A SCHEME to tackle poverty in Bradford has been described as "worthy," but Councillors have questioned what it will actually achieve.

The Bradford District Anti-poverty Co-ordination Group's latest report Tackling Poverty 2018-2020, was recently discussed by Councillors.

The report was discussed by members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee last week.

It says: "The significant levels of poverty which continue to exist in many parts of the district are preventing many residents from reaching their full potential. For young people in particular, growing up in poverty means they are almost four times more likely to live in poverty as adults as their peers."

The strategy's aims include boosting people's incomes, improve the benefits system, boost people's skills, "strengthen families and communities" and promoting long term economic growth.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said: "There is some very worthy work going on, and I'm not trying to dispute that in any way. My worry is that this is written by people who don't know what it's like to live of £60 a week.

"I think there is a bit of middle class angst towards people who are poor. We want to make things a little bit better for them. But we need to look at big things to improve their lives, not little things.

"I am a trustee of a youth centre that might have to shut because of the amount of rent we have to pay the Council. Let's fix that. This is all very worthy, but we need to find the big levers and pull them."

Councillor Cath Bacon (Lab, Keighley West), the Council's anti poverty champion, said: "It is not for the group to tell poor people how not to be poor anymore."

Other members claimed the report was too vague in what it wanted to achieve.

Councillor Simon Cooke (Cons, Bingley Rural) said that although he wanted much more detail in the document, it was "one of the most important things the Council has done in recent years."

The report was endorsed by the committee.