SIR – I was disappointed to read of the closure of Stead & Simpson on Broadway, and totally agree with the view the Westfield debacle is at the centre of much of the demise of the city centre.

Perhaps it is time for a new approach to the Westfield saga, and in the spirit of David Cameron’s Big Society, perhaps it is time the Bradford community took a more active role in pushing for this development.

Can I suggest that, in the first instance, the T&A and Bradford Council should consider running a new joint campaign: “We want to buy it in Bradford: If you build it we will come!”.

This could take the form of a petition that residents of Bradford can sign to support a shopping centre in Bradford, pledging to shop there once it is built.

Can I suggest petition points in Bradford, Keighley, Huddersfield and Leeds City Centres, and at The White Rose Shopping Centre, where Bradford district shoppers currently shop.

If Morrisons were willing to support the campaign, petition points could also be available at all Morrisons stores in the district.

Surely with a district population of 400,000 people, we could get enough signatures to make an impression and help make a positive contribution to the revival of a once-great city.

Emma Heal, Moorwell Place, Bradford