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Backing Bradford District
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Covid-19 update, 3 July 2020
The whole district has been looking forward to the further easing of lockdown rules on 4 July. We are making our preparations amidst media speculation that Bradford could soon follow Leicester back into lockdown. We know that figures from Public Health England certainly show Bradford and a number of other local authorities to have high numbers of infections. We are some way behind Leicester but the numbers of people testing positive is too high so we are all going to have to play our part and redouble our efforts – the Council, our partners and first and foremost, our people – if we are to prevent infection spreading. No-one wants another lockdown yet Covid-19 is still circulating in our communities so we need everyone to continue to follow guidelines, stay at home where possible, social distance, wash your hands regularly and self-isolate if you have symptoms. We all have to stay disciplined and vigilant to prevent a spike in infections, more tragic deaths and a local lockdown.
Local services have worked hard over the last few months to keep the district safe, including producing information in a range of languages and media, street level engagement with vulnerable communities, advice to shops and takeaways, deployment of youth workers, working with faith communities, supporting care homes, shopping centres and manufacturers, and constantly monitoring the situation. Next week we will consider proposals to invest Council resources in further vital work to support the wellbeing of our district and its diverse communities. We cannot afford to let all the hard work put in by the people of the district to go to waste. Another spike and lockdown would cause more heartache, damage and frustration. The best thing anyone can do right now to back our district is to play their part, act responsibly and keep themselves and others safe.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader, City of Bradford MDC
Kersten England, Chief Executive
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Funding to deal effectively and fairly with the impact of Covid-19, to prevent and minimise the spread of infection, ensure that the district has safe spaces, workplaces, schools and transport and to help build a better future is proposed in a new financial report to be considered by Bradford Council’s Executive at its meeting on 7 July.
The package of vital investments totals £5.978m and includes:
- £585k to ensure food supplies to people in need of support
- £210k to provide school meals over the summer
- £900k to tackle increasing numbers of cases of domestic violence
- Extra wardens to help ensure social distancing and the safe use of public spaces
- £390k to support the social care market
- £1.4m to get children safely to school
- Over £700k to support tuition and learning to help prevent increasing gaps in educational attainment
- Over £1m support for economic recovery including skills, support to businesses and the acceleration of key capital schemes
- £250k to support working towards a sustainable and low carbon recovery.
The proposals are made alongside government funding that will support action to test and trace, deliver active travel schemes and help to create safe public spaces. If approved the investments will play a key role in the district’s wellbeing. Emerging evidence of the local impact of Covid-19 indicates that inequality will be deepened; many businesses fear for their viability; there are significant increases in Universal Credit claimant count; incidents of domestic violence are rising and large numbers of children are missing out on learning. These new investments will seek to minimise and mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, on learning and on inequalities.
It is proposed that the money should come from Council reserves which has been made possible by prudent and disciplined financial planning. Those reserves can however only be used once and ongoing budgets remain under critical pressure. Without additional Government support a significant budget deficit will emerge.
The Government has announced new measures to help local authorities cope with the financial pressures arising from Covid-19 and we are working to understand the implications for Bradford. The Local Government Association estimates that councils will face a collective funding gap of £7.4bn this year and continues to call for all additional costs of Covid to be met by Government.
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Business grants top 10,500
Teams working to get emergency grant funding out to local businesses have to date paid grants to over 10,500 businesses with a value of £119,430,000.
Bradford District is set benefit from funding for active travel schemes that promote walking and cycling. The West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been successful in securing its full allocation of £2.513 million from the first phase of the Department for Transport’s Emergency Active Travel Fund, worth a total £12.5 million, to deliver the initial programme of ambitious proposals.
The Combined Authority is agreeing the final details of schemes with its partner authorities which will create more space for people to travel by bike and on foot, whilst easing the pressure on public transport, relieving congestion and cutting carbon.
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Carbon reduction will be one of the benefits of a new Advanced Fuel Centre to be built in Bradford’s Bowling Back Lane. The facility will provide a compressed natural/biomethane gas refueling station that can fuel up to 77 heavy-duty Council vehicles due for replacement and also support third parties. The plans which will be considered by Bradford Council’s Executive on 7 July will deliver significant reductions in fuel costs and in greenhouse gas emissions. You can find out more here.
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When the world went into lockdown, engineers from the University of Bradford began working flat out on a design for face shields in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Engineers from the Faculty of Engineering & Informatics used advanced design and modelling software to come up with a new, cost-effective design. Specialist mould sets from Germany were machined in-house and injection moulding equipment was deep cleaned.
Now their design is being mass produced in conjunction with two local companies, ActiveCell Technologies and Teconnex, with one unit made every 30 seconds. To date, the university has fulfilled orders for 10,000 and 5,000 units for the NHS and Bradford Council but it is close to signing a deal for a further 400,000 units.
A new video – available to watch here – explains the process.
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Healthy Minds #StillHereToHelp
Mental health problems affect one in four adults yet the stigma around them means people often suffer in silence. Myths and misinformation can leave people feeling more lost and isolated, so a special newspaper series by the Telegraph & Argus aims to separate fiction from fact and give practical help.
In the first article, Bradford man Ian Lamb opens up about his struggles, why it's vital to talk about your feelings and seek support if you are having problems, and how Mind in Bradford helped him.
Visit this page for information and support on depression.
Bradford Literature Festival is renowned as one of the fastest growing and diverse events of its kind and its 2020 Digital Festival promises to build on that reputation with ten days of free events to enjoy. Highlights include talks with actor Christopher Eccleston and writer Lemn Sissay and over 30 new films and interactive workshops.
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