Local democracy

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1 - City Hall, Bradford. View directions

Contact: Fatima Butt/Tracey Sugden 

Items
No. Item

30.

DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST

(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

 

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

 

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

 

Notes:

 

(1)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

 

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

 

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

 

Minutes:

In the interest of transparency Councillor Sajawal disclosed an interest in the item relating to Youth Services Update – Bradford East (Minute 34) as he managed a centre that had youth provision.

 

ACTION: City Solicitor

31.

MINUTES

Recommended –

 

That the minutes of the meeting held on 5 September and 17 October 2019 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

 

(Fatima Butt/Tracey Sugden – 01274 432227/434287)

Minutes:

Resolved –

 

That the minutes of the meetings held on 5 September and 17 October 2019 be signed as a correct record.

 

ACTION: City Solicotor

32.

INSPECTION OF REPORTS AND BACKGROUND PAPERS

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

 

(Fatima Butt/Tracey Sugden – 01274 432227/434287)

 

Minutes:

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict
documents.

33.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

To hear questions from electors within the District on any matter this is the responsibility of the Committee. 

 

Questions must be received in writing by the City Solicitor in Room 112, City Hall, Bradford, BD1 1HY, by mid-day on Tuesday 14 January 2020.

 

(Fatima Butt/Tracey Sugden – 01274 432227/434287)

 

Minutes:

There were no questions submitted by the public.

34.

YOUTH SERVICE UPDATE - BRADFORD EAST pdf icon PDF 119 KB

The Strategic Director, Place will present a report (Document “S”) which gives an update on work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Bradford East Area in the past twelve months and outlines the direction of travel for the next twelve months.

 

Recommended –

 

That the work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Bradford East Area as detailed in Document “S” be welcomed.

 

(Norrina Rashid – 01274 431066)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Strategic Director, Place presented a report (Document “S”) which gave an update on work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Bradford East Area in the past twelve months and outlined the direction of travel for the next twelve months.

 

Young people who attended a number of youth clubs and groups in the district spoke of their experience and how they valued the services provided.

 

A member referred to the Greenwood Centre and asked what impact the Youth Service considered the £26,000 Opportunity Area Funding had made.  It was noted that officers were looking for a base in the area and that a detached worker was working in the area.  Opportunity Area workers had undertaken work with young ambassadors to identify what that they wanted to address in the area.

 

In response to a member question about sustainability it was noted that officers were looking at ways of keeping apprentices in the service once their apprenticeship finished.

 

A member praised the work of the Youth Service despite cuts to the budget.  He thanked the young people for sharing their stories.

 

A member asked about the plans for the Fagley area and was advised that officers were in the early stages of discussion to identify a detached worker for the area.

 

A member congratulated the young people on their presentations and asked whether action could be taken to publicise the Youth Service in schools.  He also felt it would be better for community cohesion if young people took part in activities in their own area rather than relying on taking them out of the area for activities.

 

Resolved –

 

(1)       That the work undertaken by the Youth Service in the Bradford East Area as detailed in Document “S” be welcomed.

 

(2)       That the Committee recognise the valuable work carried out by staff in the Youth Service and the impact on young people.

 

(3)       That the Committee is grateful for the honest and brave comments of the young people who attended the meeting.

 

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

Children’s Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee

 

 

35.

PETITION - ROWANBERRY CLOSE AND WHITEBEAM WALK, ECCLESHILL, BRADFORD pdf icon PDF 3 MB

The Strategic Director, Place will present a report (Document “Q”) which outlines a petition that has ben received and which requests the introduction of a residents’ permit parking scheme on Rowanberry Close and Whitebeam Walk, Eccleshill, Bradford.

 

 Recommended –

 

That the request for permit parking on Rowanberry Close and Whitebeam Walk remain on the list for consideration by this Committee as and when future Safer Roads programmes are determined.

 

(Andrew Smith – 434674)

Minutes:

The Strategic Director, Place presented a report (Document “Q”) which outlined a petition that had ben received and which requested the introduction of a residents’ permit parking scheme on Rowanberry Close and Whitebeam Walk, Eccleshill, Bradford.

 

Resolved –

 

That the request for permit parking on Rowanberry Close and Whitebeam Walk remain on the list for consideration by this Committee as and when future Safer Roads programmes are determined.

 

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

Regeneration and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee

 

 

 

36.

BRADFORD EAST AREA FLOOD PREVENTION pdf icon PDF 107 KB

The Committee is asked to consider Document “T” which provides an overview of the flood prevention strategy for the Bradford East Area. In addition, the report also provides an outline of the role and responsibilities of the Environment Agency in terms of flood prevention.

 

Members are asked to consider Document “T” and note its content.

 

(Edward Norfolk – 01274 433905)

Minutes:

Resolved –

 

That consideration of the report (Document “T”) be deferred to a future meeting of the Committee.

 

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

Regeneration and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee

                                                           

           

37.

LOCAL HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE - DEVOLUTION UPDATE AND FUNCTION OVERVIEW pdf icon PDF 161 KB

The Committee is asked to consider Document “R” which details how the Local Highway Maintenance (LHM) function is managed and resources are allocated.

 

The report also updates the Committee with regard to current operations being undertaken on the network and the indicative costs of works undertaken on the network and the indicative costs of works undertaken in the current financial year.

 

Recommended -

 

(1)  That the Bradford East Area Committee notes the current operational methods adopted for local highway maintenance.

 

(2)   That the Bradford East Area Committee notes the indicative costs to date for the current financial year.

 

(3)  That the Bradford East Area Committee approves the list of current and proposed CAT 3/4 works as shown in Appendices 5 and 6 to Document “R”.

 

(Andrew Whelan – 01274 434409)

 

Minutes:

The Committee was asked to consider Document “R” which detailed how the Local Highway Maintenance (LHM) function was managed and resources were allocated.

 

The report also updated the Committee with regard to current operations being undertaken on the network and the indicative costs of works undertaken on the network and the indicative costs of works undertaken in the current financial year.

 

The Chair questioned whether it was correct that gullies on main arterial routes were cleared annually and secondary routes and side roads were cleaned on average every two years.  In response it was noted that there had been cuts in gully cleansing, that main routes were cleared annually and that other routes were carried out as reactive works.  This information would be updated the next time the report was presented to the Committee.

 

A member asked about the timescale between order and completion of CAT 3/4 Works and was advised that CAT 1/2 Works had specific timescales but that CAT 3/4 Works had no set timescale and were completed on a priority basis, preferably within one year, but sometimes took longer.

 

A member asked about the amount spent on sub-contracted labour/personnel and it was noted that the budget was very limited and that very little was spent on sub-contractors.

 

Members received confirmation that the footway refurbishment works in Reginald Street listed in appendix 6 to Document “R” would not involve any change to the layout of the footpath.

 

In response to a member question it was confirmed that the Council could recoup the cost of repairs from insurers for damage caused to barriers by motorists.

 

Member questioned whether Hutton Road was in the Little Horton or Wibsey Ward which officers agreed to clarify.

 

Resolved -

 

(1)  That the current operational methods adopted for local highway maintenance be noted.

 

(2)   That the indicative costs to date for the current financial year be noted.

 

(3)  That the list of current and proposed CAT 3/4 works as shown in Appendices 5 and 6 to Document “R” be approved subject to Hutton Road being in the Little Horton Ward.

 

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

 

 

38.

HOMELESSNESS AND ROUGH SLEEPING IN BRADFORD DISTRICT pdf icon PDF 134 KB

The Strategic Director, Place will present a report (Document “U”) which provides information on key homelessness and rough sleeping issues across the District.

 

Recommended –

 

That the information provided on key homelessness and rough sleeping issues, challenges and responses across the District.

 

(Dimitris Tolios – 01274 4366635)

Minutes:

The Strategic Director, Place presented a report (Document “U”) which provided information on key homelessness and rough sleeping issues across the District.

 

It was noted that Bradford was doing well compared to neighbouring areas and that there were fewer rough sleepers than last year.

 

A member who worked for Horton Housing asked whether any assistance could be given to people living a chaotic lifestyle who struggled to clear 25% of their debts before being allocated permanent accommodation.  Officers agreed to raise this issue in the appropriate place.

 

Members were advised that the Rough Sleeper Service was looking into the reasons why a number of people were unable to leave hostels.  They were looking at breaking down barriers with major housing providers and progress was being made, albeit slow.

 

A member asked what could be done to address one of the causes of homelessness, Notices to Quit from private rented accommodation.  Members were advised that contact could be made with the landlord to negotiate more time for the tenant to find alternative accommodation.  It was noted that the Council offered free training to landlords on how to work with the Council to prevent evictions and the take up was good.

 

A member questioned that the number of rough sleepers in 2018 was 24 and asked how the figure was arrived at.  In response it was reported that an annual count was carried out on a specific day starting at 4am.  Members referred to the number of people seen begging in the district and it was noted that someone seen begging may not necessarily be a rough sleeper.

 

Members were invited to the rough sleeper count that would take place on 31 January 2020.

 

A member referred to women with children fleeing domestic violence being placed in accommodation that was not big enough for them and asked how this was being addressed as social housing was not being built in the numbers required.

 

In response to a member question it was noted that bids had been made nationally for the £260m to set up homeless outreach partnerships and the outcome was awaited.  It was also noted that a bid from the £63m cold weather fund had been successful and crash beds had been provided in Discovery House for 3-4 nights before moving people on to other accommodation.

 

It was confirmed that London Boroughs were required to inform the relevant Local Authorities where they housed residents in their area but they were not doing this.  These concerns had been raised with the Local Government Association and a protocol was being worked on as a way forward which would require all Local Authorities signing up it to make it work.  It was noted that people who were rough sleeping in Bradford tended to be from the area and that Bradford did not attract more rough sleepers than neighbouring cities.

 

A member asked how many choices of accommodation had to be given to a family presenting as homeless and it was confirmed that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38.