The Ginger Goose update

The Ginger Goose bar and carvery, opposite Bradford's Centenary square, looks like it could be opening very soon. They are currently advertising for a Chef position, see here. The Reporter suggests anyone who thinks there a dab hand in the kitchen should apply. When up and running it is thought the bar could create up to 20 new jobs.

Last month the new owner, Martin Hubbard, who owns two other pubs in Bradford announced his new venture. The former Lord Clarke pub is undergoing a £250k refit. When open it will focus on real ale and carvery meals. Mr Hubbard has originally planned on naming The Goose as it was first and best known, however this name proved to be a registered brand. Their new website (pictured above) will be opening soon.

Westfield revises Broadway plan

Westfield is planning to restart its stalled Broadway shopping centre in the first half of next year. The Australian company has revealed the development will be built in two phases to allow the retail side to come to fruition first.

Westfield is submitting revised plans that will lightly reduce the 588,000 sq ft of retail space. The new plans will still provide more than half a million sq ft and be anchored by two large department stores as originally envisaged. A public consultation is scheduled to take place at the Midland Hotel on July 1 and 2, with the new plans being submitted in late July.

If a leasing campaign proves successful, Westfield hopes to be on the Broadway site next year. The footprint of the new scheme will extend over the same expanse of land as the original, but the height of the centre will be reduced in places, with some double-level stores remaining.

By building in two phases the progress of the retail side would no longer depend on the success of the office and residential components. Westfield are currently revamping their website for the Broadway site.

















An artist's impression of the new look Westfield site.

Anger over Whetley Hill Resource Centre closure

Disabled users of a centre they calla a "lifeline" are campaigning to try and save it from closure. Bradford Council needs to make budget cuts of more than £9 million for 2011/12 from their Adult Services Department. Unfortunately one of the ways in which the Council propose doing this is closing a much needed centre in Manningham.

The centre has been providing service for 35 years and there is no alternative provision of its kind in Bradford. Instead the Council is foolishly proposing a "more personalised" service to the 98 registered users of the facility.

Worryingly no one on the Council seems to be opposing it's closure and are welcoming the personalised service as a better service. Users are concerned they will lose the "companionship" the centre offers them.

The coordinator of the Bradford physical disability forum Able All, said: “It’s an absolutely fantastic facility. I had Guillain-Barre syndrome 27 years ago and I wish I had somewhere like this to go to then.

“A lot of disabled people will say they feel secure at home but they also feel more isolated and that’s what a ‘more personalised’ service might mean.”

Bradford bids for Enterprise Zone

All the major parties in Bradford have given support behind a bid to make Bradford's city centre an Enterprise zone. A district with a designated Enterprise Zone will be able to offer companies within it business rate discounts, superfast broadband and fast-track planning.

More than 5,000 jobs could be created if the Bradford scheme is given approval by the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. It will not be plain sailing though, as there are rival bids by Leeds City Council, Wakefield Council and Selby District Council.

The Leeds City Region LEP Board, which includes Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood, will make a decision on June 15.

"Enterprise Zones

Enterprise Zones will have potential to create new businesses and jobs with wider economic benefits. Each zone will benefit from:

* tax breaks for businesses – including a business rate discount worth up to £275,000 per eligible business over a five year period
* simplified planning rules
* the roll out of super-fast broadband

Areas to benefit

The focus of the first wave of enterprise zones is on cities and areas with untapped potential. The four confirmed enterprise zone sites are:

* Nottingham – the Boots campus
* Liverpool – Liverpool and Wirral Waters
* Manchester – Airport City
* London – Royal Docks

Seven local enterprise partnerships which will have an enterprise zone in their area were also named in the Budget. These partnerships are:

* Birmingham and Solihull
* Sheffield City Region
* Leeds City Region
* Western England
* the Black Country
* Tees Valley
* North Eastern"

(Information about Enterprise zones taken from the www.direct.gov.uk website)

City centre pub set to re-open

Up to 20 jobs will be created at a new venture by Bradford publican Martin Hubbard. He is investing £250,000 in refurbishing the Lord Clarke in Market Street, opposite Centenary Square, which closed in 2010, after the previous tenant failed to make a go of it.

Mr Hubbard, who operates two other Bradford pubs and a bar, will re-open it as The Ginger Goose, focusing on real ale and carvery meals.

He said: “We hope to be up and running in about six weeks but there’s a lot of work to do. We’re re-naming it The Ginger Goose as the place is best remembered as The Goose – but that’s a registered brand name, so we can’t use it.

“We’re trying to do our bit for Bradford by bringing back to life a prominent venue.”

Possible job boost for Bradford City Centre

Provident Financial are due to open a new call centre at their Thornton Road headquarters. The call centre for Provident's expanding Vanquis Bank credit card subsidiary is likely to open before the end of this year.

The news follows the announcement of proposals by the Italian Furniture Company to employ around 200 people at the former Shires Bathrooms site in Lidget Green, Bradford.

Provident chief executive Peter Crook said choosing Bradford for a second call centre was “a no brainer” as the city had an exceptional talent pool.

190 jobs planned for former bath factory in Lidget Green

Halifax-based Italian Furniture Company is planning to create nearly 200 jobs at the site of the former Shires factory in Lidget Green, Bradford. 60 workers were made redundant when Shires closed in April, 2009.

If plans are approved the building would also house Tradex, a company dealing with clothes and footwear, and Slumbernights bed manufacturers. The three companies have the same director, who would like to see the companies operating under one roof.

The majority of the new workers would be recruited from the Great Horton area. The application to the Council reads: “With regard to loss of employment land this site has employed nobody for two years and the scheme will create about 190 jobs on the site.

“Sixty will be in manufacturing, 40 in the warehousing and distribution and 100 in retail employed in three shifts.

“More people will be employed in the retail use and in a much smaller floor area than in the other two uses.”

A birds eye view over the currently unoccupied factory in Lidget Green, Bradford.

Bradford: The UK's best Broadband City

Although UK broadband speeds continue to lag behind the best in the world with an average broadband connection speed of 4.3Mbps which places it 26th globally - things are steadily improving.

The average UK connection speed has risen by 16.2 per cent compared to a year ago when it stood at 3.7Mbps. It's also a 6.3 per cent improvement on the final quarter of 2010 and is well above the global average of 1.9Mbps. The figures come from Akamai's "The State of the Internet" report covering the fourth quarter of 2010. The web infrastructure provider gathers the data from its global webserver network.

Akamai has also ranked the top 100 cities in the world for average broadband speeds and only one UK city – Bradford – makes the list with average connection speed of 6.1 Mbps, which places the West Yorkshire city in 99th place.

Travelodge guests know nowt about Bradford

An article praising Bradford's attractions has been published by The Guardian newspaper. Read the article here.















Bradford City Hall, which is shown illuminated, is praised in the article.

Historian calls for regeneration plan

Historian, Nigel Grizzard, has called for action to regenerate an estimated 50 derelict mills across Bradford. Supporting a campaign to map run-down sites across the district, Nigel Grizzard, of the Our Northern Mills group, said a plan needs to be mounted to tackle the issue of neglected buildings and land.

He said: “A number of derelict sites across the city are an absolute disgrace.

“When you drive round you have to wonder what the Council has been doing all these years.

“As for mills there are a tremendous number of mills across Bradford, and there are some shining examples of regeneration, such as Salts Mill and Victoria Mills.

“But other places like Conditioning House, Midland Mills, Harris Court Mill, the Goitside area, Sunbridge Road – there are mills all over Bradford that need regeneration but you have to start it. If you don’t we’ll never get there."

Conditioning House, a derelict mill in Bradford.

Shisha lounge repossessed

Bailiffs have sealed off Markaz shisha lounge in Bradford city centre. The bar-grill restaurant and smoking lounge in Centenary Square has been repossessed on behalf of its landlords, St Leonard Properties.

A notice was issued on its door saying the owners of Markaz and anyone linked to the business are banned from entering the premises. Expensive ornate carvings and tiled-decor, were still set for diners at the weekend. However, there was no trace of its managing director Syima Merali and there was no way of contacting her. It thought the establishment was also recently fined £10,000 by the City Council for flouting the smoking ban.

The repossessed shisha lounge.

Calls for tighter safety measures

Councillors want safety measures to be introduced on a major Bradford road after a pedestrian was killed in an horrific accident.

The 46-year-old victim, named locally as father-of-two John Harrison, was walking across Wakefield Road, East Bowling, when he was struck by an Audi S3 which then went out of control, crashing into safety barriers and catching fire on Sunday night. Police were last night continuing to question two men who were arrested shortly after the incident, which happened near a pedestrian crossing by Lorne Street. The pair, aged 25 and 18, who were travelling in the Audi, were being held on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Councillor Mohammed Jamil (Con, Bowling and Barkerend) said it was crucial that safety issues on the busy arterial route were addressed before anybody else was killed or hurt.

He said: “We don’t want more deaths and injuries as a result of this road not being given attention by this committee. Bradford East Area Committee needs to take this more seriously now and we would like to see this included in the next agenda.

“We have been telling them for quite a few years and this has been ignored.”

Councillor John Robertshaw (Con, Bowling and Barkerend) said: “The speed limits are not adhered to by many drivers because it’s a three-lane carriageway.

“Wakefield Road needs to be addressed, that is a big priority. For residents it’s a death trap."


















Section of Wakefield Road (A650) where tighter safety measures are wanted.

House building crisis

Government figures have shown that the number of new homes completed in England last year fell to its lowest level since 1923. With just 102,570 properties being built in 2010, 13% down from the previous 12 months, and the lowest level during peacetime since 1923, according to Communities and Local Government.

The annual level is well below the 232,000 properties it is estimated need to be built in England each year to keep pace with rising demand.

The figures came as the Government announced the first £200 million of a new scheme to encourage local communities to build more homes has been allocated to councils. It has set aside nearly £1 billion to kick-start its New Homes Bonus initiative, which will see local authorities given extra cash for every new home built in their area.

Under the scheme, the Government will match the council tax raised through new homes for the first six years, with councils receiving up to 36% more for affordable homes. Money will also be paid for empty homes brought back into use. As a result, councils will get an average of more than £9,000 for every band D home built, or nearly £11,000 for an affordable property, during the six years. The Government estimates that a community that builds an additional 1,000 properties could earn up to £10 million.

Around 326 local authorities will share the first £200 million, with Tower Hamlets getting the most at £4.3 million, followed by Islington at £3.7 million and Birmingham at £3.2 million. Other councils making the top 10 that will receive the most from the first payout include Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Bradford and Milton Keynes.

A new housing development in the Otley Road area of Bradford.

Council outlines how it will spend £105m

The Council has set out how it will spend £105m in its capital programme for 2011/12 and it seems that the elderly and children with special needs stand to gain the most. £15m The Council had previously committed to the Odsal Sporting Village has been withdrawn, but new care homes and special schools will receive funding.

Council Leader Ian Greenwood made the announcements at an executive meeting in City Hall on Tuesday. It followed 60 hours of meetings between political group leaders since the summer, which had made priorities of protecting the most vulnerable, the regeneration of the city centre and the creation of jobs.

Breakdown of the budget

• £17m to replace 11 care homes with 2 new homes and extra external care housing;
• £10m to build a school for children with social, emotional and behavioural needs;
• £5m to convert the former Thorn Park School for the Deaf into a new Communication and Interaction School;
• £9m to be spent on a package of measures to support jobs, inward investment and regeneration, but the details were the subject of confidential negotiations;
• £17.5m in regeneration to support moving the magistrate’s court;
• £1m to cover the cost of a new health centre in Keighley;
• £9.4m on Connecting Airedale, a scheme which aims to improve highways on Canal Road and bus priority measures on the A650 corridor.

All 90 councillors will decide on the proposals, as well as an alternative budget being compiled by the Conservative group, tomorrow.











Bradford Magistrates Court, which is due to be moved to a new site.

Bradford films to share screen with major movies

Films shot in the Bradford district will be shown alongside world premieres of major films at the 12-day Bradford International Film Festival. This year's festival will feature big-budget movies, independent films, silent movies, horror films and classic Westerns.

More than 100 films will be showcased from countries including France, Romania, Argentina and Japan. As previously reported Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, that stars Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas will open the film festival. The closing night will be the UK premiere of The Messenger, starring Woody Harrelson and Steve Buscemi.

At yesterday’s launch in Bradford, the festival’s artistic director Tony Earnshaw said: “Cinema is about escapism, and there is much to escape to in this festival. I hope audiences will be inspired, empowered, enraged and outraged, will re-connect with their emotions and fall in love with film – for the first time or all over again.”

National Media Museum director Colin Philpott called the festival a jewel in Bradford’s crown.

“It has established a reputation for providing opportunities to see films people wouldn’t normally get access to, and bringing important and iconic film industry figures to Bradford,” he said.

Bradford International Film Festival runs from March 16 to 27. For tickets, call 0844 856 3797. A film-making course will also be running at the festival, with a number of bursaries available to cover costs. Visit www.bradford-city-of-film.com for more information.

Broadacre House to be given £5m makeover by Premier Inn

£5 million will be spent by Premier Inn in developing the former Yorkshire Water building Broadacre House in Vicar Lane into a hotel. The hotel will create 70 new jobs in the city centre. The ten-storey tower will undergo refurbishment and open for business as a 118 bed hotel at the end of November.

Kevin Murray, acquisition manager (north) for Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, which owns the hotel chain, said: “Premier Inn is the biggest budget hotel chain in the UK today and we are on a mission to bring great quality rooms and great value to even more locations across the country. Investing in Bradford is a superb opportunity for us.

“It means regenerating an important city centre site and transforming it into an attractive hotel. It also means Whitbread creating 70 new jobs as we build our future in the city.”

The Premier Inn will join the recently opened Jurys Inn in the city centre as Bradford is undergoing somewhat of a boom in the hotel industry.



















An artist's impression of the new Premier Inn.

Council publishes list of purchases costing £500 or more from December

The council has published a list of its expenditure of items £500 or more from December. It shows the Council spent £18 million on 2,344 purchases for services or items costing at least £500 in December.

All councils now have to show expenditures such as this, so the public can see where their money is being spent on a monthly basis.

To see the full list follow this link List of council payments.

City Hall.

Film with Bradford connection wins at Sundance Festival

Tyrannosaur, a film written and directed by actor Paddy Considine, has won awards at the Sundance International Film Festival. It won awards for its direction and the breakout performances of its actors, Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman.

The cast includes Bradford actor Samuel Bottomley, who is a member of Buttershaw St Paul's Amateur Operatic Dramatic Society and the location manage was Danny Burraway from Bingley. The film was shot in Wakefield and Leeds and follows the story of a man plagued with violent rage until he meets a Christian charity shop worker.

The film is the latest with a connection to Bradford to receive awards. The King's Speech, was partly filmed at Odsal Stadium and The Arbor was shot on Buttershaw estate.

Tyrannosaur is due for release this autumn and was produced on Warp Films’ low-budget feature initiative Warp X, which supports emerging film talent.



















Director Considine with the actors Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman.

£640,000 revealed on keeping Odeon building as its future is to be debated

£640,000 has been revealed as the amount taxpayers have been left out of pocket for keeping the Odeon standing. This is what it has cost for maintenance, security and emergency repairs as the building awaits its fate.

Yorkshire Forward has spent the money whilst the debate on its future still continues. Planning permission has been given for the New Victoria Place scheme by developer Langtree Artisan. Delays on the Odeon's replacement have been caused by the Council not wanting a similar situation as with the stalled Westfield site. As a result the Council is asking for stronger assurances that the developers have enough money to see the project through to completion.

On Tuesday a meeting is expected to take place at City Hall to discuss the dilapidated building's future. by Yorkshire Forward.

Grand Central train offer

Grand Central trains have a great ticket offer to London from Bradford Interchange for just £25 return. Go on to www.grandcentralrail.co.uk/25poundreturn.html for more information.

Construction of Sikh Gurdwara nearing completion

Gurdwara Singh Sabha, which is one of six Sikh places of worship in Bradford, is currently building a new extension to its Grant Street site. An increasing congregation meant that the existing building was no longer suitable for its use. The new extension will almost double the size of the current gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) and provide better facilities for the disabled and elderly. Recently the construction has reached roof level and is on course to be completed for the latter half of this year. For more information visit the gurdwara website http://www.singhsabhabradford.co.uk/.










3D visuals of what the completed gurdwara will look like when completed.
























A current image of the site.

Bradford market voted best in UK

Bradford's St James's market has been voted the best in the UK after cutting the amount of waste it produces by 1,600 per cent. The fruit and vegetable market was voted best wholesale market by the National Association of British Market Authorities.

The judges said they were particularly impressed by the market as it now recycles 80 percent of all its waste. St James's was in the running against big name wholesale markets like Smithfield and Billingsgate in London. Colin Wolstenholme, Bradford Council's markets manager, said St James's had been transformed since 2004 when its waste costs were "spiralling out of control".
"Working with the tenants' association we decided to look at all the different waste the market produces - things like cardboard, plastic, wood and unsold fruit and vegetable," he said.

"All the waste - about 1,500 tonnes a year - was sent to landfill. A tremendous amount of waste." The market now sells around 20 tonnes of cardboard a month to a paper producer and unsold fruit and vegetables are sent to Yorkshire Water's treatment works in Esholt.

Bradford is also the first market authority in the country to introduce a "pay-as-you-throw" scheme.

St James's Market, which is located just of the Wakefield A650 road.

Witter to fight Khan for world title

Bradford’s former world champion has been sounded out about a fight against the WBA light-welterweight title holder on April 16. Khan’s management team made an offer and Witter, who returns to the ring next month, is ready to jump at the chance.

Witter said: “My manager John Ingle spoke to me about the Khan offer and I’m up for this 100 per cent. It would be an opportunity too good to turn down fighting for a world title again. Khan, you have never boxed anyone with my experience, calibre and credentials.”

Witter has not fought since 2009, when he lost to Devon Alexander in an unsuccessful bid to regain the WBC belt. He faces Romanian-born Canadian Victor Lupo in Mississauga on February 19 – his first outing in the heavier welterweight division. He added: “Training has been perfect and sparring the likes of (British welter champion) Kell Brook has sharpened my skills.”

Bradford boxer Junior Witter.

Anger at proposed site for Ladbrokes

Plans for a new Ladbrokes bingo hall in one of Bradford city centre’s busiest shopping streets have sparked anger. Bradford City Centre Management, part of Bradford Council’s Department of Regeneration and Culture, has decided to opposed the plans which would see the former Woolwich bank in Kirkgate, currently occupied by fashion store Glance, turned into a bingo hall.

The building’s owners, London Investments, has applied to the Council for a change of use to allow it to be turned into a licensed bingo hall, to be occupied by “one of the UK’s leading bingo operators”. Councillor David Green, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration and economy, said: “Kirkgate is one of the main shopping thoroughfares in the city centre and I believe the shops there should be used for retail. There are more than sufficient bingo and amusement centres in the city centre and if we are to continue working to revive the retail offer in Bradford it is important that we try and bring as many of the empty units back into use as shops rather than amusement arcades or bingo halls, because I think it would be a lost opportunity for the city centre.”

The proposed site, currently occupied by fashion store Glance.

The council lists 28 buildings to be sold

Bradford Council have released details of 28 buildings that they plan to sell in order to save £7.5 million. All 286 of the Council’s office buildings are being reviewed. Sixty-nine were evaluated for their suitability and condition in the first phase of the project, with 28 of those set to be sold off. Running and energy costs, as well as the backlog of maintenance and carbon dioxide emissions, of each office are being taken into account.

A main aim of the estates strategy is to relocate staff to reinforce the Council’s presence in the city centre. Councillor David Green, the Council’s executive member for regeneration and the economy, said: “If we can increase the number of people working in the city centre it will increase footfall in the retail area. It will help to boost the businesses that are currently in the city centre and make it more attractive to new investment".

He also said “Some of these sites will go to auction, some may be looked at as potential development sites and with some, not necessarily from this batch, we might get community groups coming forward to take them on.”

THE 28 PROPERTIES

• 28 Gaythorne Terrace, Clayton.
• Hazelhurst, 723 Leeds Road, Bradford Moor.
• Interfaith Education Centre, St Andrew’s Place, Listerhills.
• Information Shop, Broadway, Bradford city centre.
• Bowling Park lodge, East Bowling.
• 31 Saltaire Road, ground floor office – lease terminating.
• 13A Chapel Lane, Bingley.
• Wesley Place, Silsden.
• Bingley Cemetery lodge.
• Nab Wood Cemetery lodge.
• Scholemoor Cemetery lodge.
• Utley Cemetery lodge.
• Horton Park lodge.
• Unit 14D Orchard House, Lawkholme Lane, Keighley.
• Bradford & District Youth Offending Team, Manor Lane, Shipley.
• South Square Community Centre offices, Thornton – lease surrendered.
• 26 Mayfield Terrace, Clayton.
• Youth Justice Service, Barkerend Road, Bradford Moor.
• Holybrook House, Romanby Shaw, Greengates.
• 215 Lumb Lane, Manningham.
• 9 Romanby Shaw, Greengates.
• 1-4 & 6 Springfield and Springfield House, Squire Lane, Girlington.
• Blakehill Grange, Bradford Moor.

The fire damaged Interfaith Centre, which is to be sold off.

Woody Allen's film to open the 17th Bradford International Film Festival

Woody Allen’s new film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger will open the 17th annual Bradford International Film Festival next month.

Tony Earnshaw, the festival’s artistic director, said: “We are thrilled to have Woody Allen’s new film open the festival this year. We are long-time fans of his work and have enjoyed previews of some of his previous films at BIFF including Everyone Says I Love You and Deconstructing Harry. I know our audience will be as delighted as we are to have this early opportunity to see his new film".

Allen has attracted stellar British talent for his new feature including Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Pauline Collins, Ewen Bremner and Anna Friel. As ever, the festival will present a range of features from countries all over the world, headline guests, short films and the perennially popular Widescreen Weekend, which once again will present extremely rare titles and old favourites.

The festival will run from Wednesday, March 16, to Sunday, March 27. For information visit nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/biff

Metro transport consultation

People across West Yorkshire are being invited to give their opinions on a draft plan that will set out the county’s transport priorities for the next three years.

The consultation runs until Friday 11 February, and printed copies of the consultation document will be available from local libraries in all five West Yorkshire districts, or on request from the Local Transport Plan team by calling 0113 348 1726 or emailing ltp@wypte.gov.uk.

You can read the document online and complete the questionnaire at this website, http://www.wyltp.com/getinvolved/ipconsultation.htm. The plans for Bradford Crossrail, which aims to connect both of Bradford's train stations to make one big train station do not feature on the plan, so if you support this idea please mention this in the questionnaire.

Public to be consulted on new BRI centre

The public is to be consulted alongside staff, patients and governors of Bradford's hospital trust to help decide what services will be provided in anew £28 million ward block.

Directors of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust agreed last year, subject to satisfactory financial performance, to construct two new wards and a revised main entrance at Bradford Royal Infirmary from April, 2012. The ward block, the biggest single project of a capital programme which will see £75million spent on improving patient care in Bradford’s hospitals over the next five years, will house a medical assessment facility for adult and elderly patients to replace wards three and four and one other service – either cancer or a new children’s unit.

The plans for the ward rest on the successful delivery of a three-year efficiency programme to save £50 million.

A consultation event for the public to attend will take place at Bradford Royal Infirmary on Monday, March 7 in the lecture theatre. Events for staff will take place at BRI on Thursday, March 3, and at St Luke’s on Tuesday, March 15. Information will also be made available on the trust’s Internet site to allow the public to review each of the proposals. The board of directors will then make a final decision on Wednesday, April 27th.

An artist's impression of what the new ward block might look like.

Firm withdraws bid to demolish thriving Wakefield Road local

The bosses of Pitts Wilson Electrical on Wakefield Road have withdrawn their bid to bulldoze the thriving Winston Churchill pub. A week after being given permission by the council to make a car park the firms directors have decided against demolishing the pub.

The pub is currently in administration with KPMG deciding its fate. Recently it came to light how the company was not responding to possible buyers offers, who would make use of the pub in its current form.













Regulars at Winston Churchill pub celebrate.

Plans for new surgery in Dudley Hill Road

An artist impression of the new Moorside surgery.

The Moorside Surgery practice of Dr Van der Wert and partners is currently based at 1, Thornbridge Mews, Eccleshill, but the partners have said it is no longer big enough to cope with patient demand.

They want to build a new surgery in Dudley Hill Road. The proposals, submitted to Bradford Council, give the practice three times as much space as the current surgery.

The development has the backing of NHS Bradford and Airedale and the surgery’s active patient group. Should the planning application succeed the practice hopes it would be completed within 12 months.

Future of the former Odeon to be discussed

The former Odeon building.

The future of the run down building that used to be the Odeon cinema is to be debated at a meeting in City Hall next month.

Bradford Council has already informed the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group (BORG) that the issue will be discussed in its Regeneration and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, February 15, and the report will be made public a few days beforehand.

The building has been planned for demolition to make way for the £40 million New Victoria Place development of offices, apartments, a hotel and restaurant. Developer Langtree Artisan has received planning approval and conservation area consent and the development is ready to start when anchor tenants had been secured.

Councillor David Green, the Council’s executive member for regeneration and economy, said: “There has been no change to the ownership of the Odeon, except insofar as it being one of Yorkshire Forward’s assets which will be likely at some stage to be transferred into the hands of the Homes and Communities Agency.”

He said it was important that the Odeon and other sites were not “simply sold off to the highest bidder”.

Asked whether he was concerned about the state of the Odeon given that the £24.4 million City Park scheme on its doorstep is due to open this year, Coun Green said: “I would be looking for clarity on plans for the Odeon within the next nine months.”

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Council’s Liberal Democrat group, said the Odeon should be returned to the Council for it to make the decision on its future. “We have always held the view that the towers on the building should be retained,” she said.

“I know what’s not an option and that’s to have a £24.4m park next to half a police station wrapped in plastic and a tatty Odeon building.”

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, leader of the Conservative group, said: “I would like to see the underlying character of the building retained in any new development.”

Bradford reporter will closely follow this story as the Odeon building is an issue that divides many Bradfordians. Many who can remember it in its heyday want it restoring and any new developments to make use of the iconic towers. Others would be happy to see it demolished and view it the current building as an eyesore that is past its prime.

City Park is on schedule

The image shows the City park site on 23rd January. The water fountains can be seen to have been put in place.

Barra Mac Ruairi, Bradford council's Strategic Director for Regeneration, with the latest on City Park has said, "Since the construction team started on site in December 2009, major progress has been made on the building of City Park. The harsh winter conditions have impacted upon construction as it has created difficult ground conditions. However work continues at speed and we can see the first paving sets being laid. Work is still progressing towards the scheduled completion in September".

Currently the work is focused on the underground structure that will store the water when its not in use, the construction of a pedestrian crossing across Prince's Way and the laying of paving for the plaza area.

Once complete the six acre park in Bradford will have the largest water feature of any city in the UK. The pool can be drained to host concerts, carnivals, markets, sports events and theatre productions. The park is costing £24.4 million, whether this is money well spent remains to be seen. The council are hoping the park brings much needed investment and jobs to the city centre and one council report envisaged £80 million of investment as a result. This seems ambitious, but time will tell whether this investment comes to fruition.

Bradford company posts good results

Provident Financial Chief Executive Peter Crook.

Bradford-based specialist lender Provident Financial has performed well in 2010 and is on track to achieve better-than-expected profits for the year to December 31.

The company transferred 700 of its head office staff to a new base on Thornton Road in the £50 million Southgate development last year. It expects to announce pre-tax profits of £141 million in March.

In a trading update, Provident said demand for doorstep credit handled by local agents, which had picked up in the autumn, had remained strong through the Christmas period despite bad weather.

Year-on-year sales growth in the fourth quarter was nine per cent, as Provident continued to focus on lending to existing good-quality customers. Customer numbers grew over the year by about one per cent and income was also marginally ahead of the previous year, both in line with expectations.

Vanquis Bank, the group’s credit card operation, increased customer numbers and income by around 25 per cent and generated a strong flow of new business in December.

Thriving Bradford pub to be knocked down for car park

As reported in the Telegraph and Argus today a busy Bradford pub is to be knocked down to be replaced by a car park, after a questionable decision by councillors at City Hall.

The Winston Churchill Inn, on Wakefield Road, will be demolished after the Bradford Area Planning Panel found it had no grounds for ruling against an application by neighbouring firm, Pitt Wilson Electrical.

Yesterday’s meeting heard how the pub’s licensee, Pat Robinson, had been in hospital because she was so distressed about losing her livelihood and her home.

It also heard that receivers, KPMG Ltd, which took control of the Winston Churchill when its owners went into administration, had not entertained bids to buy the pub.

Albert Cleghorn, a regular at the pub, told the meeting he had made an offer to buy the pub some months ago, but no negotiations had been entered into.

Coun Robinson said: “The fact that he hasn’t had a response from the receivers is deplorable in my opinion.”

Reaching the decision, committee member Coun John Pennington (Con, Bingley Rural) said: “After we offered to defer the matter from the last planning panel, we have given it a fair chance, but sadly our hands are tied.”

Speaking afterwards, Coun Jamil said: “I’m saddened and upset by this outcome. It’s a community facility and it should have been saved on this alone.”

The Winston Churchill has stood on Wakefield Road since the 1700s when it was a coaching Inn. This makes it all the more saddening that a building that is 300 years old can be disregarded in this way especially when there are possible buyers to make use of the building.

Bradford's Urban Garden closed

Bradford's Urban Garden has been closed for drainage work that could cost up to £30,000. Heavy rain over the last few weeks has created big pools. A Bradford council spokesman said that the ground has turned out to be less porous than was expected. Also when the plans were submitted there was no need for land drainage to be taken into account because no buildings were going to be built.

Bradford Council, Westfield and Yorkshire Forward will split the costs for adding drainage piping, which could be as much as £30,000. Bradford Reporter feels this is a waste of money, in addition to the £300,000 that was used to make the park. The park would have made more sense if it was a car park. The council could have also charged a nominal fee with funds helping Bradford. Many shop managers located close to the area, including Stead and Simpson's manager, which is due to close, feel a car park would have been better use of the land. A car park would attract more people to use the neighbouring shops. The park debacle is yet another failure of the council to listen to its people.

Bradford City park webcam

You can view a webcam of the City park in Centenary Square with daily updates at www.bradford.gov.uk/citypark.

The image shows an artist's impression of what the park will look like once complete.

Another shop bites the dust

Stead & Simpson, one of Britain's oldest retailers that has had a presence in Bradford city centre for 50 years is due to close on Thursday, 20th January. The shop is one of a very small number of shoe shops left in the city centre. The shop manager, Walter Lazorky, who has been running the shop for 30 years blames the stalled Westfield centre for sounding the death knell. He also predicted many more shops could soon follow suit.

The closure of the shoe shop will leave five employees without work. News of the closure comes at a time when the council is supposedly trying to "re-engage" with city centre traders through consultations.

Mr Lazoryk also said that rather than turning the Westfield site into an urban park it should have been made into a car park, which could also have charged a small fee and he believes this would have attracted more shoppers to the area.

Mr Lazoryk said that although the shop had a loyal customer base there was no hope in attracting new customers and therefore the shop was no longer viable. Other stores such as HMV, could soon close as the music retailer has reported disappointing sales over the Christmas period.