The decision to abandon the idea of a "Digidale" silicon valley as a key part of the Airedale masterplan will be seen as a disappointment by many people. It needs to be borne in mind, though, that the idea of the Aire Valley as a hi-tech zone was just that - an idea to be investigated and discussed, not a firm proposal.

It has come up against realities which have brought it down to earth. The fact is that although Pace and Filtronic have established a reputation for innovation and high-quality electronic development work their success does not appear to have been responsible for nurturing a hothouse of other, smaller businesses striving to emulate their success in the hi-tech world.

If that hasn't happened organically is it reasonable to expect that just giving the area a buzzword title would generate the level of entrepreneurial activity to carry the concept forward? Like all good ideas, it won't work without a heavy dose of pragmatism.

It seems that research carried out by Arup, the consultancy employed to create a vision for the future of the Aire Valley, has shown that this particular idea is not realistic. Arup says the vision is changing all the time as the development of the plan goes on.

But the real worry is that without the Digidale concept it will be a struggle to come up with a clear and dynamic vision for the district and a big idea that those who live and work in the Aire Valley can embrace as a target for the future.