Chris Young

Shipley MP Anna Dixon is pressing Bradford Council to confirm that £200,000 allocated under Operation Steerside will be used to tackle dangerous and antisocial e-bike and e-scooter use. Residents have reported near-misses, pavement riding and nuisance around schools and businesses. The council says the funding remains available this financial year and will support enforcement, education and vehicle removal in partnership with West Yorkshire Police, while it reviews possible Public Space Protection Orders for urban centres.

Northern plans to end its Hull–Leeds–Bradford–Halifax service at Leeds because persistent delays and early terminations have undermined reliability. The proposed timetable would extend the Bradford–Halifax–Huddersfield service to Leeds, improving connections and providing additional hourly services to Low Moor, Brighouse and eventually Elland. Passengers in Halifax, Bradford, New Pudsey and Bramley would lose direct trains to stations east of Leeds and Hull, requiring a change at Leeds, while Councillor Peter Carlill warned of a peak-time gap at Pudsey but said he would accept the change if it brings wider benefits.

Bradford Council leader Stephen Place has ruled out freezing or cutting council tax in the near term, saying the authority’s improved financial position still depends on 4.99% annual increases under its Exceptional Financial Support arrangements. Bradford is now expected to leave the support scheme in 2028, two years earlier than planned, after its required government-backed borrowing was reduced from £570 million to £395 million following a stronger funding settlement. Reform UK controls only 28 of the council’s 90 seats, so it will need opposition support to pass the 2027/28 budget.

Bradford Council rejected a retrospective application to convert a terraced property on Little Horton Lane into an eight‑bedroom HMO, citing cramped conditions, inadequate communal spaces, and insufficient natural light and ventilation. Despite reducing the number of bedrooms from nine to eight, planners said the building could still house up to 16 people and failed to meet minimum space standards. Concerns included basement rooms lacking daylight, undersized kitchens, small communal areas, and potential noise impacts due to intensified occupancy. The council concluded that the HMO provides substandard living conditions for current and future residents.

Bradford Council rejected BL Developments’ scaled‑down plan to build five homes on Green Belt land in Riddlesden due to highway safety concerns and missing environmental and heritage assessments. Highways officers cited narrow road widths, poor pedestrian access and a nearby blind bend as key safety issues, while other departments noted the absence of required ecological and heritage documentation. Developers argued the site’s sustainability and potential contribution to housing supply, but the council concluded it lacked sufficient evidence to approve the outline proposal.

Legal action by the Environment Agency resulted in the cleanup of a waste site in Wyke Lane, Bradford, after owner Andrew Leadbeater failed to remove accumulated rubbish and burned-out vehicles despite multiple warnings. Leadbeater pleaded guilty to operating without an environmental permit and ignoring an enforcement notice, receiving a conditional discharge, a two‑month disposal deadline, and over £6,000 in costs. The site has now been fully cleared, with the agency emphasizing its commitment to tackling waste crime and urging public reporting of unlawful activities.

Bradford Council spent more than £1,000 pursuing a prosecution for anti‑social driving after a motorist failed to pay a £100 fixed penalty notice for revving his car in congested traffic. Shayaam Mahmood pleaded guilty, and magistrates fined him £40 and awarded only £300 of the council’s £1,099 costs, leaving most of the bill to taxpayers. A similar case the same day resulted in an identical fine and cost award, bringing the combined unrecovered costs to around £1,600.

A proposal has been submitted to Bradford Council seeking permission to operate a temporary campsite at Milking Hill Farm in Stanbury, offering 18 pitches and basic facilities between early July and late August. The application argues the site qualifies as permitted development and does not require full planning approval. A decision is expected in July, and the farm’s location in Brontë Country continues to attract significant tourist interest.