To consider notices of motion set out below:
12.1
Climate impacts of the Combined Authority’s investment plans
To be moved by Councillor Kevin Warnes
To be seconded by Councillor Anna Watson
Council notes that:
a) all five West Yorkshire district councils - led by Bradford - declared a ‘climate emergency’ in early 2019;
b) the West Yorkshire Combined Authority matched those declarations in June 2019;
c) the Combined Authority issued its ‘Carbon Emissions Reduction Pathways’ study in July 2020;
d) the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, was elected in May 2021 with a pledge to “tackle the climate emergency and protect our environment”.
Council further notes, with concern, that:
e) the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Carbon Impact Assessment Summary Findings Report (Mott Macdonald and Ricardo, January 2022) found that the Combined Authority does not yet have an overarching strategy that sets out the pathways that we need to follow in order to decarbonise our region by 2038;
f) the above report stated that “many of the projects in the Combined Authority’s investment pipeline do not seem to be sufficiently aligned with decarbonisation goals”;
g) the above report noted that “there was no formal process to track whether projects proposed for investment included an objective to addressing net zero, or to assess how likely any proposal will be supportive of West Yorkshire’s decarbonisation goals”;
h) the above report warned that the change in carbon emissions resulting from the Combined Authority’s 41 proposed investments was “small” and represented “only 0.04% between the ‘do minimum’ situation and the ‘do something’ proposed”.
Council therefore requests:
1) that the Leader of Council - in her capacity as both as a member of the Combined Authority and as Chair of the Combined Authority’s Transport Committee - and our Chief Executive work closely with the West Yorkshire Mayor and senior Combined Authority officers to urgently and fundamentally review the Combined Authority’s investment programme in order to ensure that its projects align with the Combined Authority’s stated aim of achieving a net zero carbon regional economy by 2038;
2) that the Chief Executive updates Council on progress relating to both of the above before the end of the 2022-2023 municipal year.
12.2
Bradford District pays its respects to Queen Elizabeth II and welcomes King Charles III
To be moved by Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
To be seconded by Councillor Rebecca Poulsen
With heavy hearts, communities across the Bradford District have paid their respects and offered their thanks for a life of public service to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Her late Majesty the Queen touched the lives of many millions of people throughout her 70-year reign. She first visited Bradford in October 1954, just 16 months after her Coronation, and continued to be loved and cherished by our communities across the district throughout the whole of her reign.
Queen Elizabeth II was highly regarded throughout the world, gaining respect for her measured, dignified and strong leadership through good times and bad.
The Bradford district welcomes King Charles III and wishes him well as he builds on his mother’s legacy and begins a new era. We look forward to welcoming him to Bradford at the earliest opportunity.
12.3
Supporting the Bradford district through the winter months
To be moved by Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
To be seconded by Councillor Abdul Jabar
Council notes:
The decisions taken by Government in its recent mini-Budget have been a surprise to local residents and businesses. We are all therefore naturally pre-occupied with the wellbeing of our district’s residents in the upcoming difficult months ahead.
We need the Chancellor to keep the residents of Bradford district in mind when he makes his statement on 23rd November setting out public service spending commitments, given the ongoing need for greater support due to the impact of rising prices on household, business and council budgets.
The latest Centre for Cities report in August has demonstrated that many of the hardest-hit places, due to the cost of living crisis, are in the North. The poorest households tend to spend a higher percentage of their income on essentials like energy and food, which makes them more vulnerable to soaring prices. We ask the new Prime Minister to level up the North and support the most vulnerable families now.
We thank the West Yorkshire Mayor for playing her part and bringing in Mayor’s Fares - £2 for a single journey and £4.50 for a capped daily fare.
We thank officers for getting the recent one-off energy council tax payments out to households promptly and before government deadlines.
Council resolves to:
· Implement a cost of living action plan to ensure the rapid deployment of resources and support for residents across the district by the council and partners through the winter months. The action plan will include advice and support with energy bills, welfare, debt, health, warm spaces, access to affordable food and more.
· Distribute a cost of living survival guide for residents containing help, information and signposting of support available in the district, backed up by a communications plan to ensure the help and support is publicised widely and accessible to all.
· As councillors through our surgeries and other events, provide help and information on cost of living for all residents who need it, particularly the most vulnerable, and link up with community groups, VCS and partners in our wards.
· Ensure our ward-based neighbourhood teams are ready for winter, working with Community Partnership Networks to identify vulnerable people and connect them with support services.
· Drive forward our vital regeneration schemes, relentlessly pursue investment and support the delivery of a successful City of Culture 2025 to create jobs and opportunities for residents.
· Ask government for a commitment that it will not order councils to make further cuts when residents most need our services in the months and years ahead. And lobby for further government support for residents, such as funding for Local Welfare Provision.
12.4
Standing up for responsible tax conduct
To be moved by Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
To be seconded by Councillor Joe Wheatley
Full Council notes that:
1. The pressure on organisations to pay their fair share of tax has never been stronger.
2. Polling from the Institute for Business Ethics finds that “corporate tax avoidance” has, since 2013, been the clear number one concern of the British public when it comes to business conduct.
3. Two thirds of people (66%) believe the Government and local councils should at least consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their tax, as well as value for money and quality of service provided, when awarding contracts to companies.
4. Around 17.5% of public contracts in the UK have been won by companies with links to tax havens.
5. It has been conservatively estimated that losses from multinational profit-shifting (just one form of tax avoidance) could be costing the UK some £17bn per annum in lost corporation tax revenues and therefore funding for public services.
6. The Fair Tax Mark offers a means for business to demonstrate good tax conduct, and has been secured by a wide range of businesses across the UK, including FTSE-listed PLCs, co-operatives, social enterprises and large private businesses.
Full Council believes that:
1. Paying tax is often presented as a burden, but it shouldn’t be.
2. Tax enables us to provide services from education, health and social care, to flood defence, roads, policing and defence. It also helps to counter financial inequalities and rebalance distorted economies.
3. As recipients of significant public funding, local authorities should take the lead in the promotion of exemplary tax conduct; be that by ensuring contractors are paying their proper share of tax, or by refusing to go along with offshore tax dodging when buying land and property.
4. Where councils hold substantive stakes in private enterprises, influence should be wielded to ensure that such businesses are exemplars of tax transparency and tax avoidance is shunned.
5. More action is needed, however, as current and proposed new UK procurement law significantly restricts councils’ ability to either penalise poor tax conduct (as exclusion grounds are rarely triggered) or reward good tax conduct, when buying goods or services.
6. UK cities, counties and towns can and should stand up for responsible tax conduct - doing what they can within existing frameworks and pledging to do more given the opportunity, as active supporters of international tax justice.
Full Council resolves to:
1. Approve the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration.
2. Lead by example and demonstrate good practice in our tax conduct, right across our activities.
3. Ensure IR35 is implemented robustly and contract workers pay a fair share of employment taxes, notwithstanding national government is indicating they are rowing back on our powers in this regard.
4. Not use offshore vehicles for the purchase of land and property, especially where this leads to reduced payments of stamp duty.
5. Undertake due diligence to ensure that not-for-profit structures are not being used inappropriately by suppliers as an artificial device to reduce the payment of tax and business rates.
6. Demand clarity on the ultimate beneficial ownership of suppliers UK and overseas and their consolidated profit & loss position, given lack of clarity could be strong indicators of poor financial probity and weak financial standing.
7. Promote Fair Tax Mark certification especially for any business in which we have a significant stake and where corporation tax is due.
8. Support Fair Tax Week events in the area, and celebrate the tax contribution made by responsible businesses who are proud to promote responsible tax conduct and pay their fair share of corporation tax.
9. Support calls for urgent reform of UK procurement law to enable local authorities to better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct through their procurement policies.
12.5
Ilkley riverside
To be moved by Councillor Andrew Loy
To be seconded by Councillor Kyle Green
The Council notes:
· Ilkley’s riverside is an attractive location and a desirable destination for visitors from across the district and further afield. Consequently, Ilkley’s riverside is an important asset for the entire district.
· Visitors and the attitude and actions of some of them can cause acute problems, including littering and anti-social behaviour.
Council resolves to:
12.6
Local Authority Mental Health Challenge
To be moved by Councillor Mohammed Nazam
To be seconded by Councillor Julie Glentworth
Council notes:
One in four people in the U.K. experience a mental health problem in any given year, with depression an increasingly common condition worldwide and mental health the leading cause for work absence in the UK accounting for over 50% of all work health-related absences. Evidence also shows that people with severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK.
Bradford District has 72.8 per 100,000 more hospital admissions as a result of self-harm than the average for England. Furthermore, Bradford District has a higher prevalence of children with conduct disorders compared to England. This is also true for children that have an emotional disorder.
As a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our local community, and to help tackle some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health.
Overall 12% of children aged 5 to 17 within Bradford District are estimated to have a mental health disorder; this is higher than the average for England overall which is 9.2%.
Mental health should be a priority across all the local authority areas of responsibility. All Councillors from all sides of this chamber, can play a positive role in championing mental health on an individual and strategic basis. It’s vitally important that we play our part.
Council resolves to:
Sign the Local Authority Mental Health Challenge and commit to appointing an elected member as “Mental Health Champion” to;
Identify a current member of staff within the council to act as a lead officer for mental health to:
Work with local partners to consistently look for innovative ways to support positive mental health in our community, including in local schools, neighbourhoods and in all other areas of our community.
12.7
Extending free access to Council swimming facilities for all children
To be moved by Council Brendan Stubbs
To be seconded by Councillor Susan Knox
This Council notes:
With the cost-of-living crisis, many families are having to cut back on discretionary spending to ensure they can meet their increasing bills and food costs. Many children risk missing out on swimming and other leisure activities.
Low levels of physical activity can have a negative impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Offering free use municipal swimming pools or gyms is one way that Bradford Council can support more people to be active.
This Council resolves to:
Seek to identify sufficient resources to extend the free access to swimming facilities to all children in the district under the age of 16.
Minutes:
Resolved – That the following notices of motion be approved:
12.1 – Climate impacts of the Combined Authority’s investment plans
Moved by: Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
Seconded by: Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw
That with the addition of the following words the motion be amended to read as follows:
Council notes that:
a) all five West Yorkshire district councils - led by Bradford - declared a ‘climate emergency’ in early 2019;
b) the West Yorkshire Combined Authority matched those declarations in June 2019;
c) the Combined Authority issued its ‘Carbon Emissions Reduction Pathways’ study in July 2020;
d) the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, was elected in May 2021 with a pledge to “tackle the climate emergency and protect our environment”.
e) the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Carbon Impact Assessment Summary Findings Report (Mott Macdonald and Ricardo, January 2022) found that the Combined Authority needs to take further significant steps to align its investment pipeline with its ambitious climate goals;
f) Combined Authority and council schemes are constantly under review to be able to deliver, within a more constrained financial climate, our clearly stated clean growth ambitions by 2038.
In response to the above,
Council therefore requests that:
12.2 – Bradford District pays its respects to Queen Elizabeth II and welcomes King Charles III
Moved by: Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
Seconded by: Councillor Rebecca Poulsen
With heavy hearts, communities across the Bradford District have paid their respects and offered their thanks for a life of public service to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Her late Majesty the Queen touched the lives of many millions of people throughout her 70-year reign. She first visited Bradford in October 1954, just 16 months after her Coronation, and continued to be loved and cherished by our communities across the district throughout the whole of her reign.
Queen Elizabeth II was highly regarded throughout the world, gaining respect for her measured, dignified and strong leadership through good times and bad.
The Bradford district welcomes King Charles III and wishes him well as he builds on his mother’s legacy and begins a new era. We look forward to welcoming him to Bradford at the earliest opportunity.
12.3 – Supporting the Bradford District through the winter months
Moved by: Councillor Matt Edwards
Seconded by: Councillor Kevin Warnes
That the motion be amended to read as follows:
Council notes:
The decisions taken by the government in its recent mini-Budget have been a surprise to local residents and businesses. We are all therefore naturally pre-occupied with the wellbeing of our district’s residents in the upcoming difficult months ahead.
We need the Chancellor to keep the residents of Bradford district in mind when he makes his statement on 23rd November setting out public service spending commitments, given the ongoing need for greater support due to the impact of rising prices on household, business and council budgets.
The latest Centre for Cities report in August has demonstrated that many of the hardest-hit places, due to the cost of living crisis, are in the North. The poorest households tend to spend a higher percentage of their income on essentials like energy and food, which makes them more vulnerable to soaring prices. We ask the new Prime Minister to level up the North and support the most vulnerable families now.
We thank the West Yorkshire Mayor for playing her part and bringing in Mayor’s Fares - £2 for a single journey and £4.50 for a capped daily fare. However, in recent years bus services have been drastically cut with further cuts to services within Bradford District announced only last month.
We thank officers for getting the recent one-off energy council tax payments out to households promptly and before government deadlines.
Council resolves to:
12.4 – Standing up for responsible tax conduct
Moved by: Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
Seconded by: Councillor Joe Wheatley
Full Council notes that:
1. The pressure on organisations to pay their fair share of tax has never been stronger.
2. Polling from the Institute for Business Ethics finds that “corporate tax avoidance” has, since 2013, been the clear number one concern of the British public when it comes to business conduct.
3. Two thirds of people (66%) believe the Government and local councils should at least consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their tax, as well as value for money and quality of service provided, when awarding contracts to companies.
4. Around 17.5% of public contracts in the UK have been won by companies with links to tax havens.
5. It has been conservatively estimated that losses from multinational profit-shifting (just one form of tax avoidance) could be costing the UK some £17bn per annum in lost corporation tax revenues and therefore funding for public services.
6. The Fair Tax Mark offers a means for business to demonstrate good tax conduct, and has been secured by a wide range of businesses across the UK, including FTSE-listed PLCs, co-operatives, social enterprises and large private businesses.
Full Council believes that:
1. Paying tax is often presented as a burden, but it shouldn’t be.
2. Tax enables us to provide services from education, health and social care, to flood defence, roads, policing and defence. It also helps to counter financial inequalities and rebalance distorted economies.
3. As recipients of significant public funding, local authorities should take the lead in the promotion of exemplary tax conduct; be that by ensuring contractors are paying their proper share of tax, or by refusing to go along with offshore tax dodging when buying land and property.
4. Where councils hold substantive stakes in private enterprises, influence should be wielded to ensure that such businesses are exemplars of tax transparency and tax avoidance is shunned.
5. More action is needed, however, as current and proposed new UK procurement law significantly restricts councils’ ability to either penalise poor tax conduct (as exclusion grounds are rarely triggered) or reward good tax conduct, when buying goods or services.
6. UK cities, counties and towns can and should stand up for responsible tax conduct - doing what they can within existing frameworks and pledging to do more given the opportunity, as active supporters of international tax justice.
Full Council resolves to:
1. Approve the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration.
2. Lead by example and demonstrate good practice in our tax conduct, right across our activities.
3. Ensure IR35 is implemented robustly and contract workers pay a fair share of employment taxes, notwithstanding national government is indicating they are rowing back on our powers in this regard.
4. Not use offshore vehicles for the purchase of land and property, especially where this leads to reduced payments of stamp duty.
5. Undertake due diligence to ensure that not-for-profit structures are not being used inappropriately by suppliers as an artificial device to reduce the payment of tax and business rates.
6. Demand clarity on the ultimate beneficial ownership of suppliers UK and overseas and their consolidated profit & loss position, given lack of clarity could be strong indicators of poor financial probity and weak financial standing.
7. Promote Fair Tax Mark certification especially for any business in which we have a significant stake and where corporation tax is due.
8. Support Fair Tax Week events in the area, and celebrate the tax contribution made by responsible businesses who are proud to promote responsible tax conduct and pay their fair share of corporation tax.
9. Support calls for urgent reform of UK procurement law to enable local authorities to better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct through their procurement policies.
12.5 – llkley riverside
Moved by: Councillor Abdul Jabar
Seconded by: Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw
That with the addition of the following words the motion be amended to read as follows:
The Council notes:
Council resolves to:
12.6 – Local Authority Mental Health Challenge
Moved by: Councillor Fozia Shaheen
Seconded by: Councillor Sarah Ferriby
That with the addition of the following words the motion be amended to read as follows:
Council notes:
Yesterday, the 10th October, was World Mental Health day.
One in four people in the U.K. experience a mental health problem in any given year, with depression an increasingly common condition worldwide and mental health the leading cause for work absence in the UK accounting for over 50% of all work health-related absences. This effectively means that we all have experience of poor mental health at some point in our lives. Evidence also shows that people with severe mental illness die up to 20 years younger than their peers in the UK. And some studies suggest the rate of mental health problems in people with a learning disability is double that of the general population.
Bradford District has 72.8 per 100,000 more hospital admissions as a result of self-harm than the average for England. Furthermore, Bradford District has a higher prevalence of children with conduct disorders compared to England. This is also true for children that have an emotional disorder.
As a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our local community, and to help tackle some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health.
Overall 12% of children aged 5 to 17 within Bradford District are estimated to have a mental health disorder; this is higher than the average for England overall which is 9.2%.
Mental health should be a priority across all the local authority areas of responsibility. All Councillors from all sides of this chamber, can play a positive role in championing mental health on an individual and strategic basis. It’s vitally important that we play our part.
The council is already signed up to the Local Authority Mental Health Challenge with our nominated elected member Mental Health Champion being Cllr Fozia Shaheen.
As the district’s health system, we are also working towards signing up to an update to the “prevention concordat for better mental health”, a draft of which was agreed at the former Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodiversity board earlier this year. The five domains of the prevention concordat are: understanding local needs and assets; working together; taking action for prevention and promotion, including reducing health inequalities; defining success and measuring outcomes; and leadership and direction.
Council resolves to:
Bring the updated draft “prevention concordat for better mental health” to the Health and Wellbeing Board for its consideration and sign-up.
Working as part of the Local Authority Mental Health Challenge, support the elected member “Mental Health Champion”, Portfolio Holder for Health & Wellbeing and all other councillors to continue to:
Task our officer who is the Public Health lead for mental health to continue to:
Work with local partners to consistently look for innovative ways to support positive mental health in our community, including in local schools, neighbourhoods, places of work and in all other areas of our community.
Continue to lobby Government to ask that mental health be given the same parity of esteem and attention that other areas of the health sector receive.
12.7 – Extending access to Council swimming facilities for all children
Moved by: Councillor Sarah Ferriby
Seconded by: Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe
That with the addition of the following words the motion be amended to read as follows:
This Council notes:
With the cost-of-living crisis, many families are having to cut back on discretionary spending to ensure they can meet their increasing bills and food costs. Many children risk missing out on swimming and other leisure activities.
Low levels of physical activity can have a negative impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Offering low-cost and easily accessible municipal swimming pools and other sport and leisure facilities is one way that Bradford Council can support more people to be active.
The Council provides a wide range of free and low-cost sport and leisure facilities for children and young people to improve their health and wellbeing, including but not limited to: our sports and leisure centres offering highly competitive prices; our significant investment in improving our parks, green spaces, play facilities and outdoor gym equipment across the district; running successful HAF events (holiday activities and food programme); and increasing doorstep play, pocket parks and cycling provision.
In addition to offering reduced prices for children, we also offer the popular Bradford Leisure Card which gives reduced prices for particular groups including young people aged 16-17.
The increase in pool space we need across the district to enable everyone, no matter what their age or income, to get access to swimming at low-cost. We note the council’s success in securing Levelling Up funding for the Squire Lane new pool.
This Council resolves to:
Continue to ensure wide access to swimming, sport and leisure facilities for all children in the district under the age of 16, despite the impact of the cost of living crisis on household and council budgets, by:
