Bradford Council is set to sign a groundbreaking contract with residents - giving them a say on how their council tax is spent.

The authority could follow in the footsteps of Bristol and Milton Keynes, using information technology to consult with council tax payers about where the cash should be spent.

Chief executive Ian Stewart will formally consult council tax payers before the publication of a contract for the financial year beginning in March 2002.

Last night's Council meeting agreed that innovative methods including new technology should be used to communicate with residents. The notice of motion, calling for a citizens' tax contract, was put forward by the leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, and passed with the support of the Labour group.

Tory Deputy Council leader Richard Wightman said he had sympathy with the resolution but it would need significant investment in the Council's information technology systems.

Coun Sunderland said: "We believe it is possible and that it is the right thing to do, to give the public a voice in the authority's spending decisions.

"We will need to overcome cynicism among the public who are distrustful that their views will not be heard.

"A key challenge will be to present the information so that people can understand the issues and make a choice, not just to dumb down the explanations."

During the meeting Councillor Dave Green attacked an editorial comment in the Telegraph & Argus which accused planning councillors of a lack of vision over the redevelopment of the Provincial House site.

He said some of the comments were "unjust and insulting."

"If people want to know who is guilty it isn't the elected members - it is the people who for years and years have failed to invest," he said. "The other people who are guilty are the agents and developers who deliberately decry Bradford and encourage people to Leeds and Manchester."

Councillor Clive Richardson said: "I make no apologies for my decision on planning grounds. It came to us in April 2000 and was refused on the grounds of scale, not use."

Councillor Simon Cooke said: "The T&A is on the council's side in terms of getting the best vision for the city of Bradford."