There are calls for the number of councillors in the district to be cut by a third to save money from Bradford Council’s annual budget.

Keighley’s deputy mayor is among those who have suggested Bradford Council could save £390,000 a year by cutting the number of district councillors from 90 to 60.

The proposal would reduce the number of councillors in each of the district’s 30 wards from three to two.

The basic allowance for all 90 councillors is £13,042, but there are additional allowances for travel, subsistence, cars, hotels and special responsibilities.

Town councillor Judith Brooksbank, Keighley’s deputy mayor, said the idea of reducing the number of councillors received strong support at a consultation meeting in Keighley’s Central Hall to discuss Bradford Council’s budget.

Coun Brooksbank said: “I don’t doubt there are plenty of hard-working councillors in the district, but how many people are we paying who are just coasting along and not looking after their ward?

“It’s concerning that the Council are planning to no longer provide social care to disabled people who cannot carry out basic tasks such as getting out of bed, washing and dressing without assistance. They should look at their own income first.”

Councillor Geoff Reid (Liberal Democrat, Eccleshill) said: “Within the Liberal Democrat group, there’s a strong feeling in favour of the case for moving from three to two for each ward.”

But Coun Reid said the whole issue needed to be looked at, because a reduction in councillors would increase the workload of those remaining.

Councillor Dave Green, leader of Bradford Council, said “One issue is whether the actual savings would overcome the representational issue it would cause. I know that different wards have different types of workload. The councillors I know from all parties are all extremely busy doing their ward work.

“It’s not a simple argument to say that you cut the number of councillors by a third and automatically save a third of the amount of money.”