National newspaper columnist Lynda Lee Potter sparked fury exactly a year ago when she branded the city a "vile and nasty place", described its roads as being among the filthiest in Britain and added: "The streets of Bradford can inspire only anger, despair and hopelessness." City leaders leapt to Bradford's defence but cleaning up the district has become one of the core tenets of the 2020 Vision. City Hall reporter Olwen Vasey examines why.

BRADFORD HAS many attractions like the splendid architecture jewels of City Hall, The Alhambra and Little Germany.

And it has achieved international fame as the home of the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.

But the message from thousands of people to Bradford Council is that despite best efforts, they still see litter as a serious problem.

Cleanliness was one of the issues which drew the greatest post bag as thousands of people told the Council how they saw the future and what could be done to make Bradford better.

In the past two years the Council has tried to grasp the nettle and reduce the rubbish by ditching the messy black bag bin system, and drafting in thousands of wheelie bins.

Extra cleansing squads are on the city streets and dozens of fly tippers have been taken to court.

The 2020 Vision doesn't just aim for high-profile schemes, as Bradford becomes a force to be recognised across the world.

The problem of dirt is taken seriously - not only because thousands of residents have shown they are sick of it - but because it is actually a deterrent to companies moving in.

And how could Bradford even dream of being Europe's City of Culture with its streets strewn with litter.

But will the 2020 vision achieve the aim of making the streets of Bradford so pristine clean and attractive that they become the benchmark of cities across Britain.

The Vision says: "Cleaning and environment services will ensure the inner city has a clean and healthy environment. It is central to the Vision.

"To achieve this we must create pride in the environment, and the first step to bring this about must be a blitz on litter and rubbish.

"We will adopt a threefold approach to this - improved street cleansing, educating people not to dump rubbish and a crack down on those who do so."

In fact, Bradford Council - a key partner in Bradford Congress which owns the Vision - already has a head start. It has set aside £380,000 in the budget for a high profile squad of super cleaning agents.

The crack team will have brightly coloured uniforms and vans and will cut through red tape to get rubbish cleared up when the public complain.

They will also build up links with schools and communities in a bid to educate people not to allow rubbish on to our streets.

Chairman of Bradford Retail Action group Jeff Frankel said there were lessons to learn from successful Coventry city centre. "They have told us if the streets are clean it will be harder for people to drop litter. If the streets are already dirty they will find it easier."

But he said some Bradford city centre traders themselves must shoulder the blame.

"Some leave their waste outside their shops in boxes for a week waiting for it to be collected, when they could keep it inside.

"There are definitely improvements in the city centre but above all I think people need to be educated."

Newly-elected President of Bradford Chamber of Trade Jim Griffin said: "The arterial roads into Bradford are disgusting and it is absolutely vital that they should be tackled because of the very bad image they give."

And all three political parties on Bradford Council spoke in unison - even though there is just a month to go to the elections.

All admitted there was a problem which was bad for the city in every way and must be tackled.

Chairman of Bradford Congress Ian Greenwood, who is also Bradford Council leader said: "One of the things raised by many people was the whole question of litter, especially for people travelling along the main corridors .

"It is unacceptable in general terms and it indicates how the community feels about it. It is about people having a pride in the city."

Leader of the Council's Tory group Councillor Margaret Eaton said: "There have to be massive improvements before anyone will take Bradford seriously as a key player."

Leader of the Council's Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said: "It has always come back to the Liberal Democrats from the community that litter is a main problem. It gives the wrong impression to both shoppers and investors who simply won't want to come in."

T&A Opinion

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