To consider the attached motions of which notice has been given.
1. BRADFORD MARATHON
To be moved by Councillor Griffiths
Seconded by Councillor Reid
This Council notes the increasing popularity of running for health and recreation, and the success of the Bradford City Runs and the Epilepsy Action 10k.
This Council notes the iconic status of the Marathon as an event, and the benefits it has brought to cities that hold a Marathon.
Council therefore request the Strategic Director Environment and Sport to prepare a report into the costs, benefits and feasibility of holding a Marathon in the District.
2. PRIVATE RENTED HOUSING
To be moved by Councillor Fear
Seconded by Councillor Leeming
This Council believes that the people of the Bradford district should have access to affordable and safe homes which are up to a suitable standard.
This Council notes that a significant number of residents of the district live in homes which are privately rented and that this number has increased in recent years.
This Council also notes that there are a number of changes which are due to come into effect which will have a significant impact upon those that receive benefits.
This Council also notes that the overwhelming majority of private landlords provide homes of a good standard and that they play a vital role in providing homes for residents of the district.
This Council further notes that there have been over 3700 complaints about the actions of private landlords and of the standards in private rented properties over the last year.
This Council believes that it is necessary to be able to identify and contact private landlords with ease, for the purposes of being able to inform private landlords of changes to legislation and to provide a point of contact should complaints be made. This will help to drive standards up in the private rented sector as well as provide the opportunity for information to be shared to assist private landlords.
This Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive and relevant officers to create a mandatory register of private landlords, including their contact information.
3. EDUCATION
To be moved by Councillor Jeanette Sunderland
Seconded by Councillor Fear
This Council believes we should explore all options in the pursuit of raising the achievement and attainment of children in the District.
This Council therefore instructs the Chief Executive to
investigate:
1. The impact of short-term school closures on the achievement and attainment of children and young people.
2. The impact of moving to a different length of term school year on a child's ability to learn and the impact this would have on the achievement and attainment of children and young people.
3. The results of this investigation should be reported to the Council in a timely manner recommending if and how improvements to the levels of achievement and attainment could be made through these changes.
4. ENFORCEMENT CAMERAS
To be moved by Councillor Cooke
Seconded by Councillor Ellis
Changes are made to Bradford policies and plans to ensure that priority is always given to saving lives and reducing accidents.
Council notes:
(1) The extensive programme of installing enforcement cameras so as to manage public transport priorities
(2) Recent figures showing how up to 50% of injury accidents at traffic light junctions result from drivers crossing at red
Council believes that investment in enforcement using technology such as cameras should be to improve road safety rather than for the convenience of buses.
Council asks that
(1) Representations are made to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority regarding the improvement of road safety enforcement at traffic light junctions and calling for the end to further investment in bus lane enforcement until this urgent road safety issue is addressed.
(2) Changes are made to Bradford policies and plans to ensure that priority is always given to saving lives and reducing accidents.
5. CONSULTATIONS
To be moved by Councillor Miller
Seconded by Councillor Ellis
Council notes its obligations to consult with the public on a wide range of decisions, policies and strategies.
Council resolves to review current approaches to consultation so as to:
(1) Make the language used in documentation more accessible using the Plain English Society guidance as the basis for this review
(2) Improve local connections through earlier and better engagement with ward councillors
(3) Make better use of all media including social media, hyperlocal news sources and traditional off-line communications methods
6. LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
To be moved by Councillor Berry
Seconded by Councillor Green
This Council believes that as Corporate Parents we have a moral obligation to ensure that all children in our care have the best services, support and outcomes that we as a Local Authority, working together with partners and communities, can give.
The Council notes that
currently children in care who are with foster carers can 'Stay
put' until 21 years of age but children in residential care only
stay until 18 and that sometimes these
children leave at 16 or 17. The Council believes that this
represents discrimination against a group of vulnerable children
and young people who sometimes have very complex needs.
The Council resolves to call on the Government to amend the
Children and Families Act 2014 to enable children to stay under the
care of the local authority until 21 years of age and to make
sufficient resources available to fund this.
7. DEMONSTRATIONS
To be moved by Councillor Engel
Seconded by Councillor Green
This Council recognises the
importance of the Human Rights Act and the rights of people to
demonstrate peacefully for and against issues that may offend
others.
The Council also believes that the people in the places where these
demonstrations take place have the right to go about their
legitimate business without fear and intimidation.
This
Council notes
1)
The potential for demonstrations such as the recent
one held by the EDL in Bradford to damage community relations and
disrupt the District’s economy.
2)
That the recent demonstration was the fourth held by
this organisation in the last 5 years.
3)
The costs incurred by public services as a result of
those demonstrations.
4)
That most of the participants in the demonstrations
and counter demonstrations were from outside the district and that
organisations such as the EDL target our district to try and stir
up community tensions in areas where they do not have to live with
the consequences.
5) Despite the claim that these are peaceful assemblies the evidence of our district and elsewhere in the country is that both in practice and intention this is not the case.
The Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to seek senior, external legal advice about the steps we may be able to take under the Human Rights Act and other legislation to protect communities and businesses from disruption when organisations seeking to demonstrate in our district have a history of non-peaceful activity and how we can balance the rights of outside demonstrators with the rights of the communities we serve.
8. HOUSING AND PLANNING BILL
To be moved by Councillor Val Slater
Seconded by Councillor Shafiq
This Council notes that:
(1) The Housing and Planning Bill is currently being debated in Parliament, and if passed would threaten the provision of affordable homes for rent and buy through:
(2) There is no commitment in the Bill that affordable homes will be replaced like-for-like in the local area
(3) Whilst measures to help first-time buyers are welcome, the 'starter homes' proposals in the Bill will be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country ,will not preserve the taxpayer investment, and will be built at the expense of genuinely-affordable homes to rent and buy.
(4) The proposal in the bill to waive payment of Community Infrastructure Levy in respect of developments which are made up of starter homes does not provide for necessary infrastructure relating to these developments
(5) The Bill undermines localism by taking 32 new wide and open-ended powers for the Secretary of State over councils and local communities, including the ability to override local plans, to mandate rents for social tenants, and to impose a levy on stock-holding councils, violating the terms of the housing revenue account self-financing deals
(6) The Bill, whilst introducing some welcome measures to get to grips with rogue landlords, does not help with the high rents, poor conditions and insecurity affecting many of England's 11m private renters - including one in four families with children and does nothing to help arrest the recent rise in homelessness
The Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State outlining the impact of these proposals on Bradford and stating our concerns about the bill.
