Bradford retailers’ leader Val Summerscales has fired a blast at councillors, planners and developer Westfield for making parts of Bradford city centre a retail desert after learning that two more prominent shops are to close.

And the Chamber of Trade secretary fears that plans to extend on-street metered pay-and-display parking, which will be discussed by councillors later today, will drive even more people away.

She was speaking as national jewellery chain Goldsmiths confirmed it will shut the former Fattorini store in Tyrrel Street and fashion shop Bon Marche on Broadway is holding a closing down sale.

Mrs Summerscales also blamed delays to the Westfield site for blighting the city centre and criticised the developer’s plans to charge for parking at the proposed Broadway shopping centre, rather than offering free parking for shoppers such as at the nearby Forster Square retail park.

“What this Council does not seem to grasp is that, by and large, people who run cars generally have more money than those that don’t and these are the kind of shoppers that Bradford needs,” she said.

“Instead, by planning to impose more on-street parking charges, it will mean fewer people coming into the city centre to use the few shops that remain.

“In discussions with Westfield I have pointed out that not offering parking refunds to people shopping in the centre of a free parking period would not do much to attract trade if the mall is eventually developed.”

Mrs Summerscales also complained that consultations over proposed changes to parking rules had been a “sham” as the Council had already spent £120,000 on buying new parking meters before a formal decision had been made.

She said: “It’s a year now since the so-called consultation started and yet I have seen Council documents which show that the parking meters have already been purchased – so obviously the decision has been made.

“It’s very, very sad to hear that the former Fattorini’s shop, as older Bradfordians still call it, is closing. Shops such as this selling quality products are what we need but they are struggling as people stay away from the city centre.

“The point of pedestrianising Tyrrel Street was to attract people to move across town in a bid to generate trade. It doesn’t seem to have worked.

“I worry that, if Westfield is built, we’ll have that development on one side and Kirkgate Centre on the other with little in between. Also, the deal that regarded the Forster Square retail park as supplementary to the city centre was obviously bunkum as it now attracts more trade because shoppers can drive there and get free parking.”

Responding to Mrs Summerscales’s criticism, Councillor David Green, the Council’s executive member for regeneration, argued that imposing parking charges would have little effect on Tyrrel Street and other pedestrianised shopping areas.

He said: “I would reiterate the fact that car parking charges in Bradford are the cheapest in the country, according to the last independent study and the changes that are being made are comparatively minimal. A lot of the changes will be to the configuration of the restrictions in the area.”

He said regeneration of the city centre was a key priority of the Council and its partners and pointed to it securing £17.6million through the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

He said: “We have also committed £20 million for the city park and further investment will be coming. We recognise and believe that the city centre does need support and we are working with the city centre businesses to support them in developing their businesses.

“I know that the Chamber of Trade has concerns about on-street car parking charges but in the case of Fattorini’s – Goldsmiths – I don’t think they are a major factor. I think that is more to do with the economic situation, not just in Bradford but across the country.”

Coun Green highlighted plans to create a centre for art at the empty Zavvi store in Tyrrel Street, which is hoped will transform it into a shop selling hand-made goods by March.

The new venue, which has been supported by a £30,000 funding grant by the Council, will also offer creative entrepreneurs advice on how to develop their work through partnerships with businesses in the city.

Coun Green said: “The important thing to bring life back to any town or city centre is to make available shops that people want to come and visit. We recognise that we have a long way to go but we are concentrating on attracting people into the city centre. I think over the next few months there will be more announcements from the Council to show that we are getting there.”

Goldsmiths took over the Fattorini’s business in 1986. The Leicester-based national group also owned the former Mappin & Webb store on the junction of Darley Street and Kirkgate, which was closed last year and is now to let. The company refused to comment on the latest closure.

The Broadway Bon Marche store is being closed following the rescue of the fashion chain from the collapsed Peacocks Group by private equity firm Sun European Partners, which bought the West Yorkshire-based business out of administration. It announced that 160 stores would close, with the loss of 1,400 jobs, leaving 230 outlets.