A £35 million strategy to create a city centre growth zone and produce 2,800jobs in the next three years is set to be agreed by Bradford Council chiefs.

Businesses which operate within the growth zone will benefit from a rate relief scheme providing they create new employment in the city centre.

It is expected to lead to 2,800 jobs in retail and construction by March, 2015, of which 2,500 are through the Westfield shopping centre development.

But, despite the projected figures, Bradford Council conceded last night it has not received any firm dates from Westfield as to when it intends to start work on the Broadway site.

The growth zone scheme involves an investment of £17.2 million from the Council and £17.6 million from the Government through the Regional Growth Fund, which has been provisionally approved.

Businesses within the 420-acre zone would benefit by being able to claim a proportion of their rates over three years, as well as support with recruitment and planning.

The £35m of funding breaks down as follows: £5 million of Council funds would be spent on city centre public realm works to connect the Westfield site to the city centre, £4.4 million of Council money to see the creation of new cells for Bradford Magistrates’ Court to allow the remainder of the old police station to be demolished and the site to be cleared for a developer to create 100,000 sq ft of offices, cafes and bars – the beginnings of a business district, £12 million in total (£7 million from the Council plus £5 million from the Regional Growth Fund award) would create a business rate relief scheme for the city centre, £12.6 million from the Regional Growth Fund would be ploughed into a business rate relief scheme for tenants in the proposed Westfield shopping centre, and £800,000 of Council money would help create a skills programme to support businesses by ensuring the job opportunities they create are taken up by local people.

When asked about the estimated jobs to be created within a three year period, Councillor David Green, the Council’s executive member for regeneration and economy, said of Westfield’s plans: “What we do know is that Westfield is actively pursuing leasing and it has a full development team working on the Bradford development.

“It is progressing its side of the deal and we are in regular contact. We don’t have any dates from them, but we have no reason to believe anything other than that the development will go ahead.”

Of the overall zone, he said: “Creating a city centre growth zone would be a significant step towards improving the local economy by attracting new businesses and shops and creating extra jobs.

“Like many places across the country, Bradford has suffered in the national economic downturn but supporting existing businesses and encouraging new ones into the city centre is a key priority for the Council.

“The commitment of more than £17m of Council funding to this growth zone shows we will continue to take action.”

No-one at Westfield was available to comment.

The Council’s executive is being asked to endorse the creation of the new growth zone.

A report will be discussed by the Council’s regeneration and economy overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday, March 1, before a decision at the executive on Friday, March 16.