COUNCIL bosses say they cannot guarantee the future of any of City Park's popular events - even its showpiece three-day Bradford Festival - as cuts bite.

The authority is proposing to slash its city-centre events budget, much to the concern of local businesses who thrive on the crowds they draw in.

Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade, urged the authority to keep the cuts to an absolute minimum.

She said: "Whilst we appreciate cuts will be made in various areas, we expect cuts of that kind of thing - which have a negative knock-on effect on the city centre - to be as low as they possibly can be."

The Council currently funds a host of festivals, shows and fun days in the award-winning public space. Annual highlights include the Bradford Festival, which incorporates the Bradford Mela, the Christmas lights switch-on, the Lord Mayor's Parade and the Armed Forces Day celebrations.

But the Labour-led authority, faced with a £41 million funding gap, is proposing to cut the budget for these events by £88,000 a year - almost a quarter.

On top of this, a £250,000 funding pot, set aside to bring the crowds into City Park during its first years, is due to expire in the coming year.

The cumulative effect of this will be a "dramatic reduction" in the cash available, according to the budget proposals.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council's executive member for culture, said they would want to retain City Park's most popular events, but that nothing could be guaranteed.

Asked about the future of Bradford Festival, she said: "Bradford Festival is programmed in for this year. I can't make any guarantees about anything in future.

"We plan it on a year-by-year basis, everything in the city centre, and Bradford Festival has been very successful since it has come back.

"It would be a priority for me - it defines us as a city."

Cllr Hinchcliffe said the events were "a great boost to the city" and played a vital role in bringing people into City Park, especially during its first years.

She said: "What they have also brought in is money for the businesses in the city centre.

"Of course, with £41 million of cuts, we have to look at where we can make these cuts."

Cllr Hinchcliffe said they were looking into the role that sponsorship could play in future.

She said: "I would love more private sector businesses to think about supporting cultural activities, not just in the city centre but around the district."

And she stressed that no final decision had yet been made, urging people to share their views by getting involved in the public consultation.

Zulfi Hussain, the businessman behind the new Pavilion cafe next to City Park's Mirror Pool, said his business case was based around the income generated by the festivals and shows.

He said: "Any reduction would potentially have a negative impact on us."

But he said he recognised that cutbacks had to be made, so called for businesses to work with the council to "make the money go further".

He said: "If we can come up with creative ways of generating sponsorship and partnerships, working with the council and businesses, that might be a good way forward."

Tony Whiteley, co-owner of Centenary News in Centenary Square, said events at City Park had been very effective in drawing in the crowds - and customers to his business.

He said he hoped the Council would re-think the idea to cut the budget.

He said: "I think it could be counter-productive. We need as much trade as we can get in the city centre."

City Park has won a clutch of awards since it opened nearly three years ago.

Events at the £24 million urban park attracted more than 400,000 people over two years, according to Council figures.

But not everyone is a fan of so much public money being spent in this way.

When the budget proposals were first unveiled, Council leader David Green likened the city centre events to Marmite, saying they polarised opinion.

Mrs Summerscales said she recognised there was another side to the argument, and that there would be some people who didn't attend any events in the city centre, who wouldn't mind seeing the budget reduced.