A REPORT saying white and ethnic communities are growing apart in cities such as Bradford has sparked heated debate among community leaders.

The research, conducted by integration experts Professor Ted Cantle and Professor Eric Kaufmann, shows that, while England as a whole is more ethnically mixed, white and minority groups are now more isolated from each other.

The document, published by Open Democracy, says many cities, including Bradford, Birmingham, Leicester, Luton and London, have seen areas develop where the white British population is “increasingly dwindling” as minorities increase.

But the report has produced a mixed reaction in the district, with some saying it did a "great disservice” to Bradford while others argued that racial segregation could no longer be “swept under the carpet."

Bradford district’s white British population has decreased by 12.1 percentage points in ten years from 76 per cent in 2001 to 63.9 in 2011. The study found the “trend towards isolation” was at its greatest in smaller geographic areas, such as council wards. It added that the polarisation was mainly in urban areas, describing the pace of change as “striking."

In Bradford, the report picked out four smaller areas as examples of where the white British population had fallen sharply over the last two decades.

In Little Horton, the white British population decreased by 39.4 percentage points, from 63.6 in 1991 to 24.2 in 2011; in Toller the figures over the same period decreased by 36.5 percentage points, from 46.9 per cent to 10.4 per cent. In Bradford Moor, it decreased by 32.9 percentage points from 47.3 in 1991 to 14.4 in 2011. In the University area, there was a 15.7 percentage point fall from 26.1 to 10.4 over the same period.

Dr Mohammed Iqbal, founder of Bradford Matters, a culturally diverse lobbying group set up with the aim of making Bradford a cosmopolitan and economically successful city, conceded that segregation among racial groups in the district was a major issue which needed to be addressed.

He said: “There is quite a significant amount of segregation in wards in Bradford. We need better integration. Racial segregation is not just an issue for Bradford, but across other major cities where there is diversity.

“We can’t keep brushing this issue under the carpet. We have to be brave, honest and open and say there is an issue here in Bradford. We need to understand what is common between us. That will lead to a more integrated society.

“How can we find ways for the white British population to stay in urban areas? We need better schools. We also need to understand the different cultures."

Ishtiaq Ahmed, Bradford Council for Mosques business manager, said: “I have to totally disagree with the report. I think it is doing a great disservice to Bradford. I do not attribute sinister motives to where communities choose to live. As people’s economic situation improves, people move out. That is their choice and their right. It is important that we don’t indulge in any social engineering or forced geographical distribution of communities. It will cause future fragmentation.”

Shipley MP Philip Davies said: “No doubt about it, Bradford is a very segregated city and district. There are areas where people are virtually all Muslim and parts where you will hardly see a Muslim. That’s plain for all to see but it’s not particularly healthy. It is something I am concerned about. It is very difficult to know what you can do about it.”

But Bradford Council Leader Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: “The report is an interesting read, looking at the challenges and opportunities for modern Britain. However, we need to be cautious in drawing any firm conclusions from it. Even the author himself says he doesn’t have a clear understanding of the reasons behind the trends. In my experience, the main factor determining where people live is usually their level of income, not their ethnic group.”

Cllr Simon Cooke, the Conservative spokesman on Bradford Council, said: “There may be other factors that effect cohesion, but I don’t think race is the problem. We are working really hard in Bradford on what really matters, such as how economically successful people are."

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