THE long-awaited Broadway shopping centre, which is due to open this year, will obviously be a shot in the arm for Bradford city centre.

It is hoped it will provide shopping opportunities not just for those who regularly use Bradford city centre, but also act as a catalyst for wooing back those who have taken to shopping in other cities and towns because of the greater choice on offer there.

But as welcome as the Broadway shopping development will be when it finally opens, it is vital to remember that there are already established shopping areas in the city centre, and there is a very real fear that they will lose trade when the new centre is ready.

So it is excellent news that Bradford Council is putting into place measures to ensure that, as the Chamber of Trade puts it, that Broadway “complements, not competes” with existing traders.

We have already seen how successful initiatives such as the Growth Zone can be, which has helped boost the North Parade area of the city centre into a lively and burgeoning quarter full of independent retailers.

With some existing High Street names in the city centre naturally relocating to the Broadway development, efforts must be redoubled to ensure these prime retail spots do not stand empty for too long.

Not all traders will be able to afford the Broadway rates, so it is vital that other stores not taking up residence in the new development are given full support to thrive.

And ease of access between Broadway and the rest of the city centre is vital to ensure that the increased footfall brought into Bradford can be driven towards our other stores.