Conservatives on Bradford Council have been supporting hundreds of local groups and concerned residents worried about the devastating impact of Labour proposals to release huge tracts of green belt for housing development. After nearly two years of “engagement” with housing developers, the Council went out to consultation with the residents of Bradford just before Christmas last year.

A Conservative motion to full Council extended that consultation to the end of February 2012 – a suggestion vigorously opposed by Labour councillors. Now we know the reason why – Cllr Slater, the Portfolio Holder for Planning has already made her mind up:

Councillor Val Slater conceded she and other councillors will be locking horns with “middle class” protesters as the battles rage over where to build the 45,500 homes said to be needed by 2028.

Planners and house builders also warned a meeting of Bradford Property Forum yesterday that more green belt sites face being developed if Bradford was to meet the needs of a growing population.

Coun Slater, Bradford Council’s executive member for housing and planning, told the forum that councillors had supported the larger of two controversial housing developments at Holme Wood and Tong in the face of ‘middle class’ objections.

Here’s a very middle class Labour Councillor – who lives over ten miles from her working class ward – sucking up to property developers and using the opportunity to attack ordinary residents who are concerned about the proposals from Labour to build all over Bradford’s treasured green belt.

Conservative councillors will be making these proposals a centrepiece in the May elections and Cllr Simon Cooke, Deputy Leader of the Group made the position even clearer today:

There are several thousand houses across dozens of sites with planning permission today. These are not being built. Yet Cllr Slater and her developer friends want more green belt releasing for houses.

We can only suppose that the developers don’t want to build on smaller, brownfield sites across the city as the money to be made on these sites isn’t as good. Conservative Councillors in Bradford will be working hard to try and prevent Labour’s developer sweetheart deal.

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Closer to home, within the Bradford district we see a failing Labour set budget hugely overspent, a leadership and executive with little or no direction, who can do nothing but blame the coalition government for their failings. A group that puts self interest above those of the district, and one that will not carry out any meaniful consultation

It is the duty of those of us who put ourselves forward to represent the public interest, to do whatever is within our power to assist local residents through these difficult times. To this end the Conservative Group on Bradford Council will be pressing the council to direct its resources to the protection of front line services and also helping hard pressed council taxpayers, plus businesses through the recession.

We as a group representing all residents of the district will be presenting a budget for the district and policy proposals augmented by a desire to help people through the challenges that the year ahead will bring. The Conservative Group hope to contribute a little bit towards making sure that the year ahead is not all challenge, but also some pleasure.

My colleagues and I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas,  and we wish everyone a Happy New Year!

With an excellent candidate, Mehrban Hussain, we increased our share of the vote by 5% in last week’s by-election in Great Horton ward.

Mehrban fought an excellent campaign and brought together activists from all parts of the City.

Merhban would like to thank everyone who supported him in the election and assured the people of Great Horton that the hard work will continue.

Getting insurance for your car if you live in some areas of Bradford is now beyond the means of a lot of people.  Councillor John Robertshaw (Conservative, Bowling and Barkerend) now thinks it is time that Bradford Council did something positive to help.

At the last meeting of full Council John, along with Cllr Zameer Shah (Conservative, Bowling and Barkerend), asked the Council to instruct officers to investigate ways of taking action to assist drivers to get affordable motor vehicle insurance.

Unfortunately this very sensible idea didn’t get support from the other political parties, and so the people of Bradford continue to suffer.  

However, you can rest assured that Conservative Councillors are continuing to press the matter.

We’re currently in the process of upgrading and updating our web site – please bear with us over the next couple of days!

Speaking at a lunch in aid of Macmillan Cancer at The Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley, Cllr Hawkesworth said she believed there is a perception of the existence of a glass ceiling which stops women from progressing to the highest ranks of political life in Bradford district.

“But, with regard to the Conservative Party, that is simply not the case,” she argued.

“I do not think for a second that my gender came into the equation when, last month, I successfully stood for election as Conservative Group Leader

“And, of course, my predecessor but one – Cllr Margaret Eaton – has been awarded a peerage in honour of her achievements both as a former Leader of Bradford Council and, more recently, as Chairman of the Local Government Association.

“Having said that, I do not believe we have anything like enough female Conservative councillors in Bradford City Hall.

“Further increasing the numbers of women standing as Conservative candidates is one of my primary objectives as Conservative Group Leader and I will be getting out and about to encourage women from across the district to come forward.

“It is unfortunate that the Council’s Labour-controlled Executive does not include a single female member, despite the Labour Group having a number of very capable women on its benches.” 

Bradford Council Conservative Group Leader Cllr Anne Hawkesworth has today announced her Shadow Executive for the new municipal year.

In addition to her leadership duties, the Ilkley councillor will have responsibility for the widening regional agenda, together with culture, planning and highways.

Newly-elected Deputy Leader Cllr Glen Miller will take the corporate and organisational change portfolios, with Chief Whip Cllr Mike Ellis looking after environment and climate change.

Long-serving Wharfedale councillor Dale Smith will shadow social care, for which he previously had responsibility on the Council’s Executive, with Cllr Adrian Naylor taking the education portfolio.

Cllr Malcolm Sykes, another former member of the Council’s Executive, will shadow regeneration, with Bowling and Barkerend councillor Zameer Shah taking charge of the community safety portfolio.

Commenting, Cllr Hawkesworth said she believed she had a very strong team which would mount strong but responsible opposition to the Labour Group which has taken leadership of the authority following the Liberal Democrats’ failure to vote at the Council’s AGM.

“The Shadow team includes an excellent blend of differing experiences which will allow us to ensure that the key decisions taken by the Executive will be subject to intense but constructive scrutiny,” she said.

“We will not adopt a wreckers’ agenda but, instead, will seek to do what is right for the people who elected us.

“There is a severe shortage of financial resources both locally and nationally at the present time and that is likely to remain he case for several years to come.

“We must therefore seek to ensure that every public pound spent in Bradford district is used wisely and for the betterment of all local residents.”

The Conservative Shadow Executive for 2010-11 is as follows:

Cllr Anne Hawkesworth – Leader, Regional, Culture, Planning and Highways

Cllr Glen Miller – Deputy Leader, Corporate and Change

Cllr Mike Ellis – Chief Whip, Environment and Climate Change

Cllr Adrian Naylor – Education

Cllr Malcolm Sykes – Regeneration

Cllr Zameer Shah – Community Safety

Cllr Dale Smith – Social Care

Bradford district Conservatives today formally launched their local election campaign with a commitment to continue to deliver high quality services for residents, coupled with a warning that Labour gains on 6^th May would put the district’s progress at risk.

Campaigning under the banner, “A Record of Action, A Promise of More,” Conservative candidates and supporters gathered at Northcliffe playing fields in Shipley – at the centre of Bradford district – to release 30 balloons, representing each ward up for election. 

And they issued a document which detailed the achievements of the Conservative-led Bradford Council over the last twelve months and set out the policy priorities for the Conservative Group in the year ahead.         

Raising educational attainment will continue to be the Conservatives’ top priority, alongside looking after older residents, giving value for money, regenerating the district, tackling local crime, providing safer roads, promoting a greener environment and improving quality of life.

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Kris Hopkins said:

“After years of neglect and incompetence when the Labour Party was last in control of Bradford Council, Conservatives have delivered significant improvements in the quality of local services across the district.

“As a result of the leadership we have offered, Bradford’s voice is now taken very seriously, both in the wider Yorkshire region and nationally, increasing the district’s chances of attracting more inward investment, new jobs and greater prosperity. 

“But there is a lot left to do, and we must not allow Labour to put the district’s progress at risk. 

“I hope residents come out in big numbers on 6^th May to vote for their local Conservative candidate.”   

Conservative Group Deputy Leader Cllr Dale Smith said:

“Under Conservative leadership, Bradford Council’s adult services have received the highest four star rating in the annual independent inspection and been awarded beacon status for our work with older people.

“But must never be complacent, which is why the Conservatives secured a major increase in funding for adults in need of social care in the Council’s budget for the new financial year. 

“Alongside older residents, we have also stepped forward to support our young people by delivering on our promise to return responsibility for education services to the local authority.

“The Conservatives will not let the people of this district down and we therefore ask residents to support us to continue our work at the local elections.”        

Conservative Group Chief Whip Cllr Anne Hawkesworth said:

“We have chosen to launch our campaign in Shipley because, unlike the Labour Party, Conservatives recognise that there are 30 wards in Bradford district and it is our duty and responsibility to represent the needs of everyone who lives here.

“After the damage inflicted on the quality of local services and the reputation of the Council under Labour, the Conservatives have led Bradford district out of the wilderness and into a much more positive future.

“Bradford’s designation as the world’s first UNESCO City of Film is an example of the high regard in which this district and its people are now held but we must maintain this momentum.   

“It is only by voting Conservative on 6^th May that our progress can be secured.”   

In addition to £2.5 million of extra funding to support adult services, the Conservatives have proposed the creation of a £5 million strategic reserve to ensure the Council can continue to respond to the changing economic circumstances and task the management of the authority, through the present organisational review, to drive out even greater efficiencies and make the best possible savings for local residents in the years ahead.

The Conservative proposals also include significant increases in funding in a range of other areas including highways, gritting, recycling and community halls.

And there are a series of new initiatives including a city centre cycle race, an Imagination Library, a campaign to encourage older residents to take up benefits they are entitled to, a wave of community clean-ups plus extensions to the already very successful b someone campaign and Community Warmth scheme.

Conservative Group Leader Cllr Kris Hopkins, who unveiled the Conservative proposals at this afternoon’s meeting of the Council’s Executive in Bradford City Hall, commented:

“The Conservative budget proposals are the result of a lot of very hard work from Group Members, professionally assisted by Council officers, over the last number of months.

“We have been very conscious of the ongoing financial restraints not only on the Council but, more importantly, on local residents and that is underlined by our desire to see a freeze in Council Tax for the next 12 months.

“Given that a Conservative Government, if elected, has already committed to funding any Council Tax rises of up to 2.5% for all local authorities who stay at or below that figure for its first two years in office, we hope Bradford district residents will therefore enjoy an effective three-year freeze on their bills.

“Adult services are very much a priority for the Conservatives, as evidenced by the £2.5 million of additional funding we have made available to ensure that the needs of older residents in the district will continue to be extremely well catered for.

“A few weeks ago we allocated £300,000 to fix potholes across the district following the long cold snap.  But we must think into the longer term so, in addition to an extra £300,000 in one-off monies, we have increased the amount of funding going to highways by £800,000 on a permanent basis.

“We have also responded to residents’ concerns by providing £100,000 to provide new grit bins across the district together with £150,000 of new resources to ensure they are refilled promptly and efficiently at times of greatest need.

“And, in other areas, we are continuing to support the b someone campaign, Community Warmth, uniformed youth groups, community halls, recycling and the environment plus we have proposed a number of new ventures including the launch of a Bradford city cycling race – which we would intend to finance for at least two years – and an Imagination Library.

“Specific permanent funding has also been set aside to support the district’s St George’s Day celebrations and the civic Carol Service, and we have allocated £50,000 so we can begin planning now to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

“Add to all of this the £5 million strategic reserve coupled with the requirement for the Chief Executive to drive out efficiencies to ensure Bradford Council provides the best possible value for money for local residents, and I believe the Conservatives have put forward a budget which is responsible and very good news for this district.

“As a hung Council, I am obviously fully aware that we must work with the other political parties to find an agreed way ahead.

“I now look forward to sitting down with the other Group Leaders in the coming days to seek to do just that.”

“Many people will be aware that Bradford was recently labelled the ‘uninsured driving capital of Britain’ following the publication of a report by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau which found that, in some parts of the city, up to 49.5% of drivers were uninsured,” commented Cllr Kris Hopkins, Leader of the Conservative Group, who will be proposing the Motion tomorrow afternoon.

“And sadly, driving without insurance is only part of the problem, as very significant numbers of motorists are also taking to the roads of the district without either licences or road tax.

“One of the obvious consequences of this is an alarmingly high rate of casualties on our roads including 2,097 people last year.

“Of these, 274 were killed or seriously injured – 51 of them children.

“When you discover that uninsured drivers are 12 times more likely to be involved in road crashes when compared to drivers who are fully insured, then you know that strong action must be taken.

“It is for this reason that, working with West Yorkshire Police, Conservative-led Bradford Council allocated more than £300,000 over the last 12 months to extend Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems across the district as a means of dealing with a number of serious criminal offences including driving without vehicle insurance, road tax or a valid licence.

“But much more needs to be done.

“The Conservative Motion, if passed by the Council, requests the Chief Executive to meet as soon as possible with West Yorkshire Police to discuss what additional measures can be introduced to increase the pressure on motorists driving illegally on the streets of Bradford district.

“And, following this meeting, he will be asked to bring an urgent action plan to the Council’s Executive setting out how the local authority, the Police and our other key partners will deal with the problem over the next 12 months.

“This may include, for example, a series of high profile enforcement days to catch offenders and reassure local residents that we are taking the issue of illegal drivers on our roads extremely seriously.

“I hope the other political parties on Council will give the Conservative Motion their unanimous support so we can get on with tackling this scourge which puts the lives of countless numbers of local residents at risk.”