City regeneration company to be wound up

7:00am Tuesday 5th May 2009 in Bradford Photograph of the Author Exclusive By Will Kilner

Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Regeneration Company Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Regeneration Company

The company created to drive through Bradford’s £3 billion regeneration is to be disbanded, the Telegraph & Argus can reveal.

During a nine-month handover period, the Council will take back in-house the work of Bradford Centre Regeneration which since 2003 has spearheaded the ‘Birth of a New City’ initiative.

Exact details of how BCR will be disbanded are yet to emerge but it is possible that it could be kept as a shell, as a means of attracting investment from various funding bodies.

But control over regeneration will return to the Council which, it is believed, now feels itself to be in the best position to drive forward the delivery stage of the programme with a more dynamic team.

Councillor Ian Greenwood, leader of the Council’s Labour group and a member of the BCR board, admitted it had had mixed results.

“My view is that it was good to have a vehicle for concentrating attention and focus on the city centre,” he said.

“I very much welcome the private sector investment in the body and I think the planning stage was good.

“But I am not convinced we have seen the amount of improvement in the city centre that we might have expected in the period. I think people would have expected greater physical indication of regeneration than has been demonstrated. We need to see cranes and buildings going up.

“The Council needs to be responsible for steering regeneration forward in the future.”

Councillor David Ward, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Bradford Council, was more forthright.

He said: “The sooner they (BCR) go the better, and it will be sooner rather than later.

“We were always unhappy about the fact that something we regard as being the responsibility of the Council for regeneration was being privatised, with the inevitable secrecy that followed. It was an abdication of responsibilities.

“It had to be very much an open and transparent process if it was to be successful. I believe we should bring regeneration back in-house with very strong leadership.

“We were over ambitious and had far too many grand schemes. The development of Bradford was always more likely to be on an incremental basis to make something a success and then move on to the next thing.

“Things like the canal project and the world mile looked great when they took them across to Cannes, but were never likely to succeed.

“There was a lack of understanding of Bradford. The wealth did not exist for these schemes. We are not a Leeds, Sheffield or Manchester in terms of our economy. There was a basic failure to understand the deprivation in Bradford.

“The cost of BCR is obviously financial, in terms of the running of the organisation, but the even greater cost is the lost chance for development.

Council leader Kris Hopkins was unavailable for comment.

Comments(49)

Collos says...
7:07am Tue 5 May 09

I wonder just how much it has cost tax payers for the likes og Magic Maude and her cronies to sit there and tell the public blatant lies on how this project was going in a honest world they should be in a criminal court answering charges of theft.

Report this post »

Jammy says...
7:17am Tue 5 May 09

Well,well well ,a lot of good money has been used and abused for what,a load of pie in the sky,now i suppose everyone at city hall will have been against it all the time,but now lets put it behind us and do something positive and workable for the people of Bradford.

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feddup says...
8:42am Tue 5 May 09

About time too - BCR has always been a complete waste of time, money and worst of all, opportunity. They haven't a clue - do they really think Bradford is a better place now than when they started ? What have they achieved with all the hundreds of thousands of pounds of our money they ahve spent ? If they had any decency they'd ahve gone voluntarily years ago. Good riddance !

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Joedavid says...
9:05am Tue 5 May 09

Best News T&A as ever printed.

Well said David Ward.

Report this post »

dazbot says...
9:18am Tue 5 May 09

I would like to know how much BCR has cost us as Council Tax payers please...can you find out T&A.

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c/pot says...
9:27am Tue 5 May 09

A complete waste of time and our money,it gets more like a Carry On film year after year,there should be a public enquiry into this farse and someone should be held responsible for it.

Report this post »

nowt fresh says...
9:49am Tue 5 May 09

Just been watching a program about a couple who move to New Zealand 17 years ago they were thinking of returning to Bradford,when they were shown round they said this was not the Bradford they knew, SUPRISE SUPRISE we see it on a daily basis and can see whats happening to our once GREAT CITY the councilors past and present have a lot to answer for, buy the way whatever happend to the 45 million we recieved from the sale of Leeds / Bradford airport will this be squadered on more hair brained schemes, hang your heads in shame Bradford councilors as you could not run a booze up in a brewery.

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PHILISAN says...
10:13am Tue 5 May 09

Can't blame the fact that out-sourced 'expertise' from so-called professionals was chosen in an audatious attempt to promote the City and create business links and an affordable and MANAGEABLE regeneration blueprint/plan...BUT
..to have seemingly little or no control when delivery was not being effected to scale, rings alarm bells and questions the viability to manage in the very councillors in whom we have to place our trust infar lesser projects.No question public money was wasted on this futile colaboration,let's hope,inspite of the present financial climate..Bradford can fight back... yet AGAIN..!! If expertise is needed PLEASE look inside the City for the innovation and talent you may need.Let's make this a Citizens' Project.

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Dr Evil says...
10:32am Tue 5 May 09

Don't want to say it but... TOLD YOU SO! (Security Word: huge-role!!!)

Report this post »

albion says...
10:58am Tue 5 May 09

"Wound up" would anyone have noticed if not for this report?
A massive waste of time and money and the biggest contribution to the decline of the city apart from the import of third world customs.

Report this post »

LeviathanRising says...
11:13am Tue 5 May 09

All I can say is that the money was used on grounds of greed corruption and gross negligence. When the city badly needs housing the money could have been used for that. Instead we got stupid optimism for a huge shopping and retail area which will be finished in god only knows when. Maybe we could advertise this to the world as the worlds largest sandpit and make a fortune off family excursions?? The council badly needs to crack down on over expenditure if it wants to decrease its ever expanding debt black hole. For example stop wasting thousands of pounds on flowers on a roundabout, just concrete it over with a statue or low maintenance vegitation. I'll leave my rage over other stupid optimistic projects such as a park in the city and bringing the canal into the heart of Bradford to fester.

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edgey2001 says...
11:20am Tue 5 May 09

Does this mean that Maud Marshall will have lost her job? if so , good bye and thanks for nothing.

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sarahkate says...
11:30am Tue 5 May 09

Interesting report. Well done T&A for breaking the story.

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feddup says...
11:34am Tue 5 May 09

I suppose we must now wait to find out just how massive the pay-off is going to be for these losers. How much more of our cash can Ms Marshall accept with a straight face ? Has she the decency to accept the sack and not try to screw even more money out of us ? I somehow doubt it...

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tyker says...
11:46am Tue 5 May 09

wound up and take everyback in house may just be a smoke screen.

what's the betting wound up means the organisation was skint!!!

and then this "Exact details of how BCR will be disbanded are yet to emerge but it is possible that it could be kept as a shell, as a means of attracting investment from various funding bodies. "

so the idea is not scarpped altogether just in these depression --yes I know it's officially a recession but many many thousands of people know it as a depression- and likley to be resurretced in the future.

does this organisation have to publish any form of accounts for scrutiny?

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emma72 says...
12:12pm Tue 5 May 09

Without a doubt this is good news. If it happens

What isn't good news is the NINE MONTHS they're taking to hand over the project and the fact that 'could be kept as a shell' - which means what?. If they're going they need to go now and go completely!

Is this really going to happen? or is it just a ploy to placate us?

And this announcement should NOT let the council off the hook - they created the company and they've let them continue to waste our money for the past 6 years.

Report this post »

Jayteebee says...
12:18pm Tue 5 May 09

Well well, 17 comments and not one supporting BCR.
This tells us everything about a council supposedly representing its citizens.
It should be closed down now with not a penny more wasted.

Report this post »

ItchyBungle says...
12:18pm Tue 5 May 09

Where is the accountability for all of this. In the current climate where we are all being expected to tighten our belts there should be more accountability for our politicians and associates in the private sector that take on the work of the local government.

I think public flogging would be a good thing for Maude, it will really unite the citizens of Bradford!

Report this post »

emma72 says...
12:19pm Tue 5 May 09

Joedavid wrote:
Best News T&A as ever printed.

Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE?

Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections

Report this post »

emma72 says...
12:26pm Tue 5 May 09

c/pot wrote:
A complete waste of time and our money,it gets more like a Carry On film year after year,there should be a public enquiry into this farse and someone should be held responsible for it.
petition for a public inquiry at:

http://petitions.num
ber10.gov.uk/Bradfor
dRegen/

Report this post »

SLATE MINER says...
1:16pm Tue 5 May 09

feddup wrote:
I suppose we must now wait to find out just how massive the pay-off is going to be for these losers. How much more of our cash can Ms Marshall accept with a straight face ? Has she the decency to accept the sack and not try to screw even more money out of us ? I somehow doubt it...
Have I missed something here? Where does it mention anything about payments to Ms Marshall or sacking her?

Report this post »

lanzaman says...
1:34pm Tue 5 May 09

I agree with the comments, BCR have clearly done very little. 'Now it's in the hands of the council.' It has always been in the hands of the council! They choose to portray it this way to avoid responsibility. BCR have done what they intended, take vast amounts of money for doing very little. They probably learned that from the council.

Report this post »

mysay1985 says...
1:35pm Tue 5 May 09

Yet again Bradford has been reduced to a baron wasteland. I think the only way the site would be productive would be to turn it into a decent car park. The council seem intent on making all roads around the city centre double-yellow lined making it impossible for workers to park without paying the extortionate rate of the Leisure Exchange or risking flood-like puddles and 4x4 terrain parking in the Court car park.

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SLATE MINER says...
1:43pm Tue 5 May 09

emma72 wrote:
c/pot wrote: A complete waste of time and our money,it gets more like a Carry On film year after year,there should be a public enquiry into this farse and someone should be held responsible for it.
petition for a public inquiry at: http://petitions.num ber10.gov.uk/Bradfor dRegen/
Good old emma still banging on and on and on and on about the petition. Looking at the petition stats it dont seem to be working em.

Report this post »

emma72 says...
1:48pm Tue 5 May 09

SLATE MINER wrote:
emma72 wrote:
c/pot wrote: A complete waste of time and our money,it gets more like a Carry On film year after year,there should be a public enquiry into this farse and someone should be held responsible for it.
petition for a public inquiry at: http://petitions.num ber10.gov.uk/Bradfor dRegen/
Good old emma still banging on and on and on and on about the petition. Looking at the petition stats it dont seem to be working em.
Granted the stats aren't brilliant - petitions aren't very exciting for people are they - however with over 200 petitionees it goes to the PM

and lets face it - I haven't had the type of coverage as the park at heart or the budget and my response rate is far higher than the councils.

And less of the old please! ;0)

Report this post »

The Odeon Crusader says...
2:17pm Tue 5 May 09

emma72 wrote:
Joedavid wrote: Best News T&A as ever printed. Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE? Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections
Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out.

For several years he has been rightly critical of BCR in the public arena and has been perhaps the only councillor to do so.

David Ward has championed the BORG campaign, and his presence at the Hug The Odeon event was a huge gesture when other councillors stayed away...

Additionally, David Ward also was the man responsible for the stormy Question Time With BCR event at the Midland Hotel in Feb 2008 taking place following his resolution to a full council meeting for BCR to be less secretive and open with the Bradford public. The event was successful in the sense that the Bradford public ripped BCR to pieces and despite Hopkins' vow to have future public meetings, they bottled out of any!!!

Great news today - let's hope the council now take the Odeon issue on board and reconcile it with the views of local people.

Report this post »

feddup says...
2:23pm Tue 5 May 09

SLATE MINER wrote:
feddup wrote: I suppose we must now wait to find out just how massive the pay-off is going to be for these losers. How much more of our cash can Ms Marshall accept with a straight face ? Has she the decency to accept the sack and not try to screw even more money out of us ? I somehow doubt it...
Have I missed something here? Where does it mention anything about payments to Ms Marshall or sacking her?
If the company is ceasing to exist, then presumably her job will cease to exist, and she'll effectively be sacked. And given her track record, I think it highly likely she'll be insisting on a huge compensation payout.

Report this post »

SLATE MINER says...
2:34pm Tue 5 May 09

feddup wrote:
SLATE MINER wrote:
feddup wrote: I suppose we must now wait to find out just how massive the pay-off is going to be for these losers. How much more of our cash can Ms Marshall accept with a straight face ? Has she the decency to accept the sack and not try to screw even more money out of us ? I somehow doubt it...
Have I missed something here? Where does it mention anything about payments to Ms Marshall or sacking her?
If the company is ceasing to exist, then presumably her job will cease to exist, and she'll effectively be sacked. And given her track record, I think it highly likely she'll be insisting on a huge compensation payout.
Lets get this right. If the company is would up she will effectively be made redundant and not sacked. This being the case she will be entitled to redundancy payment in line with government legislation. That is of course unless the council have her on a tight contract which I doubt.

Report this post »

emma72 says...
3:19pm Tue 5 May 09

The Odeon Crusader wrote:
emma72 wrote:
Joedavid wrote: Best News T&A as ever printed. Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE? Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections
Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out.

For several years he has been rightly critical of BCR in the public arena and has been perhaps the only councillor to do so.

David Ward has championed the BORG campaign, and his presence at the Hug The Odeon event was a huge gesture when other councillors stayed away...

Additionally, David Ward also was the man responsible for the stormy Question Time With BCR event at the Midland Hotel in Feb 2008 taking place following his resolution to a full council meeting for BCR to be less secretive and open with the Bradford public. The event was successful in the sense that the Bradford public ripped BCR to pieces and despite Hopkins' vow to have future public meetings, they bottled out of any!!!

Great news today - let's hope the council now take the Odeon issue on board and reconcile it with the views of local people.
if this is the case,

I stand corrected

80)

Report this post »

SLATE MINER says...
3:41pm Tue 5 May 09

BREAKING NEWS

If the information I have just obtained by doing a search on Ms Marshall is true this means that she reaches retirement age in january next year. If this is the case it could explain why it is going to take 9 months for the hand over to take place - very convenient me thinks.

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The Odeon Crusader says...
3:53pm Tue 5 May 09

Yes, Maud does reach the big 60 early next year, so it may well work out financially for her.

Personally speaking, she should be sacked with immediate effect. Maud has fleeced the city of Bradford for £125K+ for the past 6 years as it is and the gravy train needs to be derailed right now!

On what grounds (in a sensible world) could she hope to walk away with golden handshake-wise for such a lousy job done? If her salary bonuses were performance related, Maud would owe US some cash surely?

Judging by how corrupt and pathetic the 21st Century regeneration scheme has been in Bradford to date, I dare say she will be looked after in the end...

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mad matt says...
4:08pm Tue 5 May 09

The only comment I would like to add is "DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH"

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emma72 says...
4:44pm Tue 5 May 09

SLATE MINER wrote:
BREAKING NEWS

If the information I have just obtained by doing a search on Ms Marshall is true this means that she reaches retirement age in january next year. If this is the case it could explain why it is going to take 9 months for the hand over to take place - very convenient me thinks.
So does this mean the headline should read:

Maud Marshall to retire - no-one wants her job!!

Interesting spin from the T & A

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Matt1961 says...
7:22pm Tue 5 May 09

Can we now go about saving the Odeon now please? Move forward BORG!

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MP says...
7:44pm Tue 5 May 09

Rats leave sinking ship....Cllr Hopkins (the Chicken of Keighley) is unavailable for comment (he's still in bed) ......

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yorkshiregirl says...
7:46pm Tue 5 May 09

Well Bradford has been left devastated by this so called 'regeneration scheme' and may take years to recover. I hope the council actually listen to what the community want now. Some small incremental schemes supported by local people and quality social housing would be welcome.The scheme has done nothing but damage and Maud Adams seems to have spent most of her time waging a personal vendetta against the people of Bradford desperate to save the cinema building. How dare they disagree with her opinion - they are only the locals! No doubt she will demand a pay off - but frankly its worth paying up. I suggest someone at the council takes charge of the situation now and not in nine months.

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yezboss says...
7:51pm Tue 5 May 09

Explanations please, or is that too much to expect
Security word:-
'lady-iron' Ironic eh?

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DJA says...
8:37pm Tue 5 May 09

The Odeon Crusader wrote:
emma72 wrote:
Joedavid wrote: Best News T&A as ever printed. Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE? Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections
Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out. For several years he has been rightly critical of BCR in the public arena and has been perhaps the only councillor to do so. David Ward has championed the BORG campaign, and his presence at the Hug The Odeon event was a huge gesture when other councillors stayed away... Additionally, David Ward also was the man responsible for the stormy Question Time With BCR event at the Midland Hotel in Feb 2008 taking place following his resolution to a full council meeting for BCR to be less secretive and open with the Bradford public. The event was successful in the sense that the Bradford public ripped BCR to pieces and despite Hopkins' vow to have future public meetings, they bottled out of any!!! Great news today - let's hope the council now take the Odeon issue on board and reconcile it with the views of local people.
Excuse me. Isn't David Ward a Liberal Democrat - The party that is proping up this awful Conservative leadership of Bradford Council.

Why doesn't he and the Conservative's listen to the voices that have proposed using Broadway as an outdoor market until the development of Westfield Bradford takes place.

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The Odeon Crusader says...
8:49pm Tue 5 May 09

DJA wrote:
The Odeon Crusader wrote:
emma72 wrote:
Joedavid wrote: Best News T&A as ever printed. Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE? Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections
Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out. For several years he has been rightly critical of BCR in the public arena and has been perhaps the only councillor to do so. David Ward has championed the BORG campaign, and his presence at the Hug The Odeon event was a huge gesture when other councillors stayed away... Additionally, David Ward also was the man responsible for the stormy Question Time With BCR event at the Midland Hotel in Feb 2008 taking place following his resolution to a full council meeting for BCR to be less secretive and open with the Bradford public. The event was successful in the sense that the Bradford public ripped BCR to pieces and despite Hopkins' vow to have future public meetings, they bottled out of any!!! Great news today - let's hope the council now take the Odeon issue on board and reconcile it with the views of local people.
Excuse me. Isn't David Ward a Liberal Democrat - The party that is proping up this awful Conservative leadership of Bradford Council. Why doesn't he and the Conservative's listen to the voices that have proposed using Broadway as an outdoor market until the development of Westfield Bradford takes place.
Surely your question should be why doesn't Hopkins listen to the voices of the public like D Ward has?

Take the politics out of it for a second, at least David Ward has spoken out against BCR and their questionable ways for the past few years!

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lonniejockstrap says...
8:50pm Tue 5 May 09

Same old scene: the politicians give away public money to unelected quangos who do all they can for the Private sector and ignore the wishes of the electorate. We are a bunch of brainwashed mugs.

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DJA says...
9:21pm Tue 5 May 09

The Odeon Crusader wrote:
DJA wrote:
The Odeon Crusader wrote:
emma72 wrote:
Joedavid wrote: Best News T&A as ever printed. Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE? Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections
Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out. For several years he has been rightly critical of BCR in the public arena and has been perhaps the only councillor to do so. David Ward has championed the BORG campaign, and his presence at the Hug The Odeon event was a huge gesture when other councillors stayed away... Additionally, David Ward also was the man responsible for the stormy Question Time With BCR event at the Midland Hotel in Feb 2008 taking place following his resolution to a full council meeting for BCR to be less secretive and open with the Bradford public. The event was successful in the sense that the Bradford public ripped BCR to pieces and despite Hopkins' vow to have future public meetings, they bottled out of any!!! Great news today - let's hope the council now take the Odeon issue on board and reconcile it with the views of local people.
Excuse me. Isn't David Ward a Liberal Democrat - The party that is proping up this awful Conservative leadership of Bradford Council. Why doesn't he and the Conservative's listen to the voices that have proposed using Broadway as an outdoor market until the development of Westfield Bradford takes place.
Surely your question should be why doesn't Hopkins listen to the voices of the public like D Ward has? Take the politics out of it for a second, at least David Ward has spoken out against BCR and their questionable ways for the past few years!
If David Ward listened to members of the public - He would resign as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats because it's his party that is keeping Hopkins leader of the Council.

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dazbot says...
9:29pm Tue 5 May 09






What I think we all need now is a statement about the regeneration situation in Bradford, and the next steps forward we can take (that are not pie in the sky ideas).
If there are any projects that can be done with the Leeds / Bradford Airport money, we should immediately use it to get the town center working again, be it rent subsidies to get business back into empty shops or small developments to improve the look of the place.

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The Odeon Crusader says...
9:40pm Tue 5 May 09

dazbot wrote:
What I think we all need now is a statement about the regeneration situation in Bradford, and the next steps forward we can take (that are not pie in the sky ideas). If there are any projects that can be done with the Leeds / Bradford Airport money, we should immediately use it to get the town center working again, be it rent subsidies to get business back into empty shops or small developments to improve the look of the place.
Spot on, dazbot!

You've come up with a simple, common sense blueprint for our city centre on which to build upon... and for free.

Maud and her cronies failed to do that, even with the many hundreds of thousands of pounds ploughed into their salaries, expenses and annual jollies to Cannes to assist them!

POOR!

Report this post »

OdsalMan says...
9:59pm Tue 5 May 09

you "reep what you sow"
i wrote to Maud Marshall 2 years ago with a dossier on what developments bradford needs. a view from a local person.
she wrote back and thanked me for the report but not ONE idea has been adopted. meanwhile several ideas and sugegstions have recently been built in Halifax, Leeds and Huddersfield.

she should have looked and listened to the local people and not tried to bring Glasgow to Bradford

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MP says...
10:46pm Tue 5 May 09

Dear Will, submit a Freedom of Information request to the Council and ask exactly how much they have put into BCR over the years and then ask them to state precisely what the outcomes have been.....

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Wanna Have says...
11:15pm Tue 5 May 09

And that brings to an end another Chapter in the history of "Bradford, Head in the Sand" a book that could be written about the governers of this City over the last 30 years.
Too busy chasing votes to tell the truth and using a lame under resourced dwindling local media as a mouthpiece.
Even today th Pro BCR media included in the headline "attracting 3BN of investment", well if you can't sell flats in a property boom what can you do.
Tell me of one of the BCR led developments that has been succesful for Bradfordians and taken Bradford forward.
What really bothers me is that the politicians in Bradford have hidden behind the spin and untruths and wildly positive statements regarding Bradford emmenating from BCR(Marshall)rather than facing reality and sorting out Bradfords problems.
Yet again ......WE TOLD YOU SO.


Report this post »

LeviathanRising says...
12:10am Wed 6 May 09

I'll end the nights comments with thoughts for those council workers. I speak for these people here, we the general public will not tolerate this behaviour from civil servants abusing the system.

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Osgood says...
6:24am Wed 6 May 09

"Control over regeneration will return to the Council..."
Phew, that's alright then. They've done so well with the Westfield project - which in fact has nothing to do with BCR - that I think we can all relax now.

Report this post »

emma72 says...
9:56am Wed 6 May 09

emma72 wrote:
The Odeon Crusader wrote:
emma72 wrote:
Joedavid wrote: Best News T&A as ever printed. Well said David Ward.
HOLD ON A MINUTE - ISN'T HE PART OF THE COUNCIL? Isn't this the first time in SIX YEARS that the any member of the council has said anything? ISN'T HE ALSO RESPONSIBLE? Perhaps thinks is he's starts saying this now - when there are action groups popping up all over the place he'll have a better chance in the next elections
Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out.

For several years he has been rightly critical of BCR in the public arena and has been perhaps the only councillor to do so.

David Ward has championed the BORG campaign, and his presence at the Hug The Odeon event was a huge gesture when other councillors stayed away...

Additionally, David Ward also was the man responsible for the stormy Question Time With BCR event at the Midland Hotel in Feb 2008 taking place following his resolution to a full council meeting for BCR to be less secretive and open with the Bradford public. The event was successful in the sense that the Bradford public ripped BCR to pieces and despite Hopkins' vow to have future public meetings, they bottled out of any!!!

Great news today - let's hope the council now take the Odeon issue on board and reconcile it with the views of local people.
if this is the case,

I stand corrected

80)
Just as a byword

Despite Davids obvious support of BORG he is the deputy leader of the liberal democrats, and it is through their support that the conservative group holds control of the council.

At any time, if the liberals were unhappy with the current situation in Bradford city centre, they could take their support away from the conservatives and back the labour group, which would impact how the councils run.

(It doesn't neccesarily mean that the labour party would do any thing differently - but it might shake things up a bit!)

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