Counter Context Appointed to Support Bradford Council to Consult and Engage on Major Highways and Sustainable Travel Projects
Communications specialist Counter Context has been appointed to support City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council as it rolls out a series of transformational highways projects totaling more than £250m.
The three-year commission to deliver stakeholder engagement, public consultation and media support follows a competitive tender process and further boosts its extensive portfolio of work to support sustainability, climate change and clean growth.
Counter Context has developed a significant specialism in supporting local authorities who are delivering transport, regeneration and sustainability schemes.
Its work for Bradford Council will see it design, plan and deliver stakeholder engagement and consultation over a period of three years on projects including major route network improvements, the roll out of a district-wide LED lighting scheme, Active Travel Neighbourhoods and the delivery of its landmark Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) schemes, alongside a variety of smaller transport schemes.
Plans being delivered through the Transforming Cities Fund include the creation of a new South Bradford Park and Ride facility adjacent to the M606, the extension of the City Connect segregated cycle route to the west of the city and a series of major improvements in Bradford City Centre, including transforming the city’s primary bus and rail gateway station at Bradford Interchange.
Leigh Bramall, Counter Context Director and the consultancy’s Public Policy and Local Government Lead, said: “We have a unique understanding of the challenges facing local authorities and city regions when consulting and engaging to deliver key projects in our key sectors of transport, regeneration, energy and sustainability.
“In many instances, external pressures mean that human resources capacity at local authorities is stretched, project timelines are tight, and scrutiny is high. We provide key expertise, advice and delivery capacity to move quickly and take the strain off comms and engagement, allowing transport and regen teams to deliver. We also support the work of council comms teams to ensure communication is consistent, targeted and inclusive.
“Bradford Council has one of the most ambitious regeneration and sustainability programmes in the country and we look forward to being a part of its journey.”
Richard Gelder, Highways Services Manager of Bradford Council, added: “Over the next three years Bradford will be seeing major upgrades and improvements to its transport network as we build a new transportation future for Bradford. With such a transformational and comprehensive programme of works to deliver for the city and the district ensuring the Council is able to engage in an effective and meaningful way with a wide range of stakeholders is essential.”
“We needed a partner who could hit the ground running and someone who had a real understanding of our district, its drivers and its level ambition. Counter Context have a proven track record of working with us and have demonstrated a real understanding of what drives us.”
“The series of stakeholder engagements and consultations which Counter Context will deliver will help us ensure that we develop plans which are at the heart of what our communities want, and need.”
The tender appointment follows a year of strong growth for Counter Context which also helps deliver infrastructure projects in the renewable energy sector. It is currently engaged on commissions with several local authorities supporting projects including TCF, Clean Air Zones, Active Travel Fund and the Levelling Up Fund in transport, alongside major local-authority-sponsored and public-private partnership regeneration projects and markets relocations.
