"TRAMPS and drunks" in the city centre should be "grabbed by the scruff of the neck" and moved on because they are putting people off visiting, a councillor has said.

The view came during a meeting of the regeneration overview and scrutiny committee as members were being updated on the Bradford City Plan.

Councillor David Heseltine (Con, Bingley) said he had spoken to people who said they would not come into the city because of the number of drinkers and beggars and said Bradford Council's "lofty aims" were not dealing with underlying problems.

The City Plan report, presented by senior regeneration officer Nick Ackroyd, was to outline recent success for the city including the opening of The Broadway, on-going business support through Invest in Bradford; office accommodation refurbishments in the former Central Library, Britannia House and former Mercury House; the Digital Exchange business incubator in Little Germany and office plans for No1 City Park and Jacobs Well.

Other areas of progress included city centre retail academy SKillsHouse and designs for improvement at Forster Square Station and Bradford Interchange.

“The Broadway has been a success with a number of new retailers but we realise there needs to be more help given to other areas such as Darley Street and the top of town,” said Mr Ackroyd.

“We want to maintain the vitality around The Broadway. The city is evolving and there are remaining challenges but we want to ensure the city remains attractive and safe.”

He added that St George’s Hall plans were progressing well, as well as the Odeon which was currently at the finance raising stage with details of funding expected to be known by December.

He also said the Council continued to look at new ways to overcome the challenges of an underperforming property market for more offices and homes.

But Cllr Heseltine said: “These are all lofty aims. We have spent a fortune to make the city centre look good. What lets it all down are the tramps and drunks and people sleeping in doorways.

"What we need to do is get them by the scruff of the neck and deal with them. People have said they’d go into Bradford if they were eliminated."

Mike Cowlam, strategic director of regeneration, said police were already clamping down on street drinkers with the introduction of alcohol protected areas.

Councillor Andrew Mallinson (Con, Craven), said he was unhappy about the slow progress with the Odeon’s investment plans and how it spoiled the street scene.

“It think it’s a whole farce that it remains in such a state. It’s a mess with trees growing out of it," he added.

"It’s a fly in the ointment in the regeneration of the city centre."

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