Council approves £40m cuts citing poor funding

Councillors approved the cuts on 5 November

Senior councillors in Bradford have approved £40m of cost-saving measures in a bid to balance the books.

Labour-controlled Bradford Council approved measures such as cuts to street cleaning costs and an increase in garden waste charges.

The council also approved a reduction in spending for the Bradford Children and Families Trust (BCFT), which was set up after the local authority was stripped of control of children's services.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the council leader, said: "We will continue to make savings where we can and hopefully make improvements for residents and businesses alike."

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said the council would continue to make savings

Steven Mair, chief financial officer, said it would take five years to get to "financial recovery" at the council's executive meeting earlier.

Mr Mair listed "the increase in social care costs, the generally poor funding of the council, the large amount of reserves used" as reasons why cuts were necessary.

He said that BCFT was spending less and that he was "very confident" its costs would continue to decrease.

Launched in April 2023, the trust, spent £42.3m more than its £174.0m net revenue budget allocation in its first year.

Mr Mair added that the proposal to scrap dedicated bus services to St Bede's and St Joseph's and Bingley Grammar School from September 2025 would go out for consultation.

He said the proposal was due to the dwindling number of students using the bus services.

'Decimating business'

"The devil will be in the detail," Conservative group leader councillor Rebecca Poulsen warned.

One measure she questioned was the recent introduction of parking charges for resident parking permits and council car parks.

She said: "It's not until it actually comes in and people see what it means in reality that they can understand how it will detrimentally affect some communities.

"There was nothing in the budget last year that said parking in Haworth would go up 200% and that is absolutely decimating businesses."

Earlier this year the government agreed to provide the council with an emergency funding boost of £220m over the next two years.

However, the report suggested it could need up to £575m over the next five years.

When asked by the BBC if Bradford Council would apply for more emergency funding, it said it would not rule it out.

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