Half of people polled by the Telegraph & Argus would like to see the number of councillors reduced or their expenses slashed in a bid to save Bradford Council money.

Earlier this month we asked readers to come up with ideas for how the Council could reduce its spending after it was stripped of £7.2 million from its budget in the area-based grants by the Government.

More than a third of those who responded suggested scrapping the City Park while almost a third said councillors should have their annual allowance slashed or the number of expenses reduced.

Others said reducing the number of councillors would save the authority money.

Suggestions included stopping community newsletters and scrapping feasibility studies or paying for outside consultants and staff.

And 14 per cent of the responses suggested abolishing the position of the Lord Mayor of Bradford or reducing the expenses and privileges of the mayoralty.

Council leader Ian Greenwood, who is also head of the Council’s Labour group, said he could understand the cynicism shown towards politicians.

He said: “But what I would say is we don’t determine the number of councillors. It is done by legislation and we don’t believe our allowances are out of touch with what they ought to be.

“I think the number of councillors is interesting because people expect to be able to contact councillors, our workloads are increasingly large, and if we reduce the number people would become more distant from councillors.”

Councillor Greenwood said work on the City Park could not be stopped now but he was unconvinced the Council newsletter communicated with residents in the most effective way.

He said: “What we do need is a much more ongoing thoughtful dialogue with the people in the district which is about us talking with people not talking at them and is about listening to them before we take final decisions.”

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Council’s Liberal Democrat group, said her group was the only one to criticise the Council for not taking action under the Sustainable Communities Act to make sure residents could contribute to the debate about what the Council does next.

She said: “My challenge to the public would be that every year the Council is spending millions of pounds picking up litter. I would rather spend that £5 million a year on people who need help to live at home.

“Every year the Council spends millions of pounds on trying to prevent people from breaking the law, in terms of speeding. If everybody drove at 30mph we would probably have another £15 million to spend in schools, so I think part of the debate has got to be around challenging people’s behaviour.”

The T&A also received a letter which suggested in the 381,181 people if the district, taken from a 2008 census, paid an extra 38p per week council tax for a year, it would bring in £7,532,136.

The suggestions were sought by the T&A after Bradford Council was ordered to hand back £7.265 million from this year’s budget by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, a former leader of Bradford Council.

WHERE YOU SAY CUTS SHOULD BE MADE

  • Publications like Neighbourhood News and Community Pride are not at all important or valuable and should be scrapped. They are largely vehicles for Bradford Council spin rather than for transmitting significant information. Scrap all unnecessary jaunts (like the annual trip to Cannes) ostensibly designed to flag up Bradford’s profile. These ‘perks’ councillors enjoy are deeply resented – John Cook, of Altar Drive, Heaton, Bradford.
  • Scrap the park in the centre, this will save the Council millions. Cancel New Victoria Place for a few years. Cut the amount of councillors as they are not needed and also cut their expenses – Freda King, of Lansdale Court, Holme Wood, Bradford.
  • Stop using more money on projects like the Odeon. It has been agreed that it will be demolished and replaced with the New Victoria Place. Camouflaging this building is nothing more than another waste of money. Local councillors should now jump off the gravy train and use their expenses a lot less than of late – Ena Waterhouse, of Chartwell Drive, Wibsey, Bradford.
  • First, the highways department of Bradford Council need to look at the time their workmen take to complete a job. Time and again I notice workmen sat in their wagons reading the daily newspaper when they are supposed to be getting on with their work. Cut the outrageous wages and expenses paid to local councillors. If the city was prospering, then it would be money well spent, but many of them take on these positions not for the good of the community but for the perks that go with the job – Stirling Moore, of High Spring Road, Thwaites Brow, Keighley.
  • Eliminate the need for a mayor. A councillor is elected and the pomp and ceremony surrounding mayoral people costs valuable money, do we really need them? Do we need to spend so much on a city park that no-one I know is thrilled about as the rest of Bradford city centre is still going to look like a scene from a disaster movie, leading to very little chance of generating new businesses interest to the area or visitors – Dianne Brocklehurst, of Hillcrest Avenue, Queensbury.
  • They could for a start halt the building of the City Park and just Tarmac it over. They could switch off the big screen altogether or at least at night. Also reduce street lighting by a significant amount (after all, aren’t the Council meant to be green?) – Kader Mohideen, of Dirkhill Road, Great Horton, Bradford.