It is worrying to learn that the company which owns the Great Victoria Hotel in Bradford has gone into administration.

Of primary concern, of course, is the future of this important building and that of its staff.

However, it must be remembered that, as things stand, it is still open for business and could remain so in the longer term.

But the news will no doubt also be seized on by some as a sign that Bradford already has enough hotels and so plans for more on various drawing boards are ill-conceived.

What must be remembered, however, is that many schemes for Bradford which incorporate hotels are not destined to become a reality overnight. If they were, then the critics could be right. Rather, they are likely to take shape over time, when economic circumstances allow, and alongside, or as part of, other projects.

So if and when they open their doors, it would, presumably, be in a somewhat different city, with different needs and in a different economic climate. In the meanwhile, every effort must be made to find a new owner for the Great Victoria which, surely, would be better able to thrive in a regenerated city.

The worst possible scenario would be if it were to close its doors without a plan to revive it as it would send out all the wrong signals about Bradford and its future.

The hotel has already been nicely and creatively refurbished, so what’s needed is imagination, investment and some lateral thinking to create a wider appeal for an historic building which is one of Bradford’s finest Victorian landmarks.