(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.

The following disclosures of interest were received in the interest of clarity:

(i)            In relation to the Item on Parks and Green Spaces (Minute 40),    Councillor Dodds declared that she was Chair of the Friends of     Brackenhill Park.

(ii)          In relation to the item on Bierley Post Office (Minute 36),    Councillor Warburton stated that he knew the owner of Bierley     Post Office, however he had not discussed the matter with the             owner.  Councillor Watson also stated that she worked for the   Royal Mail.

(iii)         In relation to the item land at Spen View (Minute 38), Councillor Warburton also declared that a Member of his family previously         owned the land referred to as Spen View.

ACTION: City Solicitor

Recommended –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2019 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Yusuf Patel – 01274 434579)

That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 October 2019 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(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 Tuesday 28 January 2020.

(Yusuf Patel - 01274 434579)

There were no questions submitted by the public.

The Council has received a nomination to list property known as Bierley Post Office as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011.

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services will submit a report

(Document “P”) which considers whether the nomination and nominated asset meet the Asset of Community Value criteria set out in the Localism Act and contains a recommendation as to whether or not the nomination should be approved.

Recommended –

That in accordance with Option 1 set out in Document “P” it is recommended to the Director of Corporate Resources that the nomination of the property known as Bierley Post Office

is accepted and it is registered as an Asset of Community Value.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Nigel Gillatt - 01274 434224)

The Council had received a nomination to list a property known as Bierley Post Office as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011.

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services submitted a report

(Document “P”) which evaluated whether the nomination and nominated asset met the Asset of Community Value criteria set out in the Localism Act and contained a recommendation as to whether or not the nomination should be approved.

The Senior Estates Surveyor that this application was also being proposed by the same nominator.  He stressed that part of the building was owned by InCommunities and rented out as a flat and therefore the nomination would not include this element of the building .

During the discussion it become apparent that Incommunites and the Royal Mail had not been consulted on the nomination and it was therefore:

Resolved –

That the nomination of the property known as Bierley Post Office

to be registered as an Asset of Community Value be deferred to allow for further consultation with the Post Office and InCommunities.

ACTION : Director of Corporate Resources

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

The Council has received a nomination to list property known as Bierley Recreation Ground as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services will submit a report

(Document “Q”) which considers whether the nomination and nominated asset meet the Asset of Community Value criteria set out in the Localism Act and contains a recommendation as to whether or not the nomination should be approved.

Recommended –

That in accordance with Option 1 set out in Document “Q” that the Director of Corporate Resources be recommended to accept the nomination of the land known as Bierley Recreation Ground as an Asset of Community Value.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Nigel Gillatt - 01274 434224)

The Council had received a nomination to list a property known as Bierley Recreation Ground as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011.

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services submitted a report

(Document “Q”) which evaluated whether the nomination and nominated asset met the Asset of Community Value criteria set out in the Localism Act and contained a recommendation as to whether or not the nomination should be approved.

During the discussion, a Member ascertained why a Community Asset Transfer had not been looked at as an alternate, and it was explained that this was a separate process outside of the remit of this application.

A Member ascertained whether “clubs” using the recreation ground had been approached by officers on the proposed nomination and it was stated that no such approach had been made and Member therefore:

Resolved –

That the nomination of the land known as Bierley Recreation Ground as an Asset of Community Value be deferred to allow for consultation with interested parties.

ACTION : Director of Corporate Resources

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

The Council has received a nomination to list property known as Land at Spen View Lane, Bierley, Bradford as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services will submit a report

(Document “R”) which considers whether the nomination and nominated asset meet the Asset of Community Value criteria set out in the Localism Act and contains a recommendation as to whether or not the nomination should be approved.

Recommended –

That in accordance with Option 1 set out in Document “R” that the Director of Corporate Resources be recommended to accept the nomination of the land known as Land at Spen View Lane, Bierley, Bradford as an Asset of Community Value.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Nigel Gillatt - 01274 434224)

The Council had received a nomination to list a property known as Land at Spen View Lane, Bierley, Bradford as an Asset of Community Value under the Localism Act 2011.

The Strategic Director of Corporate Services submitted a report

(Document “R”) which evaluated whether the nomination and nominated asset met the Asset of Community Value criteria set out in the Localism Act and contained a recommendation as to whether or not the nomination should be approved.

The Senior Estates Surveyor stated that under the Localism Act 2011, if a property is listed, a disposal of the property requires that the Council needs to be informed, in order to facilitate any applications for interest from the community and allow for a bid to be entertained.  Once an application for an asset of community value is approved, this would form a material consideration in any future planning application concerning the property and/ or site.

The Land at Spen View was primarily used by dog walkers although no rights of way had been established over this land.  In addition the right to roam did not apply in this case, recreational use of the land was ancillary with a number of horses grazing on the land, with a kissing gate and fence around the land in question.  It is felt that the land does not qualify to be listed as an asset of community value and the nomination was therefore being recommended for refusal.

In response to a question regarding current recreational use, particularly by dog walkers it was stressed that Spen View was designated as private land.  In addition if the current owner was to sell the land and this nomination was accepted, any sale would be delayed by this process.

In response to a question regarding the owner, the officer confirmed that the owner was aware of the application.

A local resident was present at the meeting and she urged Members to accept the nomination to allow the land to be registered as an asset of community value as it was invaluable to local dog walkers, and in the absence of other land, if it was to be developed in the future, would result in a loss of valuable green space.

A Member stated that Bierley Woods was in close proximity to Spen View and could be used by dog walkers as an alternative.

Resolved –

That the nomination of the land known as Land at Spen View Lane, Bierley, Bradford as an Asset of Community Value be rejected.

ACTION : Director of Corporate Resources

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

The Programme Director (Bradford Opportunity Area) will submit a report (Document “S”) which advises Members that Bradford has been identified as one of twelve, “Opportunity Areas”  for which the Department for Education (DfE) funds a small team to work with the District to agree and deliver priorities in improving social mobility.  The work is driven by an Opportunity Area Board made up of key stakeholders from across Bradford.  The group identified four priority areas of work:-

•           Strengthening school leadership and quality of teaching

•           Improving literacy and oracy (spoken English) including a focus on            parental engagement

•           Helping young people access rewarding careers

•           Removing health related barriers to learning

Appended to the report are details of investment in a wide range of activity specifically focused on the Bradford South area.

Recommended –

That the programme progress be noted for information and the use of the Social Mobility Dashboard be endorsed to support the work of the Area Committee.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Kathryn Loftus - 01274 434590)

The Programme Director (Bradford Opportunity Area) submit ted a report (Document “S”) which advised Members that Bradford had been identified as one of twelve, “Opportunity Areas”  for which the Department for Education (DfE) funds a small team to work with the District to agree and deliver priorities in improving social mobility.  The work is driven by an Opportunity Area Board made up of key stakeholders from across Bradford.  The group identified four priority areas of work:-

•           Strengthening school leadership and quality of teaching

•           Improving literacy and oracy (spoken English) including a focus on            parental engagement

•           Helping young people access rewarding careers

•           Removing health related barriers to learning

Appended to the report were details of investment in a wide range of activity specifically focused on the Bradford South area.

The  Programme Director gave a detailed overview of the Opportunity Area Fund particularly in a Bradford South context.  The funding would be for 3 years to support young people achieve better educational outcomes and improve social mobility .  The Opportunity Area was not a Council led programme but made up of a Partnership Board of key stakeholders.

During the discussion, the Chair extended his thanks to the work done by the Opportunity Area Fund in the Tong Ward and that he fully supported the work they were doing.

A Member expressed her disappointment that no work was being done in the Schools in Wibsey ward. In response it was explained that the need across the Bradford was great and there was an imperative to prioritise work in Schools with the greatest challenges, particularly in terms of poor Ofsted judgements and deprivation.  However a number of children who live in Wibsey ward would be attending schools where funding had been earmarked.

It was acknowledged that more detailed indicators of what support was being offered in which Schools would be a useful inclusion in future reports.

A Member in welcoming the much needed investment in the Great Horton Ward, questioned the validity of the issues and figures outlined in the report, and felt that some of this data was historical, and in addition how were social mobility and its impacts measured. In response it was explained that the appendices to the report provided a breakdown, albeit to say that Secondary School performance was poor in Bradford South with the majority of these Schools requiring improvement.

The officer stressed that to this end a locality based approach was a better model for tackling issues and improving educational outcomes.  It was also stressed that in working with Schools and other agencies, the intention was not to duplicate what they were already doing in terms of improvement measures.

In response to a question on shared resources, it was explained that Head teachers were being supported as well as new teachers through the Programme.

A Member stressed that it was important to stress the progress Schools were making as a result of this additional support and funding.

In response to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

The operational management and maintenance of Bradford District’s Parks and Green Spaces is a service devolved to Area Committees.  The service merged with the Street Cleansing Service in April 2019.

The Strategic Director Place will submit a report (Document “T”) which seeks to review the activity during the past year and the trends and direction options where available for future service delivery.

Recommended –

That the Bradford South Area Committee welcomes the content of this report and the smooth merger of the operational management and maintenance of Parks and Green Spaces with the Street Cleansing Service, whilst reducing the number of complaints to the service over the summer.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Regeneration & Environment

(David Cansfield - 01274 437026)

The operational management and maintenance of Bradford District’s Parks and Green Spaces is a service devolved to Area Committees.  The service merged with the Street Cleansing Service in April 2019.

The Strategic Director Place submitted a report (Document “T”) which  reviewed the activity during the past year and the trends and direction options where available for future service delivery.

The Strategic Director gave a detailed overview of the activities in Bradford South which were detailed in the report.

During the discussion it was explained that work done with the Friends of Groups was invaluable in promoting activities and events in Parks across Bradford South.

A Member stated that officer attendance at Friend of Groups meetings would be invaluable and that they could act as a point of contact.  In response it was explained that the Service had been severely constrained over the years due to budget cuts and therefore officers were hard pressed to attend evening meetings, however if there were particular issues/events that required officer attendance , officer attendance would be facilitated.

Members welcomed the proposal to create more natural meadow areas in parks to reduce the need for grass cutting and also suggested the exploration of more sustainable streets as well as the planting of shared areas, thereby encourage the thriving of wildlife.

Resolved –

(1)       That the content of Document “T” and the smooth merger of the           operational management and maintenance of Parks and Green            Spaces with the Street Cleansing Service be welcomed, whilst          reducing the number of complaints to the service over the           summer.

(2)       That the Area Committee confirms its view on trialling and expanding the concept of ‘nature friendly’ parks within Bradford South.

ACTION: The Strategic Director Place

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Regeneration & Environment

The Bradford South Area Coordinator will submit a report (Document “U”) which updates Members on the Street Cleansing service including detailed information on complaints and performance in relation to litter and flytipping. The report also provides information on recent major changes including the merger with Parks and Green spaces, service redesign and the recent recruitment of new staff.

Recommended –

(1)       Bradford South Area Committee notes the information in this     report, particularly the major changes to the service, the         information on complaints and monitoring of cleanliness             standards and the community involvement in reducing litter.

(2)       That a further report is presented in 2020 outlining the full-year impact of operational changes made since April 2019.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee:  Regeneration and Environment

(Damian Fisher - 01274 437146)

The operational management and maintenance of Bradford District’s Parks and Green Spaces is a service devolved to Area Committees.  The service merged with the Street Cleansing Service in April 2019.

The Strategic Director Place submitted a report (Document “T”) which  reviewed the activity during the past year and the trends and direction options where available for future service delivery.

The Parks ? Street Cleansing Managergave a detailed overview of the activities in Bradford South which were detailed in the report.

During the discussion a number of Members raised concerns around the cleanliness of their respective wards, in particular Great Horton Ward, Wibsey High Street as well as the issue of dog fouling.  In response it was explained that given the reductions to the Street Cleansing budget a revised working arrangement was now in place to deal with issues of littering across the district.  Officers were working hard to address issues; however hotspots remained, with efforts to promote changes in behaviour also being pursued to reduced incidence of littering.

Litter emanating from the high concentration of takeaways running along the length of Great Horton Road was also highlighted, and it was stressed that although proprietors of takeaways dealt with issues in the immediate vicinity of their establishment, much of the packaging was discarded after consumption, sometimes many miles from where it was purchased.

A Member stressed that clearly the issue of littering and the problems  associated with it had now reached a tipping point and officers needed to look at drastic measures beyond the ones that were currently being pursued, such as educational work in school in order to address the issue.

Resolved –

(1)       That  the information in Document “U” be noted, particularly the           major changes to the service, the information on complaints and   monitoring of cleanliness standards and the community   involvement in reducing litter.

(2)       That officers make some ‘tweaks’ to the operating model in order         to improve street cleansing in some Wards, a further report be            presented in 2020 outlining the full-year impact of operational          changes made since April 2019.

ACTION:  The Bradford South Area Coordinator

Overview and Scrutiny Committee:  Regeneration and Environment