This meeting was about setting the council's budget, agreeing new policies, making appointments, and receiving reports. A number of petitions and questions from the public were also scheduled to be heard.

School bus services

Three of the meeting's agenda items related to the provision of school bus services, which the council had started consulting on cutting from September 2025 at the Executive Committee meeting in November.

Two petitions were scheduled to be presented:

• To reconsider cuts to the school bus services that serve St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College.
• What action is being taken to ensure the preservation of the grade 2* listed Cotton Mill on Low Mill lane in Keighley, which is also regionally significant as Yorkshire’s oldest Cotton Mill?

Six questions submitted by members of the public also related to this topic. They asked about:

• The potential impact of the removal of the dedicated bus service to St Bede's/St Joseph's, how the council planned to work with First Bus to manage the large numbers of children using their service, and how they would manage potential overcrowding and safety issues on public transport.
• The impact of the removal of school transport on the number of pupils attending the school, and what due diligence and impact assessment had been undertaken on the risk of closure of St Bede’s and St Joseph’s.
• The reasons why SBSJ's bus service was being cut, but other schools in the district would keep theirs.
• The justification for stopping the Bingley Grammar School bus service, given the potential hazards to pupils.

Two motions also related to school bus services:

Protecting school bus services

A motion by Councillor Matt Edwards noted that buses are more environmentally friendly than private vehicles, but that there had been significant cuts to dedicated school bus transport. It called on the Council to note the stress and anxiety being caused to parents and students by the consultation, to explore alternative funding options to protect existing services and to write to the Mayor of West Yorkshire and Secretary of State for Transport to ask them to prioritise school bus services in their budgets.

Reinstatement of the school bus services to St. Bede's and St. Joseph's Catholic Academy

A motion by Councillor Mohammed Ali Islam noted the distress and anger caused by the proposals and called for the council to conduct a comprehensive review of the decision.

Proposed Statement of Licensing Principles 2025-2027 under the Gambling Act 2005

The meeting considered the outcome of a consultation on the council's proposed new Statement of Licensing Principles for 2025-2027. This document sets out the council's approach to licensing gambling premises, including the promotion of the licensing objectives set out in the Gambling Act 2005:

• Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime.
• Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way.
• Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

The consultation had received responses from Councillor Matt Edwards, GamCare, the Lotteries Council and Bradford Council’s Public Health Department. These responses included a number of questions and suggestions, including:

• Whether the council should consider the concentration of gambling venues in some areas.
• The need to ensure that information about the risks of gambling and how to get help is accessible to all customers, including in different languages.
• Whether the council should require businesses to offer self-exclusion schemes.
• The need to limit the number of gambling premises in individual streets.

Mental health support for young people

A motion by Councillor Janet Russell noted that young people were facing waiting times of up to three years for mental health support, that council youth work had been starved of cash in recent years, and that counselling charities were reliant on funding that was not guaranteed. It called on the portfolio holder for youth services to urgently meet with a cross-party group to discuss the situation and to devise a framework for working with organisations which provide support for young people. It also called on the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister, Chancellor, and Home Secretary to describe the council’s powerlessness to support its young people adequately.

Parking charges in Idle

Councillor Alun Griffiths submitted a motion relating to the introduction of car parking charges in Idle. It noted that businesses in Idle were reporting a significant reduction in footfall and that residents were finding it more difficult to park near their homes, due to the number of vehicles displaced from the car park. It called on the portfolio holder to urgently review the car park charging regime, potentially offering location-sensitive concessions, and to suspend charges until this review had been completed. A related question from a member of the public also asked for assurances to local businesses who were concerned about their viability, due to a loss of trade.

Treasury Management Mid-Year Review up to 30 September 2024

A report by the Director of Finance provided an update on the Council's treasury management activities and performance in the first six months of the 2024/25 financial year.

The report included updates on the Capital Financing Requirement (CFR), which is a measure of the Council's indebtedness, and the ratio of capital financing costs to net revenue stream, which is a measure of the affordability of the Council's capital investment plans. It also provided information on the Council’s borrowing strategy.

Membership of committees

It was recommended that Councillor Winnard replace Councillor Davies as Chair of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of the 2024/25 Municipal Year. It was also recommended that Councillor Davies replace Councillor Winnard as an alternate on the same committee.

Change of name of Area Committee and Area Planning Panel

It was recommended that, in light of the name change for the Keighley and Ilkley Parliamentary Constituency, the Keighley Area Committee be changed to the Keighley and Ilkley Area Committee, and that the Area Planning Panel (Keighley and Shipley) be changed to the Area Planning Panel (Keighley, Ilkley and Shipley).

Other business

Other motions discussed the following:

• Mismanaged decline: This motion by Councillor Mike Pollard focused on the impact of the national budget on businesses in Bradford and called for a briefing paper to be prepared outlining the likely consequences of increases in employers’ NICs and the national living wage.
• Supporting our rural communities: Councillor Rebecca Poulsen called on the Council to recognise the challenges faced by farmers and those living in rural communities, to work with partners to provide adequate services, and to lobby the government to reverse recent tax increases on farms.
• Reaffirming Bradford’s commitment as a City of Sanctuary: Councillor Sirferaz Siddique proposed a motion urging the Council to continue its support for refugees and asylum seekers, particularly by ensuring that they have access to essential services, and to advocate for adequate funding from the government.
• Tackling the epidemic of violence against women and girls: A motion by Councillor Kamran Hussain called on the Council to reaffirm its commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, to support West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin’s work on the issue and to back the delivery of a strong action plan.
• Getting ready for UK City of Culture 2025: Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw proposed a motion noting the opportunities that would be created by Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture 2025 and urging the Council to work with partners to create a lasting legacy.

A report by the Leader of the Council was also scheduled to be circulated, on which Councillors were able to ask questions. Members of the public were also able to ask questions.