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.
Will the Leader join me in congratulating the volunteers at Undercliffe Cemetery upon receiving the Queen's Award for voluntary service earlier this summer? Day in, day out, this dedicated team give up their free time to care for this very special place, ensuring it is preserved and enhanced for future generations.
Although the original Manchester Road park and ride proposal made little sense to me and many others in its entirety, a crucial part of any “park and ride” scheme is the parking bit, so to now proceed with half a scheme (just the “ride” bit), especially when it is budgeted at £15.3m compared to the £20m budgeted for the whole scheme which included a 750 space car park and public transport terminal building, seems even less likely be successful, so could the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport confirm how many additional bus journeys the latest proposals are expected to generate?
What steps does the Council take to ensure the safety of people, in particular children and their families, who are housed with registered providers that fail to meet regulatory standards?
Now that the Clean Air Zone has ‘gone live’, will the Leader of Council share the current proposals for managing the revenue that will be generated and what mechanisms will be in place for councillors from all parties to contribute to how this revenue is spent?
Councillors and officers have driven the ambition and planning behind Bingley’s bid for the levelling up fund and it’s now down to the government to help make it happen. Can the portfolio holder set out the significant benefits to be gained through Bingley’s bid into the levelling up fund and advise what are the next steps in terms of government assessing the bids?
Does the Leader share my significant concern that the Government’s recent budget announcements have made the national cost of living crisis even worse and left even more people worrying about paying their bills?
Would the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport please clarify, Bradford Council’s plans for future redevelopment of the old Bingley Town Hall, as this building will soon be unoccupied and there are local concerns that the building if not properly maintained will be left to become derelict?
Will the portfolio holder give an update on the improvements the council is making to parks and green spaces in the district?
Can the portfolio holder confirm when works are scheduled to begin and complete on pedestrianising and improving parts of the city centre as part of the Transforming Cities projects?
Will the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport please assure members that as well as monitoring pollution levels on roads which will be used by non-compliant vans and lorries avoiding the Clean Air Zone, the council will be accurately monitoring accidents on these routes, as these roads are often far less suitable for heavy traffic?
How many storm water attenuation tanks are there in the District and what arrangements does the Council make to ensure they are being correctly operated and maintained?
Given the recent announcement about the Council’s plans to demolish and redevelop the Kirkgate site, what measures are being put in place to ensure that the redevelopment is carbon neutral and provides the best quality housing, leisure and business space for Bradford residents and businesses?
It’s great news we are able to provide more grants for new and small businesses in Keighley. Can the portfolio holder give more information on which businesses might qualify and how they can apply?
Can the portfolio holder give a summary of our plans to keep our services running through the winter months and advise how much of the district’s road network will be gritted?
Would the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport confirm what thought was given to the livelihoods of the owners and employees of the 46 existing shops located in the Kirkgate Centre, when the decision was taken to buy it for £15.5m in order to demolish it?
Can the portfolio holder advise what work we are doing with schools to support better school attendance?
As the government pushes for more fracking to be undertaken across the country, will the Leader advise if our district could be affected?
Would the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport confirm how the demolition of the NCP site and also the Kirkgate Centre, which combined will result in a loss of over 1000 car parking spaces in the city centre, will attract inward investment opportunities and also visitor footfall for shopping and leisure purposes, particularly after the opening of the new Bradford Live venue with a capacity of over 4000 people?
How optimistic are we that government will approve our Levelling Up fund bid for Keighley?
The Levelling Up bid to regenerate Odsal is really exciting. Can the portfolio holder advise how advanced talks are with the Bradford Bulls and the Rugby Football League to make it a reality and what are the key benefits of the scheme.
Due to the removal of a radio beacon at RAF Gamston, Leeds Bradford Airport announced Airspace Change Proposals (ACP), seeking to look at the airspace up to 7,000 feet, including arrival and departure routes. Given that over 75% of the airport’s air traffic over flies the Bradford District and Council have made a commitment to address climate change and to protect the health and wellbeing of district residents from poor air quality, would the Portfolio Holder confirm why the Council, in its role as a statutory consultee, has failed to engage in the ACP for the benefit of district residents?
I know the Leader has previously written to government to make the case for much-needed rebuilds of our district’s hospitals, including Airedale which is in desperate need of urgent repairs to its roof as a bare minimum. When can we expect action from government?
Will the Leader join me in congratulating Bangladeshi Youth Organisation on celebrating its 40th anniversary as a trailblazer in supporting members of the Manningham community and the wider Bradford district?
As much of Bradford’s inner-city brownfield fails financial viability assessments for housing development, could the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport please provide members with assurance that the proposed 1,000-home city village, incorporating the site of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre does not fail the same assessments and will contribute greatly to the inner city regeneration which is the key to the growing of our economy, which all members wish to see?
What are the ambulance response times for the District for each category of call, are these response times being impacted by ambulance wait times and how many calls to the service fail to connect?
Will the Leader of Council please update us on the impact of the huge increase in energy costs and inflationary pressures on the Council’s finances, and what the Executive is doing to address these challenges, bearing in mind that the Executive recently considered a report on our Medium Term Financial Strategy on 6 September which showed that we were already facing a £77m shortfall in our budget at that point for the 2023-2024 financial year?
Can the Leader give detail of where the warm spaces will be to support people through the winter cost of living crisis in the district?
I’m delighted that Wyke Sports Village is now open as it will benefit people in my ward and beyond for many years to come. Can the portfolio holder give a breakdown of some of the clubs and types of sports and activities that will be able to take advantage of the great new facilities?
Could the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport please explain the process for the naming of streets in new housing developments, clarifying who is entitled to put forward alternative suggestions and whether any individual or group of members and /or officers approve those suggestions prior to the consultation with Ward Councillors?
I know the council has done extensive work, including through scrutiny and with partner organisations in recent years to crack down on antisocial behaviour with fireworks. Can the portfolio holder advise how the district is preparing for this year’s Bonfire Night period?
How has the council and district been marking World Mental Health Day this year?
Would the Leader of the Council please confirm for members, which front line / customer facing teams of council officers are required to undertake safeguarding and CSE training and clarify the criteria used to decide which staff require this training?
In the context of rising inflation and resource constraints, I understand all capital schemes are being re-evaluated including the Bradford-Shipley Road Improvement Scheme. Can you reassure us that if the re-evaluation results in changes, they will be subject to further engagement and consultation?
As part of the Transforming Cities Fund the council is spending £38m on pedestrianizing one area in the city centre, whilst de-pedestrianising Well Street for use by buses, in order to “kick-start the regeneration of Little Germany and help fill the units at the back of Broadway”, would the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport Portfolio clarify what evidence gives him confidence that this will happen?
Minutes:
Details of the questions from Members to the Leader of Council and Portfolio Holders and the answers given had been circulated and published on the Council’s website.
Supporting documents:
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