Resolved –

Council notes that:

a)    many Bradford District residents are wondering why they are paying more in council tax despite the on-going cuts to local services;

b)   central government funding support for local council services has been cut substantially since 2010;

c)    the local Government Association is warning that councils are now “reaching a financial breaking point” which they describe as “a funding cliff-edge”;

d)   Bradford has been disproportionately badly hit by these cuts due to our relatively low local tax base and greater reliance on support from central government;

e)    these huge reductions in central government funding for Bradord have resulted in unprecedented cuts in local services across our district;

f)     the impact of this reduction in Council services has had a disproportionate impact on our poorer and more vulnerable residents and communities.

Council therefore:

1. Notes the formal response from our representative body, the Local Government Association, to Government regarding the Local Government settlement in December.  Nationally all local authorities expressed overwhelming disappointment that the funding issues around adult social care and children’s social care were not addressed.
2. Notes that those people worst affected by Government cuts need to have their voices heard when it comes to formulating policy.  We therefore ask the Council Senior Management to work with the Anti-Poverty Champion to develop the Council’s engagement with the Poverty Truth Commission in order to strengthen anti-poverty measures.  We believe such measures are best informed by people with lived experience of poverty 
3. Reiterates our commitment to lobby strongly around the “Fair Funding” Review which Government is currently undertaking which will decide how the relative needs of Councils will be calculated and how business rates are going to be redistributed in the future.  The Council will provide clear evidence to Government around population and deprivation to demonstrate the clear need there is in the district.
4. To draft a submission from Bradford to feed into the Autumn statement in November and bring the key principles of this submission and the rationale behind it to Full Council prior to submission.

ACTION:       Chief Executive/Council Management Team