Baildon-based children's author Keith Rayner tells where he feels Bradford Council is going wrong.

May I suggest that the members of Bradford Council make a New Year's resolution...to do something positive for the people of Bradford?

Previous Bradford councils have a proud tradition. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bradford Council introduced more innovative ideas than any other local authority in the land. Every other council throughout the land copied all of the ideas.

I wonder how many of our current councillors are aware of these innovations?

Do they know that Bradford Council was the first in the land to make electricity available to its citizens? It was also the first to introduce school meals, school swimming baths, school health checks for children, a council-owned and run hospital, a midwifery service, council housing, free meals for nursing and expectant mothers in the city's poorer areas, sewage works, and fire alarm boxes on the streets in the days before people had telephones.

Bradford was also one of the leaders in starting up nursery schools, and also led the way in building parks and creating playing fields for the masses.

All these ideas had two things in common.

Firstly, they all made an improvement to the lives of the people of Bradford, and secondly, they did not need an architect to tell them what the people needed.

Once the Council made its decisions, if an architect was needed, they were brought in and given a strict remit as to what the Council's requirements were.

After 60 years of decline by consecutive councils, the current Council seems to see the way forward is to hand a blank cheque to an architect, and ask him to come up with ideas to regenerate the city.

I suggest that the Council concentrates on what the people need.

If the members and officers don't know what would be good for their citizens, then they shouldn't be in the job.

They should try asking people from all areas and all generations what the city needs to improve their lives. No matter how many people they ask, I doubt if any of them will say a lake, or a canal.

They must think of what the people need, not what the city needs.

If the people are happy, and know that they get better treatment than people in other cities, then this will raise the city's profile. This will encourage companies to invest in the city. It will encourage other investors to place attractions here to promote tourism and bring visitors.

If the citizens of Bradford are happy, then they will help in its regeneration. No amount of fancy ideas or buildings will make the residents content.

Architects will not think about the residents. They are only interested in building up their own profile and increasing their earnings.

So, back to the New Year's resolution. It should be to improve the lives of Bradfordians, and to improve welfare facilities. Spend the people's council tax on the people. Then watch the community spirit rise, and regeneration begin.