The decision on where to site the enterprise zone for this region announced in the Budget is one with major ramifications for business in Bradford.

And there must be concerns that the body that will make that decision does not have any private business representation from this district.

The only Bradford representative on the Local Enterprise Partnership for the Leeds City Region – which represents the city and a number of other local authorities in the region – is Bradford Council leader, Ian Greenwood.

Virtually all the other authorities involved have public and private representation. There is certainly a very strong argument to be made that if anywhere deserves an enterprise zone, it is Bradford.

There is no doubt that the city has the entrepreneurial spirit in abundance, as evidenced by the success stories from our Bradford Means Business awards. But there is also no doubt that the city has long been starved of any meaningful central Government support for its economy.

So there is a strong case for Bradford to be at the front of the queue this time.

A note of caution should also be sounded. The Chamber of Trade has raised concerns that the creation of an enterprise zone could have knock-on effects for businesses outside of them, making it difficult for them to access funding.

But at the same time, it is vital that Bradford is not left behind and misses out on this potential boost to the local economy. The Council this week agreed to do all it could to make sure Bradford businesses are ‘well placed to secure the benefits of such a zone’.

Given our limited representation on the LEP, let us hope this resolution proves to be enough to sway the argument our way.