A Council chief has given a strong warning that there is no place for "vested interest and narrow-minded thinking" as the district tackles its race relations problems and takes radical action to create a harmonious district.

Deputy leader Councillor Richard Wightman told last night's Council meeting that there had been a six-month study and analysis of major reports and it was now time to get on with the job.

He said: "We've all read the reports. We've all talked about the findings, discussed the options and considered the solutions.

"By all means let there be further public debate, we broadly agree on what needs to be done now. Let's just get on with it."

The Council's Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood warned that bureaucracy must not stand in the way and the issue must still be top of the agenda in five years' time.

He said: "I am keen to ensure we address the underpinning issues and not the processes."

Councillor Simon Cooke (Con, Bingley Rural) said: "We should resolve to stop being so damned negative about the Bradford district.

"If we don't believe in the Bradford district nobody else is going to believe in it either.

"It is not as bad as people paint it. New businesses continue to spring up and flourish, new jobs are created every day by enterprising people. We should resolve to talk about the strengths rather than the negative."

The Council agreed that an independent organisation should be brought in to assess the Council's progress and a panel of residents should also give its views on how the issues are being dealt with.

Amendments by Councillor Greenwood that the Council's chief Executive Ian Stewart should regularly report to, and consult with, the three political leaders on the implementation of the response was also agreed.

The Council's scrutiny committees will also be reminded of their obligation to consider the aspects of the reports of a team headed by Lord Ouseley into the district's race relations, a study by a team headed by Ted Cantle and a Home Office report on community cohesion in relation to their work.

l The Council decided to nominate an officer to deal with petitions and set up procedures after complaints that some disappeared into "black holes".

Councillor Phil Thornton (Lab, Shipley East) said the Council should be ashamed of the way many petitions with large numbers of signatures were dealt with.

After the meeting Councillor Anne Hawksworth, executive committee for the environment, said that in the past one petition signed by 3,600 signatures fell into a black hole in city hall and was lost. She said that when residents came to the Council there had to be a clear route.