THE military is “incredibly grateful” for the support the district gives the armed forces, a meeting was told.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Davies said Bradford district “loves its armed forces” and he praised the support from across all the district’s communities.

He was speaking at a meeting of Bradford Council’s corporate scrutiny committee, when members were discussing the council’s armed forces covenant.

The covenant was set-up to ensure the armed forces community has “equitable access to local public services”.

It is a scheme led by the Government and adopted by numerous councils.

At the meeting, Lieutenant Colonel Davies said: “In relation to Bradford district and the support it gives the armed forces, we are incredibly grateful and appreciative.

“This is a district that loves its armed forces and is a fantastic partner for what we do in the community.

“Not only is Bradford a fantastic partner, but it is a place that has a lot to shout about in terms of the armed forces covenant. Other places don’t approach this with the same wholehearted support that Bradford does.”

Councillor Joanne Dodds, the council’s armed forces champion, said she hoped a hub could be developed in the near future where the armed forces community could meet to get support and advice.

A report to the committee shed light on the size of the armed forces community in Bradford district.

The 2011 census found that 409 armed forces personnel live in the area.

It indicated that the district is also home to 5,155 working-age veterans (aged 17-64).

Data from the 2021 census has not been made public yet.

Department for Education records for 2020-21 indicated there were 163 children of service personnel within Bradford district schools.

There are currently 1,397 residents claiming an armed forces pension in the district and 59 residents in receipt of a war widows pension.

The report said: “Through this data we can identify that there are at least 7,183 members of the armed forces community residing within the district.

“This is a very conservative estimate as the available data only allows us to form a partial picture of the size of the armed forces community.”