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.