Plans for spending Yeadon airport sale cash revealed (From Wharfedale Observer)

Plans for spending Yeadon airport sale cash revealed

11:33am Sunday 16th September 2007 in Local news By Paul Langan

Bradford Council's ruling Conservative group has set out its spending plans for the rest of the £51.5 million received from the sale of Leeds-Bradford Airport.

The decision-making executive proposes spending £15 million on education and skills, £15 million on regeneration, £10 million on infrastructure to support regeneration and £5 million on healthier communities.

Two months ago the council agreed to create a £3 million community fund to allow £100,000 to be spent in each of the district's wards.

The council owned a 40 per cent share in the airport and received £51.5 million when the sale was finalised in May - £2.7 million for the investment fund is set to come from the airport pot. This will see ward councillors making the final decision on where the cash should be spent in their area, and it is hoped the money will draw in funding from other sources.

Finally the executive plans would see £2.3 million held in what is described as the Change Programme contingency fund leaving £1.5 million yet to be allocated.

A decision was taken at an executive meeting to move forward with the proposals. It will now have to be ratified at the next full Council meeting in October.

Council leader Councillor Kris Hopkins said: "We don't want to rush into allocating money to specific projects at this moment in time.

"We don't get this kind of money often and we need to think carefully about where it will be spent.

"The matter will have to go before full council to enable each party to put together different proposals under each broad heading.

"The executive proposals are for what we consider to be the key areas for the future of the district. We need to make sure there is enough for Building Schools for the Future. "

The proposals for spending the airporyt money atre: l EDUCATION AND SKILLS: £15m to support improvement in the quality and standard of educational provision through the Building Schools for the Future and the Special Schools Reorganisation programmes.

l REGENERATION: £15m to facilitate strategic land acquisitions to take forward regeneration projects in the four masterplan areas of the city centre.

• INFRASTRUCTURE: To support regeneration - £10m to support strategic transport infrastructure and help bring in match-funding from regional and national sources in the regeneration of the district.

• HEALTH: £5m to provide investment to develop facilities for healthier communities to meet the strategic and community needs of the district.

• WARD INVESTMENT: £2.7m to be used in ward-based investment to improve facilities and services in localities to promote harmony and inclusion and fostering strong and united communities.

• CHANGE PROGRAMME: Change Programme fund - £2.3m to be held in this contingency fund.