A plan to make Bradford a better place to live, work and meet the challenges of the 21st Century will soon be unveiled.

The blueprint will take the district up to the year 2008 - when there are hopes that Bradford will be Europe's Capital of Culture.

The purpose is to deliver Bradford's 2020 Vision, launched two years ago, to make the district a better place.

The vision was launched by newscaster Trevor McDonald - and Bradford Council says there have already been many achievements.

The interim community strategy running alongside the ambitious Vision takes it up to the year 2005. But now it is being changed to go up to the year 2008, in view of the Capital of Culture bid.

Key issues agreed by Bradford Vision - made up of the district's leading organisations - include Bradford's image; community safety and social cohesion; the economy, skills and education and regenerating town and city centres. And Vision has placed the implementation of it in the hands of Bradford Council.

The strategy contains many of the aims in the interim plan going up to the year 2005, but takes it further.

The original blueprint includes increasing average hourly earnings to the regional average; 85 per cent of pupils achieving at least level four in English and 80 per cent achieving level four or above in Maths at Key-Stage 2.

The 2005 plan also includes providing all available public services on-line; building stations at Low Moor and Apperley Bridge; helping offenders with drug problems; and establishing a network of one-stop shop and call centres across the whole of Bradford.

Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton said the strategy to take over from it would be discussed by Vision and Bradford Council in June.

Ambitions already achieved during the time of the interim plan already include:

l submission of the European City of Culture bid

l launch of the Bradford Challenge programme to improve the efficiency and quality of all Council services.

Councillor Eaton, who is also chairman of Bradford Vision said there would be extensive public consultation on the strategy throughout.