Leading education campaigner David Ward has criticised inner city councillors who failed to support his bid to make sure that schools serving communities that are less well off, receive additional financial support.

Cllr Ward said:

"The link between poverty and poor educational achievement is well known.

Councillor David Ward has hit out at the way extra money for schools is being shared out.

He said,

' The Council budget back in February approved £1.5m to be to Primary schools struggling to achieve basic targets. The new Contract Monitoring Board in September recommended that £450,000 of this money should go to Education Bradford. The Chair of the Young People and Education Improvement Committee was apparently quite happy with this and did not believe it was necessary to seek the views of his own Committee. The Improvement Committee will at last be given the chance to discuss this huge increase in funding to Education Bradford - but just one day before it goes to the Executive for a decision.

Councillor David Ward is challenging Bradford City Regeneration to submit itself to public scrutiny by holding a Question Time Session.

He said,

Bradford City Regeneration is far too secretive about its plans and despite having two leading Bradford Councillors on the Board it seems to be totally unaccountable to the people of Bradford.

Councillor David Ward is calling on the Council to issue a Building Preservation Notice for the Odeon.

He said,

" A petition of 1000 names has been sent to the Council asking for the Odeon to be protected while it is once again considered for listing. A Building Preservation Order means that the Odeon would be treated as if it were listed for 6 months pending the outcome of the sixth application for it to be officially listed.

Up to a quarter of residents living in Bradford North will face a big rise in their income tax bill in April according to Councillor David Ward, chair of the Bradford North Area Committee.

He said,

" Just over 25% of households in this area have a gross income of less than £15,000 a year and the abolition of the 10p income tax band could hit them hard. If they are under 65 years old they could lose up to £180 a year because the reduction of he 22p band to 20p is not enough to offset the loss of the 10p band.

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