Daily Mail columnist Lynda Lee-Potter branded Bradford a 'vile and nasty place'. But the city is fighting back and millions of pounds have been spent on sprucing up the streets and buildings. Reporters Olwen Vasey and Jan Winter look at the public perception of Bradford.

CLEARING LITTER from the streets is a never-ending battle but Bradford Council is aiming to make major improvements throughout the district.

A squad of 50 extra Council workers are to be put on the Bradford streets to pick up rubbish as savings are made from the cheaper costs of operating wheelie bins.

The introduction of wheelie bins throughout the district means fewer staff will be needed for refuse collection, freeing more people to pick litter from the streets, said Councillor Keith Thomson, chairman of Bradford Council Waste Management Sub-committee.

"About 30 per cent of the street litter comes from the bin liners we have now. In the areas where we are operating wheelie bins at the moment there's less street litter." Animals tend to tear bin bags, and they are often left untied at the top so litter spills onto the street.

Schemes such as free removal of bulky items for householders are intended to cut fly-tipping, and the Council made 68,000 collections in the first nine months of the last financial year - well above the 40,000 a year predictions.

But people's attitudes were hard to change, said Coun Thomson, and all sorts of people threw litter on the ground instead of in a bin.

Coun Thomson (Labour, Wibsey), said the Tidy Britain Group's study showed Bradford compared favourably with most of the other urban metropolitan districts, particularly in the area one kilometre around the city centre. The Council was runner-up in a prestigious award for waste management only weeks ago.

Coun Thomson blamed today's throwaway society, where fast food outlets did not reuse anything. It was up to big firms whose packaging created so much waste to play their part too, said Coun Thomson. "Bradford does have litter problems, as most places do, particularly because of the unrestricted packaging we have today." Bradford Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said the extra staff would allow the anti-litter blitz to extend outside the city centre.

Councillor Barry Thorne (Labour, Keighley West), leisure services committee chairman, said: "If Lynda Lee-Potter wasn't such a Right-wing Tory maybe we would take it seriously.

"It seems that yet again people from down south have come up here and been negative.

"Bradford has got its problems like any city but it is the same in most places - Britain is a nation of litterbugs. I was in London recently and around Westminster it was disgusting. I thought it was cleaner in Bradford. Certainly in town centres, shops and businesses are making a big effort and there has been a massive improvement in the last few years."

But Queensbury resident James McCall, 63, who telephoned the Telegraph & Argus with his views, accused the Council of only bothering about litter removal in the city centre itself. He said a bus ride into the city through Great Horton showed litter-strewn streets.

"It's terrible in Leeds Road and in the Manningham Lane area. And there's more and more rubbish in Queensbury, with all these takeaways."

Bradford-born Philip Hardy, who now lives in Batley, also contacted the T&A."I agree with Lynda Lee-Potter," he said. "Two weeks ago I brought my 85-year-old mother to Bradford for a funeral. She asked where we were and didn't believe it was Bradford.

"She said it looked as if a bomb had hit the place. We drove through the city centre and there were posters and filthy windows everywhere.

"The place has gradually gone down the pan. I am disgusted at the place. It should have been left as it was. The place used to be a Victorian gem. Now that's all gone and it is a dirty mess. I bleed for Bradford."

Councillor Margaret Eaton, leader of the Council's Tory Group, said she continually regretted the litter in Bradford city centre. "It gives the wrong impression to people wanting to start businesses and invest here," she said. "Many people have mentioned it in other areas. It is much better in Leeds, although there may obviously be problem parts in their city."

But Bradford Chamber of Trade president Eric Hudson asked: "Does anybody read Lynda Lee-Potter?"

It was "an excellent idea" to free more Council staff to clear the litter from the streets. "I think the City Council's programme for cleaning is excellent - they do the best they possibly can - but there are occasions when there is litter about and there are some gaps in the service.

Don't knock what you don't know - Mayor

Bradford Lord Mayor Councillor Tony Miller today issued a personal invitation to Miss Lee-Potter to allow him to give her a tour of the city's treasures.

He said it was "absolutely disgusting and deplorable" that she had written the article after her walk round Bradford.

Leading figures and groups have hit back at the slating she gave Bradford when she called it a "vile and nasty" city in the Daily Mail yesterday.

It follows recent commendations and awards for the new public square and Fibres sculptures at Forster Square stations, Centenary Square and the Brian Lynch Memorial Park.

Today the chairman of the Council's regeneration committee, Councillor Dave Green, said: "I am proud of what has been achieved in the city in the last few years, but we know there is still a great deal to do and we are not complacent."

He said buildings had been demolished in the 1960s but much of Bradford's outstanding Victorian heritage remained and major restoration work had been done with partnerships.

"We have the magnificent Wool Exchange with a multi-million pound refurbishment and Waterstones as the main tenants. Dillons are another anchor tenant at the former Brown Muff store which had a £10 million restoration and they both are returned to their former glory.

"A £4 million plus refurbishment scheme is taking place at Lister Park," Coun Green said.

"Only last month Little Germany, which has 72 listed buildings, was designated an urban village in recognition of its unique qualities. The award will mean investment to make it thriving and vibrant. It is one of the jewels in Bradford's crown and has already had millions of pounds in investment.

"The Abbey National bank had the confidence in Bradford to make the city the base for its new North of England headquarters and build a prestige office, bringing many new jobs."

He said Bradford had attracted record numbers of filmmakers, who used its historic buildings and outstanding countryside as locations.

"The central house block has been described as a monstrosity but developers have taken it over and are planning demolition and redevelopment."

He added: "It is bizarre that these remarks have been made as we learn that Saltaire has been shortlisted as a World Heritage site."

John Pennington, who spent about £2 million restoring the Midland Hotel and preserving its historic features, praised the Council's Director of Housing and Environment, Patrick Howley, in trying to keep the streets clean.

But Mr Pennington said the former Bradford Corporation City Engineer, Stanley Wardley, did nothing to help Bradford's heritage.

He said Mr Wardley's reign in the 1950s and 1960s saw the demolition of magnificent buildings like the Swan Arcade as he modernised Bradford. But, he said, outstanding architectural treasures remained and among his favourites were the historic Talbot and Rawson hotels.

David Haigh, chairman of Bradford Inner City Licensing Association, said Bradford was one of Britain's safest cities and the part he preferred was City Hall and its surrounding areas.

"It is one of the best in Britain. You have to live here to know about Bradford," he said.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.