Trinity triumph

This is why it is so encouraging that work is finally going to get underway on Leeds's much anticipated Trinity shopping centre, a sure sign of business confidence returning to the region.

Leeds, being less dependent on public-sector jobs than some other towns and cities in Yorkshire, is particularly well placed to benefit from a recovery that will inevitably be led by the private sector. Indeed, as a city that has weathered the recession comparatively well, it was always likely that the region's recovery would begin here.

There is, of course, a long, hard road still ahead, especially for those areas that lack Leeds's commercial advantages. But as one city starts to recover, others will inevitably follow and the rebirth of Trinity is a vote of confidence that remains a cause for regional rejoicing.