SIR – We have been told that prospective tenants, including M&S and Debenhams have signed commitments to take space in the Westfield development.

To be meaningful, these commitments will not be open ended, but will detail the latest dates for recommencement and completion of the development.

Westfield, who are now acting as agents for Meyer Bergman and to whom they have sold the development, have requested changes in the previously-approved plan in order to comply with the specific requirements of Debenhams.

The Council Planning Dept have recommended that these changes should be approved and this is also the view of Council Executive.

In this they are probably right, but the final decision will be made on Thursday by the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee.

It is suggested that the R&A should demonstrate their independent terms of reference and on a quid-pro-quo basis make their approval conditional upon a realistic and binding time scale being given for recommencement and completion.

The benefits of such a condition will be twofold – Bradfordians will have greater confidence that the development will actually happen, and the existing retail outlets will know for how long they will have to hang on until the current retail decline is reversed by enhanced footfall.

John Pashley, Westcliffe Avenue, Baildon