Bradford’s historic Midland Hotel has become the latest business to take advantage of the City Centre Growth Zone funding to create five jobs.

The hotel on Cheapside is strengthening its sales and marketing operations and also recruiting two apprentices as a result of rate rebates from the Bradford Council-based scheme, which provides up to £16,000 for each new full-time equivalent job created per year for three years.

General manager Gary Peacock said the three new sales and marketing staff were a first for the hotel and enable it to take a pro-active approach to boosting its business – and spreading the word about Bradford as a whole locally, regionally and nationally.

He said: “We are bringing in skills to the business that we didn’t have before. Sales and marketing is key to growing the business and we are delighted that we are able to expand in this way.

“Unlike some other cities, Bradford has to overcome to people's negative perceptions of it but I'm optimistic that things are at last looking up. The football team has ended up at Wembley – and will hopefully again in May – and the business community is picking up with more and more developments starting within the city.

“It will be great when the Westfield development comes to fruition and more shoppers come into the city, as well as more tourists who want to visit the theatre or the National Media Museum as well. As the city grows, we will grow. I am convinced of that.

“We’re in a better place as a business than we were this time last year and I’m quite happy with our performance so far this year.

“The fact that we didn't cut prices during the worst of the recession and focused on maintaining customer service standards, is paying off with many customers staying loyal to the hotel.”

Mr Peacock has recruited an apprentice to work on reception and is also looking for another trainee, either in the kitchen or in accounts.

The City Centre Growth Zone is part of a £35 million initiative funded by Bradford Council and the Government's Regional Growth Fund providing eligible businesses with rate rebates for creating new jobs in the city centre.

Bradford Council leader Coun David Green said: “The city centre growth zone funding is very advantageous to the Midland Hotel who have been very loyal to Bradford. They can now benefit from the business rates relief that is part of the deal.”

The 90-bedroom Midland Hotel was built in 1885 as one of seven Midland railway hotels across the UK. Since 1998 it has been owned by Peel Hotels which has continued to invest in its development.