“Only Bradford Labour can drive our regeneration forward”

“How do you solve a problem like Darley Street?”, “Traders need decision over Oastler Centre”, “Hug the Odeon”, “High Point: Razed or Saved?”, “Market Street Revival”.

These were all questions being asked when I became the cabinet member for Regeneration in 2016. Every single one has been answered.

The Odeon – saved. Restored as one of the country’s finest venues in Bradford Live, which has already seen world-famous artists like the Gorillaz play sold-out shows there.

Market Street – revived. Pedestrianised along with the creation of a stunning green park by City Hall as part of our multi-award-winning public realm programme.

Bradford Markets – restored. A purpose-built new market, the UK’s best for food according to the Great British Markets Awards, delivered on Darley Street with heritage gates from our Victorian markets restored and on display for the first time in 50 years.

Darley Street – invested. Not just the market but part of the vision for City Village, a housing-led development replacing outdated old retail units with quality housing and independent businesses that has already secured over £40m of external funding.

High Point – saved. Recently named Britain’s best brutalist building, we worked with the owner to secure funding and restore a long-term derelict landmark into fully let apartments. We did the same with the Grade II listed Conditioning House, preserving and restoring the best of our heritage from different eras of our history.

As time has passed, other questions have been asked – and we’ve made a start in answering those too. “How do we improve Bradford’s connectivity and regenerate our towns?”

After a decade of lobbying, the government has confirmed we’ll get a £2 billion new rail station to replace the outdated interchange. It will link with West Yorkshire Mass Transit, ending a century of poor connectivity for one of England’s grandest cities.

Working with the private sector, we secured over £100 million through the Towns Fund and Pride in Place funding for Shipley and Keighley. Delivery is well underway. Providence Park is creating jobs and business growth in Keighley and Shipley Marketplace has been transformed.

In Keighley, future plans for the market, Cavendish Street and the much-needed health centre are also progressing.

And it’s not just physical regeneration we have invested in.

We’re investing in additional planning officers to improve standards. We’re funding 1,600 additional police hours to tackle dangerous and anti-social driving. Plus, our homelessness teams have helped turn around dozens of rough sleepers' lives.

These things didn’t happen by accident. They were political decisions by Bradford Labour councillors, driven by a positive belief in Bradford, its businesses and its people.

Does anyone recall the Bradford of 2010 – no Broadway, no City Park, no Bradford Live, no Darley Street Market – and think we were in a better place then than we are now?

Across Bradford, it’s only Labour who have the vision to drive our district forward and only Labour who have a manifesto showing how we’ll do it.

The choice facing our district is clear.

Let’s build a bolder, better Bradford, together with Labour.