To ask the Minister for Social Development to detail the role of the programme board overseeing the strategic implementation of Portrush Regeneration Strategy initiatives, including; (i) how many times they have met since 2013; (ii) which Departments and agencies were represented at meetings; and (iii) the outcomes of these meetings.

The Portrush Regeneration Programme Board was established in October 2013. The purpose of the Board is to oversee the implementation of the family of projects to be delivered in Portrush. This will involve ensuring that projects are started at the appropriate time, that proper management arrangements have been put in place and that they are meeting their key milestones and targets. The Programme Board will also identify and analyse the interdependencies between the projects – for example, where delays on one project might affect another – and ensure that arrangements are put in place to effectively manage and co-ordinate these so that the overall objectives of the Programme are met.

(i)The Programme Board has met on 4 occasions: 30 October 2013; 31 January 2014; 10 April 2014; and 10 November 2014.

(ii)The meetings of the Programme Board were attended by senior staff from the Department for Social Development, Coleraine Borough Council, the Department of the Environment’s Planning Service and Marine Divisions, the Department of regional Development’s Roads Service, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and the Strategic Investment Board

(iii)Outcomes of the meetings were as follows:

The meeting of 30 October 2013 agreed the purpose, scope and membership of the Programme and the structure of the relationship between the Programme Board and Projects Boards which will be established to manage the individual projects to be delivered.

The meeting held on 31 January agreed a draft vision and set of regeneration objectives for consideration by Ministers.

The meeting held on 10 April 2014 defined the projects to be included within the Programme, agreed the first draft of the risk register for the programme and discussed the draft terms of reference for a hotel feasibility study.

The meeting held on 10 November 2014 considered an initial draft of the terms of reference for a study to examine the options around a proposal for the redevelopment of Portrush Harbour and the content of a paper on the way forward for the regeneration of Portrush which I propose to issue to the Executive in the near future.