April 2000

Shipley spy-cameras flop - but more are on the way (April 19)

Landfill Tax scandal may re-open inquiry (April 8)

Crime Quango opens doors to the public (April 5)

Bradford's e-future launched (April 3)

Shipley spy-cameras flop - but more are on the way

A long delayed report on the effectiveness of the public CCTV system in Shipley shows conclusively that the scheme has failed to make any impact on crime figures.

The spy-camera system went live in June 1998, with the target of reducing crime in the town centre by 20% in the first year of operation.

Figures published in the report show that crime actually increased by 20%.

But the report - "Shipley CCTV system - an evaluation", was welcomed by Shipley councillors today.

Councillor Tony Miller said: "As long as we've got women attacked in our streets in daylight; as long as we've got children abducted from shopping malls; as long as we've got old people attacked on the streets, then in my opinion there's a need for these cameras."

The members of the Shipley Area Panel approved future plans to expand the Shipley Centre scheme. Town Centre manager Bob Parker proposed that they buy "discrete" mobile cameras at £17,000 each, when funds permit.

See full report: Shipley CCTV system flops

Landfill Tax scandal may re-open inquiry

The Government's Select Committee Inquiry into the operation of the controversial Landfill Tax scheme may be re-opened following revelations of abuses of the scheme and massive illicit dumping.

This week the Guardian newspaper ran a series of articles about "The Landfill Tax scandal" and a Channel 4 Dispatches programme "Dirty Money" revealed the extent of flytipping as a result.

The Select Committee reported last year and was highly critical of many aspects of the tax and a scheme where landfill operators could donate a proportion of the tax to environmental projects.

KDIS has discovered how the scheme was used to help fund a high profile local environmental company NCEEM, which collapsed 4 months ago, bringing down the Keighley Business Forum with it.

Local environmental consultant John Dennis was able to obtain landfill tax grants for NCEEM and KBF from environmental bodies with which he had close personal links.

See KDIS's investigation: The Landfill Tax Bonanza
See also the main feature: Enviroscam
See also the Guardian's special report: "The Landfill Tax scandal"
See also the C4 Dispatches programme "Dirty Money"

Crime Quango opens doors to the public

After it's first year, the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership finally cast off it's "cloak of secrecy" and opened it's meetings to the public.

The Head of the Home Office Crime Reduction Unit, Colin Passey, had said that he knew of no other similar Partnership in the country that had taken this step and that the move might be a first for Bradford.

KDIS has been campaigning for this group, together with a number of other "public" bodies, to open up their proceedings to the public.

At the same time as admitting the public, the Crime Partnership approved the establishment of an "Executive Group" to ensure "the successful delivery of targets set in the Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy". It will consist of representatives from the Council, the Police and the Probation and Health Services.

It's meetings will not be open to the public.

See previous Posting

Bradford's e-future launched

Bradford's ruling class turned out in force for the official breakfast launch of the council's "2020 Vision" at Salts Mill this morning.

The "Vision", produced by the council following a widespread consultation exercise, was officially launched by Bradford Congress, the secretive unelected quango that effectively runs the city. Council leader Ian Greenwood, who also chairs the Congress, said that it was important that the council didn't "own" the vision.

2020 marks an attempt to tackle the growing long-term problems facing Bradford in a positive way. But exactly how much influence the views of the citizens has had remains to be seen.

Broadcaster John Humphrys had been hired from "Speakers for Business" to add glamour and humour to the otherwise dull proceedings.

Everybody that was anybody was there (KDIS weren't invited but turned up anyway).

But the 2020 logo, which resembles an ecstasy tablet, and the emphasis on "e-commerce", might give some people the wrong impression as to where the future economic prosperity of Bradford really lies.

See the 2020 Vision site
See also KDIS's own submission to 2020
See also Speakers for Business
See also Previous posting: Super-quango takes "ownership" of 2020 Vision

Back to Top of Page

Back to Contents Page