Northern Way event throws up challenges

Attendees at BPF meeting

Over 100 business people involved in the Bradford property sector met today (Wed 19 Sept) to network and hear about plans for how Bradford will be involved in the Leeds City-Region.

Members of Bradford Property Forum met at the National Media Museum to discuss ‘Bradford’s role in the Northern Way’. Andrew Lewis, the Director of the Northern Way – a strategic body bringing together the three northern regions to reduce the £30 billion productivity gap between north and south – spoke to developers, planners and other interested individuals on the concept, which has a £100 million fund to help deliver on key objectives.

Andrew focused on three key areas of interest to members – transport, planning and the city-region concept – and faced some tough questions from the floor. The importance of devolved decision-making, Bradford’s lack of a decent transport infrastructure compared with its nearest neighbour Leeds, and land allocation were given intensive probing by Forum members.

Linda Pollard

The importance of the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, in helping to deliver (although it is a strategic, not delivery body) was also flagged up. The Forum is aided in that respect by having Linda Pollard OBE as its chair. Linda is the Deputy Chair of Yorkshire Forward, lives in Addingham, near Ilkley, and has a successful business background.

Feedback on the meeting is welcomed via the discussion page of the BPF site.

Dates of future meetings can be found here. Forum members are also welcome to suggest topics for discussion.