Bradford business leader backs T&A campaign on bookmakers (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

As I've previously said, I've never been in a bookies in my life but I'd rather have a building in use that's legally employing people and contributing tax than an empty shop.

This is another extremely one sided article. I can't remember reading a single article that's quoted a bookmaker's point of view on the issue or given them the right to reply.
I'm still finding this a very strange issue to start a campaign on when there are so many other problems in the district.

Well if we're talking about places where people gamble what about amusement arcades. If I had my way I would move all of them to the coastal towns cos I dont think any inner cities should have them.

angry bradfordian wrote:
As I've previously said, I've never been in a bookies in my life but I'd rather have a building in use that's legally employing people and contributing tax than an empty shop. This is another extremely one sided article. I can't remember reading a single article that's quoted a bookmaker's point of view on the issue or given them the right to reply. I'm still finding this a very strange issue to start a campaign on when there are so many other problems in the district.

Well said.

What happens when you get a bookies is nearby retailers move away so you end up with more empty shops as a result. How many retailers have moved onto Market Street or Broadway since the bookies move in?

Better to have an empty retail unit that can be taken up by a retailer when the local economy improves than a bookies, as Val points out, once the change is made it's unlikely to see a unit change back its use to retail.

Clowny wrote:
What happens when you get a bookies is nearby retailers move away so you end up with more empty shops as a result. How many retailers have moved onto Market Street or Broadway since the bookies move in?

Better to have an empty retail unit that can be taken up by a retailer when the local economy improves than a bookies, as Val points out, once the change is made it's unlikely to see a unit change back its use to retail.

How many businesses have 'moved away' (rather than shut down) since a bookmakers opened up near by?

I may be completely wrong, but how many new businesses have opened recently in the areas where there aren't many bookmakers such as North Parade, Godwin Street or Rawson Market.

I'm much more reluctant to go into town because of chuggers, beggers and drunks than I am by a smoker hanging around outside a bookies he's just thrown his money away in there but I haven't seen a campaign against these real menaces.

If these private companies with shareholders are opening new shops then there must be a demand for them- they're not charities!

another campaign agaist legal business taken up by T&A well backed by BRADFORD CHAMBER of trade while illegal bazaar is up and doing business as usaull even after being served with closer notice,i bet T&Aor BRADFORD CHAMBER of trade failled to notice or didn't bother to print in T&A report real issue of bradford traders

angry bradfordian wrote:

Clowny wrote:
What happens when you get a bookies is nearby retailers move away so you end up with more empty shops as a result. How many retailers have moved onto Market Street or Broadway since the bookies move in?

Better to have an empty retail unit that can be taken up by a retailer when the local economy improves than a bookies, as Val points out, once the change is made it's unlikely to see a unit change back its use to retail.

How many businesses have 'moved away' (rather than shut down) since a bookmakers opened up near by?

I may be completely wrong, but how many new businesses have opened recently in the areas where there aren't many bookmakers such as North Parade, Godwin Street or Rawson Market.

I'm much more reluctant to go into town because of chuggers, beggers and drunks than I am by a smoker hanging around outside a bookies he's just thrown his money away in there but I haven't seen a campaign against these real menaces.

If these private companies with shareholders are opening new shops then there must be a demand for them- they're not charities!

You make my argument in part for me, you'll see at least some of the drunks and beggars using the bookies.
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Shops can't move immediately due to leases but in years no retailers have chosen to pick units near bookies on Market Street, Bank Street or Broadway. I'd be surprised if shops on those streets renew at lease renewal time, when they could move to Kirkgate or streets surrounding there.
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North Parade, Godwin Street and Rawson Market likely due to their distance away from interchange and Forster Square have less footfall.
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I'd agree there are many problems, drunks for one have been noted as a problem around North Parade (is that true now the City Park is open?). You are correct chuggers, beggars and drunks are a problem but that doesn't discount the fact that retailers open next to other retailers and once a unit changes to a bookies, it rarely ever changes back to A1 retail.

Clowny I have reluctantly come to the conclusion the place is sofar gone its not coming back.

Angry is right.

Saturday was due a meet with gg when I got involved in a citizens arrest near chambers solicitors.

Scum bag had asked a shopper to phone him a taxi as no credit.
Off with the I phone snatched,

Chased,caught,999,po
lice take 20 mins to arrive and the scum accuses those holding him of assault.

50000 rise in population in 10 years.
Most with no work or prospect of.

So this crime just grows daily.

My 82 year old parents and many indigenous Bradfordians will NEVER come back.

Because the place is overun with scum.
Even if Westfield happens NOONE is coming back.

Everyone now hates the place and have fled to outer areas and shop in Leeds.

Everyone.Everyone I used to know.
Everyone.And when asked if they would return the unequivocal answer is NO.Too frightening a place.

The only other time I was in Town at respects opening night of their offices on leaving the John Street junction was police cordoned off.
On taking a look to see how I could get back to my parents at Daisy Hill The Thick pool of blood on the pavement suggested another shooting.

Some KID is locked up for this apparent assault.

Every day a near beheading,a police chase,burning bodies left in skips on Holmewood,bodies here bodies there.

Its surreal and is not the Bradford I left 20 years ago.

I am angry and sad.

misanthropic and it has truly made me hate the world and humanity.

It appears all the decent people have gone.

you are like Custers last stand as the lunatics take over the Asylum.

In short these lunatics from Steven wright to david Green are so far out of touch with reality that they truly belong in the Asylum.

And Perry Austin Clarke props thhem up with more bull than a pigs arse could produce.

I feel sick to the core and am writing to the Telegraphs owners to tell them that the idiot they now have in charge is wholly responsible for taking their once 130000 circulationb to less than 30000.
Noone wants to read his drivel slant on things.

People know the reality of 2012 Bradford without having a lying cheating ponce as him pontificating the virtues of our corrupt and disintefrating city.

I made comment to the arresting police officer that the place appeared to have sunk to being a zoo.

He wholly concurred.

Let Austin Clarke sue me if he wants to.
I am past caring.

Muppets the lot of them.

green appears to have had something to do with regeneration since 1998.

Says a lot really does it not.

I am putting in a FOI request for the rateable values and rents payable aswell as numbers of closed business since 1998.

The hole has cost 80 million.The puddle(i could spit more)30 million.

Leeds Arena will see the Killers play 17 august.Holds 14000.Cost 60 million.
With 9 from govt funds.
We have not one but two **** pools for 110 million.

Sums it up really does it not.

Oh and a fully restored Grand theatre and now also the City varieties.

Why did they just lie down and not fight to keep all the suits from uplifting to Leeds over 20 years.

Because their f***** useless.

And I cannot believe how angry I am that they have ruined and made it an unsafe place.My home town.

That I was and would still like to be very proud of.

Hockeney is right.
Everyone is right.

PEOPLE SHOULD BE IN JAIL.

And I hope the like of Terry Hopkinson does end up there.

Because i shall be doing all I can to put them there.

Corrupt to a man

Good rant, with some factual observations.
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It's a point I'm sure I've said before, moving the police station to Nelson Street was a mistake, we now have police in cars and vans, based at least 5 minutes out, given the barrier system even the police often have to leave their vehicles then run on foot for the remainder, so often criminals can make a clean get away. The CCTV is outdated and often not monitored so the police have to deal with multiple stories when dealing with an incident.
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The T&A have become a PR outfit for the council and only seem interested in running stories of "Today it was sunny, people were in the City Park" failing to note how few shopping bags there are or the fact there's still no new businesses opening nearby.
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You should FOI footfall for each year to date and see if that trend ties in with business closures.

Clowny wrote:
Good rant, with some factual observations.
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It's a point I'm sure I've said before, moving the police station to Nelson Street was a mistake, we now have police in cars and vans, based at least 5 minutes out, given the barrier system even the police often have to leave their vehicles then run on foot for the remainder, so often criminals can make a clean get away. The CCTV is outdated and often not monitored so the police have to deal with multiple stories when dealing with an incident.
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The T&A have become a PR outfit for the council and only seem interested in running stories of "Today it was sunny, people were in the City Park" failing to note how few shopping bags there are or the fact there's still no new businesses opening nearby.
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You should FOI footfall for each year to date and see if that trend ties in with business closures.

It's a good point about the lack of CCTV.

I remember a story about a poor old women (90??) who was mugged in Centenary Sq. The police said they were 'checking CCTV' for evidence- I don't ever remember reading about anybody being caught or an appeal to identify the assailants from the CCTV footage.

It’s not so much a lack of CCTV, it’s too few staff employed to monitor them and software too simple to assist on monitoring the correct cameras at the right time. You can’t police a city remotely from camera, but it feels like that might be happening.
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I recall there was the blind woman that was mugged on the City Park, where in the end police asked for witnesses to come forward but there was never a follow up story to suggest the low life was caught. It’s always more sickening when the old or vulnerable are targeted especially when it’s broad daylight and you’d assume you’re safe to go about your business.
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I don’t think, having methadone supply, offender rehabilitation, off licences that sell cut price booze even to known drunks or having more bookies helps the city centre attract the right people.

Well said angry and clowny.

Are ALL the statutory authorities blind to the enormous problems a return of confidence needs overcoming before we can take one small step forward.

The chamber of commerce just told me the police say the stats say there are more of these crimes in leeds.
But where there is twenty fold the footfall you would expect that really.

There are so few people often about the streets of Bradford now that these things happen without any hope of public assistance in sight.

Told the wardens have made a difference.Not on saturday.Several members of the public intervened.Not a warden or CSO in sight.
Plenty of blue jacket oarking services staff evident.Waiting to pounce at the first overshoot of the abysmal pay and display scheme

"The chamber of commerce just told me the police say the stats say there are more of these crimes in leeds.
But where there is twenty fold the footfall you would expect that really."
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Correct, there is a considerably higher footfall in Leeds plus more shops with higher value goods so crimes of shoplifting and robbery will always be likely to be higher there, however, if you divided crime by footfall BD1 versus LS1, BD1 would come out worse for much if not all of the crime. Halifax HX1 is probably a closer footfall comparison to Bradford and crime there is lower.
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It’s all excuses and an incorrect argument for the police to make anyway, you should compare a city against itself whilst putting footfall into the equation. Footfall in BD1 is down about 40% in 10 years, is crime down the same? Not likely.
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It’s not to say the police are to blame, they’ve had their budgets cut, the street wardens that used to assist the police and retailers were sacked by the council, the police station has been moved further out of the city which means the police can’t help but take longer to respond.

Yes all ridiculous mismanagement and all in the last ten years.

Perhaps the remaining half of the police station given the cells are still there should be reopened as an emergency response team base.

but are the silly council not hell bent on removing it and the magistrates court (which looks outside and inside not much different to when opened only 35 years ago)and wasting further hundreds of millions on projects that will not kick start the economy but give them what they want to be surrounded by.Pathetic policy and now PFI funding costs are coming out perhaps the lunacy could cease.