Strategy still on track, businesses told
Feedback on the Horwath Clark Whitehill-sponsored event on 29 Nov.
Forum members have been told not to worry about the progress of the district’s regeneration, despite recent set-backs.
Tony Reeves, leader of Bradford Council, addressed 100 company representatives at Bradford City FC last week, outlining the ‘state of play’ for the economy. Mr Reeves had been invited to speak at the event before the decision by Big Lottery organisers rejected Bradford’s bid to fund the city park scheme last month. The council leader had been expected to get a tough time from the floor when it came to ‘questions and answers’, but he will have felt relatively relieved that no ‘knockout blows’ were struck.
Stitched Up
Actually, Mr Reeves was not given as difficult a probing as had been feared, perhaps due to his fairly wide-ranging address that covered both positive and negative matters. Arguing that the Park at the Heart bid had been ‘stitched up’ and that other milestones on the horizon posed what we would call ‘challenges’, he also pointed out that a strategy was now in place to meet those difficulties.
Upbeat
Acknowledging that Bradford’s fast-growing population creates both benefits and disadvantages, and that a forthcoming economic slowdown will increase volatility next year, the leader was more upbeat than downcast (which is a relief, really, isn’t it?). The district’s economic strategy – focusing on people, businesses and places – is starting to happen, the business start-up programme known as Kickstart/LEGI is making a difference, while several property development projects are well on stream.
A new director for regeneration joins the local authority in January 08, to add impetus to the district’s progress, said Mr Reeves, while the review on planning is shortly to draw to a conclusion.
A stronger Bradford
Also on the platform, Maud Marshall of Bradford Centre Regeneration flagged up projects such as the Gatehaus, the Channel, Listerhills student village and Midland Mills conversion. An even stronger Bradford team would attend the international property convention, MIPIM, in France in March, said Maud, who is a member of the Forum’s steering group. It will be the third year running that Bradford will be represented at MIPIM.
Horwath Clark Whitehill’s Tim Parr spoke of the importance of the property sector and its clients in driving Bradford forward, while Gerwyn Bryan, in a joint event with the Bradford Professionals Network, outlined the positive work of the latter group in promoting financial services and connected industry.