The key to the regeneration of Bradford is to get the city centre thriving once again. So it is good to see the members of Bradford Chamber of Commerce and Bradford Council recognising that this has to be the absolute top priority.

Whether or not a television celebrity like Mary Portas – otherwise known as Mary, Queen of Shops – will actually add anything to what we already know remains to be seen. But anything which helps to encourage independent retailers to set up shop in Bradford has to be welcomed.

It has been the consistent message of the Telegraph & Argus that Bradford cannot see itself as competing with shopping centres such as Leeds but the district has a huge population, and it needs to provide a good enough shopping centre for the majority of local people to want to shop here most of the time.

They might choose to visit more glamorous shopping locations on occasion but the city should aim to provide everything they need for the rest of the time. At the moment, Bradford is a long way from achieving that goal.

Much of the blame for that can, in fairness, be placed at the door of the recession. If that downturn hadn’t arrived when it did, there is little doubt that the Broadway shopping development could well be up and running by now.

We still believe it will come to fruition in due course but, meanwhile, what we need to look at is to not just stem the decline in shops in the city centre, but to get more units up and running there. And we can all play our part.

What Bradford needs the most is for us all to recognise that it can only thrive in the future if businesses which are doing their best to survive in the current difficult climate are given the fullest possible support by their own community. In stark terms, what that means for the city centre is: use it or lose it.