(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 meetings held on 5 March 2024, including Budget Executive be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Yusuf Patel – 07970 411923)

Resolved –

That the minutes of the meetings held on 5 March 2024, including Budget Executive 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 – 07970 411923)

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

The following recommendations have been referred to the Executive:

(i)           Petition received at Council – Tuesday 12 March 2024

Petition - objection to the sale of Skirrow Street Car Park, Cottingley.

Resolved – That the petition be referred to the Executive for further consideration.

(ii)          Regeneration and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on Tuesday 19 March 2024

REPORT ON THE USE OF GLYPHOSATE FOR WEED CONTROL WITHIN BRADFORD METROPOLITAN DISTRICT COUNCIL

Resolved –

(1)       That, following consideration the options set out in Document “AG”, that Option 2: All Area constituencies to stop using        Glyphosate in all Parks and Cemeteries (except in exceptional use) using strimming as a control measure, in April 2024, be     recommended to the Executive for adoption. This would see the        adopted highway continue to be weed sprayed but avoiding        sensitive areas highlighted in Document “AG”.

(2)       That it be further recommended to the Execuitve that clear signs         be placed in all relevant areas explaining what the council is           doing.

(3)       That officers continue to add areas of high sensitivity to be avoided in         the use of glyphosate in particular areas around schools and play           parks.

(4)       That officers continue to liaise with other Local Authorities re best    practice and             experiences in the reduced use of glyphosate.

(5)       That should Option 2 be adopted (as set out in Resolution 1),            information be circulated to Area Committee Chairs informing them of      the cessation of glyphosate use (except in exceptional use) as detailed          in Option 2.

To be actioned by: Strategic Director, Place

(iii)        Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Thursday 21 March 2024

BRADFORD COUNCIL'S GAMBLING CROSS DEPARTMENTAL ACTION PLAN - PROGRESS REPORT

Resolved –

(1)       That this Committee requests progress against Bradford Councils G            ambling Cross Departmental Action Plan, be presented to this             Committee in 12 months, which also includes all outcomes delivered.

(2)       That this Committee requests that Bradford Councils Leader and Chief       Executive write to the District MP’s and Ministers, to encourage the          Gambling Commission and Helpline to refer cases to services, such as those provided by the NHS.

(3)       This Committee requests that Bradford Council Licensing consider a           proactive approach to under age activity inspections, of gambling          premises.

(4)       That this Committee asks the Executive to consider Bradford    becoming a gambling free advert zone, similar to Sheffield and       explore possibility of Bradford 2025 Capital of Culture events, to not advertise gambling related activities.

To be actioned by – Director of Public Health

(Yusuf Patel  – 07970 411923)

Petition referred from Council - Objection to the sale of Skirrow Street Car Park, Cottingley.

Petitioners addressed the meeting at the invitation of the Leader and outlined the difficulties associated with parking in the area and explained how the sale of Skirrow Street Car Park would exacerbate parking issues and potentially compromise health and safety due to access issues for emergency vehicles. The financial difficulties that the Council faced were acknowledged although concerns were expressed regarding the impact reduced parking facilities would have on community groups and activities.

The Leader thanked petitioners for their work within the local community and stated that the site was part of the wider asset disposal strategy agreed by the Executive on the 5 March 2024.

The Strategic Director of Corporate Resources added that there was a need to evaluate each item on the list as part of the Disposals Programme.

Resolved –

That the Strategic Director Corporate Resources takes into account the petition when conducting the asset review of this land as part of the Disposals Programme.

To be actioned by: Strategic Director, Corporate Resources

Recommendations from Regeneration and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on Tuesday 19 March 2024

Resolved –

That the recommendations from the Regeneration and Environment Overview & Scrutiny Committee be noted and that a report be brought back to a future meeting of the Executive.

To be actioned by: Strategic Director, Place

Recommendations from Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Thursday 21 March 2024

Resolved –

That the recommendation from the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Committee be noted and that a report be brought back to a future meeting of the Executive.

To be actioned by: Director of Public Health

(Councillor Hinchcliffe)

The Director of Finance will submit a report (Document AY) which provides Members with the forecast year-end financial position of the Council for 2023-24 and sets out the unprecedented scale of its financial challenges. It outlines the revenue and capital budgets and the year-end forecast financial position based on information at the end of February 2024. It states the Council’s current reserves and school balances.

The Council’s forecast overspend has a net decrease of £1.2m from Quarter 3/ Period 9 to £74.2m as outlined in the report. This is subject to the actual outturn, closure of the accounts and the pending balance sheet review. A final 2023-24 Finance Position Statement will be provided in July based on outturn data at the 31st March 2024.

The report outlines the unprecedented overspend, and the ongoing action being undertaken to address the current challenges and further urgent action that will be required to secure a sustainable financial position. The Council has now effectively run out of reserves, and consequently it applied for, and has now had approved, Exceptional Financial Support from Government of £80m for 2023-24 and £140m for 2024-25.

A capitalisation directive approved is however only an interim solution. To achieve a financially sustainable position, the Council and the Trust will need to deliver a combination of; significantly higher level of savings than is currently proposed; additional income, further asset disposals and further capital expenditure reductions.

A continuous cycle of identifying new savings and other measures to reducing the gap will need to be embedded in 2024-25.

Recommended –

That the Executive

(1)       Review and comment on the Qtr 4 Finance Position Statement for 2023-24

(2)       Note the following has been approved under Section 1.7 of the Financial Regulations for inclusion in the Capital programme:

·         £0.075m for capital works on the garden and the purchase of three hoists at a Children’s Residential Homes. This will be funded from the 2023-24 General Contingency budget included in the CIP.

(3)       Approve the charges for court costs in respect of Council Tax and Business Rates as outlined in section 15.3 to Document “AY”.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Andrew Cross – 01274 436823)

The report of the Director of Finance (Document “AY”) provided Members with the forecast year-end financial position of the Council for 2023-24 and sets out the unprecedented scale of the financial challenges. It outlined the revenue and capital budgets and the year-end forecast financial position based on information at the end of February 2024. The report also stated the Council’s current reserves and school balances.

The Head of Finance summarised the report which detailed that the Council’s forecast overspend had a net decrease of £1.2m from Quarter 3/ Period 9 to £74.2m and that this was subject to the actual outturn, closure of the accounts and the pending balance sheet review. The report outlined the unprecedented overspend, and the ongoing action being undertaken to address the current challenges and further urgent action that will be required to secure a sustainable financial position. The report explained that the Council had effectively run out of reserves, and consequently it applied for, and has now had approved, Exceptional Financial Support from Government of £80m for 2023-24 and £140m for 2024-25. It was noted that a capitalisation directive was only an interim solution. The report detailed that to achieve a financially sustainable position, the Council and the Trust would need to deliver a combination of; significantly higher level of savings than currently proposed; additional income, further asset disposals and further capital expenditure reductions. A continuous cycle of identifying new savings and other measures to reducing the gap would need to be embedded in 2024-25.

The Leader thanked the finance department for their work to ensure the Council was able to function in what was a financially challenging environment.

A Member of the opposition group queried section 9.8 of the report in relation to vacancy and abatement factor savings and expressed concern surrounding staffing levels and underdelivered savings.

The Portfolio Holder for Children and Families addressed the challenging financial times but underlined that the Bradford Children and Families Trust was making progress and that future years would see further reductions in agency staff.

Resolved –

(1)           That the Qtr 4 Finance Position Statement for 2023-24 be noted.

(2)           That it be noted that the following has been approved under Section 1.7 of the Financial Regulations for inclusion in the Capital programme:

·       £0.075m for capital works on the garden and the purchase of three hoists at a Children’s Residential Homes. This will be funded from the 2023-24 General Contingency budget included in the CIP.

(3)           That the charges for court costs in respect of Council Tax and Business Rates as outlined in section 15.3 to Document “AY” be approved.

To be actioned by: Director of Finance

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Andrew Cross – 01274 436823)

(Councillor Ferriby)

The Strategic Director of Adult Social Care and Health will submit a report

(Document “AZ”) which sets out ambitious plans for our health and care partnership to transform intermediate care (IMC) services in Bradford District and Craven. We have drawn on our District Plan and strategies as a Health and Care Partnership; approaching this challenge as one system, committed to the sustainability of all partners.

Recommended –

(1)       Members are asked to comment and agree the blueprint for       intermediate care in Bradford District and Craven.

(2)       Members are asked to agree the permanent closure of Thompson       Court Care Facility in Crossflatts and Norman Lodge Care Facility     in Odsal.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Health and Social Care

(Iain MacBeath – 01274 432990)

The report of the Strategic Director of Adult Social Care and Health (Document “AZ”) set out ambitious plans for the health and care partnership to transform intermediate care (IMC) services in Bradford District and Craven. This had drawn on the District Plan and strategies as a Health and Care Partnership; approaching this challenge as one system, committed to the sustainability of all partners.

It was outlined that Intermediate Care was a short-term health and social care service that could prevent the need for hospital admission, respond to a crisis, or expedite a hospital discharge. The collaboration between partners in Bradford were detailed.

The review of Intermediate Care services resulted in a new blueprint that prioritised jointly commissioned services that reduce hospital admissions, investment in community-based services which would enable people to return home from hospital with support.

Executive were informed that the decision to close Woodward Court care facility last year had resulted in no change in system performance. The Thompson Court and Normal Lodge care facilities were closed to new admissions over a period of time to assess how the system would cope with fewer beds, and it was found that community beds were still available, and no performance issues had arisen. It was noted that if the recommendations of the report were adopted this could achieve potential savings of £3m in a financial year.

The Leader highlighted that these facilities were not home to long-term residents and instead were for re-enablement to assist with getting back home. The Leader underlined the value of social care staff and asked how the Council could ensure that staff were retained. The Strategic Director of Adult Social Care and Health informed the Executive that following a meeting with unions, they were confident that it would be possible to redeploy all staff in the wider Council, but mostly in social care services.

The Portfolio Holder for Healthy People and Places thanked staff and partners in the NHS for their services to the community. The importance of services in the community to prevent hospital admissions and ensure people could return home were underlined.

Resolved –

(1)           That the blueprint for intermediate care in Bradford District and Craven be agreed.

(2)           That the permanent closure of Thompson Court Care Facility in Crossflatts and Norman Lodge Care Facility in Odsal be agreed.

To be actioned by: Strategic Director, Health and Wellbeing

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Health and Social Care

(Iain MacBeath – 01274 432990)

The Council resolved at the meeting of Executive on 13 July 2023 to be minded to allocate £400,000 from the Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), towards the costs of the construction of an extension of Grange Road GP Surgery Burley in Wharfedale, in order, to increase capacity of the practice. This was subject to the need for a further report to Executive to formally allocate the funds which were conditional on the receipt of CIL from the Sun Lane housing development and a funding agreement between the Council and the surgery.

The Strategic Director, Place will submit a report (Document “BA”) which confirms receipt of the first phase of funds from the development and a draft funding agreement has been prepared with the surgery and their lenders. The report recommends that the Council formally allocate the £400,000 to the Surgery in line with the funding agreement to support the delivery of the extension.

Recommended –

(1)       That the Executive approves the allocation of £400,000 from CIL to the Grange Park Surgery, Burley in Wharfedale

(2)       The allocation be made available in line with the mechanism set out within the draft funding agreement which allows staged draw down linked to the construction plan

(3)       That the implementation of the funding agreement and any variation required is delegated to the Strategic Director (Place) in consultation with the Interim Director of Legal and Governance, Section 151 Officer and the Portfolio Holder.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Regeneration and Environment

(Michala Bartle - 01274 432522)

The Council resolved at the meeting of Executive on 13 July 2023 to be minded to allocate £400,000 from the Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), towards the costs of the construction of an extension of Grange Road GP Surgery Burley in Wharfedale, in order, to increase capacity of the practice. This was subject to the need for a further report to Executive to formally allocate the funds which were conditional on the receipt of CIL from the Sun Lane housing development and a funding agreement between the Council and the surgery. 

The report of the Strategic Director, Place (Document “BA”) confirmed receipt of the first phase of funds from the development and that a draft funding agreement had been prepared with the surgery and their lenders. The report recommended that the Council formally allocate the £400,000 to the Surgery in line with the funding agreement to support the delivery of the extension.

The Planning and Transport Strategy Manager summarised the report and outlined the purpose of CIL funding, that supported infrastructure linked to new developments and was paid by the developer. Engagement with the surgery and the NHS was detailed.

Upon invitation from the Leader a Member of the opposition group addressed the Executive and detailed their joint work with the surgery to resolve some issues. Concerns were expressed regarding the timescale associated with the funding.

A Member of the majority group addressed the Executive and thanked all those involved in delivering the funding.

The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport acknowledged the timescale which was linked to the complexities associated with the project and the funding attached to it.

The pressure on GP services across the district was outlined and it was noted that projects like this would enable expansion and help address increased demand due to new residential developments.

Resolved –

(1)              That the allocation of £400,000 from CIL to the Grange Park Surgery, Burley in Wharfedale be approved.

(2)              That the allocation be made available in line with the mechanism set out within the draft funding agreement which allows staged draw down linked to the construction plan.

(3)              That the implementation of the funding agreement and any variation required be delegated to the Strategic Director (Place) in consultation with the Interim Director of Legal and Governance, Section 151 Officer and the Portfolio Holder.

To be actioned by: Strategic Director, Place

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Regeneration and Environment

(Michala Bartle - 01274 432522)