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.