Deaths on the roads, fuel poverty and the training of school governors are just some of the hard-hitting topics to be investigated at City Hall this year.

Bradford Council’s five powerful Overview and Scrutiny Committees, which hold its departments to account and examines issues in-depth, have set out their plans for the next 12 months.

The Environment and Waste Management overview and scrutiny committee has been carrying out an in-depth investigation into the number of people being killed or seriously injured on the district’s roads. A report into their findings is now being finalised.

The same committee may also look at the problem of fuel poverty, amid concern over rising bills.

Meanwhile the Children’s Services overview and scrutiny committee is set to examine the training scheme for the district’s school governors – the Council’s School Governor Service.

The committee also hopes to look at the Government’s reform of GCSEs, which will see new, tougher classes introduced in 2015 and 2016.

The issue of welfare reform is set to be tackled by the Health and Social Care overview and scrutiny committee.

The committee is filming people who have been directly affected by changes to the welfare system talking about their experiences.

Outgoing chairman, Councillor Mike Gibbons (Con), said: “The various highlighted issues will be commented on in due course.”

The Corporate overview and scrutiny committee is keen to start two detailed investigations into domestic violence and poverty.

A report setting out these plans will go before the Full Council on Tuesday, when committee chairmen will be reappointed.

The report also sets out the achievements of the past year, which include the Children’s Services overview and scrutiny committee’s 16-point action plan to improve the district’s schools, many of which were adopted by the Council.

Committee chairman, Councillor Malcolm Sykes (Con), said another matter they had looked at was the death of tragic tot Hamzah Khan, whose mummified remains were found in his house nearly two years after his death.

He said: “It wasn’t on my agenda at the time but clearly when it happened, I brought it immediately to a special scrutiny meeting.”

The meeting interviewed key council figures about what lessons could be learned from the tragedy.

The Regeneration and Economy overview and scrutiny committee’s recommendations for the council’s allotments service brought about great improvements, the report said.