Living with COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has presented additional challenges and tests to our organisation, our communities, our public sector partners and our businesses.

COVID-19 has intensified the deep inequalities that already existed in our society. It has had a disproportionate impact on our most disadvantaged people, including young people, large and persistently deprived communities, BAME, women, migrants, people in poverty and on low incomes, and the elderly. As we are the UK’s youngest city we are concerned about the impact on our children’s health and future prospects. Addressing this is a key priority for the next four years.

The full implications of COVID-19 on the district and its economy are still to be fully understood. Modelling commissioned by the West Yorkshire Economic Recovery Board demonstrates the significant impact the pandemic could have on businesses and communities.

Even in the event of a relatively strong recovery, the district’s economy is still set to shrink over the next year, in line with national trends. If we see a slower, uneven recovery, modelling suggests our economy could shrink by almost 30% by the end of 2021. This will have an impact not only on businesses, but also on people’s jobs and livelihoods.

The way we operate and deliver Council services has changed during the pandemic. Apart from frontline roles, most of our staff and councillors are now working remotely with video conferencing replacing physical Council meetings.

Tackling COVID-19 has affected our financial position significantly. It has brought many new costs and has increased demand in many services. At the same time, it has reduced our ability to raise funds and collect expected income from fees and charges.