THE way in which South Gloucestershire Council is tackling rising unemployment, increased obesity rates and falling educational standards in parts of Yate has been subject to serious scrutiny by worried community leaders.

The authority’s ‘priority neighbourhood’ scheme, which last year identified several housing estates in south Yate and Dodington as well as some roads in west Yate as a deprived area, has been slammed by town councillors as ‘condescending middle-class clap trap’.

Cllr Chris Willmore said: "South Gloucestershire Council may not be putting money into doing anything but it is financing plenty of officers to talk shop.

"It is condescending middle-class clap trap. We have all these terribly concerned middle class people talking about the poor people of south Yate who need to be taught how to eat properly and how to grow vegetables.

"That is not what the people of Yate need. We need the supermarkets to do offers on healthy food and we need cheaper access to leisure facilities.

"The council should start getting involved in those difficult negotiations rather than just handing out a few leaflets about healthy eating."

The comments come after Yate Town Council and Dodington Parish Council were tasked with becoming a ‘community lead group’ for the priority neighbourhood and town councillors attended the first two meetings.

Cllr Alan Lawrance said: "I am uncertain about the mandate of this group and the addition of many professionals is not helping.

"We need people from the community – that is vital if we are going to move forward."

He added: "South Gloucestershire Council is playing a neat confidence trick, fostering this whole idea of priority neighbourhoods but not committing to what is really needed and that is finance. They are passing the buck."

Cllr Sue Walker added: "It is all very airy fairy and I am really concerned about it.

"We have been told there is definitely no money coming forward to run it and I think the council is trying to put this thing in place without really offering any back up."

A spokeswoman for South Gloucestershire Council said the community lead group had been created to find their own solutions, with support from the authority and other agencies including police and the NHS.

She said: "We are a little surprised by these comments as it is Yate Town Council and Dodington Parish Council who are leading the work to agree local priorities and the actions to be carried out.

"Priority neighbourhoods are areas which will benefit from a little extra push to help meet local challenges. South Gloucestershire Council and the South Gloucestershire Local Strategic Partnership have agreed key principles for working in these areas, which include there being a key role for the community in delivering some of their own solutions.

"As a community lead group, Yate Town Council and Dodington Parish Council jointly lead this work in co-ordinating the involvement of local people and organisations in identifying the projects that will make the biggest difference in their area."