TODAY we report that Bradford Council is having to change how it plans its spending as it copes with having less money.

The huge pressure on the Council is a result of budgets having been massively reduced over the years and it comes at a time when Bradford’s services are particularly needed. The population of the whole country is getting older, which increases demand on services, and Bradford’s resources are also being squeezed at the opposite end of the scale as one of the country’s youngest cities, so it is vital that the Council balances its books carefully.

That means some very hard decisions have to be made in the months and years to come. It’s good to see that the Council is taking a fresh, new approach to that by asking local residents to think about what services they need and how they are delivered.

It is opting for a change of policy by, as it puts it, “choosing what services and activities will be the most effective”.

However, in the information it has published, the Council says money will only be spent on its “top priorities”, which makes the selection of those priorities absolutely crucial and it is vital that it gets the selection right and that means that the public has a big part to play in making sure the Council is heading in the right direction.

So, if you want to get your message across about what the most important issues are for the Council, you should write to your local councillors and contact the authority directly.

It’s easy to criticise decisions once they have been made but it’s far better to help shape them if the opportunity is there to do so.