One of the leaders of a new campaign to boost Bradford’s image has hit out at the decision not to make the city centre an Enterprise Zone.

Mark Cowgill, managing director of expanding IT company Exa Networks, said he was ‘cheesed off’ by Bradford’s failure to win the status – which was expected to generate around £1 billion worth of investment and create a minimum of 5,000 jobs.

The company boss said the awarding of the special status to the ‘Aire Valley’ site at Leeds by the Local Enterprise Board had also put paid to his own plans to move his business into Bradford city centre.

Exa Networks, which this week has taken on two members of staff, is looking to double its office space and expects to create up to 15 jobs over the next year to 18 months. The firm, which recently clinched a £2.5 million IT contract to install and manage internet connections at The Green, the new student village at Bradford University, now has 20 staff and is outgrowing its current base at Cottingley, Bingley.

Mr Cowgill, who sits on the small-firms committee of the business-led Positive Bradford campaign, said: “While I agree with those who say that we must soldier on and generate a better future for ourselves, getting the Enterprise Zone for the city centre would have been a great boost for Bradford.

“In my view it’s just another example of Bradford losing out to its bigger neighbour which is seeing plenty of investment and development already. If the decision had gone in Bradford’s favour there would have been plenty of people in Leeds moaning about it.

“Positive Bradford is all about showing people what a great place it is and what we can do in this city. There are some great things happening, such as a student village and other developments, but I feel that the outcome of the Enterprise Zone bid was highly predictable.

“If Bradford had won the Zone, we would have looked at moving into the city centre and creating jobs here and benefited from the incentives it would bring. I’m a Bradford lad and proud of it and we’ll definitely be staying in the district, but probably on the outskirts.”