City Matters Summer 2004

City Matters Summer 2004 Belfast City Council - looking after your city Inside Visitor figures hit an all time high page 3 Public survey backs council‟s priorities page 14 Free Active Life supplement WIN £200 of shopping vouchers! See page 17 City Matters Contents 3 4 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 18 18 19 20 Visitor figures hit an all time high Recycling works No „butts‟ about litter! Night owl Consumer advice Members of Belfast City Council Directory of Key Council Services Another beautiful night Public survey backs council‟s priorities A little more room New home for ancient Irish poem Your views Your rights when renting Frequently asked questions Zoo hits 70 Editorial Welcome to the summer edition of City Matters. This has been a great summer so far for visitors coming to Belfast and you can read about the rise in tourism on the next page. Many of you wrote in to support our anti-litter campaign and we have an update for you on page 6. One of your favourite topics is recycling and on pages 4-5, you can read about the new household recycling centres. We‟re also rerunning the home compost bin offer as it proved so popular the last time. You‟ll find the regular consumer advice feature on page 8 and frequently asked questions on page 19. Pull out and keep the four page supplement, „Active Life‟, from the centre pages. In this edition‟s competition on page 17, you‟re in with a chance to win £200 worth of shopping vouchers. And don‟t forget to give us your feedback by filling out the „Your views‟ section on the reverse of the competition page. We hope you enjoy this edition of City Matters and the rest of the summer. Front cover: Brian Lara, regarded as perhaps the greatest batsman alive today. The only man to have scored more than 400 runs in a single innings, Brian Lara recently attended a reception in the City Hall for the visiting West Indies team. This was ahead of their two one-day international matches against Ireland. Brian and the team were literally „bowled over‟ by the reception, saying that it was a rare honour to be given such recognition while on tour. Small Print Belfast City Council, City Hall, Belfast BT1 5GS Tel: 9032 0202 Textphone: 9027 0405 Visit our website at www.belfastcity.gov.uk We are committed to making sure that our services are available to all sections of the community. City Matters is now available in Braille, audio and large print. We will consider providing it in other formats if requested. Please call 9032 0202 ext 2356. City Matters is published by Belfast City Council and delivered by Royal Mail to 124,000 addresses in Belfast at a cost of 21p per household. This publication is printed on environmentally friendly paper. City Matters is produced by Corporate Communications, Belfast City Council. Visitor figures hit an all time high “Belfast has a warmth and friendliness that completely upended my prejudices. I have been a regular visitor to the city for the last 20 years, drawn back by the audiences, the life of the city itself, and the beauty of the scenery that surrounds it.”” Michael Palin And more people agree with the Monty Python star. Recent figures revealed that 2003 was the best year so far for Belfast tourism, with a big increase in the number of visitors and the amount of money they spend here. There were 5.3 million visitor trips to Belfast last year, worth £232 million to the city's economy. Over the last few years the famous Belfast welcome, coupled with new attractions, has made our city more widely recognised as a great place to visit. You don‟t just have to take our word for it - travel writers at the Evening Herald Travel Awards (2003) chose Belfast as „Best City Break Destination in Europe‟. And the prestigious Guardian/Observer Travel Awards have ranked us among the top five UK cities. What did our visitors think? Feedback shows that our welcome is friendlier than ever with an average of 8.62 out of 10. Ratings for nightlife, entertainment, accommodation, public transport and shopping have improved. And with most of our visitors saying they would recommend Belfast to their friends, signs for 2004 are looking good. If you’ve someone visiting during the summer, call the Belfast Welcome Centre on 9024 6609 for ideas on places to visit. Or log on to www.gotobelfast.com or pick up a copy of whatabout? - a guide to events and entertainment in Belfast. Cruising into Belfast Since 1999 a total of 43 luxury cruise liners have docked in Belfast with nearly 36,000 visitors - making Belfast an established international port of call. We‟re joining such cities as Copenhagen, Paris and Hamburg as exciting European stop-overs for passengers. This summer13 cruise ships will be visiting our shores. Recycling centres make their mark Our three new household recycling centres at Alexandra Park Avenue, Palmerston Road and Blackstaff Way are proving to be a huge success. We‟re receiving positive feedback, not just on the range of recycling facilities on offer, but also on the excellent service provided by our specially trained staff. And we‟re planning to open a fourth centre in the south of the city next summer. You can recycle many more items such as timber, wood, bricks, cardboard and plastic at these recycling centres. And we‟re also urging you to come forward and suggest locations for mini glass recycling sites, known as „bring sites‟. Already, we have installed six of these and we are planning to open around 100 in total. The six locations are:  Stranmillis  St Katharine’s Road  Inverary Community Centre  Duncairn Community Centre  Suffolk Community Centre  Ligoniel Community Centre The household recycling centres and the „bring sites‟, will replace seven civic amenity sites which will close on 1 October as they can no longer cope with today‟s demands for more recycling. The civic amenity sites which will close are:  Kennedy Way  Charlotte Street  Medway Street  Seapark Drive  Primrose Street The sites at Boucher Road and Garron Crescent will stay open until the new one in south Belfast opens. Three other sites at Agnes Street, Clara Street and Springfield Avenue will remain open, but with a new recycling focus. We‟re holding public meetings in the coming weeks to give you the chance to hear about and give us your views on our waste management strategy. Details will be advertised in the local press. Household Recycling Centres Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 8am-8pm (April-September) 8am-5pm (October-March), Saturday 9am-5pm (All year) Sunday 12pm-5pm (All year) If you have any recycling queries call our Recycling Helpline on 0800 0328100. Home composting The home compost bin offer was so successful in the last edition that we‟ve decided to rerun it. So far, over two thousand of you have ordered your bin. Due to the high demand, the waiting time for delivery was four weeks - this has now reduced to two weeks. Delivery is free or you can arrange your own collection. The compost bin, at a discounted price of £5, comes with a kitchen caddy and user guide. Send your name and your full postal address, with a cheque or postal order for £5 made payable to Belfast City Council, to: Home Compost Bin Offer Waste Management Cecil Ward Building 4 - 10 Linenhall Street Belfast BT2 8BP If you‟d rather pay cash, you can do so at the Cecil Ward Building. This offer is only open to Belfast City Council residents and is subject to availability. Blue bin update So far, we‟ve delivered 28,000 blue bins for paper recycling to homes throughout the city. Another 8,000 will be sent out before the end of the year and we plan to complete the blue bin roll-out by 2007. Some households will receive a black box for recycling, instead of a blue bin. You can check to see which type of bin you‟ll be getting by calling our Recycling Helpline on 0800 0328100. Drop off your green waste Until September, you can drop off your green garden waste at a number of places throughout the city. We‟ll collect your garden waste from the locations listed here. We‟ll then take it away and turn it in to compost! Our staff will be there to help you put the waste into the collection vehicle and can give advice on what can and can‟t go in. Locations for green waste collection Monday, 6-8pm  Ballysillan Leisure Centre  Waterworks Park (Multisports Facility) Tuesday, 6-8pm  Woodvale Park  Lenadoon Park Wednesday, 6-8pm  The Grove Pavilion (Jellicoe Avenue)  Mountainhill Estate (Ligoniel) Thursday, 6-8pm  House of Sport (Malone)  Stranmillis, Cutter‟s Wharf Car Park Friday, 6-8pm  Belmont Park  Knocknagoney Park Saturday, 2-4pm  Cave Hill Adventure Playground  Junction Knock Dual Carriageway/ Upper Newtownards Road (beside Northern Bank) Sunday, 2-4pm  House of Sport (Malone)  Connswater Shopping Centre No ‘butts’ about litter! As we continue our challenge to clean up the streets of Belfast through our anti-litter campaign „Don‟t Drop It - Stop It!‟, we are encouraged by the support of many others who want to make Belfast a cleaner and more attractive place to live, work and visit. Some 500 people from community and youth groups right across Belfast recently tackled the problem head on by joining forces with us in our „Clean Community Challenge‟ which aimed to clean up local areas badly affected by litter. Through experience we know that such community focused projects can be successful in changing attitudes to litter, encouraging shared responsibility, pride and ownership of an area. In the long-term, this can make a considerable difference to the people who live there. Some of the litter problems we face, particularly in the city centre, are cigarette butts, chewing gum and receipts from cash machines. To help combat this problem, we are working with local businesses to get them to provide gum and cigarette bins for staff and customers. We are also asking banks to make sure that bins for receipts are large enough and emptied frequently so that litter doesn‟t end up on the street. Under new legislation introduced in April, anyone, anywhere in Belfast who drops litter will be subject to an on-the-spot fine of £50. In the first three months until June, almost 250 fines have been handed out. As part of our campaign we will continue to highlight this enforcement message, although our long-term aim is to change attitudes to littering. Special initiatives aimed particularly at school children will help increase awareness of the litter problem in Belfast while members of the public will be encouraged to sign up to our anti-litter pledge, making a public statement and a promise never to drop litter again! For more information log on to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/brighterbelfast or call 9032 0202 ext 5240. Get on board Support from the business community plays an important role in the success of our anti-litter campaign. Royal Victoria Hospital and Westwood Shopping Centre are two local organisations committed to tackling litter head on. Our Community Awareness Team has been working with Royal Victoria Hospital to encourage staff and visitors not to litter. The team has also helped them with cleanups in the Falls Road area. One of the aims of the hospital‟s environmental group - aptly named CURE (Clean Up Royal‟s Environment) - is to reduce the amount of rubbish around the hospital. The group designed an anti-litter poster which it will display throughout the hospital. Westwood Shopping Centre at Kennedy Way has also been encouraging shoppers to bin their litter. The centre and neighbouring McDonald‟s restaurant organised an anti-litter poster competition for primary schools in the area. Our Community Awareness Team carried out talks in these schools and handed out posters from our „Don‟t Drop It - Stop It!‟ campaign. Night Owl In the last edition, we introduced you to Belfast Community Safety Partnership, an organisation dedicated to tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime. Now we home in on one of the partnership‟s projects - Night Owl which provides a night-time outreach service to people who have nowhere to sleep. Research carried out by Homeplus (a voluntary organisation for the homeless) showed that 97% of rough sleepers in Belfast have an alcohol problem. Twenty-two per cent suffer from mental health problems. The Night Owl project aims to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, by and against rough sleepers. A van goes around Belfast seven nights a week from 8pm - 12pm giving out food, clothing and bedding to the rough sleepers. But these are only short-term measures against homelessness. The Night Owl project also acts as a go-between with other agencies such as the police and health and social services. Sometimes the project workers are able to find a warm bed for the rough sleepers for a night or two by speaking to people in shelters and hostels. So what‟s been achieved since March?  201 rough sleepers have been supported with food, clothing, bedding and advice and assistance.  New volunteers have joined to support existing staff.  Companies like Boots plc have supplied essential items.  106 individuals have been helped into sheltered accommodation. In the longer term, the project hopes to break the cycle of homelessness. Call the Community Safety Team on 9032 0202 ext 3258 if you’d like to find out more about the Belfast Community Safety projects. The air that we breathe Air quality in Belfast is getting better and that‟s official - no more smoke-speckled lines of washing. No more smoke dust on window sills. Various actions, including our smoke and pollution control programme, have already dramatically improved the quality of our air - good news for people with lung problems such as asthma. Now we want to improve the quality of our air even more by reducing the pollution that comes from traffic. We‟ve identified four main routes which we want to target to reduce the amount of invisible traffic pollution. These areas will be known as “Air Quality Management Areas”. Along with the Roads Service and other government bodies, we will work to improve the air quality along these roads. The Air Quality Management Areas are:  The M1 and Westlink corridor as far as the junction with York Road;  The city centre along East Bridge Street to the junctions with the Ravenhill and Albertbridge Roads and Short Strand;  Upper Newtownards Road and the junction with Knock Road;  Ormeau Road. You can view the maps detailing these areas at the City Hall between 1 and 31 August 2004. If you would like to find out more, contact our Environmental Protection Unit on 9032 0202 ext 3313 or email hannaj@belfastcity.gov.uk. Consumer advice Our Consumer Advice Centre, based in the heart of Belfast, offers help and advice on consumer-related problems to both traders and consumers. Advisers will make you aware of your legal rights and are happy to act as mediators on your behalf if you are unable to sort out your problem. All enquiries are treated seriously and no complaint is considered too trivial. Here we look at your rights when returning goods Q I wanted to buy a shirt and wasn‟t sure of the sizing. I asked the shop assistant if I could bring the shirt back if it wasn‟t suitable . He told me I had two weeks to return it. As it didn‟t fit, I brought it back within seven days and asked for a refund. The assistant said that I could not have a refund as their policy was to exchange goods or give a credit note. I thought I was entitled to a cash refund because I had returned it within the two week period. A When you buy goods from a shop you have rights under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended). This gives you rights mostly about the quality of the goods and also that goods should be as described. The Sale of Goods Act does not give you any protection if what you buy just isn‟t suitable. This is where you rely on the shop‟s goodwill policy. You agreed with the shop that you could bring the shirt back if it wasn‟t suitable. But it was not made clear what you would get if you brought it back. You assumed that the shop would give you a cash refund but you did not actually ask them for this. The shop is correct - it does not have to give you a cash refund and can offer you an exchange or credit note. This is because you do not have any legal rights to a refund where goods are unsuitable and you are relying on the shop‟s policy. Many consumers find this confusing as different shops have different policies. If you think you might want to return something as unsuitable, always check what the shop offers. If the shop says their policy is to exchange or give credit, then you will know that you are committed to spending that amount of money in that shop. As you didn‟t specifically arrange to get a cash refund, you are now bound to accepting an exchange or credit note. If you have a consumer problem and would like some specialist advice, simply visit the Consumer Advice Centre at 6 Callender Street, Belfast. You can pick up leaflets and information on consumer information issues from here. Opening times: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 9.30am 9.30am 9.30am 9.30am 9.30am - 4.30pm - 4.30pm - 2.00pm - 4.30pm - 4.15pm You can also telephone 9032 8260 or e-mail your query to consumeradvice@belfastcity.gov.uk What’s on The handy guide, whatabout? gives details of events taking place throughout Belfast - from theatre and exhibitions to comedy and festivals. Pick up your free copy of whatabout? from the Belfast Welcome Centre at 47 Donegall Place or call 9024 6609. You can also go online at www.gotobelfast.com and click on „Events‟ for an up-to-date listing or email events@belfastvisitor.com to request a copy of whatabout? Pick up a copy of Performance, the Belfast Waterfront Hall magazine at venues throughout Belfast or call our box office on 9033 4455 or visit our website at www.waterfront.co.uk For events at the Ulster Hall, call 9032 3900 or visit www.ulsterhall.co.uk August Summer Fun Days A series of fun days in Belfast parks 2 August Dunville Park 3 August Marrowbone Millennium Park 4 August Springhill Millennium Park 5 August Grove Playing Fields 8 August Ormeau Park 9 August Lenadoon Millennium Park 10 August Woodvale Park 11 August Drumglass Park 12 August Tommy Patton Memorial Park 2.00pm - 4.30pm. Entertainment for 5-12 year olds including a bouncy castle, face painting, music, games and sports, street entertainers and a circus workshop. Tel: 9027 0467 September Farmers’ Market 4 September St George‟s Market A new look for the regular food and flower market. Tel: 9043 5704 Last Night of the Proms 11 September City Hall Classical music broadcast from City Hall with live links to concerts in England, Scotland and Wales. Tel: 0870 333 1918 Grand finale band concert 12 September Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon Park 2pm-5pm. Music from bands across the UK and Ireland. Tel: 9027 0467 Belfast Week of Walking 11 - 19 September Walking events city wide. Tel: 9027 0345 All Ireland Corporate Games 17 - 19 September An annual multisport festival featuring 19 sports. Open to all businesses and organisations. Tel: 01733 380 888 Garden Gourmet 18 - 19 September Botanic Gardens 12.30pm-6.00pm. The annual City of Belfast Autumn Flower Show and Northern Ireland Food and Drink Festival with music and entertainment. Admission: adults £3, senior citizens £2. Free for children accompanied by an adult. Tel: 9024 6609 Enchanted evenings 24 - 26 September Botanic Gardens 7.30pm-10.00pm. The Palm House, Tropical Ravine and trees in Botanic Gardens will be magically illuminated. Displays of art and entertainment in the park. Refreshments available. Admission: adults £2, children and concessions £1 and family tickets £5 (2 adults and 3 children or 1 adult and 4 children). Pay at Stranmillis Road and Botanic Avenue entrances to the park. Tel: 9027 0347 Harvest Market 25 September St George‟s Market Local food producers celebrating harvest time with the best of local produce. Tel: 9043 5704 Belfast Classic Golf Challenge 26 - 28 September Playing on three of Belfast's premier courses, Dunmurry, Malone and Shandon Park with a presentation evening in the City Hall. Entry fees £75, or £50 for host club members. Tel: 9027 0345 Music in the Parks until September Belfast Parks Music events will take place in various parks throughout the summer months. Programme of events available. Tel: 9027 0467 October Apple Saturday 16 October St George‟s Market Special market to celebrate the Armagh apple harvest. Tel: 9043 5704 Young at Art 21- 27 October Festival for children and young people - fantastic, creative fun at various venues throughout the city including free storytelling events for children at the City Hall. Programme details available at www.youngatart.co.uk Tel: 9066 0515 Halloween 31 October Odyssey car park A fantastic celebration with mystical music, magical street entertainers and the best choreographed lights, music and fireworks show on Halloween night. www.belfastcity.gov.uk/events Tel: 9027 0222 Council events listed are FREE unless otherwise stated. All details correct at time of going to press. Directory of Key Council Services Council Venues and Buildings Belfast Castle 9077 6925 Belfast Welcome Centre 9024 6609 Cecil Ward Building 9032 0202 City Hall 9032 0202 City Hall (textphone) 9027 0405 City Hall Tours 9027 0456 Consumer Advice Centre, Callender St 9032 8260 First Stop Shop Business Information 9027 8399 Group Theatre 9032 3900 Malone House 9068 1246 Smithfield Market 9032 3248 St George‟s Market 9043 5704 Ulster Hall 9032 3900 Waterfront Hall 9033 4400 Zoological Gardens Information line 9077 4625 Leisure and Recreation Centres Andersonstown Leisure Centre 9062 5211 Avoniel Leisure Centre 9045 1564 Ballymacarrett Recreation Centre 9045 8828 Ballysillan Leisure Centre 9039 1040 Beechmount Leisure Centre 9032 8631 Belfast Indoor Tennis Arena/ Ozone Leisure Complex 9045 8024 Grove Leisure Centre 9035 1599 Loughside Recreation Centre 9078 1524 Olympia Leisure Centre 9023 3369 Shankill Leisure Centre 9024 1434 Whiterock Leisure Centre 9023 3239 Outdoor Pitch Hotline 9027 0677 Some other services for which the council is not responsible Water Department for Regional Development (DRD) Water Service Customer Service Enquiries Leakline (water mains only) Department of the Environment (DOE) Water Pollution Libraries Belfast Education & Library Board Planning Department of the Environment Planning Service Social Housing Northern Ireland Housing Executive Rates Collection Rates Collection Agency Roads DRD Roads Service Schools Belfast Education & Library Board Council for Catholic Maintained Schools Street Lighting (Fault Reporting): DRD 08457 440088 08000 282011 0800 807060 9056 4000 9025 2800 9024 0588 9025 2252 9054 0540 9056 4000 9042 6972 9025 3051 A Abandoned Vehicles Asbestos Household collection B Bin/Container sales Births - Registration Blue Bin Enquiries Building Control 24 hour answer phone Dangerous Structures Entertainment Licensing Postal Numbering Street Naming Technical helpline Bulky Household Waste/ Special Collections C Cemeteries Office Mon-Thur 8.30am-5.00pm (Fri 4.30pm) Sat 8.30am-12.30pm City Cemetery City of Belfast Golf Course Civic Amenity Sites Community Safety Community Services Complaints Helpline Consumer Safety Corporate Policy Unit Crematorium Culture and Arts D Dead Animal Removal Deaths - Registration Dog Warden Service Dundonald Cemetery E Economic Development Environmental Health Equality Officer (Freefone) Events Belfast Welcome Centre Events Hotline Leisure and Sporting Parks and Amenities F Fly Poster Removal Fly Tipping (Illegal dumping) Food Safety Forest of Belfast Officer G Good Relations Graffiti Removal Grounds Maintenance Group Theatre Administration Box Office H Health & Environmental Services Emergency (after hours) Mobile number Health Education/ Promotion Home Safety Household Recycling 9027 0656 9027 0656 9027 0656 9027 0274 0800 032 8100 9023 6672 9027 0285 9027 0290 9027 0286 9027 0286 9027 0432 9027 0230 9027 0296 9032 3112 9084 3799 9027 0656 9027 0469 9027 0505 9027 0270 9027 0428 9027 0234 9044 8342 9027 0461 9027 0297 9027 0274 9027 0431 9048 0193 9027 0482 9027 0428 0800 0855 412 9024 6609 9027 0222 9027 0345 9027 0467 9027 0297 9027 0230 9027 0468 9027 0350 9027 0663 9027 0297 9037 3031 9032 3900 9032 9685 078 5049 9622 9027 0469 9027 0469 Centres I Industrial estates J Jobline www.belfastcity.gov.uk/jobs L Landfill Site N Noise Hotline P Pest Control Pollution Control Port Health Public Conveniences Public Health & Housing R Recycling Helpline Refuse Collection Commercial/ Trade Accounts Commercial/ Trade Operations Customer Contact Centre Registration of Births, Deaths & Marriages Regulatory Services (Enforcement of alcohol, street trading and sale of tobacco and Sunday trading bye-laws) Roselawn Cemetery S Smoke Hotline Street Cleansing Enquiries/Complaints T Tourism U Ulster Hall W Waste Disposal Accounts Waste Management Service Waterfront Hall Administration/Enquiries Box Office & bookings Weddings 9027 0656 9027 0510 9027 0481 9037 0301 9037 3006 9027 0428 9027 0428 9035 1199 9027 0656 9027 0428 0800 0328 100 9027 0230 9027 0298 9032 3190 9027 0230 9027 0274 9027 0464 9044 8288 9027 0420 9027 0297 9027 0228 9032 3900 9027 0657 9032 0202 9033 4400 9033 4455 9027 0274 Another beautiful night Earlier this year 15,000 people enjoyed a live concert performed on a massive stage just in front of the City Hall and a floating stage on the Lagan. Over three million people watched the Beautiful Night concert on BBC ONE. Positive images of the city were sent to over 100 million people worldwide. We worked closely with the BBC to make sure that the event was well managed placing safety concerns at the top of our list. Our licensing surveyors were involved in the pre-event planning and were on hand to safeguard the concert goers. The grounds of the City Hall will host the Last Night of the Proms on Saturday, 11 September. Following the success of last year's concert, this year will feature a night of popular classics including the international flautist James Galway performing with the Ulster Orchestra and its principal conductor, Thierry Fischer. Other soloists include the Belfast born baritone Bruno Caproni, violinist Cora Venus Lunny and the Ulster Youth Choir. The highlight will be a spectacular finale with a live link-up to the Royal Albert Hall. If you’d like more information on The Last Night of the Proms, call the BBC on 0870 3331918 or visit www.bbc.co.uk/proms/pitp Public survey backs council’s priorities Two-thirds of our population are satisfied with the services we provide and almost 60% feel that our services have improved in the past two years. Only eight per cent disagree that our services have improved. That‟s what you told us in a recent public survey carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers on our behalf. A number of focus groups were held and 1,500 people were interviewed. Satisfaction with our communications with you has risen from 28% to 44% - and it‟s believed that much of this improvement is down to City Matters, launched as a result of the last survey. A total of 92% of you enjoy living in Belfast and 78% are proud to live in the city. Although overall satisfaction levels with our services have fallen by by six percent to 65%, this is in keeping with trends across other councils as people‟s expectations of public services grow. The results show that Belfast ranks in the top 25% when compared with similar sized authorities across the UK. You‟ve also told us where we could do better. Services such as street cleaning, with a 47% satisfaction rate and dog control with 33%, didn‟t perform as well as others. The survey showed that you‟re also concerned about:  cleaner streets;  recycling;  dog control; and  community safety. However, we recently launched our Brighter Belfast campaign, which includes the „Don‟t Drop It - Stop It!‟ anti-litter drive and measures to improve the attractiveness of the city. And your priorities are in line with our priorities. Already, we have introduced a waste management strategy, including major improvements in recycling facilities (see pages 4-5), extra dog wardens and community safety initiatives. Other key findings  The best things about living in Belfast are the shopping (58%), entertainment (47%), and sports and leisure facilities (43%);  The worst aspects of living in Belfast are the cleanliness of the streets (38%), traffic flows (38%) and community safety (30%);  The majority of residents (71%) feel that the city centre is a safe place but 67% feel less safe in the evening;  Most residents have a positive view of the local area with 75% feeling safe in their area and 70% proud of the area they live in. Getting in on the act Making it easier for people with disabilities to get in to our premises and to use our services, are requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. We get together with groups of people with disabilities to make sure we are meeting the needs of our customers. Here we‟ll update you on the work completed so far. We‟ve: improved access to our public toilets;  invested £0.5m on access improvements to the  Waterfront Hall;  refurbished 90% of our community centres in the city;  planned over £2m investment in our leisure centres. This work focuses on the removal of physical barriers to access. But through training, we‟re also raising our own staff awareness of both the legislation and the needs of people with disabilities. Call Stella Gilmartin, our Equality Officer on Freephone 0800 0855412, textphone 028 9027 0405 or email gilmartins@belfastcity.gov.uk for more information on disability access. A little more room If you need an extra room in your house, but don‟t want to move, a loft conversion could be the answer. Before you start any work, contact our Building Control Service for free advice.Our professional surveyors will help you to decide if it‟s worth doing and if so, how to make sure your conversion is safe. You‟ll need to consider:  how much space you’re likely to gain;  how much space you may lose; and  how you, and your family, would escape in case of a fire. Roof space conversions not carried out to building control specifications are not only dangerous, but can hold up the sale of your house if you ever want to move. Adelaide from Belfast had a bad experience. She decided to have a loft conversion and replied to a builder‟s ad in a local newspaper. The builder said it would be cheaper if she didn‟t get building control approval - which is £180 - a small amount when you consider the investment in a new room. Unfortunately for Adelaide, the conversion turned out to be a botched job and she had to wait two years before her loft conversion was put right. Adelaide said, “I can‟t stress enough how important it is to contact building control before starting any work. My house was in such a bad state after this cowboy builder worked on it, that it could have collapsed”. If you‟re still thinking of a loft conversion, make sure you contact building control. You‟ll be able to get free advice on any alterations to your home, whether it‟s converting to gas or putting in cavity wall insulation. And you can sleep easy knowing that your work has been carried out to approved standards. Call our helpline on 9027 0432 (9am-5pm) or visit our website on www.belfastcity.gov.uk/buildingcontrol We also offer out of hours inspections on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturdays. Back in time at the Cathedral Quarter Belfast‟s Cathedral Quarter is home to some of our most interesting buildings and great pubs and restaurants. To help bring the Quarter‟s interesting heritage to life, we‟ve commissioned artist Katherine Nixon to design ten bronze, wallmounted panels which tell the story of this historic part of our city. In the 17th century, North Street was called Goose Lane because it was where geese were driven to feed on fields outside Belfast. And once upon a time all milestones out of Belfast were measured from the Northern Bank building (our oldest public building) which is why it‟s known as the Four Corners. In the 19th century, Waring Street was Belfast‟s busy commercial and financial centre with milliners, tailors, shipping agents, solicitors and printers all locating here. The cotton industry was also booming and Cotton Court, where you'll now find the Vision Gallery, Belfast Print Workshop and the Quarter Wine Bar, was originally a cotton warehouse. Pick up a free copy of a visitor guide to the Cathedral Quarter‟s heritage, developed with the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, from the Belfast Welcome Centre and take a stroll into the past. For more information, contact our Culture and Arts Unit on 9027 0461 or cultureandartsadmin@belfastcity.gov.uk New home for ancient Irish poem A 1,300 year old poem is the centrepiece of an original handmade wall hanging presented to the City Council. The poem represents the unbroken Irish language tradition in Belfast over thousands of years. Local artist, Karen Graham designed the wall hanging which will be given pride of place in the Lord Mayor‟s Parlour.The presentation was the highlight in a recent showcase of Irish language literary arts at the City Hall. Organised by Pobal, the umbrella organisation for Irish language groups, the event brought together the cream of Irish traditional and contemporary poets and songwriters. Here's the poem in its original Irish format, written in around 800AD, with the English translation. An Lon Dubh Int én bec Ro léic feit Do rinn guip Glanbuidi: Fo-ceird faíd Os Loch Laíg Lon do chraíb Charnbuidi The Black Bird The wee bird Has let out a whistle From the point of a beak Bright yellow It sends out a call Above Loch Laíg A blackbird from a branch Yellow-heaped Recalling a testing time in Belfast Belfast historians can look forward to a major lecture in the City Hall on 27 September to mark the 300th anniversary of the Test Act of 1704. David Hayton, Professor in History at Queen‟s University, Belfast will give a guest lecture on Test Act. The 1704 Act required all those holding public office in Ireland to take communion in the Church of Ireland. As a result, conscientious Ulster-Scots Presbyterians were removed from office and deprived of having a say in the town‟s affairs. The Test Act was the first in a series of events that led to 250,000 Ulster Scots emigrating to the USA in the course of the 18th century. If you’d like to attend this lecture, please contact our Good Relations Unit on 9027 0663 or email goodrelations@belfastcity.gov.uk Mary Ann gets her place in history One of the most famous women in the history of our city is to be given her place in the City Hall with the commissioning of a new bust. Mary Ann McCracken, who lived most of her life in Donegall Pass, was the sister of United Irishman Henry Joy McCracken. She shared the progressive political ideals of the revolutionary United Irishmen and was clearly not in favour of the use of violence. In correspondence she stated that, „...it is a great pity that people did not always keep in mind that they should never do evil that no good may come of it and that what is morally wrong can never be politically right.‟ After the execution of her brother Henry Joy McCracken and her friend Thomas Russell, she dedicated her life to humanitarian causes and to improving the society in which she lived. The bust, by artist Elizabeth O'Kane will be unveiled by the end of the year. Stuck with a sofa? We offer a free bulky item collection service. If you want to dispose of something that‟s too big for your bin, such as a sofa, a bed or a fridge, just call 9027 0230 to arrange a collection. We‟ll tell you where to leave your item and details of the collection date. Danger of drugs competition Prize-winning posters warning of the danger of drugs will be featured in a 2005 calendar. We invited primary seven schools to enter a competition to come up with poster ideas to discourage others from getting involved with drugs and alcohol. Mouse matters Need information at the click of a mouse? Look here for an update on what‟s happening with the latest webpages. It’s on the web You can now see when your bin will be collected and when your pavements are swept at the click of a button. Simply log on to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/cleansingservices type in your street name and you‟ll be able to check your bin collection day. You‟ll also find information about the other services such as free bulky item collections, cleanups, education programmes, enforcement and cleansing forums. State of the City Visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk/stateofthecity for updates and research on how our city is developing. An on-line match If you‟re looking for a new job, check our website for vacancies. You can download applications and return them electronically.Our on-line recruitment and newly designed recruitment advertisements in the newspapers aim to show that the council is an attractive place to work, with:  excellent terms and conditions,  pension,  work-life balance options;  and  career prospects. Log on to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/jobs to see if there‟s a job to suit you. And the winner is... In our spring edition, we asked you what you should put in a compost bin. The answer was teabags, fruit and vegetable peelings. Noeleen McCool, our City Matters winner, will certainly be enjoying her garden this summer with her new lawnmower. Win Matalan vouchers Enter our free competition to win shopping vouchers. Simply name the location of one of our new household recycling centres. (You'll find the answer of page 4). Write the answer below in the space provided and return this coupon to: Belfast City Council, FREEPOST BEL4010, Belfast BT1 5BR (no stamp required). On the other side of this coupon, you can tell us what you thought about this edition of City Matters and what you'd like to see in the next one (due out at the end of November). Name the location of one of our new household recycling centres? Only one entry per household. No Belfast City Council employees may enter the competition. You must live within the Belfast City Council electoral area to enter the competition. Competition entries must be received by 1 September 2004. The winner will be notified by 14 September 2004. There is no cash alternative to the prize. The council‟s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Full terms and conditions are available on request. Your rights when renting New regulations introduced earlier this summer mean that all landlords must provide their tenants with a rent book. Many students returning to university for the new academic year will be moving into rented accommodation for the first time. Some will be uncertain of their rights and responsibilities. Tenancy agreements are often difficult to understand and tenants usually accept them without fully appreciating what they mean. If you‟re renting, many of your rights should be listed in your rent book. Landlords are required by law to provide each tenant with a rent book which should include the following information:  the name and address of the landlord and agent;  the amount of rent;  the amount of rates payable by the tenant;  the amount of any deposit and what it is used for;  information on additional payments (for example for heating); and  who is responsible for repairs. Councils now have the power to enforce these regulations and take legal action where necessary - a landlord, who fails to provide a rent book, could face a £500 fine. If you need more information, call our Public Health Unit on 9027 0428 or the Department for Social Development, Housing Policy on 9091 0050. You can also download information from www.dsdni.gov.uk/housing/private-rentedsector.asp Frequently asked questions Q What are the opening times of the City Hall and when do the organised tours take place? A The City Hall is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 4.30pm on Friday. It‟s closed at weekends except for public tours on Saturday. Guided tours of the City Hall take place: Monday to Friday: 11am, 2pm, 3pm (from June until September) and 11am, 2.30pm (from October to May). Saturday: 2.30pm. There are no tours on Sundays, Bank and Public Holidays. Each tour lasts approximately 45 minutes. Special group tours may be booked in advance - telephone 9027 0456, fax 9031 5252, textphone 9027 0405. Q What is the council doing about chewing gum on our streets? A As part of our Brighter Belfast campaign, we have bought two „gum buster‟ machines which speed up the removal of gum. But prevention is better than cure - to keep our streets chewing gum-free, remember to wrap your chewing gum and put it in the bin. Q Where can I recycle plastic? A You can recycle plastic at any of our new household recycling centres. See page 4 for opening times. If you have a kerbside collection box instead of a blue bin you can recycle plastic and other materials in these. You can also put plastic bottles in the recycling units which you‟ll find around the city centre. These units are split into four sections for cans, paper, plastic bottles and mixed waste. For further information contact the recycling helpline on 0800 0328100. Q What happens to the contents of our blue bins? A The paper that we collect from blue bins is made into newsprint for our local papers such as the Belfast Telegraph. In the first ten months of our blue bin recycling scheme, we collected and recycled approximately 812 tonnes of waste, which is equivalent in weight to 162 elephants or 4,060,000 newspapers! Zoo hits 70 Belfast Zoo celebrates its 70th anniversary in August. It first opened its gates to the public in 1934 attracting almost 285,000 people that year. Back then, a trip to the zoo would have cost you 6d (old pence) for adults and 4d for children. Today, the zoo welcomes around 200,000 visitors a year. Our collection of animals has increased over the years from 82 types of mammals, birds and reptiles to almost double that. The 70th birthday celebration takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 28 until Monday 30). As well as a host of children‟s activities, such as face painting and bouncy castles, there will be a birds of prey display featuring kestrels, owls, hawks and eagles. You will also have an opportunity to see some of the animals feeding and meet our zoo keepers. And watch out for the anniversary competitions including a fashion contest. There‟ll be a prize for the person wearing the best 1930s outfit. Feeding time at the zoo Throughout the summer, come and see the animals being fed and meet their keeper. Monkeys 11.00am Sun Bears 11.30am Tigers 11.45am (except Mon, Wed and Fri) Lemurs 12 noon Sealions 2.30pm Opening Times April-September: daily 10am-5pm October-March: daily 10am -3.30pm (Last admission 2.30pm) Open all year (except Christmas Day) Admission Prices     Adults: £6.70 Children 4-16: £3.40 Senior citizens, people with disabilities and children under 4: Free Reduction for parties of 25 or more. Contact Zoo for further information. Contact Details Belfast Zoological Gardens, Antrim Road, BT36 7PN Tel: 028 9077 6277 Fax: 028 9037 0578 www.belfastzoo.co.uk Active Life Summer 2004 Belfast City Council - keeping your city fit and healthy Shaping our future In response to today‟s lifestyle, we‟re currently developing our leisure facilities. During the next few years, a number of modern leisure centres will replace some of those that have served the city so well since they were built in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Already, we‟re at the design stage for a new leisure facility, which will replace the centre at Grove. A new leisure centre on the Falls Road is under construction and due for completion in January 2005. We are also planning a new leisure centre for the south of the city in 2006 to replace Maysfield, which closed at the end of July. While we‟re considering possible sites, we‟re trying to make sure as many regular users as possible can be accommodated at other centres. During 2006-2009, we‟ll start work on new facilities in North and East Belfast and we‟ll evaluate potential sites. With a view to providing the best possible service, we‟ll continue to look at how we run our other leisure and recreation centres. We are finalising plans for the transfer of the Beechmount Leisure Centre site to St Mary‟s University College, Forbairt Feirste and Meanscoile Feirste. All this is a result of our review of our indoor leisure facilities. We are aiming to provide a first class service to all our customers. Win three months free membership! Five adult memberships and five family memberships are up for grabs. All you have to do is name one of our leisure centres to win three months membership (valid at any of our leisure centres). Winners will be selected on Friday 17 September 2004 and notified within one week. Send your answer to: Belfast City Council, FREEPOST BEL4010, Belfast BT1 5BR or reply via email to morgank@belfastcity.gov.uk Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 10 September 2004. Interactive play After the success of the Broadband from BT X-Box Live Challenge this summer, we plan to extend the challenge throughout the autumn. Using broadband, kids from all parts of the city can play live against each other in different leisure centres to win fabulous prizes. Contact your local leisure centre for further information. Starting young Our junior tennis coaching programme encourages children to reach their full potential in tennis. Each player starts in a class with children of their own age and ability and develops their skills as they grow and improve. Working with players from the ages of 4 to 18, we encourage both sporting and social development in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Classes start with Fun for Fours then on to Sweet Spot Tennis. New classes begin mid-September. If you are interested in enrolling your child, please contact us on 9045 8024. Adult classes cater for complete beginners to players who just want to improve their techniques. Making a difference Hundreds of people throughout Belfast volunteer their services at our community centres. Ann, who works at the Ligoniel Community Centre, says, “I volunteer to give something back to the community, but it‟s also very satisfying.” Volunteers gain from the experience by meeting new people and developing new skills. Volunteering can also improve confidence and self-esteem or simply give you the chance to try something new. Community centres offer many volunteering opportunities such as working with children or people with disabilities and fundraising. With the help of our volunteers we can offer more services to local communities. If you feel you could give some of your time to help others, please call your local community centres. Leisure giveaway This September, try out some leisure activities such as swimming, fitness in your local leisure centre for free. We‟ll be holding a number of „come and try it days‟. Call your nearest centre to find out how the whole family can try selected activities absolutely free! Whether you‟re 9 or 90 come along and try something new. Our friendly staff will make sure your visit is enjoyable and relaxing. Check out some of the other new classes for autumn:  Spin classes  Pilates  Indoor athletics  Yoga  Bowls  Canoeing  Scottish country dancing Make a splash Our „Make A Splash Programme‟ not only teaches children how to swim, but helps them to develop their swimming skills. The programme provides expert tuition in a safe, friendly and enjoyable environment - and it encourages kids to take part in regular exercise. It is the only swim scheme in Ireland that guarantees results. A child must be five years of age before they can enrol in the programme. Call your local leisure centre for details. Packages for all Your whole family can have unlimited swimming at any of our swimming pools from as little as £13.50 per month. To encourage people to become more active, we have membership packages designed to make leisure in Belfast more affordable and available. Adult single membership is only £25.50 per month and gives you unlimited access to all our leisure facilities including health and fitness suites, swimming pools, sauna and spa pools at unbelievable value for money. We do not charge a joining fee and you‟re not tied in to a contract. If you’d like to find out more about membership packages, log on to our website www.belfastcity.gov.uk/leisure It has information on classes, opening times, prices and more. Or call your nearest centre - you‟ll find a full list of telephone numbers on page 12. Lunch time special People from many different backgrounds and cultures use Morton Community Centre and like all centres, it provides facilities for both individuals and groups. Na Kyung, a lady who recently arrived from Korea, had attended a cookery course at the centre and wanted to use these skills for the benefit of others. Along with two of her friends You Ja and Gwang Soon, she decided to start a lunch club. Their aim was to provide healthy food at a reasonable cost combining Korean and Western recipes. Since it started, the lunch club continues to grow. The ladies who run it feel that they have improved their knowledge of western food and communication skills as well as increasing their awareness of the Belfast culture. And the members enjoy good value for money Western and Korean cuisine. Contact numbers If you‟re interested in what‟s going on in your local community or play centre, just call us. Community Centres Phone no. Ardoyne 9074 8523 Concorde 9071 2450 Dee Street 9045 8113 Divis 9024 2551 Donegall Pass 9032 7661 Duncairn 9074 0212 Finaghy 9062 0474 Glen Road 9062 7189 Hammer 9033 2860 Highfield 9039 1009 Horn Drive 9060 4860 Inverary 9047 1456 Knocknagoney 9076 1432 Ligoniel 9071 9337 Markets 9023 5969 Morton 9068 1874 North Queen Street 9032 3945 Olympia 9024 7547 Sandy Row 9032 5403 Suffolk 9060 4824 Whiterock 9032 8623 Woodvale 9035 1548 Play Centres Avoniel Ballysillan/Benview Loop River North Queen Street Olympia Whiterock Phone no. 9045 8988 9072 1941 9070 3226 9075 3897 9024 7547 9032 8623 Services for children and young people As part of our commitment to providing services for children and young people, we have created facilities to encourage both social and educational development. Our community and play centres host after school and homework clubs, youth clubs and seasonal programmes such as summer schemes. We also offer grant aid to community groups to help with running play schemes. By listening and responding to young people, leaders can tailor the club programmes. Sessions include games, art and craft work, music and dance. Some centres also have computer access and we offer a quiet space for children to do their homework. We also organise enjoyable trips throughout the city and beyond. If you would like to find out more about how your children can have fun and develop in a safe and stimulating environment, call your local community centre. Exercise - nature’s own medicine Regular exercise is now recognised as a key way to enhance health, particularly for people with medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and mental health problems. To reap the health benefits you only need to do 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. If you are wary of exercising or don‟t think you‟re fit enough, the safest way to start is by following a supervised, structured programme. One of our qualified staff can develop a plan to suit your needs and help you achieve your goals. For further information on health and fitness, please contact Stuart Wallace on 9032 0202 ext 3540. Having a party? If you are searching for a venue for your child‟s party, look no further. Each year, thousands of children enjoy their birthday parties in our leisure centres. You can have a party to suit all age groups. Party-goers can choose from activities such as lazerquest, disco facilities, trampolining, swimming, football and a bouncy castle. And the best part is, there‟s no tidying up afterwards. Food is available in many of our centres with a range of menus and birthday specials or you can bring your own nibbles. Contact your nearest centre for further details. Access for all Most of our community centres are now accessible to everyone. During a recent refurbishment programme we installed lifts and ramps into several buildings. And we‟ve designed new centres such as Suffolk and Donegall Pass, to make it easier for people with disabilities to use them. Some members of Dee Street Community Centre‟s Powerzone youth group have mobility problems. Group leader Audrey Huston said, “The young people who come to Powerzone range from those with no disability to those who use wheelchairs all the time. We have complete use of the building and staff at Dee Street are always looking for ways to help our group.” For more information on community centres, contact us at one of the centres detailed on page 3 of this supplement.