(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 must consider their interests, and act according to the following:

(2)       Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(3)       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. 

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

No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were made.

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2023 be signed as a correct record.

(Yusuf Patel / Fatima Butt – 07970 411923 / 07970 411746)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 June 2023 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 / Fatima Butt – 07970 411923 / 07970 411746)

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

To note the following recommendation to the Executive:

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Tuesday 27 June 2023

PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PREVENT STRATEGY IN THE BRADFORD    DISTRICT

Resolved –

(1)  That this Committee requests the Executive to contact the Home Office, outlining the concerns of Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee in relation to the outcomes of the independent review of Prevent, which appears to prioritise work with particular groups at the expense of other, equally worrying potential threats.

(2)  That this Committee requests the Executive to note that the  Prevent brand has been tainted over the years, and that the District needs a more localised, not regionalised programme.

(3)  That this Committee requests a further report be presented in six months, which specifically focuses on:

-       A full financial breakdown for the last 5 years to include project outcomes, not outputs, and how staff salaries have been utilised;

-       Engagement with specific groups with whom currently there is no engagement taking place, such as different Islamic groups and far right groups.

(4)  That members request officers to consider the local review of Prevent across the District to be an independent one and for the Terms of Reference for this review to be brought to the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

ACTION: Strategic Director for Place

(Yusuf Patel / Fatima Butt – 07970 411923 / 07970 411746)

The following referral to the Executive was considered:

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Tuesday 27 June 2023

PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PREVENT STRATEGY IN THE BRADFORD DISTRICT

Resolved –

(1) That this Committee requests the Executive to contact the Home Office, outlining the concerns of Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee in relation to the outcomes of the independent review of Prevent, which appears to prioritise work with particular groups at the expense of other, equally worrying potential threats.

(2)  That this Committee requests the Executive to note that the Prevent brand has been tainted over the years, and that the  District needs a more localised, not regionalised programme.

(3)  That this Committee requests a further report be presented in  six months, which specifically focuses on:

-       A full financial breakdown for the last 5 years to include project outcomes, not outputs, and how staff salaries have been utilised;

-       Engagement with specific groups with whom currently there is no engagement taking place, such as different Islamic groups and far right groups.

(4)  That members request officers to consider the local review of Prevent across the District to be an independent one and for the Terms of Reference for this review to be brought to the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Note:  In receiving the above recommendation the Leader stated that concerns raised by Members of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee were noted and a letter was being composed to send to the Home Office.

ACTION: Strategic Director for Place in consultation with the Leader of Council (in relation to 1 above)

(Councillor Hinchcliffe)

The Chief Executive will submit a report (Document “G”) which provides a summary of the Council’s overall achievements in the financial year 2022-2023. Alongside this is an overview of performance against the Council’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for 2022-23. This overview focuses on measures where there has been new, comparable data since the update report provided at the March 2023 Executive meeting.

Recommended-

That the performance against the key performance indicators in the 2021/25 Council Plan be noted.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

                                                                        (Ruth Davison – 01274 432111)

The Leader briefly introduced the item and spoke about the achievements mentioned in Document “G” such as City of Culture and praised the work of both officers and councillors. The Leader highlighted the investments that had been attracted into the district since the City of Culture announcement such as the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), National Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Arts Council England.

The Leader stated that the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) which had excluded Bradford connectivity was now being amended to include Bradford, this would not immediately provide a new railway line, but this was progress and would improve connectivity. The Leader added that Network Rail and other major rail agencies could start working with the Council collaboratively to strengthen the business case for the investment needed and that this would subsequently create jobs and boost the economic ambitions of the district.

The Head of Policy and Performance presented Document “G” which provided a summary of the Council’s overall achievements in the financial year 2022-2023. Members were told that for the first time the report indicated how the Council delivered change over different geographical areas by reporting on delivery achieved through locality plans. The Head of Policy and Performance highlighted that the performance report was set within a challenging operating environment as local authorities across the country faced significant financial pressures due to underfunding, which was further exacerbated by unprecedented demand pressures caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

The report highlighted some of the partnership working being delivered within the district such as the work with Homeless England which could help some of the most vulnerable residents. Members were told about road safety which was one of the themes of the Council Plan and that the Council was adopting whole systems approach that used a multi-disciplinary partnership, the Head of Policy and Performance added that the Council were starting to see some improvement against Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) in relation to road safety.

The Head of Policy and Performance drew attention to the KPI’s contained within the appendices to Document “G” and that over half had travelled in a positive direction.

The work that had been carried out in each constituency of the district was highlighted; in Keighley collaboration between businesses and the intellectual property centre had taken place; in Shipley staff had been trained to respond to domestic abuse; in Bradford East targeted work was underway to improve school attendance particularly in secondary schools; in Bradford West areas of low recycling had been identified and the area officers had worked to educate residents as part of the approach to create a sustainable district; in Bradford South the ‘Green Doctors’ had been promoted and they had offered outreach events to help residents with energy costs.

The Leader thanked all Council staff and praised the variety of work underway. The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport praised the work of officers across the district and spoke about the Transforming Cities Programme and the scale of positive  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

This report of the Chief Executive (Document “H”) summarises some of the key activity undertaken over 2022-23 through partnership working with the Mayor of West Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) on shared priorities and looks ahead to the forthcoming year.

Recommended-

That the Executive note the contents of the report and reaffirm Bradford’s ongoing commitment to working in partnership with the Mayor of West Yorkshire and as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to build a prosperous, safe and sustainable West Yorkshire in which everyone has the chance to realise their potential.

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Corporate

                                                            (Ruth Davison – 01274 432111)

The Leader welcomed the Mayor of West Yorkshire and thanked the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the work being carried out in Bradford. The Leader invited the Mayor of West Yorkshire to comment on the changes to the Integrated Railway Plan and the importance of bus services.

The Mayor of West Yorkshire spoke about the West Yorkshire Plan which would improve safety and connectivity across West Yorkshire and stated that the changes to the Integrated Railway Plan could lead to improvements in connectivity if Bradford was to benefit from a new line. The Mayor of West Yorkshire addressed the changes announced to the Integrated Railway Plan but expressed concern surrounding where the extra funding would be from for a new station and stated that it would be beneficial to set up a working group to monitor progress. The Mayor of West Yorkshire spoke about the ‘Mayor’s fares’ cap at £2, and the ‘day saver’ that could be used on any bus at any time which limited costs of bus journeys which allowed families to save money during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. The Mayor of West Yorkshire also briefed Members about the ‘bus safe’ app that was in development and would be further supported by the allocation of 15 Police Community Safety Officers dedicated to the bus network to improve safety on public transport.

The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport spoke about the ‘transforming cities’ project that was underway as well as the creation of affordable housing in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The Mayor of West Yorkshire acknowledged the importance of affordable housing and social housing due to the stability it can provide to families.

The Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places thanked the Mayor of West Yorkshire for the support that had been provided during the City of Culture bid and highlighted the positive impacts that would be seen across the district such as investment and regeneration.

The Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety thanked the Mayor of West Yorkshire for the additional support and funding for welfare advice and asked about policing numbers and the difficulties this brought. The Mayor of West Yorkshire acknowledged the reduced numbers of Police Officers across the country and highlighted the difficulties that arose from this particularly regarding community safety. It was added that the commitment from the Mayor of West Yorkshire of 750 more Police officers and staff was on target, however, the need for further funding to increase starting salaries which would subsequently improve recruitment was highlighted.

Resolved-

That the Executive note the contents of the report and reaffirm Bradford’s ongoing commitment to working in partnership with the Mayor of West Yorkshire and as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to build a prosperous, safe and sustainable West Yorkshire in which everyone has the chance to realise their potential.

Overview and Scrutiny Area: Corporate

The Director of Finance and IT will submit a report (Document “I”) which provides Members with the year-end financial position of the Council for 2022-2023.

The report outlines the revenue and capital budgets and the year-end financial position based on information at the end of March 2023.  It states the Council’s current balances, reserves and school balances.

Recommended-

That the contents of the report (Document “I”) and the actions taken to

manage the issues highlighted be noted.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

                                                                (Andrew Cross - 07870 386523)

The report of the Director of Finance and IT (Document “I”) provided Members with the year-end financial position of the Council for 2022-2023. The report outlined the revenue and capital budgets and the year-end financial position based on information at the end of March 2023. The report stated the Council’s current balances, reserves, and school balances. The Head of Finance summarised the contents of the report and highlighted that financial reserves were reducing at an unsustainable rate.

The Leader acknowledged the challenging circumstances that were being faced nationally due to inflation and demand pressures that were brought about due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Resolved-

That the contents of the report (Document “I”) and the actions

taken to manage the issues highlighted be noted.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

The Director of Finance and IT will submit a report (Document “J”) which provides details of the first quarter financial position of the Council for 2023-24.

The report outlines the revenue and capital budgets and the year-end forecast financial position based on information at the end of May 2023. It states the Council’s current balances and reserves and school balances. 

Recommended-

That the Executive:

(1)       Note the contents of the report (Document “J”) and the actions

           taken to manage the issues highlighted.

(2)       Approve the following capital expenditure schemes as outlined in

           section 12.8 and 12.10:

• £0.22m for disabled adaptations in Council owned housing. This will be funded by the HRA using rental income receipts.

• £2.9m for the completion of public realm works in Bradford City centre. This will be funded by a mixture of grant, section 106’s contributions and Council borrowing from the 2023-24 Budget (CS0395i), that was set up to mitigate cost pressures and retain the scheme viability and secure desired outcomes.

• £0.182m additional budget to complete the Changing Places Toilet Schemes. This will be funded by the General Contingency Budget. 

• £3m City of Culture Grants subject to having appropriate governance arrangements in place for the award of the grants.

·      £3.8m additional budget for the City Centre Market Scheme. This will be funded from the 2023-24 Budget (CS0395i) that was set up to mitigate cost pressures and retain the scheme viability and secure desired outcomes.

Note the following has been approved under Section 1.7 of the Financial Regulations:

·      £2.0m for the completion of emergency works at Marley Playing Field. The additional budget of £1.5m will be funded from the inflation budget added to the 2022-23 CIP (CS0395w).

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

                                                                      (Andrew Cross - 07870 386523)

The report of the Director of Finance and IT (Document “J”) provided details of the first quarter financial position of the Council for 2023-24. The report outlined the revenue and capital budgets and the year-end forecast financial position based on information at the end of May 2023. The report stated the Council’s current balances, reserves, and school balances. The Head of Finance summarised the contents of the report and outlined the forecast variances across Council departments in regard to the revenue budget. The Head of Finance highlighted that the forecast variance did not include anything associated with the Bradford Children and Families Trust. It was added forecast variance was an estimate and that mitigating actions would be worked on to reduce variance before the year-end.

The Leader acknowledged the financial pressures that Council’s across the country were facing and stated that further action should be taken by Government to address the pressures that local authorities were facing.

A Member of the Opposition Group stated that the report was alarming due to the reduction of reserves and expressed concern that the budget would not balance by the year-end and that reserves would be further depleted. In response the Head of Finance stated that in relation to grant reserves a review of all reserves would be carried out which was a priority.

The Leader stated that financial challenges were common across the country due to government cuts combined with increased demands due to the cost-of-living crisis and that this combination was unsustainable.

Resolved-

That the Executive:

(1)           Note the contents of the report (Document “J”) and the

           actions taken to manage the issues highlighted.

(2)           Approve the following capital expenditure schemes as

          outlined in section 12.8 and 12.10:

·   £0.22m for disabled adaptations in Council owned housing. This will be funded by the HRA using rental income receipts.

·   £2.9m for the completion of public realm works in Bradford City centre. This will be funded by a mixture of grant, section 106’s contributions and Council borrowing from the 2023-24 Budget (CS0395i), that was set up to mitigate cost pressures and retain the scheme viability and secure desired outcomes.

·   £0.182m additional budget to complete the Changing Places Toilet Schemes. This will be funded by the General Contingency Budget. 

·   £3m City of Culture Grants subject to having appropriate governance arrangements in place for the award of the grants.

·      £3.8m additional budget for the City Centre Market Scheme. This will be funded from the 2023-24 Budget (CS0395i) that was set up to mitigate cost pressures and retain the scheme viability and secure desired outcomes.

Note the following has been approved under Section 1.7 of the Financial Regulations:

·     £2.0m for the completion of emergency works at Marley Playing Field. The additional budget of £1.5m will be funded from the inflation budget added to the 2022-23 CIP (CS0395w).

Action:  Director of Finance and IT

 Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

The Strategic Director, Place will submit a report (Document “K”) which provides details of the Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which has now been in place and applies to new development since July 2017. The report relates to the investment of the strategic CIL fund.

The report seeks Executive approval for the investment of the CIL strategic fund collected 1^st April 2022 to 31^st March 2023.

Recommended –

(1)  That the Executive agree the allocation of the CIL Strategic Fund as set out in Tables 2 and 3 (up to March 2023)be used to contribute to education, recreation and open space, active travel, habitat mitigation, libraries and public realm.

(2)  That the Executive agree the allocation of the Strategic CIL Pot in Table 4 as follows:

(3)  That any allocation from the Strategic Pot is allocated to assist in the funding of the schemes stated within this report. The funding to be spent within five years from its allocation. Any unspent balance held on that date to be returned to the CIL accounts for reinvestment.

(4)  That the Strategic Director (Place) delegates to the Assistant Director of Planning Transportation and Highways to liaise with other Assistant Directors and Portfolio Holders to remind of the purpose of the Strategic Pot and how the CIL funds retained within it may be accessed to help deliver infrastructure projects.

(5)  That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transportation and Highways in consultation with the Portfolio Holder are approved to agree allocations and expenditure from the remaining balance of the Strategic Pot should requests be received during the course of the year.

(6)  That, at the July 2024 Executive, the Executive agrees to consider a further report prepared by the Strategic Director in consultation with Portfolio Holder on whether or not to allocate a maximum of £400,000.00 from the Sun Lane CIL payments to help fund the extension works to the Grange Park Surgery, Burley in Wharfedale. The allocation will be subject, amongst any other matters deemed necessary by the Council, to the following conditions:

1.    That the Grange Park Surgery enter a funding agreement with BMDC setting out the process for drawing down the CIL funding, the return of unspent money and the arrangement for returning the monies should the Surgery cease to exist this may include placing a legal charge on the property. Bradford Council reserve the right to include other matters in any such funding agreement.

2.    That the Grange Park Surgery only request CIL funding once the funds raised by personal loans have been exhausted.

3.    All requests for CIL funding to be drawn down must be supported by evidence of spend.

4.    In the event that planning permission for the extension is not secured, or is secured but fails to commence and therefore expires, the CIL allocation will not be allocated the Surgery for use on other projects. The  ...  view the full agenda text for item 22.

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “K”) provided details of the Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which was now in place and applied to new developments since July 2017. The report related to the investment of the strategic CIL fund. The Assistant Director, Place summarised the report and highlighted that just over £600,000 of CIL money was received by the Council linked to development activity in the district. The Assistant Director explained that the report set out proposed allocations and a brief outline of the proposed spend.

The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport stated that the breakdown of the allocations looked positive and were focussed in the correct areas. The Portfolio Holder also described how the CIL funding could be invested back into the community to deliver a positive impact.

Resolved –

(1)  That the Executive agree the allocation of the CIL Strategic Fund as set out in Tables 2 and 3 (up to March 2023) be used to contribute to education, recreation and open space, active travel, habitat mitigation, libraries and public realm.

(2)  That the Executive agree the allocation of the Strategic CIL Pot in Table 4 as follows:

(3)  That any allocation from the Strategic Pot is allocated to assist in the funding of the schemes stated within this report. The funding to be spent within five years from its allocation. Any unspent balance held on that date to be returned to the CIL accounts for reinvestment.

(4)  That the Strategic Director (Place) delegates to the Assistant Director of Planning Transportation and Highways to liaise with other Assistant Directors and Portfolio Holders to remind of the purpose of the Strategic Pot and how the CIL funds retained within it may be accessed to help deliver infrastructure projects.

(5)  That the Assistant Director of Planning, Transportation and Highways in consultation with the Portfolio Holder are approved to agree allocations and expenditure from the remaining balance of the Strategic Pot should requests be received during the course of the year.

(6)  That, at the July 2024 Executive, the Executive agrees to consider a further report prepared by the Strategic Director in consultation with Portfolio Holder on whether or not to allocate a maximum of £400,000.00 from the Sun Lane CIL payments to help fund the extension works to the Grange Park Surgery in Burley in Wharfedale. The allocation will be subject, amongst any other matters deemed necessary by the Council, to the following conditions: 

1.    That the Grange Park Surgery enter a funding agreement with BMDC setting out the process for drawing down the CIL funding, the return of unspent money and the arrangement for returning the monies should the Surgery cease to exist this may include placing a legal charge on the property. Bradford Council reserve the right to include other matters in any such funding agreement.

2.    That the Grange Park Surgery only request CIL funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.