10:52am Friday 8th August 2008
By Will Kilner
The man who recently branded Bradford’s former Odeon cinema “a crap building” is changing roles at regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.
Don Stewart, who has been director of strategy for nearly ten years, is changing jobs after a Government review of regeneration and reform.
He is leaving his £128,000-a-year post and the agency’s executive team, of which he was a founder member, to focus on developing the region’s culture and tourism.
Mr Stewart, who lives in Bradford, told a recent meeting of the Bradford Property Forum his view was that the Odeon was “a crap building” which should be pulled down. Yorkshire Forward owns the building.
The Government has said it wanted regional development agencies to take a more strategic role in their regions as part of a review (SNR) of economic regeneration and reform.
A Yorkshire Forward spokesman said that, as a result of these developments, the organisation had decided to refocus the strategy director role, which would be advertised.
Mr Stewart said: “The combination of the outcomes of SNR and recognition that we want to do even more to co-ordinate and promote our region as a place to live, work and invest has meant that the role of director of strategy has become very broad.
“It has been agreed that the director’s role should be refocused and that I continue to develop and integrate our ongoing activities with Yorkshire Tourist Board, Yorkshire Culture, Screen Yorkshire and major events under the working title of project director – Destination Yorkshire.”
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