More than 40 new jobs are being generated as city centre pubs, clubs, hotels and restaurants flourish – helped by council-backed financial incentives.

Venues including Forster’s Bistro & Deli, the Midland and Great Victoria hotels, Arena Sports bar, City Vaults, the Ginger Goose, The Lord Clyde and Jacob’s Well pubs, Candy Nightclub, Omar Khan’s restaurant and Smorgasbord Bistro are set to take on a total of 44 extra staff.

New employment is being supported by Bradford Council’s £35 million City Centre Growth Zone initiative using money from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund to entice new and existing city centre businesses to open or expand and create new jobs.

Eligible firms can receive rate rebates if they demonstrate that they are creating new jobs in Bradford city centre.

Successful applicants could receive a business rate rebate of up to £16,000 for each new full-time equivalent job created per year for up to three years.

Bradford Council leader Councillor David Green said: “The City Centre Growth Zone is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to expand and the rebates available offer a boost to many companies.”

The Bradford venues are part of a UK night-time economy said to be worth £66 billion a year which employs 1.3 million people.

The historic Jacob’s Well pub at the bottom of Manchester Road re-opened as a specialist real ale free house in May after being closed for nearly a year.

New owner William Wagstaff, who has run the New Beehive in Westgate for 24 years, said he wanted to replicate the success of his other pub, the Shakespeare's Inn in Sheffield, which won the Camra Pub of the Year Award in the city.

The Arena sports bar also opened in May in Queensgate. The venue has areas dedicated to Bradford City, Bradford Bulls and Bradford Park Avenue sports clubs, as well as displays of sports memorabilia from sportsmen and women in the city.

Forster’s Bistro and Deli opened last December as a 100-seat spin out from the catering operation at Forster Community College to provide training for students and offset the impact of financial cuts on the college.

The Midland hotel in Cheapside took advantage of the Growth Zone scheme in May to strengthen its sales and marketing team, and recruited two apprentices.

Gainford Hotels, which bought Bradford’s Great Victoria hotel last year, has recruited apprentice chefs and front of house staff.