Bradford City Park project scoops fifth award (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bradford City Park project scoops fifth award

10:00am Saturday 8th December 2012 in News By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter

It was a double success for Bradford Council at the Local Government Yorkshire and Humber Awards.

Long-serving Bradford councillor Val Slater won the elected member of the year award and the City Park won an award for an outstanding contribution to unlocking local economic growth.

This makes it five awards for the six-acre city centre park in recent months.

Coun Slater, who represents the Royds ward, is also executive member for housing, planning and transport on the Council, as well as being chairman of West Yorkshire Trading Standards.

She was also deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford last civic year, supporting Lord Mayor Councillor Naveeda Ikram in a rare all-female civic team.

Coun Slater led a major education campaign involving more than 1,500 young people in her ward taking part in workshops warning of tobacco and alcohol misuse.

And in her trading standards remit, she has worked hard to expose the fake and the bogus and educate the community to be on their guard. She successfully secured Big Lottery funding to widen the initiative out to other West Yorkshire districts.

She said: “I am overwhelmed to have won this award of Yorkshire and Humber elected member of the year. Although I come up with the ideas, it is the staff at Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Joint Services who get on and do the work and I must pay credit to them.”

Councillor David Green, leader of the Council, was there to accept the award for the City Park.

He said: “There is no doubt that City Park has had a massive impact both in terms of enhancing the environment and in improving the well-being of the people who live and work in the city.

“Hordes of visitors have been enthralled by this innovative and attractive public space with its dancing fountains including the largest fountain in any UK city.

“There is no doubt that it has also provided a dramatic backdrop to our spectacular events, the most recent being the Christmas lights switch-on when aerial acrobats performed a magical musical story suspended above the park.”