If Bradford’s retail heart is to retain any credibility as a shopping centre while waiting for the Westfield development to commence, it needs to ensure the remaining retail area is as vibrant and interesting as possible.

There are too many empty shops in the city centre and far more needs to be done to encourage businesses to establish themselves here.

The centre needs people with ideas setting up innovative retail operations and Bradford Council needs to be encouraging this.

What it certainly does not need is for prime locations to be dominated by bargain basement shops, amusement arcades and bookies. Newly-submitted plans for a bingo hall right in the heart of what should be the retail centre, on Kirkgate, will only further exacerbate this problem.

It could be argued a bingo hall might be popular with some and bring some trade into the city and there is a valid point that it may create some much-needed employment.

But we have to take the long view when looking at the city centre. There are already two bingo halls along with seven betting shops and nine amusement arcades. It is unlikely that allowing another bingo hall will in itself do anything to boost the city’s retail businesses or the local economy generally.

It is an entirely inappropriate location for such a venture. With so much empty property, the Council must surely be able to find another location around the fringes of the retail centre to offer? Planners must nip this in the bud now and firmly establish that city centre shops, especially those in key locations, must be saved for retail use.

That is the only way we will ever get Bradford city centre back on its feet.