Contingency plans are being drawn up by Bradford Council departments looking to combat recent rocketing power prices.

Last week the Telegraph & Argus revealed how massive hikes in fuel bills are expected to cost the Council nearly £2 million this year alone.

And departments have been told to stand the costs themselves - meaning cost-cutting measures are likely.

Deputy Labour leader David Green (Wibsey) told last night's Corporate Improvement Committee that he had spoken to two different department heads who were looking at potential cost-cutting measures.

"I asked them what would be the result if they were told to fund these increases," he said. "It seems they have contingency plans. Arts, heritage and leisure is one department which the prices will have the biggest impact on.

"This must have been prepared by the officers before the matter went to executive."

Labour leader Ian Greenwood (Little Horton) said: "It's an enormous amount of money and we don't know what effect it will have.

"We must ask the executive to reconsider the matter in the light of this report and receive reports from the service directors about the potential effect on services."

Councillors heard how "eco-stewards" were being brought in to 80 of the Council's buildings to monitor their colleagues and clamp down on energy wastage. They expect to save ten per cent this year.

Employees are being asked to volunteer for the role which would see them pouncing on bad energy practices in the authority's worst buildings for consumption. The buildings include City Hall, Jacob's Well, Cartwright Hall, libraries and sports centres.

Fuel bills are expected to rise by as much as 80 per cent this year as long-term contracts for gas, electricity and oil are renegotiated.

The departments with the highest amounts to find are arts, heritage and leisure (£685,000) and environmental services (£376,000) - with other departments bringing the total up to £1.9 million.

Biomass boilers are being installed at City Hall and Ilkley Town Hall to run on woodchips collected from the parks and landscapes department - which will also cut energy costs. And a trial is underway at Flockton House in East Bowling of a device which fits to toilet cisterns to save water.

The committee agreed to refer the matter back to the decision-making executive recommending they look further into how each department can making cost-cutting changes.

  • Councillors welcomed changes to the planning system which would see developers being asked to put more back into the community.
The Council working party put forward 17 recommendations about legal agreements attached to planning consent and asked that a more uniform approach be used.

New measures, which they asked to be implemented, could see developers paying for extra police community support officers, CCTV, more affordable homes and play areas.

More PCSOs would combat any increase in crime or anti-social behaviour and developers would be expected to "design out" crime.

A number of developers were consulted during the 12-month review period.

The committee agreed that ward councillors and area committees should play a greater role in determining legal agreements - and not just for contentious applications.

The matter was referred to the executive, regulatory committee and the chief executive.

e-mail: jo.winrow@bradford.newsquest.co.uk