(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.

No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received.

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2021 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Yusuf Patel – 01274 434579)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 February 2021 be signed as a correct record.

(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. 

(Yusuf Patel - 01274 434579)

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

documents.

(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 Monday 22 March 2021.

(Yusuf Patel - 01274 434579)

There were no questions submitted by the public.

The Chief Executive will submit a report (Document “E”) which provides an update to and builds on the report presented to the District Area Committees previously regarding the issue of Child Exploitation (CE). It focuses on the Strategic Response to all forms of exploitation in Children and Adults and how partners from the Working Together to Safeguard Children – the Bradford Partnership and the Bradford Safeguarding Adults Board work to drive improvements across the District and to hold agencies to account for their work in their area. This report also outlines the emergence of other complex safeguarding themes and outlines how partners are effectively collaborating and focussing upon the protection of vulnerable Children and Adults.

Recommended –

(1)       The Area Committee is invited to consider the contents of this   report and how members can support local activity.

(2)       The Area Committee shall receive a further update on the            progress of the response to exploitation in 12 months’ time.

(3)       Partners will seek further funding opportunities from Government        funding streams to enable to continuation of service provision as          outlined in Document “E”.

Overview & Scrutiny Area:  Children’s Services

(Darren Minton Manager – 01274 434361)

The Chief Executive submitted a report (Document “E”) which provided the Area Committee with an update to and built on the report presented to the District Area Committees previously regarding the issue of Child Exploitation (CE). It focuses on the Strategic Response to all forms of exploitation in Children and Adults and how partners from the Working Together to Safeguard Children – the Bradford Partnership and the Bradford Safeguarding Adults Board work to drive improvements across the District and to hold agencies to account for their work in their area. The report also outlined the emergence of other complex safeguarding themes and outlined how partners were effectively collaborating and focussing upon the protection of vulnerable Children and Adults.

A number of officers across different Council services were present , including a representative from West Yorkshire Police to give an overview and respond to Members’ questions.

It was explained that this was a lengthy report, brought annually and covered the plethora of issues around exploitation in all its forms. A thematic case review would be published in late May/June and lessons will be learnt from this important piece of work.

The early help approach was a crucial element in tackling exploitation and nipping issues in the bud, before problems surfaced later on.  To this end an area of focus was around those children not in education and ensuring that these children were tracked through the system, as well as an oversight on parents who had opted for elective home education.

A representative from West Yorkshire Police was present at the meeting and stated that the work of the Police in tackling exploitation in conjunction with Partners was expansive.  As the primary agency responsible for ensuring convictions, the Service had invested huge resources in tackling historic cases as well as more high profile cases involving multiple victims and perpetrators, some of these cases were currently going through the criminal justice system.

Covert operations also formed a key part of the forces response, together with work in the schools in the district, which had yielded good results and hence preventive work was seen as key weapon in tackling exploitation, citing the early Help pilot in Keighley as an exemplar.

From the Hub’s perspective when a child is identified at being at risk, a multi agency risk assessment is undertaken and a management plan initiated to manage the risk and protect the child.  At a operational level all children at significant risk are reviewed and therefore a stringent approach is taken regarding exploitation.

Risk and intervention plans are reviewed and work on the project entitled ‘Breaking the Cycle’ was an intensive intervention project, targeting children at risk from being involved in criminal activity; links to the Youth Service formed a key component of this project, working to ensure that young people moved away from organised criminality and were better integrated into education.

During the discussion, a Member ascertained how a referral was made to ‘Breaking the Cycle’ project. In response it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

The Strategic Director of Place will submit a report (Document “F”) which provide Members with a progress report of the Smart Street Lighting Project to date. It will also explain some of the processes and activities to come and provide details of the significant benefits expected to be realised to the District as a result of this project. 

Recommended –

(1)       Members acknowledge the progress of the Smart Street Lighting          project and welcome annual updates.

(2)       Members endorse the project as a positive investment across the         Bradford District bringing significant benefits overall.

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Regeneration and Economy

(Allun Preece - 01274 434019)

The Strategic Director of Place submitted a report (Document “F”) which provided Members with a progress report of the Smart Street Lighting Project to date. It also explained some of the processes and activities to come and provided details of the significant benefits expected to be realised to the district as a result of this project. 

It was explained that the Council approved an invest to save investment of £45m to enhance its current lighting stock, of approximately 56,500 assets, with the aim of significantly reducing energy usage, maintenance costs and also reducing carbon outputs. The Council will replace the existing inefficient lighting with more energy efficient LED’s whilst retaining most of the existing lighting columns, it is envisaged that there will be a need for the replacement of approximately 15,600 life expired lighting columns. The new lighting solution will be controlled using a Central Management System (CMS) via a Low power wide area network (LoRaWAN) thus providing a platform for Internet of Things (IoT) for connectivity.

The vast majority of the Works (48,300 assets in scope) will be carried out via an ‘External Contractor’, who will commence with the survey of all the existing street lighting assets within the District, including a column condition inspection to determine structural suitability.  The results from the survey will assist the Council to identify what upgrade works are required for each lighting asset, giving them full control in generating the SSL Project’s operational work scope.

In response to a question regarding lighting columns that were deemed defunct, it was explained that the survey would identify structural issues and redundant columns and that replacement columns would be erected in situations that warranted them.

In response to a specific concern in a ward where a number of lighting columns had become redundant and the resulting concerns around burglaries and safety, it was explained that this had been an unprecedented situation in this particular area, however the contractor was working hard to ensure the columns were replaced in a timely fashion.

In response to a number of questions around the social value element of the contract and the use of local labour and opportunities, it was agreed, that where possible details on these specific elements of the contract will be circulated to Members.

It was also suggested that where Members had specific concerns around lighting columns in their respective wards or any specific questions around the smart street lighting project that they contact the officers directly.

Resolved –

(1)       That the progress of the Smart Street Lighting project be            acknowledged and that this Area Committee welcomes the annual             updates.

(2)       That the project be endorsed as a positive investment across the         Bradford District bringing significant benefits overall.

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Regeneration and Economy

The Strategic Director Place will submit a report (Document “G”) which provides information on Capital Highway Maintenance funding and makes recommendations on the allocation for Non-Classified road resurfacing schemes and Surface Dressing sites.

Recommended –

That the Bradford South Area Committee approves the proposed programme of works as shown in Appendix 1 and 2 to Document “G”.

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Regeneration & Economy

(Andrew Whelan - 01274 434409)

The Strategic Director Place submitted a report (Document “G”) which provided information on Capital Highway Maintenance funding and made recommendations on the allocation for Non-Classified road resurfacing schemes and Surface Dressing sites.

During the discussion it was suggested that in relation to the Wilson Road, Wyke scheme that the scheme should be suitably delayed until near completion of the sports village development.  In response it was stated that where possible, the work will be appropriately timed.

In response to a question regarding the use of local labour/companies in undertaking the contract, it was explained that the Council did not carry out any of these major works in house, and that inevitably larger national contractors did the work on behalf of the Council through a tendering process, and therefore there was no stipulation on the use of local labour.

Resolved –

That  the proposed programme of works as shown in Appendix 1 and 2 to Document “G” be approved.

ACTION: Strategic Director Place

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Regeneration & Economy