Regeneration is the ‘number one priority’ for city’s economic future

The survey, conducted by Bradford Chamber of Commerce, asked local businesses what were the three main areas on which local decision-makers would be able to have a positive influence on their performance.

The top three answers were city regeneration, selected by 47 per cent of respondents, inward investment and helping manufacturers, both highlighted by 41 per cent.

The annual survey has thrown up the same rankings now for the last few years.

Changes from the previous year’s survey included a rise in the need to tackle crime, which came fifth in the list of desired priorities, while the new category of growing ‘congestion’ showed up as a strong fourth.

The issues that had dropped the most in importance were planning and land use, and transport links, possibly mitigated by the new congestion category.

Education and skills issues would have topped the poll if they had not been separated into separate fields such as shortages, high-level skills and basic attainment.

Asked about the main issues facing their business for the next 12 months, the biggest single answer was public sector spending cuts, closely followed by lack of sales.

Finance or credit problems were also cited strongly as potential hurdles, as were increasing costs and overheads.

Commenting on how policy-makers can help, the largest proportion related to Bradford’s image, Bradford Chamber President, Harold Robinson, said the survey had a number of purposes.

“This survey helps us tap into the views and concerns of businesses across the district. It supports our work on representing members and ensuring the Chamber is the voice of local business. The Council should find it useful in that it helps them to ensure their strategies and policies remain business-focused, and we can also use it to see just how quickly or not businesses are coming back from the recession.”

The survey also asked about business satisfaction with Bradford Council, which is up on last year.

While a majority of respondents stayed neutral in relation to their views on the local authority, more people were satisfied with efforts to create a good business environment, up from 16 to 22 per cent.

Correspondingly, there was less dissatisfaction with the Council, down from 13 per cent to 10.

The survey’s findings are used to support Bradford Chamber’s lobbying and representation activities.

Mike Cartwright, of Bradford Chamber, said the survey included a box where respondents could make statements on any specific issues they wanted to raise.

Some respondents said the city’s image, which has taken a battering in recent years, needed ‘sorting out’ as a matter of priority.

Others said they felt it was important for derelict sites to be redeveloped before more greenfield sites were given over to development.

Others simply stated ‘the hole’ – referring to the city centre site of Westfield’s stalled Broadway shopping development.

Some business bosses felt that councillors should visit businesses more frequently.

“Some said they felt councillors should visit businesses more to get a feel for the trials and tribulations businesses are going through,” said Mr Cartwright.

Others expressed concerns about the lack of choice in Bradford city centre in terms of the shopping offer, perhaps echoing views expressed by others in the past about the high proportion of charity shops and gambling shops in Bradford’s main retail quarter.

Meanwhile, a number of businesses highlighted the need for more funding and support for small and medium sized enterprises.

However, as the Telegraph & Argus reported yesterday, a Bradford-based fund which supports small firms that cannot access loans from mainstream lenders has smashed a ‘lend a million’ target set 12 months ago.

The not-for-profit Business Enterprise Fund exceeded its target of lending £1 million to entrepreneurs and businesses in West and North Yorkshire by 50 per cent, actually lending £1.5m.

Mr Cartwright said other people who responded to the survey had been “more positive.”

He said there was a desire to see people being more upbeat about the city’s existing offer, with a number of respondents pointing to things like the Positive Bradford campaign as a decent idea.

Positive Bradford is an independent, not-for-profit group comprising leaders of businesses, the arts and education who pledge to speak up for Bradford.

The Chamber’s survey has been released in a week when the Government has appointed retail guru Mary Portas to review the country’s high streets.

Portas, known as Mary Queen of Shops, will examine how to stop the increasing shop-vacancy rates and to increase the number of independent stores.

Mr Cartwright welcomed the move, saying she should come to Bradford and use her expertise to make suggestions for the revitalisation of the city centre.