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City regeneration company to be wound up (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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City regeneration company to be wound up
7:00am Tuesday 5th May 2009
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.
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Your Say YourBradford
Jammy, Bradford says...
7:17am Tue 5 May 09
feddup, huddersfield says...
8:42am Tue 5 May 09
Joedavid, Bradford says...
9:05am Tue 5 May 09
Well said David Ward.
dazbot, Bradford says...
9:18am Tue 5 May 09
c/pot, eccelshill says...
9:27am Tue 5 May 09
nowt fresh, Bradford says...
9:49am Tue 5 May 09
PHILISAN, ALFORD says...
10:13am Tue 5 May 09
..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.
Dr Evil, Saltaire says...
10:32am Tue 5 May 09
albion, west riding says...
10:58am Tue 5 May 09
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.
LeviathanRising, Keighley says...
11:13am Tue 5 May 09
edgey2001, Morley says...
11:20am Tue 5 May 09
sarahkate, bradford says...
11:30am Tue 5 May 09
feddup, huddersfield says...
11:34am Tue 5 May 09
tyker, midland road says...
11:46am Tue 5 May 09
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?
emma72, Eccleshill says...
12:12pm Tue 5 May 09
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.
Jayteebee, Bradford says...
12:18pm Tue 5 May 09
This tells us everything about a council supposedly representing its citizens.
It should be closed down now with not a penny more wasted.
ItchyBungle, Bradford says...
12:18pm Tue 5 May 09
I think public flogging would be a good thing for Maude, it will really unite the citizens of Bradford!
emma72, Eccleshill says...
12:19pm Tue 5 May 09
Joedavid wrote: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?
Best News T&A as ever printed.
Well said David Ward.
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
emma72, Eccleshill says...
12:26pm Tue 5 May 09
c/pot wrote:petition for a public inquiry at:
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.
http://petitions.num
ber10.gov.uk/Bradfor
dRegen/
SLATE MINER, Bfd. says...
1:16pm Tue 5 May 09
feddup wrote:Have I missed something here? Where does it mention anything about payments to Ms Marshall or sacking her?
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...
lanzaman, bradford says...
1:34pm Tue 5 May 09
mysay1985, Bradford says...
1:35pm Tue 5 May 09
SLATE MINER, Bfd. says...
1:43pm Tue 5 May 09
emma72 wrote: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.
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/
emma72, Eccleshill says...
1:48pm Tue 5 May 09
SLATE MINER wrote: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
emma72 wrote: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.
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/
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)
The Odeon Crusader, Wibsey says...
2:17pm Tue 5 May 09
emma72 wrote:Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out.
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
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.
feddup, huddersfield says...
2:23pm Tue 5 May 09
SLATE MINER wrote: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.
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?
SLATE MINER, Bfd. says...
2:34pm Tue 5 May 09
feddup wrote: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.
SLATE MINER wrote: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.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?
emma72, Eccleshill says...
3:19pm Tue 5 May 09
The Odeon Crusader wrote:if this is the case,
emma72 wrote:Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out.
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
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.
I stand corrected
80)
SLATE MINER, Bfd. says...
3:41pm Tue 5 May 09
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.
The Odeon Crusader, Wibsey says...
3:53pm Tue 5 May 09
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...
mad matt, Bradford says...
4:08pm Tue 5 May 09
emma72, Eccleshill says...
4:44pm Tue 5 May 09
SLATE MINER wrote:So does this mean the headline should read:
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.
Maud Marshall to retire - no-one wants her job!!
Interesting spin from the T & A
Matt1961, Cleckheaton says...
7:22pm Tue 5 May 09
MP, keighley says...
7:44pm Tue 5 May 09
yorkshiregirl, leeds says...
7:46pm Tue 5 May 09
yezboss, Bradford says...
7:51pm Tue 5 May 09
Security word:-
'lady-iron' Ironic eh?
DJA, Bradford says...
8:37pm Tue 5 May 09
The Odeon Crusader wrote:Excuse me. Isn't David Ward a Liberal Democrat - The party that is proping up this awful Conservative leadership of Bradford Council.
emma72 wrote: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.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
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.
The Odeon Crusader, Wibsey says...
8:49pm Tue 5 May 09
DJA wrote:Surely your question should be why doesn't Hopkins listen to the voices of the public like D Ward has?
The Odeon Crusader wrote: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.emma72 wrote: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.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
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!
lonniejockstrap, Bradford says...
8:50pm Tue 5 May 09
DJA, Bradford says...
9:21pm Tue 5 May 09
The Odeon Crusader wrote: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.
DJA wrote: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!The Odeon Crusader wrote: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.emma72 wrote: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.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
dazbot, Bradford 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.
The Odeon Crusader, Wibsey says...
9:40pm Tue 5 May 09
dazbot wrote:Spot on, dazbot!
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.
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!
OdsalMan, bradford says...
9:59pm Tue 5 May 09
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
MP, keighley says...
10:46pm Tue 5 May 09
Wanna Have, Bradford says...
11:15pm Tue 5 May 09
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.
LeviathanRising, Keighley says...
12:10am Wed 6 May 09
Osgood, Keighley says...
6:24am Wed 6 May 09
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.
emma72, Eccleshill says...
9:56am Wed 6 May 09
emma72 wrote:Just as a byword
The Odeon Crusader wrote:if this is the case,
emma72 wrote:Emma, it is completely wrong to question Cllr David Ward's motives for speaking out.
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
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.
I stand corrected
80)
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!)
Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Regeneration Company
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Collos, Bradford says...
7:07am Tue 5 May 09