CHAIRMAN
DELEGATES
I AM ONE OF 6 ULSTER UNIONISTS COUNCILLORS SERVING IN THE 60 SEAT OF BELFAST CITY COUNCIL.
THE COUNCIL AREA INCLUDES TEN THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED REGISTERED BUSINESS’S, WHICH PROVIDE NEARLY 300 THOUSAND JOBS WITHIN THE CITY OF BELFAST.
WE HAVE AS A COUNCIL A NETT WORTH OF NEARLY FIVE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN MILLION POUNDS…………….
NOT FAR FROM THE AMOUNT APPARENTLY MISS-SPENT ON THE RHI SCHEME……………. THE DIFFERENCE BEING………. THAT COUNCILLORS MAKING SUCH A MISTAKE…… WOULD HAVE BEEN LIABLE TO SURCHARGE AND MADE TO PAY THE MONEY BACK.
THE LAST REVIEW OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT WHICH WE… AS A PARTY OPPOSED, SAW LARGE NUMBERS OF UNIONIST PEOPLE, WHO LIVE IN GREATER BELFAST FINDING THEMSELVES IN OTHER COUNCIL AREAS… LEAVING UNIONISIM IN A POLITICIAL MINORITY IN BELFAST….
THE BALANCE OF POWER RESIDING WITH THE ALLIANCE PARTY WHO HAVE ACTED AS WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT……
THE ATMOSPHERE HAS AT TIMES BEEN TOXIC, AND HAS BIRTHED A NEW BATTLEGROUND IN PLACE OF STORMONT.
THE ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY SUPPORTS, AND….IS WORKING TOWARDS MAKING BELFAST A CITY RE-IMAGINED AND RESURGENT.
MAKING IT A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK FOR EVERYONE.
MAKING IT WELL CONNECTED AND CULTURALLY VIBRANT.
A SUSTAINABLE CITY SHARED AND LOVED BY ALL OF ITS CITEZENS, AS WELL AS A COMPASSIONATE CITY OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE….
A BETTER PLACE TO GROW OLD IN… ALL BY 2035 THROUGH OUR VISION WITHIN THE BELFAST AGENDA.
SINCE MAY 2012 BELFAST HAS BEEN THE FIRST CITY INVOLVED WITH “THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION GLOBAL NETWORK OF AGE FRIENDLY CITIES AND COMMUNITIES” …. IN 2014, WE PRODUCED OUR FIRST 3 YEAR ACTION PLAN.
AS CHAIR OF THE OLDER PERSONS REFERENCE GROUP, I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT 84% OF OLDER PEOPLE, NOW STATE THAT BELFAST IS A CITY WHERE THEY CAN LIVE LIFE TO THE FULL AN INCREASE OF 5% SINCE 2014…
BUT I PROMISE NOT TO FORGET THE 16% WHO STILL FACE DIFFICULTIES, SOME OF WHICH INCLUDE THOSE SUFFERING DEMENTIA, AND TO THIS END…
I SUGGESTED THE PROVISION OF TRAINING TO ENABLE COUNCILLORS TO IDENTIFY THE EARLY SYMPTOMS OF THIS DISEASE, AND I AM PLEASED THAT EVERY UUP COUNCILLOR AVAILED OF THIS TRAINING.
OUR UUP GROUP HAVE SUPPORTED
THE 10 MILLION BELFAST INVESTMENT FUND AND THE 5 MILLION LOCAL INVESTMENT FUND…
WHICH WAS PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE COUNCILLORS IDENTIFY THE NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES THEY REPRESENT AND WORK ALONG SIDE THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE ON THE GROUND.
WE AS A STRONG GROUP HAVE PUNCHED WELL ABOVE OUR WEIGHT IN ACHIEVING A LOT OF PROJECTS FOR THE COMMUNITES WE REPRESENT.
A NEW FOOTALL STADIUM FOR HARLAND AND WOLFF WELDERS COSTING IN THE REGION OF £2.7 MILLION
AND SUPPORT FOR DUNDELA FOOTBALL CLUB PROVIDING A 3G PITCH, FLOODLIGHTING AND A SPECTATOR STAND AT A COST OF ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS……..
THEIR GROUND KNOWN AS THE HEN RUN DID NOT BENEFIT FROM AN RHI BOILER………. THIS IS JUST TWO OUT OF MANY PROJECTS WE COLLECTIVELY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, AND AS A GROUP WE WILL PUSH AHEAD FOR THESE TWO FUNDING PROGRAMMES TO BE INTRODUCED FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL TERM.
THE BIGGEST PRESSURE ON OUR TIME REMAINS IN PLANNING, CLEANSING, HOUSING, EDUCATION AND WELFARE REFORM…. PARTICULARLY PIP AND ESA…
A PROCESSES THAT INFLICTS UNTOLD STRESS AND WORRY ON THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR SOCIETY, I CONDEMN THE DUP, SINN FEIN AND THE ALLIANCE PARTY WHO….
IN AN ACT OF MONUMENTAL POLITICAL CONVENIENCE, ALLOWED THE LAW TO BE PASSED AT WESMINSTER, AS A PARTY WE WARNED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, WE NEVER SUPPORTED NOR VOTED IN FAVOUR OF THIS CRUELTY AND WE NEVER WILL………
WHY!? BECAUSE WE PUT PEOPLE FIRST.
THANK YOU.