Plea to pump fresh life into a 'tired' city

Members of Bradford Chamber of Commerce are calling for action from Bradford Council and Yorkshire Forward to attract more investors.

Politicians and business leaders have expressed frustration about delays in developing the 320m Westfield shopping centre scheme. The site in Bradford city centre has been empty since demolition work began in 2004. The council and Westfield are looking at alternative temporary uses for the site, such as grassed areas.

Yesterday, Mike Cowlam, Bradford Council's assistant director for regeneration, said: "Given the current economic climate it is unrealistic to expect development work to start in the near future, although Westfield and the council remain committed to the scheme."

Nearly two-thirds of the 100 respondents to the chamber survey (62 per cent) wanted to see greater action over city centre regeneration, up from 52 per cent last year.

Businesses also gave a mixed response when questioned over whether they thought the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, had been a success.

Only 22 per cent of respondents felt it had met its objectives, with 55 per cent saying they were unsure.

Bradford Chamber's President Harold Robinson said: "The centre of Bradford is seen to be tired and desperately in need of major restoration." Barra Mac Ruair, Bradford Council's strategic director for regeneration, said: "Bradford is undergoing an ambitious regeneration programme and we are seven years into a 20-year journey. Already Bradford Council is progressing the central project – the 24.4m publicly-funded City Park currently under construction and due for completion in summer 2011.

"This year will also see the completion of Southgate – a 45m investment on the edge of City Park enabled by the council with support from Yorkshire Forward."

Tom Riordan, the chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, said: "We absolutely agree with the survey that the number one priority for Bradford is the regeneration of the city centre.

"It is, of course, difficult to deliver significant regeneration schemes in the current economic climate but Yorkshire Forward remains committed to working with Bradford Council to make sure schemes remain on track and that opportunities for investors are ready when the economy starts to pick up.

"I believe it would be a huge mistake to abolish Yorkshire Forward. We are prepared for change, whoever wins the elect-ion, but any purely national or locally led solution would be less able to deal with cross-boundary and cross-sectoral issues, or attract global investment on the same scale as we have."