The newly elected Mayor for West Yorkshire will be invited to share initial thoughts on priorities for her term of office and opportunities for working in partnership with Bradford District.  The report of the Chief Executive is submitted (Document “A”).

Recommended -

That the Executive thank the newly elected Mayor for attending the meeting to discuss our shared priorities.

                                                            (David Walmsley - 01274 432131)

Resolved -

That the newly elected Mayor be thanked for attending the meeting to discuss our shared priorities.

ACTION: Chief Executive

The newly elected Mayor for West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin attended the meeting to share initial thoughts on priorities for her term of office and opportunities for working in partnership with Bradford District.  The report of the Chief Executive was submitted (Document “A”).

The Leader referred to three key priorities for the District namely transport, skills and culture.  She highlighted the importance of Northern Powerhouse high speed rail line and that a stop was vital for the District as Bradford was the biggest city in the UK that was not on the Main Line train Network.  She stressed the need to ensure that people have the right skills to succeed in the workplace as Bradford was the City with the youngest population in the UK.  She expressed her belief in the people of the District and welcomed the Mayor’s support for the Capital of Culture bid.

The Education, Employment and Skills Portfolio Holder referred to the Government Kick Start scheme but felt that there was a need for something that was more tailored to the needs of Bradford.  He invited the West Yorkshire Mayor to visit the Skills House project that was targeting those unable to access the jobs market to increase their skills and find sustainable jobs.

The Regeneration, Transport and Planning Portfolio Holder referred to the Towns Fund and reported that it had been announced that Shipley was to be allocated £25m and Keighley £33m and thanked all those involved in the securing the funding.  He also referred to the Projects supported by the Combined Authority.

The Healthy People and Places Portfolio Holder referred to the need for partnership working with the West Yorkshire Mayor, for example, on Capital of Culture, which if successful would attract investment, enhance employment opportunities and bring businesses into the District which would in turn improve the mental and physical wellbeing of the people of the District.  She referred to the District’s response to the climate emergency in planting trees and moving to a cleaner transport fleet.

The Neighbourhoods and Community Safety Portfolio Holder stressed that one of his key priorities was to crack down on dangerous driving and anti-social behavior and referred to Bradford’s unique partnership with the police on operation Steerside.

The Chief Executive referred to the huge pool of talent and energy in the District with a young and diverse population, and the need to realise their full potential.  She added that the covid19 pandemic had hit the District hard and exposed the fault lines of socio economic disadvantage, including low pay and the impact on mental health.  She stressed the need for major investment in raising education attainment and addressing the levels of youth unemployment to move the District forward.  She added that progress being made in the areas of domestic violence and poverty had been affected by the pandemic.  She referred to the accolades bestowed on the District and the potential of Yorkshire Water’s proposed Green Science Park and housing development at Esholt.

The Education  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7