Shops leader blasts Council after historic store quits city (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

This Council IS USELESS
Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford
Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT
David Green IS GREEN
Time Him & His Cronies
Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

Typical. Mr Green appears to think he knows more about retail management than the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. I'd love to know what his background is that makes him able to make these sweeping pronouncements.

When a story about a hand made goods shop is the best he can come up with we're in big trouble!

the Council had already spent £120,000 on buying new parking meters before a formal decision had been made.
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Councillor David Green, the Council’s executive member for regeneration, argued that imposing parking charges would have little effect on Tyrrel Street and other pedestrianised shopping areas.

What is the point of the meeting on parking charges, it is clear that a decision has already been made.

"Coun Green said: “The important thing to bring life back to any town or city centre is to make available shops that people want to come and visit."
The infuriating thing is, Bradford had all this, but incompetent Councils over many years have systematically destroyed it.
The downward spiral continues.
Does Val Summerscales fancy the Lord Mayor's job

Idler60 wrote:
"Coun Green said: “The important thing to bring life back to any town or city centre is to make available shops that people want to come and visit."
The infuriating thing is, Bradford had all this, but incompetent Councils over many years have systematically destroyed it.
The downward spiral continues.
Does Val Summerscales fancy the Lord Mayor's job

As I have been saying for many years "Bradford is becoming a third world city", so I see little point in complaining, why not have a souk on the (former) Westfield site and save time and expense in reaching the inevitable outcome? Meanwhile I shall continue to enjoy the more convivial atmosphere that can be experienced while shopping elsewhere.

angry bradfordian wrote:
Typical. Mr Green appears to think he knows more about retail management than the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. I'd love to know what his background is that makes him able to make these sweeping pronouncements. When a story about a hand made goods shop is the best he can come up with we're in big trouble!

Barra, who is paid significately more, is unelected and runs the regeneration department is pretty quiet in all of this.
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Councillor Green is useless but he is Barra's fall guy to hide behind.
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Anyhow Barra has Meadowhall on his door step with hundreds of shops and free parking so what does he care about the ghost town of Bradford?

The leadership of Bradford Council needs to be shot , its a bit interesting that the council have not made the members of thepublic aware that Westfield intend on opening in 2014 , This has come from someone at Westfield . I wonder if we will have a City Centre left by then

Albion. wrote:

Idler60 wrote:
"Coun Green said: “The important thing to bring life back to any town or city centre is to make available shops that people want to come and visit."
The infuriating thing is, Bradford had all this, but incompetent Councils over many years have systematically destroyed it.
The downward spiral continues.
Does Val Summerscales fancy the Lord Mayor's job

As I have been saying for many years "Bradford is becoming a third world city", so I see little point in complaining, why not have a souk on the (former) Westfield site and save time and expense in reaching the inevitable outcome? Meanwhile I shall continue to enjoy the more convivial atmosphere that can be experienced while shopping elsewhere.

We already have one at Cannon Mills?
But yes your right.

Councillors come and go but the mess they leave lasts a long time. The current lot are especially inept. They have ruined Bradford City Centre, I never go there any more the place is dump. It's very sad to see it and to know that these self congratulating back-slappers have the arrogance to think they know what they're doing while flying in the face of what the electorate want.

What a shambolic state of affairs!

Meanwhile total silence from Westfield, who according to Cllr Ian Greenwood, would be on site by February - think he forgot to mention which year!!!

I can’t believe it’s taken several years for the Chamber of Trade to realise the Council keeps making decisions at the expense of the city centre traders.
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Councillor Green is just a sock puppet saying the same things as Councillor Adrian Naylor before him on behalf of Barra “I live in Sheffield and have a private car parking space so couldn’t care less” Mac Ruari. I’m not in the least bit surprised the “consultation” was a fraud, the consultations are just there so you “think” you’re having a say on decisions that are already made.
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I can’t believe the Council are citing an example of making a difference where they are using tax payers money to subsidise a store being open whilst more business around the area disappear.
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The T & A need to get a photographer to the back of T J Hughes to see there is a parking problem, all the traders and city centre residents are having to park there as it’s the only space they can find to avoid being charged out of the city.

People would pay to park in Bradford if the retail offer was good... Having said that, people do park in the city centre. Parking charges are not the issue for me, but the bus lanes and the inflexible parking (i.e. can only have an hour, so have to rush back and not spend enough time in the centre).


Problem for Bradford is that its got a retail offer that is exceeded by out of town retail parks (if not Forster Square, then Birstall) and places like the White Rose where people can park for nowt. Plus, not a great selection of places to eat in the city centre.

Agree that Westfield's lack of activity is blighting the centre, but expecting free parking there is unreasonable. There'd still be the issue of bus lanes and general traffic congestion (cos hey, its the city centre) that'd put motorists off visitng the city centre, because they can go to centres like Meadowhell and White Rose which are designed around the car.

"Plus, not a great selection of places to eat in the city centre."
Plenty of places to eat but not many in them.

Said all along that over zealous parking restrictions coupled with lack of retail outlets would kill the city before any worthwhile regen had been completed.

My last two years of xmas shopping have been completed in Huddersfield, great selection of shops, excellent parking facilities which more or less ring the town centre and rarely a pound shop or beggar in sight.

mohammedamjid34 wrote:
The leadership of Bradford Council needs to be shot , its a bit interesting that the council have not made the members of thepublic aware that Westfield intend on opening in 2014 , This has come from someone at Westfield . I wonder if we will have a City Centre left by then

2014 is nothing knew, and considering that it is a 2 year build, then Westfield need to start building it!

While I agree that Bradford town centre has little to attract business it must be said the the parent company of Bon Marche are in receivership. Thats why they are having a closing down sale.
The council don't get much right but we shouldn't blame them for this.

Joedavid wrote:
"Plus, not a great selection of places to eat in the city centre." Plenty of places to eat but not many in them.

I'll rephrase it...

Not many places to eat I'd take my mam to... compared to the likes of Huddersfield & Leeds

Newswatcher wrote:
While I agree that Bradford town centre has little to attract business it must be said the the parent company of Bon Marche are in receivership. Thats why they are having a closing down sale.
The council don't get much right but we shouldn't blame them for this.

They're not the only businesses packing up in the city centre, there's at least 2 more.

Prisoner Cell Block A wrote:
Said all along that over zealous parking restrictions coupled with lack of retail outlets would kill the city before any worthwhile regen had been completed. My last two years of xmas shopping have been completed in Huddersfield, great selection of shops, excellent parking facilities which more or less ring the town centre and rarely a pound shop or beggar in sight.

I don't see how parking restrictions in Bradford are any worse than Huddersfield. How are they? (I don't drive, so genuinely don't know)

No pound shops except Poundworld, Poundland (x2) and a few other smaller ones... and I presume you didn't walk down John William Street!

As for the range of shops, bars, cafes in Huddersfield - yes much better than Bradford.

"I think over the next few months there will be more announcements from the Council to show that we are getting there"
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People need "announcements" NOW and have done for the last few years, whats with the bloody secrecy?
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I was supporting the arts and craft space at the former Virgin store but if that and the park are the only things the council can suggest so far then this city has had it.
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My partner has just opened a new business in the centre of Wakefield. We're both from Bradford, but knew if it opened here it would die witihin a year, partly due to the shopping habits of the locals and and absolutely pathetically useless council.

Newswatcher wrote:
While I agree that Bradford town centre has little to attract business it must be said the the parent company of Bon Marche are in receivership. Thats why they are having a closing down sale. The council don't get much right but we shouldn't blame them for this.

She's forgotten to add the closure of Toymaster on James Street, which is to close down at the end of the month!

Bone March is in administration isn't it? That's why they're shutting down!

no surprise more big chains quitting Bradford is it really ?
i tried to park near Jessops about a year ago & everywhere was full, i ended up driving round about 5 times, before eventually giving up & parking in the multi-storey car park near the interchange, it cost me more in petrol & parking to literally run into the shop & pick something up i ordered online. now i dont bother i pay the postage to have it delivered to me.

Bone_idle18 wrote:
Bone March is in administration isn't it? That's why they're shutting down!

It was bought out by Sun European Partners. They're only closing the less profitable stores, i.e. those with less footfall.

Here we go again. Bradford has had it as far as I am concerned. The so called cafés are mainly take aways in what was John St. market. I was in Kirgate market on thursday a lot of the shops were for rent "empty". Still got the proper cafés where you can get a good English dinner or sandwhich. As far as shopping goes afraid not what I need. Leeds, Huddersfield or Dewsbury for me.

Clowny wrote:
I can’t believe it’s taken several years for the Chamber of Trade to realise the Council keeps making decisions at the expense of the city centre traders.
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Councillor Green is just a sock puppet saying the same things as Councillor Adrian Naylor before him on behalf of Barra “I live in Sheffield and have a private car parking space so couldn’t care less” Mac Ruari. I’m not in the least bit surprised the “consultation” was a fraud, the consultations are just there so you “think” you’re having a say on decisions that are already made.
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I can’t believe the Council are citing an example of making a difference where they are using tax payers money to subsidise a store being open whilst more business around the area disappear.
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The T & A need to get a photographer to the back of T J Hughes to see there is a parking problem, all the traders and city centre residents are having to park there as it’s the only space they can find to avoid being charged out of the city.

Clowny, and a few others, have hit the nail on the head. Bradford is run by overpaid, unelected "civil servants"- I use the term loosely, and "career politicians" who move on, climbing the greasy pole of "Public Sector" jobs, siteing the "success" of whatever project on their CV's, while leaving poor Bradford to live with the consequences. The "Yes, Minister" culture is alive and thriving in Bradford Council.
Why do councillor's allow this to continue? Because the administration is so massive, with so many levels of management, that they make decisions on reports, produced by said management, and only know what they are told, it is easy to hide the unpalatable truths of a project at the end of a massive 50/100/300 page report.
This is why Keighley want out. Bradford, as it stands, is too big and this makes it un-manageable, which has resulted in the crazy, costly, over-ambitious, and often non-started schemes of recent times.
Until the City is run by people who actually care about and have a stake in it's future, this will continue. Come on Bradfordians & Keighleians the time has come to say "enough is enough" we want our towns back!!!

You honestly get to the point with this Council of just giving in, however letting them continue with their destruction of Bradford still has some of us up in arms. There maybe a chance that when we get an elected mayor some of these policies and actions will be curtailed and we have someone who wants to see Bradford restored to its former glory and inspired to move this great city to its rightful standing

Seems a lot of people on here are pinning there hopes on Westfield to drag the town centre out of the 3rd world it is at the minute.

Westfield will not make the slightest bit of difference to the centre of Bradford as after all with no business in or around the centre to speak off those with disposable income to spend do not exist. The few that do would rather visit Meadowhall / White Rose or Leeds centre where you quite frankly get more "normal" people rather than immigrants, tamps, theives, smackheads, muggers etc etc on every corner. The town is lets face it dead and if Westfield is built which no doubt only have leases with less desirable retailors like New Look & Primark.

Just give it up and focus on attracting business....not pound shop business but financial businesses to Bradford. Once this is in place everything else follows. Look at Leeds 30 years ago...was a dump to be honest and Bradford was probably on par but then the blue chip businesses arrived and thus follows the shops, restaurents and regeneration.....wha
t have Bradford done ? Knocked down the town centre and built a stupid pond which quite frankly I havent spoke to one single person that thinks that is a good idea.....Idiots

Complete inadequate is this council. Utter nonense and no idea of progress.
Now another shop closes down here.
This town is really in a bad state.
Surely the city cannot survive any more

Completely inadequate is this council. Utter nonense and no idea of progress.
Now another shop closes down here.
This town is really in a bad state.
Surely the city cannot survive any more

Andy2010 wrote:
Seems a lot of people on here are pinning there hopes on Westfield to drag the town centre out of the 3rd world it is at the minute. Westfield will not make the slightest bit of difference to the centre of Bradford as after all with no business in or around the centre to speak off those with disposable income to spend do not exist. The few that do would rather visit Meadowhall / White Rose or Leeds centre where you quite frankly get more "normal" people rather than immigrants, tamps, theives, smackheads, muggers etc etc on every corner. The town is lets face it dead and if Westfield is built which no doubt only have leases with less desirable retailors like New Look & Primark. Just give it up and focus on attracting business....not pound shop business but financial businesses to Bradford. Once this is in place everything else follows. Look at Leeds 30 years ago...was a dump to be honest and Bradford was probably on par but then the blue chip businesses arrived and thus follows the shops, restaurents and regeneration.....wha t have Bradford done ? Knocked down the town centre and built a stupid pond which quite frankly I havent spoke to one single person that thinks that is a good idea.....Idiots

Westfield have messed the city centre up by not doing anything, meaning retailers havent committed to opening stores here or improving their lot because they are waiting. The Westfield scheme won't be perfect, nor will it be the answer to all of the city centre's problems but given the mess that is left now it is the best hope.

Leeds did well from the 1980s getting a Development Corporation awarded from central Government and getting lots of investment in that way... It also benefits from being the centre of the region's rail network, having better road access than Bradford and having a better university. If Bradford got a huge cash injection from central government and offered incentives to businesses to locate there and got its rail infrastructure sorted out, then a comparison could be made to Leeds.

The council make an effort into attracting businesses, but given the same resources how would you market Bradford as a place to locate against many other cities in Northern England.

I didn't go down st James street so must have missed those delights, the car parking is a mix of on street and multi storey, neither expensive or over full. At xmas there is an ice rink IN THE MIDDLE of one of the main shopping areas, not as an after thought thrown into a space where there is no shopping footfall.

It just appears the council and town planners of huddersfield have given it some thought whilst ours have continued to draw pretty(expensive) pictures which have no chance of becoming reality. And feeding from the trough whilst drawing these futuristic fantasies.

mohammedamjid34 wrote:
The leadership of Bradford Council needs to be shot , its a bit interesting that the council have not made the members of thepublic aware that Westfield intend on opening in 2014 , This has come from someone at Westfield . I wonder if we will have a City Centre left by then

The leader of Bradford Council Ian Greenwood has proved that the council are not fit for purpose, on many, many, occasions Is this the same man who under no circumstances wanted to be Lord Mayor of this City but has now changed his mind? Honestly, people who are sick of this regime should write to their MPs' declaring Bradford Council are unfit for purpose and get shut of them once and for all.

keighley4keighley wrote:

Clowny wrote:
I can’t believe it’s taken several years for the Chamber of Trade to realise the Council keeps making decisions at the expense of the city centre traders.
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Councillor Green is just a sock puppet saying the same things as Councillor Adrian Naylor before him on behalf of Barra “I live in Sheffield and have a private car parking space so couldn’t care less” Mac Ruari. I’m not in the least bit surprised the “consultation” was a fraud, the consultations are just there so you “think” you’re having a say on decisions that are already made.
.
I can’t believe the Council are citing an example of making a difference where they are using tax payers money to subsidise a store being open whilst more business around the area disappear.
.
The T & A need to get a photographer to the back of T J Hughes to see there is a parking problem, all the traders and city centre residents are having to park there as it’s the only space they can find to avoid being charged out of the city.

Clowny, and a few others, have hit the nail on the head. Bradford is run by overpaid, unelected "civil servants"- I use the term loosely, and "career politicians" who move on, climbing the greasy pole of "Public Sector" jobs, siteing the "success" of whatever project on their CV's, while leaving poor Bradford to live with the consequences. The "Yes, Minister" culture is alive and thriving in Bradford Council.
Why do councillor's allow this to continue? Because the administration is so massive, with so many levels of management, that they make decisions on reports, produced by said management, and only know what they are told, it is easy to hide the unpalatable truths of a project at the end of a massive 50/100/300 page report.
This is why Keighley want out. Bradford, as it stands, is too big and this makes it un-manageable, which has resulted in the crazy, costly, over-ambitious, and often non-started schemes of recent times.
Until the City is run by people who actually care about and have a stake in it's future, this will continue. Come on Bradfordians & Keighleians the time has come to say "enough is enough" we want our towns back!!!

You're right. Keighley wants out and Ilkley wants to join Keighley., rather than the unfair treatment they get from Bradford.

Yorkshire Lass wrote:

mohammedamjid34 wrote: The leadership of Bradford Council needs to be shot , its a bit interesting that the council have not made the members of thepublic aware that Westfield intend on opening in 2014 , This has come from someone at Westfield . I wonder if we will have a City Centre left by then

The leader of Bradford Council Ian Greenwood has proved that the council are not fit for purpose, on many, many, occasions Is this the same man who under no circumstances wanted to be Lord Mayor of this City but has now changed his mind? Honestly, people who are sick of this regime should write to their MPs' declaring Bradford Council are unfit for purpose and get shut of them once and for all.

Or they could just vote?

Talking of the council spending endless money on artist impressions that never quite turn out as intended, this was genuinely the picture that was done of the City Park, well how it should have looked (albeit with a few enhancements):
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www.tinyurls.co.uk/b
fd_businesspark
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I doubt it will ever end up with these offices surrounding it.

Who cares? Who ever buys jewellery anyway? As for Westfield, again, who cares? There are plenty of local shops already, plus the Kirkgate shopping centre and Forster Square retail park(s), and anything out of the ordinary can be purchased via the internet. No need for town centre shops anymore.

Yorkshire Lass wrote:

mohammedamjid34 wrote:
The leadership of Bradford Council needs to be shot , its a bit interesting that the council have not made the members of thepublic aware that Westfield intend on opening in 2014 , This has come from someone at Westfield . I wonder if we will have a City Centre left by then

The leader of Bradford Council Ian Greenwood has proved that the council are not fit for purpose, on many, many, occasions Is this the same man who under no circumstances wanted to be Lord Mayor of this City but has now changed his mind? Honestly, people who are sick of this regime should write to their MPs' declaring Bradford Council are unfit for purpose and get shut of them once and for all.

I suppose you'd prefer Eric Pickles?

I had to park in the NCP near Jurys Inn the other day as my free car park was full and it cost £7.80!! Absolutely ridiculous yet the Council say Bradford is one of the cheapest places to park in the Country!! They're so short sighted, and because of greed, they're prepared to shoot themselves in the foot increasing and extending these charges. They're clearly determined to drive all traffic (no pun intended) out of the City altogether.

Superdoo wrote:
I had to park in the NCP near Jurys Inn the other day as my free car park was full and it cost £7.80!! Absolutely ridiculous yet the Council say Bradford is one of the cheapest places to park in the Country!! They're so short sighted, and because of greed, they're prepared to shoot themselves in the foot increasing and extending these charges. They're clearly determined to drive all traffic (no pun intended) out of the City altogether.

£3 to £3.50 a day to park in Bradford Council Car Parks: http://www.bradford.
gov.uk/asp/carparks/
carparks_b.asp

NCP is a private car park, providing secure overnight parking for the hotel. Price is expensive, because people will pay that to ensure their car is safe over night.

AntiDrug wrote:
This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight.

Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories.

Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters.

The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford.

Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet.

And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals).

Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves.

This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with.

Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government.

Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford.

Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park.

So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Yorkshire Lass wrote:

mohammedamjid34 wrote: The leadership of Bradford Council needs to be shot , its a bit interesting that the council have not made the members of thepublic aware that Westfield intend on opening in 2014 , This has come from someone at Westfield . I wonder if we will have a City Centre left by then

The leader of Bradford Council Ian Greenwood has proved that the council are not fit for purpose, on many, many, occasions Is this the same man who under no circumstances wanted to be Lord Mayor of this City but has now changed his mind? Honestly, people who are sick of this regime should write to their MPs' declaring Bradford Council are unfit for purpose and get shut of them once and for all.

And what was the legacy of Kris Hopkins and Anne Hawksworth former Tory Leaders of Bradford.

The very thing your complaining about WESTFIELD AND THE BLOODY HOLE !!

Clowny wrote:
Talking of the council spending endless money on artist impressions that never quite turn out as intended, this was genuinely the picture that was done of the City Park, well how it should have looked (albeit with a few enhancements): . www.tinyurls.co.uk/b fd_businesspark . I doubt it will ever end up with these offices surrounding it.

Under the Labour administration that is exactly what you are going to get.

Monies have been put in place to knock the remaining part of the police station down, so much needed office space can return to that area of the City.

People have to remember Bradford just doesn't need retail. To get a decent City you need housing, leisure, offices and industry. Until all those are in place in the right amounts no City will flourish.

That's some thing the former Tory administration got wrong with their masterplan for Bradford.

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Ok so let me get this right.
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Bradford is a mess because the previous Tory council and the current Labour council can't be blamed for that.
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Thats fine but then you go on to say it is this Tory governments fault for cutting funding. Why isn't it the previous Labour governments fault for running up such a massive debt that this funding was cut?
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You can't have it both ways, you can't blame the current government but ignore the previous if your putting a case forward of blaming the previous council and ignoring the current.
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Btw Keighley is a Tory marginal seat.
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Your rant is just politically bias.
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So which is it, is it the Tory Councils & Labour Governments fault, or the Labour Council and Tory governments fault?

And they are going to pay for all of us bradfordians to go on a years holiday to where ever we choose. Who the f are you? The labour PR guy? Every previous council, including those with joint admins have successfully brought a once vibrant, lively industrious city to its knees and beyond. Politics and councils go hand in hand and most local officers do it to feather their own nest or for career advancement, the previously mentioned porky pickles being one. Greenwood could in reality become even worse, he has a serious case of elbowarse disease.

reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

t&a website, must be run by the council.......

So everything that's going wrong in Bradford is a pre-2010 problem when the Tories were in power locally, but a post 2010 problem nationally when the coalition came to power? You can't use that argument both ways.

If you think it's happening in EVERY northern city, visit Wakefield, Leeds, Bury, Newcastle or Derby where new or extended shopping centres have been recently opened. They're hardly Tory strongholds!

@reality001
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Whilst it’s true many mistakes and much of Bradford centre’s problems were created by the Tories, the Labour administration is continuing with their schemes and not even making corrections where it could, for example completing the bus shelter so it actually shelters, the finishing part to it which Cllr Hawksworth descoped.
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You can’t say Bradford is suffering the same as other cities as it has the highest number of unoccupied shops in Yorkshire, nationally it’s amongst the worst too, that was before these recent closures.
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Footfall has been falling every single year (including the boom years) since it started being recorded, what have Labour done to fix it? Nothing much yet, they are continuing with failed Tory policies. We’ve continued to see retail shops go, betting shops replacing key retail spaces, whilst I’m sure there are some plans we’ve yet to see some positive change. Like Rambo says, if there’s some good news, why keep it under wraps for months, tell us now.
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I don’t believe for one moment, due to the fact the press releases are very much in the same vein, that the Regeneration Councillors have much influence over the decisions of Barra Mac Ruari, Tory Cllr Adrian Naylor made the same excuses that Labour Cllr David Green now makes.
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As I’ve pointed out already Bon Marche is not in administration, it was bought out last month by Sun European Partners, they are keeping 230 stores open, but clearly they’ll be the profitable ones. What’s your excuse for the likes of Toy Master packing up and going?
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Did you not read the national newspapers recently where shop owners in Bradford said repeatedly parking enforcement was damaging trade, one went on to say he wouldn’t let his own wife walk around Bradford by herself due to a perceived lack of safety. Whilst making a report for Look North Kate Hardcastle was ticketed twice.
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There’s been recent stories of a blind woman being mugged on Centenary Square, there’s been a number of the elderly mugged, a gang attack on a man in a city centre car park, shoppers had to chase a recent purse snatcher due to the fact there was no police patrolling, yet in building the City Park they’ve actually taken down and removed a number of CCTV cameras, who’s bright idea was that?
.
To top if off, we’ve had our intelligence insulted by Provident moving from a BD1 postcode to another BD1 postcode that Cllr Green has tried to suggest were new jobs being created in the centre when they’ve simply moved location.
.
Bradfordians aren’t as gullible as our elected Councillors take us for.

reality001 probably won't post after 4pm, council shuts then........

I have a good idea, if we all retrain to be PR guru's for local councillors we would be in a secure job for life! A new bridge on Manchester Rd from external funding - what a mess this country is in!

Well, I personally wouldnt trust any of the local councillors to know how to sit the right way round on a toilet seat, never mind run the city!

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Westfield has been nothing but delay, which in March will have been 8 years since Broadway was demolished!

You are talking about of late delays, the project has been nothing else from the outset 8 years ago!!

Avro wrote:

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Westfield has been nothing but delay, which in March will have been 8 years since Broadway was demolished! You are talking about of late delays, the project has been nothing else from the outset 8 years ago!!

Avro,
If you are so informed, what was the national debt when Labour took over from the Tories and what was the national debt when the Tories took it back? The debt issue is for all of us, who had to bail out the banks and why did they let it happen?

BRADFORD CENTRE VERY SOON WILL BE A GHOST TOWN, WE HAVE OLD MILLS TAKEN OVER BY GREEDY OWNERS,GIVING NOTHING BACK TO BRADFORD. COME SATURDAY ANOTHER TRADEX TYPE WILL OPEN ON CARLISLE ROAD. THEN WAIT FOR IT ANOTHER ONE WILL OPEN UP IN MARCH ON LUMB LANE,DRUMMOND MILLS. NO TAX,NO VAT. DO I NEED TO SAY ANYMORE.

cherryripe wrote:
BRADFORD CENTRE VERY SOON WILL BE A GHOST TOWN, WE HAVE OLD MILLS TAKEN OVER BY GREEDY OWNERS,GIVING NOTHING BACK TO BRADFORD. COME SATURDAY ANOTHER TRADEX TYPE WILL OPEN ON CARLISLE ROAD. THEN WAIT FOR IT ANOTHER ONE WILL OPEN UP IN MARCH ON LUMB LANE,DRUMMOND MILLS. NO TAX,NO VAT. DO I NEED TO SAY ANYMORE.

Bradford Council is turning a blind eye on this issue. It is not a matter of Labour or Conservative, it is a matter of Bradford Economic Future. Tradex is now openly advertising it as Tradex Baazar on sunrise Radio. Do enforsement agencies need any more proof to take action?

DevonBull wrote:

Avro wrote:

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Westfield has been nothing but delay, which in March will have been 8 years since Broadway was demolished! You are talking about of late delays, the project has been nothing else from the outset 8 years ago!!

Avro,
If you are so informed, what was the national debt when Labour took over from the Tories and what was the national debt when the Tories took it back? The debt issue is for all of us, who had to bail out the banks and why did they let it happen?

you have only to look at how the Tories are running our country now. (NHS for instance) to get a real feeling as to what their plans are. as for going into the center when the pickpockets/drunks are dealt with I MIGHT go in. at the moment I Dont feel safe calling into the center so wont visit. my eldest granddaughter (15) on a visit last year begged me to go home when i took her and her sibling for a visit into town she felt intimidated. by some of the people we encountered

What's the shock Everyone knows Bradford as had it Bradford council should be ashamed . I travel quite a bit up and down the country and I have to say Bradford is the biggest **** hole I can describe . I as many others once was proud to be a Bradfordian I can only recommend one thing get out while you can . Walking around the city centre feels like been in the Bronx so many dodgy folk about . If everyone thinks that the Westfield site will save this city you are living in a dream world . If that project ever comes to fruition which I highly doubt. It will be little more than pound shops & discount centres . Hate been so negative about my home town but just been realistic head down the 606 and don't stop .

nottingham as a regional centre and only derby 20 miles away to compete with has a massive empty shop rate of 30%, maybe nottingham has pickpockets,drunks, smackheads eastern europeans looking threatening as well as an inept council,but like bradford it also has had to endure westfield promises of redevelopment which have never come to fruition

I no longer recognise Bfd City center,its a complete dangerous ugly dump full of tramps, dossers drunks and dead eyes,what a transformation from the friendly, warm inviting shopping experience it was back in the 60/70s, whoevers created this monster no doubt dont live anywhere near it, & another thing, whatever happened to John St market, last time i visited you had a choice of cafes all around the perimeter, and friut and veg stalls, what a doss hole it is now, totally alien to me..R.I.P Bfd, wont be going back there in a hurry.

Thee Voice of Reason wrote:

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Ok so let me get this right.
.
Bradford is a mess because the previous Tory council and the current Labour council can't be blamed for that.
.
Thats fine but then you go on to say it is this Tory governments fault for cutting funding. Why isn't it the previous Labour governments fault for running up such a massive debt that this funding was cut?
.
You can't have it both ways, you can't blame the current government but ignore the previous if your putting a case forward of blaming the previous council and ignoring the current.
.
Btw Keighley is a Tory marginal seat.
.
Your rant is just politically bias.
.
So which is it, is it the Tory Councils & Labour Governments fault, or the Labour Council and Tory governments fault?

Clearly it was under the Tories watch that they took the decision to knock down Broadway and Central House before any date had been set for the new shopping centre was going to be built.

The Labour Government ran up a massive debt bailing the banks out following the collapse of the sub prime lending market in the US.

Did taking more police officers on in the UK bankrupt Lehman Brothers in the US which started the financial crash - No it didn't.

If you check the Governments own figures the debt is higher now than when Gordon Brown left office.

If my rant as you call it is politically biased that's because I left school when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, with 3 million on the dole. As with everyone else at the time it was dog eat dog.

I had hoped we would never have to face that scene again - Here we go again.

yangyeight wrote:
reality001 probably won't post after 4pm, council shuts then........

As I am not a Councillor, or work for the Council or the Labour Party I can post after 4pm.

yangyeight wrote:
reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

The Bankers spent your money !!!!!

ravacity wrote:
nottingham as a regional centre and only derby 20 miles away to compete with has a massive empty shop rate of 30%, maybe nottingham has pickpockets,drunks, smackheads eastern europeans looking threatening as well as an inept council,but like bradford it also has had to endure westfield promises of redevelopment which have never come to fruition

That figure has come about from the inclusion of the Broadmarsh Centre, Nottingham has the sixth biggest retail spend in the UK at £1.7 billion a year. Figures for pedestrian footfall, car park use and bus use for Nottingham city centre at the end of last year were up 7.5 per cent, 2.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively compared with the previous year. It's vancancy rate excluding Broadmarsh comes in at 17.4%. Whilst it clearly has problems it doesn't compare to Bradford which is totally devoid of life after 6pm all weekdays.
.
Bradford is seeing vancancy rates that are surely rising, footfall has fallen every year since records began.

Clowny wrote:
@reality001
.
Whilst it’s true many mistakes and much of Bradford centre’s problems were created by the Tories, the Labour administration is continuing with their schemes and not even making corrections where it could, for example completing the bus shelter so it actually shelters, the finishing part to it which Cllr Hawksworth descoped.
.
You can’t say Bradford is suffering the same as other cities as it has the highest number of unoccupied shops in Yorkshire, nationally it’s amongst the worst too, that was before these recent closures.
.
Footfall has been falling every single year (including the boom years) since it started being recorded, what have Labour done to fix it? Nothing much yet, they are continuing with failed Tory policies. We’ve continued to see retail shops go, betting shops replacing key retail spaces, whilst I’m sure there are some plans we’ve yet to see some positive change. Like Rambo says, if there’s some good news, why keep it under wraps for months, tell us now.
.
I don’t believe for one moment, due to the fact the press releases are very much in the same vein, that the Regeneration Councillors have much influence over the decisions of Barra Mac Ruari, Tory Cllr Adrian Naylor made the same excuses that Labour Cllr David Green now makes.
.
As I’ve pointed out already Bon Marche is not in administration, it was bought out last month by Sun European Partners, they are keeping 230 stores open, but clearly they’ll be the profitable ones. What’s your excuse for the likes of Toy Master packing up and going?
.
Did you not read the national newspapers recently where shop owners in Bradford said repeatedly parking enforcement was damaging trade, one went on to say he wouldn’t let his own wife walk around Bradford by herself due to a perceived lack of safety. Whilst making a report for Look North Kate Hardcastle was ticketed twice.
.
There’s been recent stories of a blind woman being mugged on Centenary Square, there’s been a number of the elderly mugged, a gang attack on a man in a city centre car park, shoppers had to chase a recent purse snatcher due to the fact there was no police patrolling, yet in building the City Park they’ve actually taken down and removed a number of CCTV cameras, who’s bright idea was that?
.
To top if off, we’ve had our intelligence insulted by Provident moving from a BD1 postcode to another BD1 postcode that Cllr Green has tried to suggest were new jobs being created in the centre when they’ve simply moved location.
.
Bradfordians aren’t as gullible as our elected Councillors take us for.

The Tories had signed the contracts for City Park and building work had already started.

Had the Labour Administration attempted to pull out of a legally binding contract, it would have ended up in court costing more than the price of City Park.

DevonBull wrote:

Avro wrote:

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Westfield has been nothing but delay, which in March will have been 8 years since Broadway was demolished! You are talking about of late delays, the project has been nothing else from the outset 8 years ago!!

Avro,
If you are so informed, what was the national debt when Labour took over from the Tories and what was the national debt when the Tories took it back? The debt issue is for all of us, who had to bail out the banks and why did they let it happen?

Dont side track the issue!

Westfield are responsible for making the project happen, all they have come up with so far is a hole in the ground and lots of false starts and raised hope after raised hope - afterall talk is cheap and unfit for purpose Council is worse still!

Newswatcher wrote:
While I agree that Bradford town centre has little to attract business it must be said the the parent company of Bon Marche are in receivership. Thats why they are having a closing down sale.
The council don't get much right but we shouldn't blame them for this.

I think we can at least partly blame them for this. Surely the new owners will locate their stores in the areas with the best trading figures. I hardly think Bradford would be one of them with the shop tucked away in what remains of Broadway. When will the council realise and admit that confidence in the city has gone? PS No luck so far on my attempts to win the Euromillions lottery to get out of this once-proud city!

yangyeight wrote:
reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

I believe the money from selling the gold went on reducing class sizes and making sure cancer patients got to see an oncologist within two weeks.

The money from the pensions pot went on better local transport, and more police on the streets.

Better than using tax payers money and creating a large debt improving local services.

Just a shame the banks loaned too much money to people creating large personal debt, after all members of the public were paying over inflated prices for houses, and ran out of money.

Should the Government have let the banks go bust, with everyone losing their homes etc ?

Avro wrote:

DevonBull wrote:

Avro wrote:

Reality001 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: This Council IS USELESS Every Thing They Do Deters Shoppers From Bradford Chamber Of Trade IS RIGHT David Green IS GREEN Time Him & His Cronies Got Back To Sweeping The Streets

This administration is not useless - Trying to put right 13 years of Tory/Lib Dem neglect of our city is not going to happen overnight. Who was responsible for the City Park - The Tories - Who had Broadway and Forster Square knocked down before any real plans for the site were finalised - The Tories. Don't blame Council Officers for decisions made by the then Tory masters. The present political leadership inherited Council Departments that were left to defend for themselves because the Tories had no plans for Bradford except to keep artists employed during their failed attempt of the masterplan for Bradford. Bon Marche is closing down because it was part of Peacocks Group that went into administration. As for Goldsmiths how many of you shopped there - Not many I bet. And if you have a problem with increasing parking charges blame those who voted in this Government which has slashed Council grants in the North Of England to the bone, while providing more to those Councils down south (Tory Marginals). Clearly with the number of shops currently going into adminstration and bankruptcy it is going to mean that Westfield may have to delay building until the financial situation improves. This country is heading into the double dip recession that was forecasted with the cuts that the Government is pushing forward with. Unemployment is once again heading towards the 3 million figure, only seen before under Margaret Thatcher's Tory government. Every northern city IS going through similar to pain as Bradford. Many developments for Wellington Street in Leeds have been put on hold. In fact one has been turned into a temporary city park. So it's not just a Bradford problem !

Westfield has been nothing but delay, which in March will have been 8 years since Broadway was demolished! You are talking about of late delays, the project has been nothing else from the outset 8 years ago!!

Avro,
If you are so informed, what was the national debt when Labour took over from the Tories and what was the national debt when the Tories took it back? The debt issue is for all of us, who had to bail out the banks and why did they let it happen?

Dont side track the issue!

Westfield are responsible for making the project happen, all they have come up with so far is a hole in the ground and lots of false starts and raised hope after raised hope - afterall talk is cheap and unfit for purpose Council is worse still!

Wrong - It was the Tory administration that led on this project despite not owning the land.

Westfield actually bought the land from the previous developer - So Westfield was not involved in this project from the beginning.

The Tories should not have pushed for Broadway and Forster Square to be demolished before secure plans were in place. They did this so they could apply for funding from the Government for Connecting The City grant to link the site with Forster Square retail park.

And there you have it, Westfield bought the land and project with it, and therefore are responsible for what happens thereafter.

Westfield knew exactly what they were buying into, and the real nugget of gold for them was that there was no council contract regarding time frame of build, in effect Westfield could do almost as they please!

The point is that Bradford is a dump, who will use the shops ,if people were there to use the shops the investment would be there they are not hense no investment, I would not invest anymoney in this town as nobody right in their head would- it is finished

Idler60 wrote:
"Coun Green said: “The important thing to bring life back to any town or city centre is to make available shops that people want to come and visit." The infuriating thing is, Bradford had all this, but incompetent Councils over many years have systematically destroyed it. The downward spiral continues. Does Val Summerscales fancy the Lord Mayor's job

The council have not destroyed it, shops left because they could not make money in Bradford - not enough quality customers - basic economics- stick to charity and pound shops that is the customer base

The council destroyed Bradford by flattening a retail area that was trading. The push for regeneration based on residential growth caused for example the trading and successful nightclubs on Manor Row to be driven out, which in turn then isolated Pennington's. Then you have the parking being made more costly with less free parking.
.
Add to that the fact the police station was relocated 5 minutes out of the centre instead of being on Centenary Square, then the street wardens who acted essentially as PCSO's providing an extra set of eyes and radio communication to the police were canned. No surprised begging and street drinking increased, recently shop lifting has accelerated at an alarming rate.

I notice robbery in the city centre from December 2011, has increased 75% on the previous year. That's a statistic that's been kept quiet.

Andy2010 wrote:
Seems a lot of people on here are pinning there hopes on Westfield to drag the town centre out of the 3rd world it is at the minute. Westfield will not make the slightest bit of difference to the centre of Bradford as after all with no business in or around the centre to speak off those with disposable income to spend do not exist. The few that do would rather visit Meadowhall / White Rose or Leeds centre where you quite frankly get more "normal" people rather than immigrants, tamps, theives, smackheads, muggers etc etc on every corner. The town is lets face it dead and if Westfield is built which no doubt only have leases with less desirable retailors like New Look & Primark. Just give it up and focus on attracting business....not pound shop business but financial businesses to Bradford. Once this is in place everything else follows. Look at Leeds 30 years ago...was a dump to be honest and Bradford was probably on par but then the blue chip businesses arrived and thus follows the shops, restaurents and regeneration.....wha t have Bradford done ? Knocked down the town centre and built a stupid pond which quite frankly I havent spoke to one single person that thinks that is a good idea.....Idiots

You sum up my thoughts entirely.Westfield will solve nothing and would be an unmitigated disaster if it were to be built.
Noone in there right mind would take a lease (and indeed the project was held up for the lack of interest from big retailers)the future of retail is changing fast.Someone has posted he bought online and only visited to pick up his parcel which he wont do again he"ll pay the post.
it has never been the easiest city to circumnavigate but is now just gridlocked(without shops or shoppers)most of the time.
The council are very very stupid people without a business brain cell between them.
Who else would blow 30 million on a pee pool that (conveniently placed outside the town hall )that the only jobs it will create will be the overpaid round the clock security guards to stop people abusing it.Whilst the library remains closed other than the ground floor through failure to invest and comply with fire safety legislation,the gaumont rots as a wonderfull backdrop to the pee pool and a glass side has been put on the half remaining central police station at a cost of £500000 to a million when they simultaneously announce it will be pulled down with part of the millions now claimed to be coming bradfords way for regeneration.
I despair for the sanity of these idiots in charge of my and your money.
The city centre population in a radius of say 5 miles is predominantly asian and all other nationalities except bradfordian of the world.They simply do not shop in the same way.The place is finished.I have vowed never to spend a penny there again.And I apologise to those stiill trying to eke a living from the hole.Not a decent place left that does not make every visit an anger filled experience.And we cannot blame the recession Bradford Council have been making decisions like this for years.Just look at the fiasco with the old Kirkgate market an architechtural gem lost to some dreadfull m0dern half finished half baked retail quarter.Leeds had the right idea with their old Victorian Market.Sack the lot please.Why do Bradford people put up with this?
5 years ago the last owner of BRYARS which sat at one corner of the wool exchange told me just how bad these idiots in bradford were.All the quality shops are now gone.for ever and ever.Amen.RIP Bradford.
The only people who can change things are you and me.It needs a damned revolution where a peoples trial would see the b******* hung.Or better drowned in a vat of their own pee pool

Sign seen on a boarded-up shop in Bradford city centre:

"WHALE OIL BEEF HOOKED".

MisterBD wrote:

Idler60 wrote:
"Coun Green said: “The important thing to bring life back to any town or city centre is to make available shops that people want to come and visit." The infuriating thing is, Bradford had all this, but incompetent Councils over many years have systematically destroyed it. The downward spiral continues. Does Val Summerscales fancy the Lord Mayor's job

The council have not destroyed it, shops left because they could not make money in Bradford - not enough quality customers - basic economics- stick to charity and pound shops that is the customer base

Even the charity shops aren't that good these days.

Reality001 -I haven't qoted all your posts because they all say the same - A Labour Council does nothing wrongand a Tory council is to bame for everything. Can I just remind you- before you get too carried away, why there was a Tory Council. It was because Labour, lead by Cllr Greenwood, had made such a mess of the education in Bradford, that the LABOUR government said that the council Education Dept "was not fit for purpose" and made them outsource it. The people "punished" Labour locally by not voting for them.
This promptly sent Cllr. Greenwood into the longest sulk in history and he refused to let Labour members take up places on the "Executive" where perhaps they could have stopped some of the later disasters.
But the point is really it is neither Labour nor Conservatives that are to blame, they come and go. What is to blame is the constant, the Council & Administration.
The overlarge Metropolitan districts were created from mis-macthed Towns, in industrial areas because the EU prefers to deal with "Regions". The size and complexity of these MDC's mean't that they had to have enormous Administrations to run them and tended to attract "career" politicians.
Until this changes nothing in Bradford will change. It's about time that the powers that be admit that the experiment has failed and give us back a local authority system that actually works for the area, not something that doesn't work just because the EU prefer it!!!!


This was created in 1974

I moved out of Bradford about 15 years ago. I still have a really soft spot for it. Frankly it has been badly served by many of its politicians from all parties for many many years. Huge visions have abounded since the 1980's that were never going to be delivered - remember the Thornton Road scheme? V&A of the north? Cultural renaissance? Westfield have certainly done it no favours whatsoever (but they haven't done the local community in east London any good either!!!)

I'm not sure a lot of the community is helping though - the litter, graffiti and arson, speeding cars, noise levels are not down to the Council. The Council have to spend rate payers money to deal with it but they are not the causes of some of the really obvious problems in wider Bradford.

I think the person who wrote "the only people who can change things are you and me" is right. Councillors are there because they put themselves forward, and the voters who bother to turn out vote for them. If we want an alternative, we have to create one. One way is through standing for council or getting useful people to stand. Another is to put deliverable, more locally focused ideas together, deliver some at community level, seek partners for others. The Council in the area I live in now are apathetic so the community has started to plan and deliver smaller things the community wants, working together with some independent businesses. It is slow but steady - and has made a difference. The town centre is clean and more attractive, and the town centre businesses have more confidence.

Bradford is still a much better place and has a lot more going for it than many other towns, but it needs to thrive again. Community pride and community led and supported action could really help where the big, bold, undeliverable visions have failed.

I bet the two new shopping centre in Keighley will have been open and trading well before Broadway opens it's doors!

Bradford council really is pathetic, Keighley really needs to cuts itself away from this cancerous council before it destroys other towns!

On monday I regretably had to visit the centre to check something with the yorkshire building society (one of Bradfords few success stories)
Parking in the shadow of he structurally unsafe unoccupied monstrosity of a former head office of what has ultimately become the yorkshire building society i walked to john street branch.the staff as usual were cheery but looked depressed as yet another tramp who smelt as though he needed rentokill entered.business complete i decided to avail myself of a £3.50 haircut in an alley road leading to the boy and barrelll.crossing john street i was met with the scene of several youths on the corner of james /john street some as young as 13.openly pasing a joint round outside a corner discount shop with all its cheap wares spilling onto the pavement,i was met with this pungent aroma of strong skunk.(skunk a category b drug reclassified by labour who had declassified it in the first place).
My barber a fine asian lad attempting to eke a living from this hell hole spent the usual 25 mins cutting my hair(how at £3.50.I do not know)berating the council and despairing over the rat and rot filled immeadiate surroundings he was operating from.Driving out down upper piccadilly I met the sight of yet another vagrant rolling about in the former delivery door bay to a long lost gem HR Jackson.Urine pouring from his trouser leg and trickling down the pavement he seemed a trifle unsure of himself,3 litre bottle of white lightning cider leaking onto the pavement as it rolled about around him.He then suddenly started smashing his head into the steel door with a ferocity that may have caused a hemmorage.nobody cared least of all me.if he had been in the first war trenches i would have taken a pistol to his head to end his misery.
I vowed then I will not return.
Can he council not see their policies have created this hell hole.
Further dismay was experienced at north parade with news that a chinese supermarket had opened in the former traffords.no one was in there but it is rumoured to be now occupied by many illegal immigrants in hiding upstairs.oh where art thou sooty.gone with harry corbett forever.
I look back on this wasteland experience and am reminded of a visit to down town Detroit some 35 years ago where literally everything mirroed current Bradford.It remains a vivid unpleasant experience remembered only for the relief that I got out of there alive.this is what Bradford has become.
It will take more than petty politics and mudslinging as to blame to dig our once proud city out of this dreadfull mire.
It does not matter whose fault it WAS.It is now and forward that the issues need resolving but here we see a council bufooning in precisely the same vein.
Knocking down this to put up more of the same.without anything but disjointed strategy as to what it wants to be
There are now so many hotels created in the city it is perhaps time to be a regional conference centre targetting all other of the countries local authorities.The conference schedule:-
Come and look at us the most incompetent corrupt arrogant council the world has ver produced and be sure not to copy our stupid ways.
I know not how much the lovely old building Eastbrook Hall cost to restore at the bottom of Leeds Road but 5 years on it remains empty unable to attract tenants.Oh yes there looks like life in the sleeping areas no doubt occupied by the tramps i encountered on housing benefit(ie paid for by you and me) (still for ever and ever)
So much for the recent regenertation monies well spent creating a vibrant regenerated job creating local economy.
And on the visit of Vince Cable the council gurus no doubt pleaded Bradfords case without daring to admit what a total f*** up they have made of previously made available central funding.And does everyone rememember the sycopanthic Brown"s visit pre election where all he could do on local TV was berate the Tories for the mess Bradford finds itself in.
His policies are what have driven the country to the edge of bankrupcy.
Oh what another fine mess were in oliver.And now the tories really are out of their depth and its difficult to imagine anyone been able to resolve this countries woes,debt,public sector greed and still inefficency.
A joiner friend is stiil having to work in his 70Th year as he never earned enough to provide for a pension.He gets 60 weekly from the state.Whilst teachers and other high handed idiots claim the taxpayer should continue to contribute to their ridiculous final salary linked off on my jollies at 50.
This country is well and truly f****.
This City should have been put down and cremated long ago.
WASTELAND

The sad thing in the story above is I recognise one of the tramps from your description. I've seen him hitting his head against windows and doors when drunk, it's a surreal sight.

"if he had been in the first war trenches i would have taken a pistol to his head to end his misery." Thank you for this, I have not laughed so much all week.

So when are all of the above suspects ever gunna get off their a*ses, form some sort of party/group and stand for election? If so I'd give'm my support - we couldn't be any worse off than the sh*t we're in.

An' that suggestion about Val Summerscales standing for Mayor is more sensible than folk votin' for Labour's Greenwood, if he were to get in I think 'll emigrate.

I was called naive for suggesting in another story the solution might be to have an elected mayor, but given both Tories and Labour have their regeneration councillors making the same excuses, being a sock puppet for Barra Mac Ruari, it's the only possible solution.
.
There are not any councillors that have true core principles, in the city ward for sure, who could make a change. The problem as well is where you get the odd maverick well intentioned councillor, they are soon reigned in for party policy and tied up with red tape from ever making effective change.
.
Look at John Pennington for example, he spoke up for the Odeon, now he's a councillor he's silent and does as the party tells him.

yorkshiredude wrote:

Superdoo wrote:
I had to park in the NCP near Jurys Inn the other day as my free car park was full and it cost £7.80!! Absolutely ridiculous yet the Council say Bradford is one of the cheapest places to park in the Country!! They're so short sighted, and because of greed, they're prepared to shoot themselves in the foot increasing and extending these charges. They're clearly determined to drive all traffic (no pun intended) out of the City altogether.

£3 to £3.50 a day to park in Bradford Council Car Parks: http://www.bradford.

gov.uk/asp/carparks/

carparks_b.asp

NCP is a private car park, providing secure overnight parking for the hotel. Price is expensive, because people will pay that to ensure their car is safe over night.

Cars are not safe in the NCP, they're safest at that particular NCP but city centre car crime is high and even that NCP does not have CCTV covering the cars, just the entrance, I'm guessing they deliberately do not have CCTV over the parking spaces to avoid liability from cars being broken into.
.
Vehicle crime has risen 8.3% in the city centre based on the latest figures.

Oh no, I lie, I was (am) half asleep, so misread my calculation, it's far worse, vehicle crime in the centre is up 26.66% (Dec 2011 vs Dec 2010).

I quite agree with several of the above later comments.john pennington did indeed drag a beautifull victorian gem of a railway hotel that in the late seventies and eighties became the neglected and one step from demolition pigeon occupied listed building.Magnificent effort.
He stands as a tory.He should resign and put himself forward as the new peoples party independent restore Bradfords fortune party.free from whip line free to lead the likes of people on here in despair.
A candidate in every ward with a clear mandate to get rid of the stupidity and redirect things so money is not wasted as any bradford gets appears to.
Jim greenhalgh from this newspaper is similarly despairing as to what the idiots in the council have done and continue to.
I know so many of the cities wealth creaters that have simply given up that there will be change and have walked vowing never to return.
The sort now living in the city do not mix easy with potential retail shoppers.
Investment is squandered on projects that will not create sustainable jobs.
Go see John Pennington Clowny.
Start the revolution and rid the city of the petty politics,inefficenci
es and idiotic spending on municipal projects.
Remember the birth of the labour party with the Independent Labour Party started this way in THIS City in the free trades hall on westgate.
It is time.local politics gain nothing with councils made up of blue,red or yellow (or whatever colour vince cables lot consider themselves these days.)
There is little to choose between any of them and the only common fact is that they have all demonstrated an ability to f*** up.
Yes thats it someone standing in every ward that allows us to finally get rid of the party politics that threaten to ruin our city further still.
However did that fat idiot pickles find his way so far up in the Tory party i will never know.
Whenever news is posted in the T&a of another depressing closure this comment board goes into overdrive.
Time to get rid of the lot of them who stand for labour,conservativ or liberal.
Yes its time for action clowny.
They all must go.They have failed us.
Green,Naylor,Greenwo
od,Barac,that ridiculous old scottish tart Maud.
They have collectively ripped the heart and soul from this wonderfull historic city and allowed it to fall so far from grace that they should all go.
Form the group.keep the thread going.Do not rest untill they are all removed.As they did in Paris in 1789 was it.
dragged kicking and screaming from their palaces the nobility were removed to await their fate at the hands of the baying masses and the guillotine.
THE PEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH.
Now act to remove and install non party political common sensible people.
Because this lot, to a man woman and those who are not quite sure where they lay on that one,have demonstrated over a long period of time that they simply are NOT UP TO IT>
ACT NOW PEOPLE.This is a call for a BRADFORD PEOPLES REVOLUTION.
The aim.A clean safe viable city free from petty politics that hamper progress.Go on please do it Clowny.
With Pennington and all the other proper Bradfordians that I know would then come out and act for change.
This lot are systematically useless and should be laid alongside that poor tramp who more than anything symbolises just how low things have got.They are little better in value than that sad mans life.
I think we"ve all had enough

@arhmen aleg.
I'm with you on your views and passion for Bradford, like all the regular posters on here, it is passion and care for Bradford that is a motivation to speak up. Your comment before, whilst it doesn't put Bradford in a good light was a frank and accurate view of the city centre, the skunk smoking for one, not at all unique, I wonder why the few PCSOs patrolling never seem aware of such problems.
.
I fear John Pennington is a man who's now more interested in his own ego than the city, maybe at one time he cared, I'm sure he did, but like many that enter the political game good intentions vanish readily.
.
Unfortunately in Bradford race often plays a part in a candidate getting elected, where the voters instead of looking at policies and who cares about their city, instead look at their colour and vote on that basis.
.
It would be wonderful to have an elected mayor that cared about Bradford, understood business, understood the history of the city and had a heartfelt care, maybe Val Summerscales would be a good start, if she stood; she would get my vote for sure.
.
I hope business in Bradford will start standing up for itself more, there's a mantra that says we've got to be positive, show a unified front and sit by silently whilst shìt on time and again. The city centre retailers that are left need to stand up and be counted and to shout loudly and stop the council from undermining their livelihood.
.
Bradford has been let down, time and time and time again, maybe we can't stop that, but at least we can stand up be counted and say, not in my name, I protest, I do not approve!
.
I for one, do not approve of Barra Mac Ruari, I do not approve of paying for a public sector director who is not delivering, I do not approve of blaming recession, when Bradford has had footfall falling for over 10 years, through boom and bust. I do not approve of allowing A1 retail to be changed to other use to mask the city centre's vacancy levels, I do not approve of standing by letting betting shops take up prime retail locations, I do not approve of allowing beggars, purse snatchers, shop lifters and drunks from being allowed to tarnish Bradford's image, I do not approve of tolerating having few police patrols, focusing them on peak times which helps maintain the 6pm self-imposed curfew on the city centre midweek.
.
I do not approve of labelling those that speak the truth about Bradford and care as being negative, I call their input feedback, feedback that should be acted on and not dismissed

In response to some comments above, like all law abiding, tax paying Bradfordian's I do not approve of illegal, tax avoiding market/souks being introduced in Bradford without prompt enforcement.
.
For those businesses and residents affected by this problem, complete this form, HMRC will compel the council to do the job they should be doing as a matter of course:
.
www.hmrc.gov.uk/tax-
evasion/hotline.htm

Thinking about this story, Barra Mac Ruari knew already, almost certainly signed off the purchase of the new parking meters.
.
Judging by the language and the fact the council had bought the meters; Barra had already decided the city centre was getting meters and retail be damned: www.thetelegraphanda
rgus.co.uk/news/9483
006.Bradford_on_stre
et_parking_changes_s
et_to_be_decided/
.
I don't know why retailers are even playing ball with the council when they are the victims of a premeditated deception.

The people who refuse to visit the city centre are as much to blame as the council.

'BRADFORD'S BOUNCING BACK - AND THAT'S A FACT!'

© Bradford Council (circa 1990)

arhmen aleg wrote:
On monday I regretably had to visit the centre to check something with the yorkshire building society (one of Bradfords few success stories)
Parking in the shadow of he structurally unsafe unoccupied monstrosity of a former head office of what has ultimately become the yorkshire building society i walked to john street branch.the staff as usual were cheery but looked depressed as yet another tramp who smelt as though he needed rentokill entered.business complete i decided to avail myself of a £3.50 haircut in an alley road leading to the boy and barrelll.crossing john street i was met with the scene of several youths on the corner of james /john street some as young as 13.openly pasing a joint round outside a corner discount shop with all its cheap wares spilling onto the pavement,i was met with this pungent aroma of strong skunk.(skunk a category b drug reclassified by labour who had declassified it in the first place).
My barber a fine asian lad attempting to eke a living from this hell hole spent the usual 25 mins cutting my hair(how at £3.50.I do not know)berating the council and despairing over the rat and rot filled immeadiate surroundings he was operating from.Driving out down upper piccadilly I met the sight of yet another vagrant rolling about in the former delivery door bay to a long lost gem HR Jackson.Urine pouring from his trouser leg and trickling down the pavement he seemed a trifle unsure of himself,3 litre bottle of white lightning cider leaking onto the pavement as it rolled about around him.He then suddenly started smashing his head into the steel door with a ferocity that may have caused a hemmorage.nobody cared least of all me.if he had been in the first war trenches i would have taken a pistol to his head to end his misery.
I vowed then I will not return.
Can he council not see their policies have created this hell hole.
Further dismay was experienced at north parade with news that a chinese supermarket had opened in the former traffords.no one was in there but it is rumoured to be now occupied by many illegal immigrants in hiding upstairs.oh where art thou sooty.gone with harry corbett forever.
I look back on this wasteland experience and am reminded of a visit to down town Detroit some 35 years ago where literally everything mirroed current Bradford.It remains a vivid unpleasant experience remembered only for the relief that I got out of there alive.this is what Bradford has become.
It will take more than petty politics and mudslinging as to blame to dig our once proud city out of this dreadfull mire.
It does not matter whose fault it WAS.It is now and forward that the issues need resolving but here we see a council bufooning in precisely the same vein.
Knocking down this to put up more of the same.without anything but disjointed strategy as to what it wants to be
There are now so many hotels created in the city it is perhaps time to be a regional conference centre targetting all other of the countries local authorities.The conference schedule:-
Come and look at us the most incompetent corrupt arrogant council the world has ver produced and be sure not to copy our stupid ways.
I know not how much the lovely old building Eastbrook Hall cost to restore at the bottom of Leeds Road but 5 years on it remains empty unable to attract tenants.Oh yes there looks like life in the sleeping areas no doubt occupied by the tramps i encountered on housing benefit(ie paid for by you and me) (still for ever and ever)
So much for the recent regenertation monies well spent creating a vibrant regenerated job creating local economy.
And on the visit of Vince Cable the council gurus no doubt pleaded Bradfords case without daring to admit what a total f*** up they have made of previously made available central funding.And does everyone rememember the sycopanthic Brown"s visit pre election where all he could do on local TV was berate the Tories for the mess Bradford finds itself in.
His policies are what have driven the country to the edge of bankrupcy.
Oh what another fine mess were in oliver.And now the tories really are out of their depth and its difficult to imagine anyone been able to resolve this countries woes,debt,public sector greed and still inefficency.
A joiner friend is stiil having to work in his 70Th year as he never earned enough to provide for a pension.He gets 60 weekly from the state.Whilst teachers and other high handed idiots claim the taxpayer should continue to contribute to their ridiculous final salary linked off on my jollies at 50.
This country is well and truly f****.
This City should have been put down and cremated long ago.
WASTELAND

Not exactly 'The Road to Wigan Pier' - but we get your drift.

i live in wibsey and havent shopped in bradford for the past 3 years now . bradford council should hang their heads in shame. i would'nt pay them in washers, they have destroyed bradford

K.Y.E. wrote:
The people who refuse to visit the city centre are as much to blame as the council.

That *sounds* like an incisive comment - it is, nonetheless, garbage.

(Rather reminds me of the comment last week by angrybradfordian who bizarrely claimed that those motorists complaining about the state of the roads have 'no-one to blame but themselves')

If you don't use the city centre shops, you don't get city centre shops.

K.Y.E. wrote:
The people who refuse to visit the city centre are as much to blame as the council.

That comment is utter garbage.
.
People refuse to visit the city due to lack of choice and fear of their own safety. Are you saying people should turn up to a place which isn't well policed and the CCTV seems to miss everything? I still haven't seen CCTV footage of the poppy seller abusers.
.
Read the story, the council are pushing ahead with plans for more parking meters to drive people out of the city center by actually buying the meters before consultation has taken place, it just proves what a shame the who consultation process is.
.
Also they argued the closing of swimming pools for less than they have already paid for parking meters.
.
Talking about parking and swimming pools the council car park next to shipley pool charges £4 for 2 hours and they wonder why people don't use the pools anymore.

I'm not saying that the council is flawless, but not everything can be blamed on the council.

Lack of choice is down to supply and demand.

Every city centre has dangers, but I don't feel any more intimidated by Bradford.

K.Y.E. wrote:
I'm not saying that the council is flawless, but not everything can be blamed on the council.

So who's fault is the decline of the city center?
Who sets thr rates which has drive people out, who sets the parking charges that have driven people away, who destroyed half the city center with no plan B in place or penalty contract? Why has the police station been taken out the city center?
.
The shoppers are not to blame. They are to be attracted to spend their money there not simply expected no matter what decisions are made.

I've heard it said that the first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem. Bradfords leaders seem to be still in denial that anything is wrong with our fair city.

BD16 wrote:
I've heard it said that the first step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem. Bradfords leaders seem to be still in denial that anything is wrong with our fair city.

Councillor Green is one again bigging up the Park as a catalyst to bring in massive investment to the City in the Odeon story today. Seems all eggs are in one basket again, i don't really want to be with the I told you so brigade but I can't see how the shopping experience will benefit from the park in Bradford it's just putting make up on Susan Boyle, it might look a little better but you still stay well clear.

K.Y.E. wrote:
Lack of choice is down to supply and demand.

Every city centre has dangers, but I don't feel any more intimidated by Bradford.

Well who demanded at least £28million be spent on the "City Park"? It seems 99% of people were against it going by online and real-life opinions.....

Bradford Council have been out of touch for many many years. They have turned what was a popular and vibrant city centre in to a stagnant backwater. With shabby bargain shops, charity shops and the stench in the air from the abattoir or bone processing plant makes Bradford a very unattractive location to shop. Cheap travel by train to Leeds makes a more appealing prospect. Parking charges are not really going to make it any worse.. Bradfordians hate their city because of the severe lack of vision of the left wing run council.

BRADFORD IS LIKE A CGHOST TOWN & WILL NEVER RECOVER
WHILE THEY PUT BIGHEAD BIGGETED LOONIES IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL
AL THEY ARE THERE FOR IS TO LINE THERE OWN POCKETS
No Matter Who They Are LABOUR, LIB DEMS, CONSERVATIVE All The Same, Teached At Westminster From The Pro's

I agree with everything that has been said about the mess the Councils over the years have made to our lovely city. But what I want to know is..?
.
How many of the people on here, who obviously care about Bradford, have bothered to vote in the last 10 years. It is easy to sit at home and write on a blog but how many actually went out to vote.
.
I am a floating voter...but I do check out the councillor for my area and vote for the one who I believe really cares, and if I disagree with something they do I get on to them and I attend meetings if it is affecting my area.
.
I agree that Councillors don't always do what they say they are going to do...but by so many people not voting, the Councillors know they can receive a lot of complaints - (such as on here) and still stay in office year after year - because people talk but don't walk and vote!

AntiDrug wrote:
BRADFORD IS LIKE A CGHOST TOWN & WILL NEVER RECOVER
WHILE THEY PUT BIGHEAD BIGGETED LOONIES IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL
AL THEY ARE THERE FOR IS TO LINE THERE OWN POCKETS
No Matter Who They Are LABOUR, LIB DEMS, CONSERVATIVE All The Same, Teached At Westminster From The Pro's

And who "Teached" you one wonders?

Patrick Bateman wrote:
'BRADFORD'S BOUNCING BACK - AND THAT'S A FACT!'

© Bradford Council (circa 1990)

Hahaha! You've gotta larf!

freespeech wrote:
Bradford Council have been out of touch for many many years. They have turned what was a popular and vibrant city centre in to a stagnant backwater. With shabby bargain shops, charity shops and the stench in the air from the abattoir or bone processing plant makes Bradford a very unattractive location to shop. Cheap travel by train to Leeds makes a more appealing prospect. Parking charges are not really going to make it any worse.. Bradfordians hate their city because of the severe lack of vision of the left wing run council.

Come on! You can't blame the 'left wing run council' for the mess. The council has been useless for at least 17 years - many of which were conservative led. No party can hold its head up where Bradford is concerned.

Given the Labour lot bought parking meters before a consultation finished and voted through that damaging decision which is going to send more retailers into liquidation I'm afraid the Labour concillors now have played an active part in Bradford's decline, they should hang their heads in shame.
.
Even if it was Barra Mac Ruari's idea, I expect our elected councillors to look at the bigger picture and stand up for the views of the electorate, shoppers don't want meters, retailers don't want meters, the councillors are not serving the demands of the electorate and have failed Bradford once again.

luckylass wrote:
I agree with everything that has been said about the mess the Councils over the years have made to our lovely city. But what I want to know is..?
.
How many of the people on here, who obviously care about Bradford, have bothered to vote in the last 10 years. It is easy to sit at home and write on a blog but how many actually went out to vote.
.
I am a floating voter...but I do check out the councillor for my area and vote for the one who I believe really cares, and if I disagree with something they do I get on to them and I attend meetings if it is affecting my area.
.
I agree that Councillors don't always do what they say they are going to do...but by so many people not voting, the Councillors know they can receive a lot of complaints - (such as on here) and still stay in office year after year - because people talk but don't walk and vote!

I've voted for independents recently as the 3 main parties are a joke and I want a representative who won't tow a party line.

luckylass wrote:
I agree with everything that has been said about the mess the Councils over the years have made to our lovely city. But what I want to know is..?
.
How many of the people on here, who obviously care about Bradford, have bothered to vote in the last 10 years. It is easy to sit at home and write on a blog but how many actually went out to vote.
.
I am a floating voter...but I do check out the councillor for my area and vote for the one who I believe really cares, and if I disagree with something they do I get on to them and I attend meetings if it is affecting my area.
.
I agree that Councillors don't always do what they say they are going to do...but by so many people not voting, the Councillors know they can receive a lot of complaints - (such as on here) and still stay in office year after year - because people talk but don't walk and vote!

I've voted for independents recently as the 3 main parties are a joke and I want a representative who won't tow a party line.

AntiDrug wrote:
BRADFORD IS LIKE A CGHOST TOWN & WILL NEVER RECOVER WHILE THEY PUT BIGHEAD BIGGETED LOONIES IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL AL THEY ARE THERE FOR IS TO LINE THERE OWN POCKETS No Matter Who They Are LABOUR, LIB DEMS, CONSERVATIVE All The Same, Teached At Westminster From The Pro's

I think it's a bit more complicated than just saying that everything in Bradford city centre is the fault of our councillors. They have enough to answer for but the underlying problems in Bradford run deeper than the council.

We have a low wage economy which means low end shopping habits. We have a large immigrant population from around the world who will send money to families outside the local economy, money that might otherwise have been spent in Bradord. We have estates with high unemployment rates and a benefit culture. You can't blame all of these things on Bradford council.

I have said it before, a city centre is a barometer of the health of a city. Bradford is very sick.

BD16 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote:
BRADFORD IS LIKE A CGHOST TOWN & WILL NEVER RECOVER WHILE THEY PUT BIGHEAD BIGGETED LOONIES IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL AL THEY ARE THERE FOR IS TO LINE THERE OWN POCKETS No Matter Who They Are LABOUR, LIB DEMS, CONSERVATIVE All The Same, Teached At Westminster From The Pro's

I think it's a bit more complicated than just saying that everything in Bradford city centre is the fault of our councillors. They have enough to answer for but the underlying problems in Bradford run deeper than the council.

We have a low wage economy which means low end shopping habits. We have a large immigrant population from around the world who will send money to families outside the local economy, money that might otherwise have been spent in Bradord. We have estates with high unemployment rates and a benefit culture. You can't blame all of these things on Bradford council.

I have said it before, a city centre is a barometer of the health of a city. Bradford is very sick.

City of Sanctuart, whos daft idea was that? Jobless immigrants waved in.

Off peak return to leeds 4.80. If the parking meters are more than a quarter of that cost, which they obviously will be then I'd suggest people hop on public transport(which is also a bit s hit) and get your retail therapy in safe, clean, vibrant surroundings.

I went to Bradford with the intention of buying a coat and new phone I left without either having spent 30mins looking for a park place and then finding the centre a complete paradise for drug adicts,alcos and general low life I left never ever to return.

collos25 wrote:
I went to Bradford with the intention of buying a coat and new phone I left without either having spent 30mins looking for a park place and then finding the centre a complete paradise for drug adicts,alcos and general low life I left never ever to return.

If you manage to find either if these things at a reasonable price in bradford please contact the police as both if these items were taken from my house in a recent burglary. This is probably the best way to catch them as the police only issued me with a crime number and gave me wishy washy excuses.

Thee Voice of Reason wrote:

BD16 wrote:

AntiDrug wrote: BRADFORD IS LIKE A CGHOST TOWN & WILL NEVER RECOVER WHILE THEY PUT BIGHEAD BIGGETED LOONIES IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL AL THEY ARE THERE FOR IS TO LINE THERE OWN POCKETS No Matter Who They Are LABOUR, LIB DEMS, CONSERVATIVE All The Same, Teached At Westminster From The Pro's

I think it's a bit more complicated than just saying that everything in Bradford city centre is the fault of our councillors. They have enough to answer for but the underlying problems in Bradford run deeper than the council. We have a low wage economy which means low end shopping habits. We have a large immigrant population from around the world who will send money to families outside the local economy, money that might otherwise have been spent in Bradord. We have estates with high unemployment rates and a benefit culture. You can't blame all of these things on Bradford council. I have said it before, a city centre is a barometer of the health of a city. Bradford is very sick.

City of Sanctuart, whos daft idea was that? Jobless immigrants waved in.

if local money is not spent in the local economy the result is what we have in bradford - a dump

It's great to see so much passion about Bradford and how its shops and retail offer will fare.

If you can make it, this evening at 6.30 at the Hilton Hotel there is an event hosted by a team of retail experts discussing exactly this.

Come along if you can.

http://www.insightwi
thpassion.co.uk/town
centres/

Forster square retail park is becoming more and more popular while the city centre becomes queiter and with less shops. It used to be that parking would be difficult at christmas and now it's all year round at the retail park. Now there is a new hotel opening soon...... Free parking is what's made that area busy and popular!!!!

Forget the big name stores, what Bradford needs is small independent interesting boutiques, craft shops, cafes, etc. like in The Lanes, Brighton, or the old Afflex Palace, Manchester, or how the Leeds Corn Exchange once was. Transform Ivegate into something similar and people will flock here to buy their vegan shoes, homemade cookies, unique clothes, handmade jewelery, and occult books.

Thee was a free workshop about retail in Bradford tonight from a major marketing company..

No retailers turned up.

Great message to send out or what ?

Reality001 wrote:
Thee was a free workshop about retail in Bradford tonight from a major marketing company..

No retailers turned up.

Great message to send out or what ?

I don't think that event was particularly well publicised, putting a comment here on a Monday wasn't going to work.
.
It wasn't clear whether they were trying to offer help for free or sell their services from the website.

Clowny wrote:

Reality001 wrote: Thee was a free workshop about retail in Bradford tonight from a major marketing company.. No retailers turned up. Great message to send out or what ?

I don't think that event was particularly well publicised, putting a comment here on a Monday wasn't going to work. . It wasn't clear whether they were trying to offer help for free or sell their services from the website.

and what can they do , bus loads of people with some money to spend into the city ?

yangyeight wrote:
reality001, you have got to be a labour councillor to believe all that cra-p you keep spouting.
all the tories fault, they sold all our gold when it was at its cheapest, they spent all our money instead of saving it for rainy day, they took money out of pension pot.
need i go on you ****-in clown.

Rumours suggest that the parking meters Bradford Council have bought are to replace existing ones due to the changes to the way coins are made by the Royal Mint. Which mean they are lighter and existing equipment can't be upgraded.

All vending machines need to be upgraded or replaced.