I was delighted the Northern Way (a partnership between the three northern regional revelopment agencies) decided to hold its conference Regeneration Momentum in Bradford last month at the National Media Museum.

I couldn’t think of a place that matches the title of the conference more.

The event brought together key decision-makers from the private and public regeneration sector to identify the future actions needed to rebuild momentum in the regeneration of our towns, cities and regions.

Bradford is a place that for years has suffered from negative publicity, with news programmes using words like divided, dilapidated, dysfunctional, no hope for the future – painting a picture that was unwarranted.

There have been problems at times, but that happens in any city in any part of the world.

But because of the regeneration work, the revival of Bradford is building momentum.

The tide is slowly turning, and there’s been a kind of siege mentality about the city with the people leading the fightback, creating a buzz and bounce about Bradford that has remained even during the recession.

We want to re-establish it as a centre of business excellence on the national, European and global stage. But more than that, we want people to talk about what the city looks and feels like.

Credit must go to the people of Bradford who, despite all the negative press, occasional setbacks and false starts, see it as their responsibility to be involved and actively engage in the future of the city – because this is their city and they want to be – and should be – the authors of its next chapter.