The Bradford East Area Committee met to discuss preparations for Bradford's year as UK City of Culture, an update on the progress of the Smart Street Lighting project in the area, and an update on Youth Service activities in the area. The meeting also included the consideration of objections to a number of proposed traffic regulation orders in the area.

Bradford 2025

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation from Bradford 2025 about their plans for Bradford's year as UK City of Culture in 2025. This follows the publication in September 2024 of the programme for the year. The meeting report pack contains the following about the programme:

From New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve, 2025 is set to explode with more than 1,000 shows, exhibitions and events – by and for everyone, with much of it completely free to see.

The committee was also scheduled to hear about how Bradford Council is working with Bradford 2025 and other partners to prepare for 2025.

Smart Street Lighting Project

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of the Smart Street Lighting project in the constituency.

The Smart Street Lighting project in Bradford aims to replace the council's 56,500 streetlights with more efficient LED lights. The project is being funded by £25,893,509 of borrowing and £19,084,597 from SALIX, a government programme that provides interest-free loans to the public sector to improve energy efficiency. The council expects to save 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year by completing the project.

The project will also see the installation of a Central Management System (CMS) to control the new lights and a Low Power Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) to facilitate the Internet of Things (IoT).¹

Bradford East Area-Wide Traffic Regulation Order - Objections

The committee was scheduled to consider objections to a number of proposed traffic regulation orders in the Bradford East constituency.

The proposed orders, if they were to be approved, would amend waiting restrictions in 20 locations across the constituency.

A traffic regulation order was advertised for consultation between 27 September and 25 October 2024, and this resulted in objections to some of the proposals at 12 sites:

• Hodgson Fold in Bolton & Undercliffe Ward
• Buck Street in Bowling & Barkerend Ward
• Garnett Street in Bowling & Barkerend Ward
• Thornhill Terrace in Bradford Moor Ward
• Moorside Road near Moorside Terrace in Eccleshill Ward
• Moorside Road near Whitaker Avenue in Eccleshill Ward
• Norman Lane near Stonefield Close in Eccleshill Ward
• Norman Lane near Norman Terrace in Eccleshill Ward
• Westfield Lane in Idle & Thackley Ward
• Bradford Road near property number 75 in Idle & Thackley Ward
• Cragside/Leeds Road in Idle & Thackley Ward
• Thackley Road in Idle & Thackley Ward.

The report considered the objections and set out the council officer's response to them.

The meeting report pack also contains details of 3 emails of support that the council received for other aspects of the scheme.

Youth Service Update - Bradford East

The committee was scheduled to receive a report about the Youth Service's activities in the Bradford East Area during 2023 and 2024.

The report describes how the Youth Service has been working in partnership with other organisations in the area. One such organisation is the Equity Partnership, which works to support LGBTQ+ people. The report pack describes the work with the Equity Partnership as follows:

Our work with young people in partnership with Equity Partnership has gone from strength to strength. We support young people in building the life they want, in our community and the wider world, in finding their place where they fit, with people who accept and value them. With the partnership approach we are helping support better and safer places for LGBTQ+ youth and although there is a long way to go in terms of equality, the bonds and friendships formed in the centre will last far longer than ever expected.

The report also describes a range of youth activities and interventions that have taken place across all 6 wards in the constituency.