| COUNCIL LEADER SAYS CITY HAS EVERYTHING ON A SHOPPER’S LIST
 Bradford Council leader Margaret Eaton is urging shoppers to make sure they always “Buy it in Bradford”.
The Telegraph & Argus this week launched a massive campaign calling on its readers to make the most of what the city centre has to offer.
Now our initiative has been backed by Councillor Eaton, who wants people to make sure the city remains a thriving place to work and shop as it undergoes huge redevelopment.
The face of Bradford is changing forever as demolition work paves the way for the new £300 million Broadway complex.
And construction work on a new shopping development in Rawson Quarter is nearing completion.
But Coun Eaton said there was already much on offer for shoppers to take advantage of in the city centre.
She said: “I think this campaign is an excellent and long overdue idea. We have much here in Bradford which is not mentioned or spoken about and if we can get more people to come into the centre and have positive experiences of what Bradford has to offer then hopefully then they can see what they have been missing.”
The Tory councillor believes Bradford offers a unique shopping experience because of the diverse range of individual shops and the retail and leisure parks within walking distance of the centre, at Forster Square and the Leisure Exchange.
She said: “We have a variety of high street shops running close together, public parking is readily available and Bradford Council positively encourages people to visit the city in their car, unlike some other cities where you are made to feel like a pariah.
“But we also have two train stations and a bus station so we have good transport links for shoppers without a car.
“And Bradford, unlike elsewhere, has a retail park with all the big multiple stores which is within walking distance of the city centre at Forster Square.
“But the city also has some gems around the centre, privately-owned individual and specialist shops which you wouldn’t get anywhere else so it is not just the big national stores in Bradford.”
Coun Eaton believes by working together with police, Bradford Council has made the city’s streets a safer and more pleasant place to shop.
The latest crime figures released by West Yorkshire Police show that city centre crime has plummeted during the last two years.
The city is regularly patrolled by both the council’s street wardens and community support officers, who are employed by West Yorkshire Police.
She said: “We know that the environment and the experience are most important to the shopper so we have constantly focused on improving the appearance of the city and tidying the centre.
“We have also worked very hard with city wardens and the police to make our city safer to shop in than it ever has been before.
“The city’s street wardens are not just there for people’s safety, they also give a friendly smile to our shoppers and signpost visitors to where they want to go.
“Bradford has a lot of loyal shoppers, particularly those who come in to use the markets, which is a fascinating experience, but I don’t think we do enough to attract shoppers to come in to Bradford for the day and I hope the Buy it in Bradford campaign will make the community more aware of what the city has to offer.”
e-mail: john.roberts@bradford.newsquest.co.uk
| 'SEE WHAT YOU'RE MISSING' |
 Sue Patel, who runs the BBs franchise in the Kirkgate Centre, has urged people who do not shop in Bradford to come and see what they are missing.
She said: “People from Ilkley and Skipton have come here and said ‘we didn’t even know you were here’ and now they keep coming back.” Mrs Patel believes the
Broadway centre will attract even more shoppers and has put in a bid to run the BBs franchise there when it opens. |
 New Look is celebrating its first anniversary in its bigger Kirkgate Centre store. Manager Jan Rowbotham said the branch, previously in a smaller unit at the centre, had beaten its sales targets for its first year. She said: “People do need to be made aware that Bradford is growing and for the right reasons. This campaign can help bring people into the city who might only see the outskirts and think it is run down, and that is not a true impression.” |
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