular office in the UK and has existed for more than 1,000 years but its powers have changed significantly. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 allowed for the appointment of High Sheriffs in Northern Ireland. In 1900 Sir James Henderson was the first to take on the position in the newly created County Borough of the City of Belfast, followed by Otto Jaffe in 1901. There are eight sheriffs in Northern...[full story]
Local Government: Planning power for councils
Friday, January 28th, 2011Edwin Poots has released details of the “most sweeping reforms to the planning system for 30 years” but other MLAs question its timing. Emma Blee analyses the plans. Councillors across Northern Ireland are to take on responsibility for planning decisions in their areas, under new proposals within the Planning Bill. Edwin Poots has said that the new legislation will “transform the planning system” and return control to councils. A draft Planning Bill has been agreed by the Executive and is now being considered by the Assembly’s Environment Committee. Most planning functions...[full story]
Politics: Election countdown
Friday, January 28th, 2011The Assembly will dissolve at midnight on 24 March as the election countdown begins. On 5 May, elections will also be held for the 26 local councils as well as the referendum on the alternative vote. Following the election of members, the Assembly must meet within eight days, beginning with the poll date and excluding Saturdays and Sundays. A spokeswoman for the Speaker’s Office said: “We might expect the first meeting to be sometime later in the week commencing 9 May, or at the latest on Monday 16 May.” Local councils, however, do not go through dissolution. The new councillors...[full story]
Waste: Boosting recycling in Fife
Friday, January 28th, 2011Recycling reached 67 per cent in the trial for Fife Council’s new household recycling system. Chris Ewing updates Peter Cheney on how it works and the importance of practical communication as plans take shape. With around 365,000 residents, Fife has the third largest population of Scotland’s 32 council areas. Chris Ewing, the council’s environmental sustainability manager, has overseen a review of household waste and recycling, which started to roll out new services in September. Most of the area’s waste comes from its 167,000 households. Fife has already seen dramatic progress...[full story]
Waste: Aiming for zero waste
Friday, January 28th, 2011Andy Bond explains May Gurney’s approach to waste management, based on the aim of having no waste. The overall point of waste management is having no waste, according to Andy Bond. May Gurney Environmental Services’ Development Director was speaking at agendaNi’s waste management seminar. The Norwich- based company delivers services for councils in England and Wales. Pointing to Scotland and Wales’ ambitious targets, Andy Bond emphasised that this is a case where more can be delivered for less money, along with the desired environmental outcomes. “There is an absolute correlation...[full story]
