Richard Willoughby is the man given the challenge of shaping the district's future prosperity.

Mr Willoughby, 46, heads a new Bradford Council division encompassing wide ranging regeneration services.

Having joined the council five years ago as Bradford's first city centre manager he is moving as assistant director from heading the investment team. There he covered economic development activities including inward investment, city and town centre management and a network of managed workspace centres for new and growing businesses.

Mr Willoughby says great strides have been made and his role is to build on that to secure better long term social, economic and environmental benefits for the district as a whole.

The regeneration division forms part of the office of regeneration and strategic support headed by executive director David Kennedy.

It will embrace investment activities, regeneration marketing, training, economic policy, the management of Single Regeneration Budget, European and National Lottery funding.

Mr Willoughby's appointment puts the finishing touch to a major council re-organisation involving changes to committee and officer structures in line with the political priorities of the ruling Labour group.

Coventry-born he is a director of the national Association of Town Centre Managers.

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