The Council, working with partner agencies, is undertaking work to strengthen its approach to Locality Working. A key part of that approach is the development of Locality Plans.

The Strategic Director Place will submit a report (Document “F”)    which presents a draft of the Bradford South Locality Plan 2022-25 and          also includes the six Ward Plans for the Area Committee’s approval.

Recommended –

(1)       That the Bradford South Area Committee approves the draft      Bradford South Locality Plan 2022-25, as detailed in Appendix A    to Document “F” and the Bradford South Ward Plans as detailed    in Appendix B to Document “F”

(2)       That Bradford South Area Committee requests that the Bradford South Area Co-ordinator presents a progress report to the Area Committee in 12 months, setting out the progress and achievements made for each of the priorities detailed in the Bradford South Locality Plan 2022-25, including the six Ward Plans.

            (Ishaq Shafiq – 01274 431155)

The Council, working with partner agencies, was undertaking work to strengthen its approach to Locality Working. A key part of that approach was the development of Locality Plans.

The Strategic Director Place submitted a report (Document “F”) which presented a draft of the Bradford South Locality Plan 2022-25 and also included the six Ward Plans for the Area Committee’s approval.

The Area Coordinator stated that in essence although this was a three year plan, a number of high level priorities and a framework were set out within the Plan, however the intention was that the Plan would remain a live document which would be amended in the light of emerging ward issues.  To this end the Council was actively engaging with all partners to ensure that the Plan was a workable document going forward.

During the discussion Members asked a number of questions and made a number of comments and suggestions, which are set out below:

The Chair stated that the Plan had to be effective and that the input of Ward Councillors was essential to realising this, adding that concentrating on where we can make a real difference, for example in the area of economic development and support for businesses was a key component.

A number of Members thanked the Chair and ward officers for devising an excellent plan and how the Plan managed to focus on the key issues affecting Bradford South.

A Member stated that a number of wide ranging issues such as the misuse of fireworks, were ongoing problems affecting south and the wider district and needed to be tackled as a matter of urgency as residents were affected by it.  In response it was stated that this issue had been raised with the Police as well as in discussions within the Community Safety Partnership, however a change in national legislation was required to tackle the problem effectively.

A Member commended the consultation process around the Locality Plan  and that the events had been well attended, adding that the Plan had managed to capture the major issues affecting the South area and ensuring these were tackled should remain the main focus.

In response it was stated that the response to issues, in liaison with partners and Ward Councillors would remain the main thrust of the Plan, as well an ensuring that the locality work within wards was strengthened, and consulting, as required with the Area Committee on resources and delivery.

Members welcomed the addition of the new assistant ward officers and the excellent work they had undertaken to date.

The Chair commented that the delivery plan would give Members an opportunity to provide their input and that progress should be reported to the Area Committee on a quarterly basis, stressing that resources were finite and there needed to be a level of honesty on what can be delivered around the priorities that had been identified.  Clearly issues such as fly tipping and anti-social behaviour remained big issues across the south area, however there were nuanced issues that required action in a particular area.

Note: at 1735 the meeting was adjourned as the announcement was made that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away.

Reconvened at 1700 on Thursday 29 September 2022 at 1700

The Chair gave a brief overview of the discussion from the previous meeting.

The Chair stated that in understanding how the Ward Plans relate to the Constituency Plan, there had to be a recognition that the ward priorities maybe different from the overarching plan, and therefore it was important to work with ward officers and the ward team to balance this on the ground.

The Chair added that the Locality Plan was in its infancy and would change once we became better informed of issues on the ground, and that the Council as a corporate body had to better integrate resources to ensure effective delivery of services.

A Member stated that public expectation on resolving issues in their areas was high, so it was therefore important that they also had some ownership, as ultimately people wanted to see improvements in their lives.

A discussion followed on the all age place meetings that were held, however because of the issues relating to GDPR, members were not involved in these meetings.

In relation to a question regarding the number of Fixed Penalty Notices issued in relation to fly tipping, it was explained that where it was considered expedient, a FPN would be issued, however it was important to understand that a strict legal process had to be followed in the enforcement arena.

The Chair also stressed that the unique identity of the different areas within the South constituency had to be recognised, and appropriate resources and support had to be put in place.

Resolved –

(1)       That the draft Bradford South Locality Plan 2022-25, as detailed in       Appendix A to Document “F” and the Bradford South Ward Plans            as detailed in Appendix B to Document “F” be approved.

(2)       That the Bradford South Area Co-ordinator be requested to        present a progress report to the Area Committee in 3 months’    time, setting out the progress and achievements made for each of    the priorities detailed in the Bradford South Locality Plan 2022-25,             including the six Ward Plans.

(3)       That the Executive be requested to review how the Council can            better integrate its services to prioritise delivery of the Locality      Plan within Bradford South as well as in other locality plan areas.

ACTION: Bradford South Area Coordinator

Overview & Scrutiny Committee: Corporate