The Regional Monitor

Bradford has enjoyed mixed fortunes in recent years – while the local council has received special funding to improve economic prospects, plans to revitalise the city centre have been down-sized amid growing public pressure.
On the positive side, in 2006 Bradford was one of only 10 cities – and the only city in Yorkshire – to receive funding through the government’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiave, a project aimed at helping boost economic growth in the most deprived areas in England. Having been given £120,000, Bradford Council established a pilot project called Enterprise Island – more than 140 entrepreneurs were interviewed by a panel, with the top 14 going on to develop their business ideas.
As a winning team, Bradford was awarded £21.4m over three years – the largest amount awarded in 2006.
On regeneration, the city council has been equally ambitious: in March 2006, a £40m project was announced to renovate the Bradford Canal, which closed in the 1940s after falling into a state of disrepair. It was hoped that the joint venture between Bradford Council, British Waterways and Bradford Centre Regeneration would lead to £470m of private investment, creating nearly 6,000 jobs and 5,000 new homes.
“A restored canal will encourage high quality property developments and provide wonderful recreational opportunities for residents and visitors,” said Laurence Morgan, Yorkshire manager of British Waterways. “In doing so, the linear nature of the canal will spread the benefits well beyond the city limits.”
But another project, to create a lake in the centre of Bradford, has come under fire from local residents: under the plans announced in 2003, an urban park would be created around the City Hall, which it was proposed would include not only the lake but also facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, drive-in cinema and conference centre.
However, amid public pressure the area the park will cover has been reduced by a third, and the proposed water feature has been redesigned to be smaller and shallower.
“We’ve listened to people and this new design is much softer for the city centre and something that can make it into a nicer environment,” said Andrew Mallinson, regeneration spokesman at Bradford Metropolitan District Council.
Final designs are being submitted to the Big Lottery Fund Living Landmark fund in May, in a bid to secure £17m of lottery cash – but Bradford faces competition from 22 other cities.
Yet regardless of how the plans have been redesigned, the optimism and ambition in Bradford comes in the wake of the race riots of July 2001, which followed weeks of tension between the white and Asian communities. Since then the council has invested millions in improving the social and economic fabric of the city, and these plans can only help lift the move of Bradford even further.