BRADFORD ranks almost bottom of the UK pile as an attractive city in which to live, according to research – but there is plenty to be optimistic about.
Work-life balance, transport, and house affordability are rated above the UK average across 51 cities, and Bradford has improved skills opportunities for those aged over 25, but is rated poorly for jobs, income, health, business start-ups, safety and its high streets.
Bradford came in at number 50 out of 51 cities, with only Middlesbrough and Stockton ranked lower overall.
Mark Casci, head of policy and representation at West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, was not daunted by Bradford’s poor showing in the research. “For generations Bradford has been a superb city to start and grow a business,” he said. “It has superb communities, incredible diversity and a unique character that cannot be found elsewhere in the country.
“With an improving city centre, encouraging levels of inward investment from the likes of PwC and Airedale, and City of Culture 2025 just around the corner, Bradford is about to enjoy an exciting new chapter in its proud history.”
The research was carried out for accountants PwC, which has just moved to the flagship One City Park building in the city centre, and expects to grow its staff to 500 from the current headcount of 180.
Andy Ward, Market Senior Partner for PwC Bradford and Leeds, is confident about the city’s future. He said: “Since we moved here in 2019, we’ve already grown our team from 60 to 180 people, which is a huge increase (171%) and a yearly increase of 35%.
“Bradford has one of the youngest and most diverse populations in the country, and we want to not only foster talent, but give people the opportunity to stay in their communities and work.
“Years ago you would have to travel to Leeds or Manchester to work for a firm like PwC, but now people can stay close to their families and their communities when starting their career.
“Some of our biggest Northern clients are here in Bradford, and so our presence in the city means that we can be there for them, and be part of their journey.
“There is so much opportunity here. You only have to look out at the skyline to see the regeneration that’s taking place, and we want to be a part of Bradford’s growth. The young and talented workforce, coupled with the businesses that call the city home, mean that Bradford is on the cusp of the next stage of growth. It’s always been a city that maintains a community feel while still having big city ambitions.”
And as Bradford prepares for the spotlight of City of Culture status next year, there is much optimism, particularly as Hull is in the top three most improved cities in the UK due to a strong performance in income distribution and jobs. Hull had City of Culture status in 2017-20.
Andy Ward added: “It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity to showcase the city, change some perceptions and provide the basis for more regeneration. If we at PwC can play our part by bringing people into our office, talking about why we are here and what we do, that can only help advertise Bradford and encourage investment in the area.
“I really like the idea of the award going to Coventry, then Hull and now Bradford. It gives those cities an injection, puts them back on the map, improves the footfall and helps to showcase how much opportunity we have here.”
The Demos-PwC Good Growth for Cities Index ranks 51 of the UK’s largest cities (generally considered those with populations of at least 350,000 people), plus the London boroughs as a whole, based on the public’s assessment of 12 economic measures, including jobs, health, income, safety and skills, as well as work-life balance, housing, travel-to-work times, income equality, high street shops, environment and business startups.
York and Hull are among the top three most improved cities in the UK, which has been driven by their performance on income distribution and jobs respectively.
York is also the top performing city in the region, alongside Wakefield & Castleford. Both of them rank 7th in the index, followed by Huddersfield (25th), Leeds (30th), Hull (32nd), Sheffield (42nd) and Bradford (50th).
All seven of the Yorkshire cities included in the index have outperformed the UK average for work-life balance, and are either above or in line with the UK average for transport, income distribution and house price to earnings.
People in the Yorkshire and the Humber region place the highest priority on income distribution, with a weighting higher than that of the UK average. Safety has also seen a small increase in importance, whereas other measures, such as high streets, environment, high streets and new businesses are all in line with the UK weighting.
Bradford Council Leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “We are a young and vibrant city and district with a rich cultural heritage and the people who live here are rightly proud of where they are from. Our year as City of Culture for 2025 will showcase to the rest of the country and beyond everything we have to offer.”
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