Joined up government or not?

Mark Finlay, the dynamo behind Barnabas Ventures in Belfast shared the following post with his friends on Facebook earlier this week. I am reproducing it here with his permission.  

Did you hear the one about joined up Government?
Yes, I’m afraid it is a joke.

Recently Northern Ireland hosted the very successful USNI Investment Conference. Encouraged by Invest NI, who deserve much credit, we like many others did what we could to help and in particular got out our cheque book and prepared marketing material to help sell this wee place in the best possible light.

As with previous events coming to the City, like the Shopping Centres Conference last year, developers erected banners on projects throughout the city to demonstrate how vibrant things are. Visitors often comment on the graphic display of tower cranes. Development is a physical sign of confidence and civic pride.

Barnabas Ventures in turn erected a large banner on the forthcoming development of Ireland Brothers Building in Adelaide Street in Linen Quarter behind City Hall. The development will have active ground floor units – restaurant and café and convenience retail – bringing 24 life and activity to a street that currently goes home for tea!

Above the ground floor the restored former Linen Company HQ will provide contemporary accommodation to create Belfast’s first live/work project with first class air conditioned office and studio facilities. The building will be completed to the highest specification, with bronze cladding and bespoke door and glazed canopy. In some respects it is modelled on the Mercer Hotel in New York’s SoHo. It is the type of development typical of mature international cities, including our competitor regions.

The sign declares (as Barnabas signs always do) ‘we love this city and we love these streets’. I can assure you it has been noticed and well received. No less than two of the USNI visitors have expressed commitment to acquire units and to create investment and jobs.

At the Hillsborough Castle USNI Gala Dinner two Ministers from the Executive commented on how impressive the sign was and how they welcomed the investment. Subsequently Belfast’s last two Lord Mayors have complimented the banner and the current Lord Mayor Tom Hartley and Belfast City Council Director Gerry Millar asked would Barnabas consider using it as a platform to promote the wider regeneration of the city and the new Belfast logo. The company was happy to accede to this request and in the interim has added the fantastic new Belfast video advert to its web site.

www.barnabasventures.com

I’m sure you can guess where this is all going….
Yes, Barnabas received an enforcement notice from a Planning Service official to remove the temporary banner immediately or face a fine. Apparently they have received one complaint, but Barnabas is not allowed to know from whom! Furthermore they did not invite the company to make an application for temporary approval and have stated that they could not guarantee that they would approve it. Meantime…REMOVE the banner.

I have said before and will continue to do so… OUR Civil Service has got to be DIRECTED and our political leaders are going to have to LEAD.

Already it has been determined that the Economy is the #1 priority of the Programme for Government. Experts are calling for urgent reform of the Planning System. We are living in the midst of difficult times economically, but thankfully ‘Norn Iron’ actually has a counter-cyclical opportunity to outperform other regions and countries.

We provide a cost competitive environment and have an available and well qualified workforce. It is vital that we create world-class business space and a high quality environment. Public Policy is to see Belfast promoted as a vibrant 24 Hour European Regional Capital, attracting people to come and live, visit and work.

The professional development community is travelling world-wide and selling Northern Ireland (on its own ‘time and dime’). We have a shared vision of Belfast and must be permitted to deliver it.
As an initiative in delivery I suggest the Planning Service is DIRECTED to prioritise our towns and cities and applications for commercial space and economic assets and affordable homes.

It is vital that we have action. Has anyone actually told the civil servants how critical the problems are? I don’t mean the ‘Permanent Government’, I mean the case officers at the coal face. Companies are going to go under, people are going to out of work and we are seeing our skills base eroded before our very eyes. Worst of all we are going to lose investment to other regions.

I was talking to a consultant just the other day who had been to Manchester with a client considering that great city or alternatively location in Belfast. The Mancunian planners told him planning would be delivered in no more than three months. Ours said a minimum of one year.

We need to act and act now to see the infrastructure of the economy built not eroded. Time for the choir to sing from the same hymn sheet. Time for the Choir Masters on the hill at Stormont to pass out the right music and make sure the singers know what is required.

I am looking forward to the harmony.

 UPDATE- Mark informs me this morning he has removed the banner. In his own words”a sad day”