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.

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.

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.

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.