The fate of nearly £10 million of land in Bradford owned by Yorkshire Forward is now the subject of speculation.

The seven valuable real estate sites include the Odeon, the former cinema’s car park and the former police headquarters in The Tyrls.

There has been much talk about the future of Yorkshire Forward recently if there is a change of Government, raising the question of what would happen to the land if the quango was wound up.

Regional Conservative Party leaders have been discussing this. Bradford Council’s leader, Councillor Kris Hopkins, has had talks with Conservative shadow Cabinet ministers in London.

He said: “Yorkshire Forward’s Bradford assets will come back to Bradford and the Council will have to make a decision about them.

“These holdings belong to the people because they were acquired with public money, so they should come back to the locally elected and accountable representatives.

“On the question of the future, I would work towards getting rid of Yorkshire Forward and returning the £300 million to local authorities.”

In place of the regional development agency he favours a joint structure linking councillors and officers of Leeds and Bradford on matters such as travel, housing and leisure.

Tom Riordan, the agency’s chief executive, said: “There are three alternatives to Yorkshire Forward’s existence as far as I can see: leaving the market to its own devices, which history has taught us leads to economic growth being driven south; a national approach, where recent experience has been Bradford is not a priority; or local solutions that would be less able to deal with cross-boundary issues or attract global investment.”

e-mail: jim.greenhalf@telegraphandargus.co.uk

Shopping list

Between 2003 and 2006, Yorkshire Forward bought seven sites:

Land at the former Furniture City warehouse site, Valley Road, bought on March 24, 2005, for £3,250,000.

The police station at The Tyrls, on February 25, 2005, for £2.1m.

The Odeon, Prince’s Way, June 11, 2003, for £1.9m.

The Odeon car park, October 29, 2004, for £1.1m.

Velocity, the former Bradford Business & Innovation Centre, Listerhills, March 2003, for £575,000.

The land at former National Tyres site, Leeds Road, January 31, 2006, £450,000.

2-16 Great Horton Road, January 30, 2006, for £375,000.