Traditional rivalries in West Yorkshire could be cast aside under Bradford Congress's 2020 Vision which sees new partnerships being formed between districts to produce a vibrant and powerful economy. City Hall reporter Olwen Vasey examines how Bradford could benefit from the closer ties.

STRONG LINKS between Bradford and neighbouring Leeds are proposed as a main plank in the far reaching 2020 Vision.

The partnership would also seek better ties with Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield. And the sheer size and bulk of the West Yorkshire sub-region would make it a powerful contender for Government and European funding.

Strength through numbers would also enable it to compete successfully in the growing global market. In fact, the first concrete steps towards better ties between the traditional rivals have already been taken, it emerged today.

Bradford Congress and Leeds Initiative have agreed in principle to representation on each other's body.

Both are similar public-private partnership boards chaired by Bradford Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood and the leader of Leeds Council, Brian Walker.

But Coun Greenwood says merger is not in the picture and that Bradford - and its Council - will remain a separate entity. The need for a better partnership has also been recognised by the Local Futures Group.

The specialist consultancy group has already produced a detailed research document into the local economy showing its weaknesses and how to build on itself.

The group has also looked at its skill levels, lack of qualifications by a large proportion of the community and the brain drain mainly to the south.

Its sees the development of Leeds-Bradford Airport as pivotal but concludes the infrastructure is a main key to success. The research done by the group demonstrated conclusively that the neighbouring cities could help each other, but Leeds was not necessarily the better city.

In spite of the bigger city's booming financial services and apparently thriving city centre levels of deprivation were on a level with Bradford.

The view that co-operation and not rivalry is best for both cities is mirrored in the district's five year economic strategy produced recently.

It was drawn up by Bradford Training and Enterprise Council after widespread public consultation and made the point that 15,580 people a day travelled into Leeds from Bradford, while 12,200 travelled from Leeds to Bradford.

The 2020 Vision, which was launched on Monday, sees Bradford and Leeds in partnership as pioneers in the fields of financial and customer services and communications technology. The Vision predicts: "More specifically, improvements to the transport infrastructure will mean that in 2020 the Bradford-Leeds area will constitute a single market place in terms of business, employment, housing and leisure markets."

It sees Keighley, Bingley and Shipley developing a strong identity as Airedale within the Bradford district.

Airedale would continue to be the home of world-leading companies in high-tech products, resulting in its establishment as Europe's leading centre for digital communications.

The Vision says Bradford would retain its character and be world-famous through its different cultures.

The city centre would be different from Leeds, with successful Asian and African-Caribbean industries offering high quality ethnic goods. The city's architectural heritage would give it a character which few others could match.

Coun Greenwood, chairman of Bradford Congress said the Leeds/ Bradford link was in the Vision as a result of what many Bradford businesses saw as an economic reality.

"We are part of a regional economy and Leeds is the economic core. It is about being realistic and not subsuming Bradford in Leeds."

He said the cities were also part of the West Yorkshire economy.

"You have to talk about what would happen if a major player wanted to come to Bradford. The skills would come from across the region. Our relationship with Leeds Council is already good and I look forward to it being better."

The bid for better links has also been welcomed by Labour MPs Gerry Sutcliffe and Marsha Singh.

Mr Sutcliffe (Bradford South) - a former Bradford Council leader and key player in the setting up of Congress in 1994 - said: "It is definitely the right way forward."

He pointed out that the Leeds MPs had supported locating the new Learning and Skills centre in Bradford and had proved it worked.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh said: "There must be partnership because Leeds is growing so fast and Bradford is going to get the spin-off."

The improved links are also supported by Councillor Dave Green, regeneration member of Bradford Council's Executive.

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