Bradford Council leader hails 'game changing' City of Culture

Highlights and achievements from the 2021/22 financial year celebrating the district’s significant successes will be showcased in front of Bradford Council’s Executive next week.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council leader, said: “Winning City of Culture 2025 is a game-changing achievement for the city and district.

Bradford Council leader Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe says the City of Culture 2025 win is 'game changing' (Image: File)

“It will place the Bradford district at the heart of the country's cultural conversation and will attract talent, resources and national attention.

“It will change perceptions of the district, help to build local confidence and civic pride and generate new skills and jobs with culture central to our plans for generating clean economic growth.

“This win has already started to change the landscape with businesses and cultural organisations seeking out Bradford as a place to do business and deliver events.

“Other outstanding achievements have been made in the district and it’s fantastic to see the efforts of our residents and communities, supported by our staff and partners, accomplishing so much.

“We are still supporting and responding to the challenges of the pandemic as well as the cost of living crisis and rising energy and fuel prices. This report just shows the breadth of services that we provide and our work with partners and communities.”

Crowds celebrate Bradford's City of Culture 2025 bid victory

The full-year performance report will be presented to a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive on July 5.

The highlights and achievements showcased will include details of the £58 million investment offer which has been secured via the Shipley and Keighley Towns Fund. Shipley received an investment offer of £25m and Keighley received an investment offer of £33.6m from the Towns Fund.

The Bradford district has secured £20 million capital funding through the Levelling Up fund to build the Squire Lane Health and Wellbeing Hub in Toller.

Prevention of homelessness in Bradford is significantly above the regional average. Housing Options service received 9,279 approaches for assistance representing an increase of 12.7 per cent on 2020/21.

Despite this higher demand, current figures also indicate that we are nearly 17.5 per cent above the Yorkshire and Humber average for successful preventions and 5.2 per cent for successful relief outcomes.

Investing in interventions to prevent fly-tipping across the district.

There was a range of activity over the summer of 2021 in Bradford on the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme, including over 109 lead providers delivered Holiday Clubs across the six-week summer break with 34,964 children participating across the district.