'Everyone must keep the faith' - Regeneration boss says campaign is vital to city centre

Maud Marshall is the chief executive behind a vision to give Bradford a green city centre featuring parks, a lake and a big pier.

Bradford Centre Regeneration has developed a masterplan which splits the city into four neighbourhoods: the Bowl, the Channel, the Market and the Valley.

Talks are on-going with Council planning officers about how to turn the ambitious designs into a reality though Mrs Marshall warned it could take more than a decade before the transformation of the city centre is complete.

She said: "In regeneration you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs. We have got a window of regeneration between now and the opening of Broadway in the city. In the meantime the city is going to undergo a lot of change.

"It will be a lot dustier and lot more difficult to navigate so having a campaign like this which supports the city commercially here and now is crucial. Congratulations to the Telegraph & Argus for taking a lead on this."

The BCR is one of 18 urban regeneration companies in the country. It is funded by Bradford Council, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and private-sector cash.

The masterplan was commissioned from Alsop Architects in February 2003. It won the support of both Bradford Council and Yorkshire Forward last year.

BCR is currently looking at the potential future uses of historic Eastbrook Hall and the former Gaumont and Odeon Cinema site in the city centre.

Mrs Marshall said: "The city has to hold its faith in what is going to happen in Bradford. People have got to keep their nerve.

"One of the problems is that Bradfordians have been let down too many times in the past with schemes which haven't happened.

"But I think we will win the hearts and minds of the people in Bradford once they see early results in the city centre with Westfield building Broadway and the work Urban Splash are doing at the edge of the city to create homes at Listers Mill."