Bradford’s Trident programme has been picked for a pilot project by the Government aimed at saving billions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash.

Community Budgets will transform how local services are delivered to local communities by giving professionals control on how to spend Government money at local level, according to Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles as he made the announcement yesterday.

Bradford was chosen out of 48 areas that applied to be on the programme.

Mick Binns, the chief executive of Bradford Trident, said that it meant a great deal to the organisation, originally set up in 2000 to deliver the Government’s New Deal for Communities programme. The Community Budget, due to start in 2013, could mean millions more for Trident.

“It is a logical step and I am absolutely delighted,” Mr Binns said. “We have been in the community for 12 years and work closely with Bradford Council, but we are currently not direct service providers. We will work with public service providers and help to plan services locally and could be involved with commissioning services and having a say on how things should be delivered more effectively.”

Bradford Trident is now a neighbourhood management organisation with community hubs in Park Lane, Marshfields and West Bowling.

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