Council Tax to rise by 3.99 per cent as Bradford Council's 2020/21 budget is approved

The proposals were passed at an often fiery meeting of the Council, during which the various political parties that make up the authority proposed their own alternate budgets.

Extra government funding in sectors like social care had meant that this budget did not involve as many cuts as previous years, and there are no compulsory redundancies in the approved budget.

The Council Tax rise will be made up of a 1.99 per cent Council Tax rise, and a 2 per cent "social care precept." It will add £54.79 to the annual bill of a Band D property household.

The budget includes and extra £21 million for Children's Services, £25 million spent on projects to tackle the "climate emergency," - including moorland flood work and a push to electrify the Council's fleet of vehicles, an extra £700,000 to tackle obesity in the District, and £555,000 for mental health.

Parks, libraries and lowest paid Council staff to get boost in 2020/21 budget

Ilkley Town Centre will get new CCTV cameras, a number of regeneration projects in Bradford city centre will get funding, and the District's libraries will get an annual injection of £700,000 public health money to transform the service.

Last minute additions to the budget made earlier this week include £150,000 to boost the pay of low paid Council staff and an extra £500,000 for parks and green spaces.

The meeting highlighted the different political viewpoints on the Council - parts of the Labour group's pledge to spend million to tackle the "climate emergency" was described as "virtue signalling" by the Conservatives, and as "barely scratching the surface" by the Green Party.

Presenting the budget, Council Leader Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe urged for greater certainty in future funding from the government for services in Bradford.

She said: "Everyone in this District has had enough of Austerity. The government has to share the responsibility for funding social care in Bradford, and not just leave it for the Council Tax payer to fund."

She also called for the government to intervene to stop Highways England's plans to fill in Queensbury Tunnel - calling the plans a "destructive course of action."

Each party proposed their own alternative budgets, with the Conservative plans calling for a Council Tax rise of 2.49 per cent compared to Labour's 3.99 per cent rise, and for parking charges in areas outside of Bradford City Centre to be reduced or scrapped.

Some of the funding of their budget would be paid for by dipping into Council reserves reserves.

Cllr Hinchcliffe described the Conservative budget amendment and low Council Tax rise as "populism," adding "Northamptonshire tried that and they went bust."

Councillor Mike Pollard (Cons, Baildon) proposed the Conservative Budget.

He pointed out that last year the Labour Group had predicted an overspend this year of £27.9 million, but were now saying they had "magic wanded" away that overspend.

The Conservative budget would see free car parking in non-city centre car parks, and Cllr Pollard added: "It may be that the internet will doom our District high streets to retail oblivion, but let’s not voluntarily hasten the process."

Some of the climate emergency budget would remain, but Cllr Pollard said some parts were "virtue signalling."

Discussing the Tory's proposed 2.49 per cent Council Tax rise, he said: "For the first time in a decade, Council Tax growth will be less than the growth in household income. Let's give the Council Tax payer a bit of a well deserved break."

Councillor Martin Love (Green, Shipley) presented the Green Party Budget proposals, which unsurprisingly included a greater focus on green projects and climate change.

He bemoaned the Labour group for taking so long to commit to a number of green projects, and said their investment in the budget was only "scratching the surface" of what needed to be done.

He also criticised the Council's library cuts plan.

Original the Labour group had proposed to cut the library service by £1.05 million this year, which led to a huge backlash and library staff striking.

But after deciding to move £700,000 of public health money into the budget, and finding funding from other sources, the cuts are now much less harsh.

Cllr Love said: "I hope lessons have been learned over the farce that went on last year over the library consultation process."

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) proposed the Liberal Democrat motion. She said: "For too many people things are not working as they should do. Families still face record levels of in-work poverty and record levels of debt. People born into disadvantage live fewer years than those who are wealthier, violence is too common, too many people have their lives impacted by air pollution and we still do not have enough homes. Despite all the pronouncements of the Labour Group and their ambition for the District things have still not changed for many of its residents. For some families, particularly those who care for the most vulnerable or those in low-paid irregular work who are struggling to make ends meet, life has got worse."

She said not all the blame could be laid at the door of austerity, claiming the Labour group had failed to hold officers to account, especially in the Children's Services department.

She criticised the Labour group for spending "eye-watering amounts" on "failed projects" over the years, and added: "There must be a few Labour Councillors who feel queasy committing to spending millions of pounds bidding to be the Capital of Culture when we have so many children failing to fulfil their full potential?"

When it came time to discuss the various budgets, Councillor Robert Hargreaves (Cons, Queensbury) criticised Labour plans to invest £350,000 on a "healthy streets" initiative to provide community groups with the ability to organise litter picks.

He said: "Community groups are not there to be relied upon by the Council to do the work for them when they pay for these services through Council Tax."

John Pennington (Cons, Bingley), leader of the Conservatives, said: "I'm fed up of hearing about austerity. We need to get the best possible deals from government borrowing, and you don't get that by constantly having a go at the government."

He urged Labour to not treat rate payers as "cash cows."

He called parking charges recently introduced by the Council as "retail vandalism."

Referring to criticism from the Conservatives about Council cuts, Cllr Hinchcliffe said: "These aren't our cuts, they are Tory cuts. Don't blame the sins of your government on us. These cuts are of your own making.

"Since 2010 the Conservative Government has taken £278 million out of this Council's budget. It is your government that has taken that money away."

Councillors voted on each party's proposal - with the Labour group - which has 52 out of the 90 seats on the Council, easily getting enough votes to push their budget through.