Video: City of Film boss quits early amid funding worries

Citing personal reasons, Peg Alexander, 41, who joined shortly after Bradford was crowned the world's only Unesco City of Film in June last year, will leave her position at the end of December – three months before her contract is up.

The news comes hours before the Government's spending review today and after the Yorkshire Post revealed on Saturday that there are serious fears over funding for the project.

Now concerns are mounting about whether City of Film has a viable future since a new director will not be appointed until funding levels make it possible.

Ms Alexander said: "I'm leaving for personal reasons linked to my family situation. I'd love to have a job like this in the future and I'm really sad. Sometimes we can't tie up the timing of things in life. If it wasn't for personal reasons, I would be staying to the end.

"It's too important for us not to continue with this in the city. It will continue. We have got to work out how we are going to cover the activities over the next few months.

"If it wasn't for the extreme circumstances with the comprehensive spending review, they (the board) would be looking to get another director. We need to know what the future funding is."

City of Film has scaled down projects because of the recession, and the main council scheme for funding it – which received 200,000 in the first two years – could be axed.

The Government cut 1.4m from the Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) of Bradford Council in June and it could go completely next year.

Only 259,000 has been put into City of Film up to March 2011, with the rest of the money put up by outgoing regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, tourism board Welcome to Yorkshire and film agency Screen Yorkshire.

Ms Alexander has made some tangible achievements, such as producing a trail showing the area's movie locations and promoting film tourism in the city, but ambitious projects such as a Hollywood-style 'Bradford' sign have been shelved because of a lack of funding.

"I don't have regrets, but we could have done a lot more if there was more money available," she said. "It's been hard work but I thrive on hard work and I've loved the challenge. I've really been genuinely humbled to have this job."

Council leader, Councillor Ian Greenwood said "fancy footwork" would be required for the company to carry out its strategy plan to promote film-making.

"Peg has done a tremendous job and I respect her decision to resign for personal reasons," he added. "She's made a really good start developing City of Film. In many ways she started it and created the base that we can build on.

"It is a key component of our ongoing strategy. The money is not the key issue – it's how we use the opportunity that it gives us in the city. Clearly in these times we are not in the situation before the comprehensive spending review to know what we're going to be spending."

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity and Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe both warned last week that funding must be made available for the potential of Bradford's status to be realised.

Andrew Craske, head of communications at Screen Yorkshire, said Ms Alexander's "energy and enthusiasm" would be missed but that the City of Film status was safe.

"I don't think there is a danger of Unesco taking it away because a lot of activity has gone on and is going on," he said.

"The council needs to continue to make the most of City of Film and Screen Yorkshire will support them in this."