To deal with supplementary questions arising from the attached questions of which written notice has been given.
Notes:
(i) Answers to written questions shall be circulated at the commencement of the meeting.
(ii) The Lord Mayor will have regard to the list of questions and the political composition of the Council in calling on Members to put their supplementary question to the Leader of Council and Portfolio Holders.
(iii) A period of up to 30 minutes shall be available for supplementary questions to Members of the Executive.
There seems to be an epidemic of e-scooters across the country and in the Bradford District. If people decide to purchase a motorised bike they need a licence and insurance. It appears that e-scooters are exempt. What are the rules and regulations for these two wheeled scooters that are silent so cannot be heard if behind pedestrians, they speed along footpaths, they can be seen on roads and in some cases young children ride them in the Council’s parks?
The A6038 Otley Road through Baildon is a major route which is constantly busy with traffic. In recent years it has been closed for weeks at a time for roadworks causing delays to motorists, increased traffic on residential streets and pollution. Are you able to ensure in future utility works are done at the same time as much as possible, that diversion and access only signs are erected much sooner and that utility companies are requested to work seven days a week and into the evenings to minimise disruption?
Following the delay to Spring 2022 for finishing the work at Greengates Junction can the Portfolio Holder please advise what support is in place for businesses located on and around the junction and continue to be disrupted by the work that has now been underway for a year. Can the portfolio holder also outline what additional support is being offered given the disruption is now set to continue for an additional 6 months?
According to the Forward Plan during the summer, the Executive were due to consider a report on ‘Enforcement of Stationary Vehicle Engine Idling Offences in the Bradford District’ at its meeting on September 7th, however the report was not on the final agenda for that meeting. Can the Leader of Council explain why the report was not considered as originally planned and tell us when it will be received by Executive?
Please could Councillors be given the data obtained from the air monitoring station situated on the car park on the corner of Tong Street and Broadstone Way? Could we also see how this compares with data from other air monitoring stations across the district?
National research has shown that black women are 4 more times likely to die in childbirth than white women. What are the statistics in Bradford and if this is also the case in Bradford what are we doing about it?
The Railway Children Walk is famous across the world and thousands of people walk it every year. It is disappointing to note that part of the walk from Ebor Lane, Haworth has been closed for repairs without any notification to ward Councillors. Please can you advise when repairs will be carried out so the walk can reopen?
At the time of writing, the longlist of cities bidding to become UK City of Culture is due to be announced shortly. Can the Leader of Council update members on what are the next steps?
Communities across the district are sick and tired of the anti-social use of fireworks, not just around Bonfire Night but throughout the year. Can the portfolio holder set out what can be done to combat this menace?
In light of the seemingly never ending frustration felt by Bingley residents and Ward Councillors, due to Bingley Pool remaining closed and numerous requests for information from the council, regarding details of the work required, its cost and when it will be done, not receiving a single substantive response, would the Leader of the Council please fully detail the timescale and costs for the repairs required to open the pool and also explain the failure to provide information to elected members in a timely manner?
What is the actual length of time from referral through to sign-off for an Education and Health Care Plan for both children and young people, and once the plan is signed off what is the length of time before payment is made?
I’d like to know what the current protocols are for keeping parents informed about Covid cases in schools. Shouldn’t schools still be informing parents of a positive Covid case, in the same way that they do for head lice?
Does the Leader share my concern that the Government is continuing to delay its announcement on which bids have been successful for the Community Renewal Fund? The Government said it would announce successful projects in July 2021 and the funding has to be spent by March 2022. Doesn’t the Government’s delay put the viability of the projects at risk?
Could the Portfolio Holder inform members of the amount spent maintaining the Ilkley Lido pool between 2014 to 2021, broken down yearly?
I know the Leader shares my deep concern about the Government’s decision to cut Universal Credit to the poorest households. Do we have information on what the impact will be on our district?
The crisis in deliveries and supply chains across the country is causing empty shelves and queues for petrol. Can the Leader tell us how the Council and the district is affected and how we are managing the situation?
Most residents entitled to parking permits no longer have a paper visitor permit, which were readily (legitimately) transferable amongst visitors, but instead, now have to register up to ten vehicle registration numbers, though only one of these is listed as the primary one, meaning this needs altering online or by phone every time a resident gets a new visitor. Some elderly people in Baildon have three visitors per day meaning this is completely impractical. Surely it can be altered to be “one of ten” numbers?
Can the portfolio holder give an update on our vital campaign to get a Bradford city centre stop on Northern Powerhouse Rail?
I welcome our planned £6m investment in brand-new facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Bingley Grammar and the expansion in student capacity. Can the portfolio holder give more information on what the investment will provide for local people?
Bradford Council currently hold in trust over £220K following the sale of the former Bingley Arts Science and Technical school. In May 2019 it was agreed that a new charity then 1887 Alfred Sharp Educational Trust would be established to invest these funds and allocate them through a grant scheme that supported educational projects in Bingley. What are the reasons why the charity has yet to be registered with the Charity commission & when will the interested organisations in Bingley be able to apply for funding under the proposed award scheme?
Keighley Library is one of the great heritage buildings of this district and I welcome that we are investing in more improvements to the building over the coming weeks. Can the portfolio holder give an update on what the works involve and the arrangements for library users while the improvements are being put in place?
Can I have an update on what work we are doing with partners to ensure high quality mental health support is available to everyone in this district particularly as we emerge from Covid?
As it is vital for the effective operation of Council committees that the work of supporting Officers is not impeded by excessively cautious and restrictive Covid 19 related measures, when the vast majority of Council employees, with few exceptions on specific individual health grounds, having had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated, can the Leader of the Council offer Members any plausible justification for continuation of Covid social distancing measures to be observed in City Hall and other relevant venues by Council employees?
Broken down by ward, how many street light columns underwent emergency cut down following the surveys by the Smart Street Lighting Team Early this year. Of these how many have now been replaced, and how may have been identified as a priority asset but are still to be replaced.
It was good to see that the council with health partners has been given a national award for its work during the Covid pandemic. Will the Leader give an update on the next phase of the COVID response and containment as we emerge from restrictions as a district?
As a Labour run council we put tackling inequality and promoting inclusion at the heart of our work. Can the Leader tell us how we have marked National Inclusion Week this year?
Would the Leader of Council agree that in light of the massive disruption to young peoples’ lives, caused by lockdowns etc due to Covid 19, including the subsequent damage to their physical and mental health, measures to reopen youth club premises such as those in Bingley and Shipley, both closed to due to ventilation issues, should be an urgent priority?
Could the portfolio holder tell me how successful was the Holiday Activities and Food Programme in the school summer holidays and what plans might he have for school holiday events in the future?
Can the Portfolio Holder tell us about the new Hate Crime Strategy launched this month, how is its implementation going to protect residents and give them confidence to report these awful crimes?
With the fantastic news of the recently announced investment in space technology to the university, would the Leader of the Council reflect on the huge contributions that Braford citizens have made in this “sphere” of work including the tracking of the furthest man-made objects as they leave our solar system and the mapping of the moon for both GPS and email, in preparation for human habitation and further exploration, along with other note worthies such as Sir Fred Hoyle and the fact that we haven’t been able to retain that talent within the district, including the loss of the star centre and fablab, sanctioned by the council, which gave 57,000 children an opportunity to be involved and would the Leader of the Council confirm, what actions the Council intends to implement, to retain such able people to create employment and learning opportunities within the area in future, rather than losing cutting edge knowledge to other areas?
Can the portfolio holder tell members what we are doing to mark Black History Month?
As the A6034 highway demonstrably does not have sufficient capacity to adequately cope with existing traffic levels in Silsden, creating gridlocks and traffic chaos and causing much frustration for the residents of Silsden, the neighbouring villages of Addingham, Steeton, Eastburn and the wider area, could the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, please explain for the benefit of the residents, if and when the unsustainable expectations placed upon highway and other essential infrastructure will be acknowledged and resolved?
In light of the Council’s commitments to Regenerating the City and Town Centres in the Bradford District, coupled with a need to assist the local economy to recover from the Covid 19 related hardships felt by retailers and many other employers throughout the district, would the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, commit to offering free, time limited parking in the run up to Christmas to encourage shoppers to go local rather than driving out to out of town shopping centres etc?
Does the Portfolio Holder think it is acceptable that whilst other libraries are fully open, Baildon residents are still not able to browse for books and use other services within the building due to maintenance issues and can we be provided with a commitment as to when they will be able to?
What is the current final destination of recyclable materials collected at the kerbside?
Could the Leader of the Council confirm whether the Bradford Council Labour administration is supportive of the frequently illegal actions of Insulate Britain protestors, including Labour party councillors from Yorkshire, in blocking major roads around London?
Given that toilet facilities are a key factor in any bathing designation, could the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport explain why the Council failed to correct the River Wharfe bathing application claim that public toilets are in place in the designated bathing area, until after the application was approved and would he confirm that he is confident that approvals are legal in circumstances where false / inaccurate information has been taken into consideration during the approval process?
Is there a food waste food/food litter problem on the Norfolk Gardens side of City Hall, given that rats have appeared between the memorials and the bus stops?
Minutes:
Council Document “Item 10” details the questions from Members to the Leader of Council and Portfolio Holders and the answers given.
