Present:
David Anderson -YBS
Charles Forgan - Bradford breakthrough
Tim Hindley - Bradford Breakthrough
Norman Finnegan - Grattan
Manoj Joshi
Linda Crossley - Common Purpose
John Lomas - Provident and Financial
John Watson - Community Health
Tracey Pepper - Kelda Group
Ian Stewart - BMDC
Philip Robinson - BMDC
In attendance: Diana Cook - BDMC/Bradford University
Apologies: Helen Maskill - Yorkshire Cable
Where do you as business leaders want the District to be in 2020?
Promote the video shown at the Stakis (30th Sept) to remind people where Bradford has been, then look forwards to where it should be.
Comparing Bradford with Leeds, aspects could be like Leeds, Bfd could be vibrant. When you drive between the two, where’s the green belt? It gets slowly depressing.
20 years ago places like Newcastle weren’t popular. One of trademarks of improvement is upgrading the city centre. Not quick; can take 5-10 years. In Birmingham, the city centre has changed, but the rest of the District hasn’t. Rightly or wrongly, we judge cities by their centre.
In all cases, these upgrades were started by some sort of municipal activity, perhaps on a small scale.
Which comes first in regeneration: infrastructure or the people issues. One view that key lies with people. If can engage people in activities, then can generate health, housing, education, jobs to achieve that vision. Businesses on their own can’t do it. The opposite view of infrastructure first was also expressed and the point of view that both aspects are right.
What’s Bradford’s brand, what’s its unique selling proposition? What could Bradford be realistically?
Leeds got into the financial sector through a very proactive council and a development corporation in the 70s which then had an impact in the 80s.Role of the council was key.
Some mileage in Bradford’s activities as a commercial processing centre ie back offices in building societies will always be required. Generates work with lawyers. Rents are low, wages are low. This is a genuine strength and unique to Bradford.
Bradford doesn’t have the infrastructure for existing businesses eg Princes Drinks, so difficult to attract new ones.
Cultural diversity is another unique selling point. If we really buy into this, gives everybody an equal and powerful say in partnership. Everybody can be part of it and it involves looking forward not backwards.
Add to this view of building on strengths; Bradford has industry close to the city centre which brings people close to the centre.
Recognised that the degree of separation is quite big at the moment.
Need for Bradford to be more wealthy. For this to happen means education. Very rare to be able to start a business without a good education. One of Bradford’s long term needs is for a change in education. Looking 20 years ahead, what’s done now is absolutely critical. Need a seismic shift in how we fund education. Tremendous reluctance from politicians to put ££ into education because of their short term attitude. The rewards are longer term.
Vision: much better educated gives greater potential for wealth. We can’t predict what businesses we’ll be in in 20- 40 years time any more than could be done 40 years ago. You just find your own way.
Point made that businesses in Bradford are profitable but the wealth isn’t being disposed of in Bradford.
How can business and the Council work together on this jointly?
Partnerships have been set up. In some cases the council will have to let go of somethings which they aren’t so good at. Lot of people have spent time being involved in the vision; they won’t come again unless something comes out of it.
Need to separate sentiment from economic reality. Business won’t take big decisions just in the interests of Bradford. However will do small scale stuff. Few years ago there was an unrealistic view that the private sector would come up with £167M. There was a perception by some members of the council that business was just there to write cheques.
If the council wants to be seen as business friendly, then the council needs to get the mundane things right eg planning requests, responses to local searches. If these things are right then local managers of big companies will get a favourable impression which will make them more likely to encourage their parent to invest in Bradford if appropriate.
Limit requests to business to what can be expected. Otherwise will just get warm words but nothing will happen. When business does step outside, don’t take them for granted eg current problems with Filtronic both locally and from RDA.
Have to remember that are dealing with entrepreneurs not the Textile industry any longer. The two cultures are very different. Filtronic aren’t tied to Bradford.
What can the council do?
Council can take the lead in a way it’s never done before. Business feels alienated rather than hostile. Needs a total shift in attitude.
Business can show Stakis video to employees and tell them what the council is doing. Larger employers will probably be able to engage their people to help.
Council can clean up the District in a way that’s never happened before. Enlist support of T & A, local radio. Get ownership. Every body wants a clean city; people need the leadership and support. Not sure how to go about it, how to challenge people who litter. The weeds, rubbish etc are appalling. Would be very tangible evidence that something is happening. Rhetoric needs to be deleted.
How is the Council going to go about it? What changes in Council operation will occur?
Council not held in high regard. Seen as too political in the way it operates and responds. Story won’t be believed. Needs much greater marketing. Noted that recent comment by T & A encouraging people to shop in Bradford was a huge change.
What might be the quick wins/first steps?
Litter, gateways into the city, Influence the way developers view Bradford. Natural tension anyway. Need to make them feel more comfortable.
Yorkshire Water’s experience after the drought in 1995: concentrate on 1 or 2 issues. Do it in a high profile way with a high profile leader. Spend money very quickly on 1 or 2 places and follow through.
Streamline council. The no compulsory redundancy policy will have to go. Got to have shifts in resources. More resource eg for education will have to come from inside.
What can we do for the smaller towns eg Bingley which also have run down centres, not just Bradford city centre,
Airport could be used to promote Bradford just as much as Leeds.
Evaluation/feedback on meeting
Need to put an agenda out before hand, some participants didn’t realise that these consultations were part of a bigger campaign of consultating. venue good.
Ask subsequent guests if these kinds of meetings are the best way of reaching them.
Need I. Greenwood at these meetings, but not being defensive or belligerent.
IS wants to take draft vision/strategy back for consultation. Let people know through Breakthrough how we’ve got on. IS surprised by the comments on need for a sea change (within council). Liked the comments that business may be able t get theor employees involved.
Present:
Brian Burton - Chair Bradford Breakthrough
Ashgar Chugtai - MD Anzeck Plastics
Howard Bell - CEO Provident Financial
Tim Blott - MD Bradford and District Newspapers
Mike Willett - Area Manager HSBC
Ian Stewart
Ian Greenwood
In Attendance: Diana Cook
HB:Where do government and Council fit together; never quite sure
Government has the major influence, but council can have some influence. In terms of vision, need to do what’s within the power of Bfd to deliver. In the past we tried to do things which we didn’t have the ability to deliver so optimism was eroded. Prisoner of the system. Compared to business, the council has to put it into the public arena sooner. Because of this, we don’t want to get carried away with 2020.
MW: Will the money be available?
IG: yes. Any plan isn’t just about the council. The council isn’t a nanny state in miniature.
IS: Where do you as business leaders want the district to be in 2020?The council needs to listen.
BB: Bradford Uni Management Centre was an established winner in the European Quality award with Prof John Oakland. However they hardly ever got a platform in this area. Failed to identify the jewels in the crown, and if we did, we didn’t exploit them. Would really like to see Bfd go for the European Q award. Would give the vision a structure and can involve the whole community. A few European cities have done this.
Important to use a vehicle. Could be combined with City of Culture in 2006. AC agreed with use of Q as an idea. Would need to have targets for 3/6 months and not just sit down and talk about it. Has to be done as a team. The whole community could be involved.
The corridors into the city are derelict, not many beautiful entries into the city.. Several anecdotes of bringing parent companies into Bfd for the first time and trying to do it without depressing people.
TB: felt the council had done more in the last few months than in last few years. There is some movement and it is very welcomed. There was an enormous fear that it would be lost in waffle. The city has tremendous qualities. Need to focus on them and make the most of them. Focus on opportunities.
TB: Would like to see trams (like Sheffield ) in 20 years time. Would give character and transport. Brings together some of character the city desperately needs. Retail has died and is sorely needed. Infrastructure desperately needed eg park/ride in places like Oxford/York.
IS: Cleanliness, regeneration transport have already been identified as important issues. TB felt cleanliness was a particular issue. Needed to be fast, effective and efficient. IG made the point that many of the people who "do" the bins are green card holders (disabled) so although it’s praiseworthy to employ people in this way, it doesn’t create the impression of efficiency.
HB: Cleanliness needs to be a crusade. Viewed as one that we’ll win, that we commit resource, effort, and inspiration. Set a real example, concentrate on changing attitudes.
MW: start with city centre rather than outlying districts. Needs to be attitudinal. Look after your part of the environment for the benefit of all. Becomes social pressure to do it.
TB: Need an educational "keep it tidy" campaign. Concentrate on a few aspects chewing gum, fag ends were previously identified as the worst problems. Need the focus to eradicate these, then move onto the next ones.
IG: would be meaningless just to do city centre. The council has the powers to serve injunctions on people who have rubbish on their property. In some cases this has led to the "victim" being prosecuted. Black bags don’t help.
If prosecuted people for dumping, it does carry some weight. Mixture of culture change and reinforcement.
IS: What can we do jointly?
BB: started to do it already. Fact that we’re sat round here, first time there’s been this sort of forum. IS/IG have declared ownership and have put their names on documentation committing to significant and important projects. Applauds what’s happening.
Issue of Filtronic brought up as an example of significant things which still need to be done.
IS: Idea of getting employees involved, getting schools involved. MW: HSBC have traditionally always been fund raisers. Have ~50% employee involvement . People don’t want rewards in £ rather in recognition. Creates a reputation for service, which in turn is good for customers.
TB: Have the opportunity to name and shame businesses which don’t get involved. Often just get the same people who always get involved.
BB: identified the council’s cavalier attitude to business in the mid 80s so there is a history to why some businesses aren’t interested.
TB: University is changing slightly in that it’s trying to attract people locally, not just getting people in from outside. Business needs to do the same.
AC: 20/30 years ago Bfd was a vibrant city, we can do the same with new technology eg Pace, Filtronic.
IG: on problem that Filtronic had with Council; need to get people lower down the public sector to ask the questions, not just the CEO and Leader. Have to break down segmented views. Criticisms of public sector are fair; high risk strategy for IG himself.
What are the first steps and quick wins?
Need to see tangible progress
BB: Leeds Bfd rail link; highly visible IG new kit on its way.
HB: Seen the effects of better policing near his site re: prostitutes. Need a series (say 20) of actions like this which may be small but keep the interest. Short and sharp quick wins.
AC: Blitz on cleanliness. Need to educate,advertise. Could target fast food outlets. TB: It’s a cultural issue; the depot where the cleaners work from is a dismal dump.Need to profile the corridors into the city. Nail your colours to the mast. Get big business in particular to sponsor.
TB: noted the changes that had already taken place in transport infrastructure, council structure. We want this sort of drive.
What else would excite people?
CCTV is central to safer city centre. Harrogate council used partnerships with CCTV. Need to encourage people to come into city centre with vibrant nightlife, better shops. Could have a hit list of shops want to attract into Bfd. Commented that people who shop in Bfd generally do so because they have to. The real spenders don’t live in Bfd. When Harvey Nicks moved to Leeds it was perceived that Leeds was now acceptable. Conversely, when Bfd lost Brown Muffs it had the opposite effect.
IS Summarising
Education; more ££ shortly being spent. Wants wealth generation, jobs creation
Intend to put together an outline of vision and ask people for their views. Don’t want a subsidy approach to situation For instance the community at Royds has done a lot for themselves.
Vision will be launched Jan/Feb. Depends partly on the RDA. TB: expressed serious concern about the RDA; has it instituted an extra layer of government. Needs to be that local priorities influence the RDA, not the other way round.
London is looking at Bfd now; looking to see if there will any changes in the way policies work and relationship with local community.
BB: suggested "city bus tours" warts and all for local business etc.
TB: need to see different cultures in a positive not a negative light; make it a strength
Present:
Rob Fleming - Operations Director Pace Micro Technology Ltd
Michael Parkinson - Chairman Airedale Springs
David Wilkinson - CEO Bradford TEC
Andrew Cameron - Site Operations Director Cytec Industries
Chris Caisley - Chairman Bradford Bulls
Jeff Frankel - Director, Sydneys the Jewellers
Trevor Higgins - BT
Ian Stewart
Ian Greenwood
In attendance: Diana Cook
Apologies: Malcolm Gibson MD W & I Whitehead
Where do you as business leaders want the District to be in 2020?
JF: Get the city centre right. Doesn’t have to be grandiose but can be done immediately. Sees the problem as one of insufficient supervision at the bottom although plenty of mangers. AC: Has a lot of overseas visitors who wonder why the city is like it is; doesn’t look loved or cared for. RF: Helicopters visitors in to avoid visitors getting a bad impression. Possible to change it as has been done.
CC: works in Leeds and has seen the changes there. Bfd gets compared unfavourably with Leeds. Leeds has positioned itself as the regional capital; Bfd appears as a tiny island surrounded by Leeds,Kirklees etc even though it’s the 4th largest MDC. This perception needs to be changed.
JF: Aware that there’s a plan before council to remove displays outside shops. Also the attitude within the council of it’s not my job has to be changed.
TH: For 20 years hence need to look at factors other than hygiene factors. What’s Bfd’s niche? Look at what Bfd’s good at.
MP: felt Bfd was seeking an identity. Problem lay in the bfd "and district" issue. Keighley’s only relation with Bfd is the post code. The metropolitan district is in need of an identity. RF: thought Bfd had an identity but not the one that was wanted eg bad press from low economy and racial issues. Bfd is in the shadow of Leeds. Reversing this will be a problem.
IG: Can’t compete with Leeds professionally; we’re in competition with Lombardy, Tuscany etc not Leeds. Leeds also has a "doughnut" of deprivation around the city centre but they’ve cracked the image problem. Leader always says "Leeds is booming". CC: Need to look at niche areas where Bfd can compete eg museums, sport.
MP: Have separate towns and villages. Want cohesion, not uniformity. The differences between the areas will probably mean less than they do no but the change has to be gradual. Signs (saying welcome to bfd) are just plastic. Image isn’t at peace with itself internally. Up to us to put the pride back into Bradford. We have to challenge the (negative views).
What do people think the niche is?
Whatever it is, it needs to satisfy people in the area.
What are we good at: international trade. CC: Bfd Bulls have persuaded people that what they do can have an impact. Need to feel they’re part of it. Want people o be proud to say they’re from Bradford.
In the past , council said it would do things, they didn’t happen and people get deflated.
IG: recognised that in the past the political establishment was insular, inward looking and parochial. Not concentrated on delivery. Less easy for the council to keep discussions quiet until plans/thoughts are further forward. Bfd sometimes gets tied up in the process.The relationship with the T & A has been tetchy in the past, better now with T.Blott, relationship better though started from a low base. The fact the council political makeup tends to swing doesn’t help. Wakefield for instance is relatively stable.
There are good officers in the council, others who are less so; watch ths space for management changes.
How do we make process easier for developers so that planners don’t put obstacles in the way. Leeds process seems a lot easier. Need a one stop shop for inward investment. A "can do " culture is absolutely crucial. Need a responsive attitude from people and the ability to accept the new and change.
How can we work together/jointly?
Need the confidence that the council will deliver. One stop shop concept again even on mundane matters. Perception of lots of different directorates, a"dogs dinner".
Can capitalise on biggest asset, a growing population.
MP: We’re fearful to talk about racial issues. Being politically correct is strangling communications. The word "integrate "is seen as not accebtable. We need to discourage that which divides. How do we tolerate an "Asian Business Forum". We can’t go on pretending. Nobody genuinely addressing it without being pilloried. What are we doing to crack it; if we don’t we’re heading for problems.
DW:why do we have a "Keighley Business Forum?" Cohesion is the key.
History behind these separate business organisations; Chamber of Commerce used to be racist and in Bfd have a fragmented business sector.
IS: We've identified the obstacles; what can we do?
• Open up Bfd Congress; it’s too city centred.
• Physical communications ie rail/road links
• Removal of fear, encourage openness
• Marketing of district
IS: What can we do jointly?
AC: difficult to get materials in/out of Bfd so Cytec can’t invest more on the site because of the infrastructure.
RF: reasonable amount of labour, level of education needs addressing. The University is struggling. Pace have found the council and TEC wonderful. The "ambassadors" scheme not a good idea; need to creep up on people, be surreptitious about promoting Bfd. The labour force has proved incredibly adaptable. Getting 100 new graduates to com to Bfd was a problem; once they’re here, they like it because of good value housing, easy access to countryside and Leeds city centre. Staff turnover is v. low.
CC: Council needs to deliver something; a stadium would be a magnificent advertisement. People need to be proud of whatever it is. Our role is to sell Bfd. 30/40% of Bulls supporter base is outside Bfd District.
IS: First steps/quick wins?
JF: City centres, signs on motorways
Delivery against current promises:
Pace trying to work with University to keep engineers here by using the Electronics dept to keep graduates by letting them do further degrees. Going through agonies with this.
DW: Quick hits underscore cleanliness. Cohesion v important. People need something to hang their hat on. If provide the right environment people will keep the place clean.
CC: his marketing people can reach 50,000 school children, opportunity for education on litter issue.
IS: conclusions: come back to business with draft findings. Have regular get togethers. JO: Try to break barriers down and get a proper dialogue. Business and the ordinary punter has been ignored and treated with a cavalier attitude to a certain extent. MP: Don’t emphasise mistakes; need to lookforward.
Present:
Kevin Bond - CEO Kelda Group
Christopher Rodgrigues - CEO Bradford and Bingley
Rhys Marks - Chairman A H Marks
Gordon Black - Chairman Peter Black Holdings
Michael Johnson - Leader Harrogate Council /RDA
Ian Stewart
Ian Greenwood
In attendance: Diana Cook
What could/should Bradford look like in 20 years?
GB: Main concern is infrastructure. Keighley is even worse. Access to west is OK but to the East it’s a colossal deterrent.. Bingley by pass will just move the blockage. For his business Keighley is loosing out to the Midlands. It’s just not efficient enough.
RM: Needs to build on its image. Trying to wave the Bradford flag can get v. frustrating. Need to cast off the past of the wool industry. Brochures are good but not enough.. Wants to be new and vibrant. Need to bring the Asian community in as much as possible; community is insular. Respect that but need to be brought into the city. Wants to be sen as a friendly multiracial city which works. Have a time bomb there. If we tackle it right could work in our favour.
KB: What is the vision here? Compare with Leeds, Bristol, Manchester Bfd doesn’t have a strong driving image. Can be an opportunity as well as a problem. Centre is going through a natural cycle of redevelopment which is an opportunity. Hearts of cities are important. Telecommunications are changing patterns of work. For business people going to London less will be a huge change.
What can we do?
Bfd needs to use its intellectual knowledge more eg the University has been too sloppy and slow
Physical environment needs to be safe, more policing, attractive, leisure and retail
CR: About to see a significant structural change. The competitive advantage that most communities have now will go away. Something very fundamental is changing akin to the coming of the railways. Infrastructure issue is huge. The change is geometric rather than an arithmetic progression. Web based aspects. Acts of faith about what might happen. His Board is asking him why he isn’t spending more investigating issues like this. Winning communities will have the skills to deal with these types of environments; bing in the vanguard of a web enabled world. In terms of cultural diversity, a lot of software development is done in India; why not in Bfd? Might just be starting this at the right time.
MJ: Need quick actions, manage future from the present. What should Bfd be doing now to position people for the future? Education is major though it won’t pay off for 10/15 years.
Need support for SMEs. Will always need plumbers and hairdressers. In effect we are entering the 3rd Industrial revolution where there will be no resource constraints. Need to develop the economy to get there.
Cross community building exercise. Infrastructure, training, skills, support for businesses in neo natal period not just at set up stage.
KB: Council can be an honest broker facilitating the vision. Needs to be seen to have high quality people, not just numbers of people. Both really good technical people and people to reinforce confidence, vision down to planning. Bfd has a young growing population; positive asset.
GB: Perception as important as reality. Big PR job to be done. Play to advantages of areas like Ilkley; these areas need to have their own identity as peoples loyalty is to Keighley/flkley rather than Bfd.
KB: Look at how York university set out to change itself both in research and teaching. Identified what they were lacking, then went out and bought the skill sets they needed. Traditionally councils haven’t operated like this. If do will upset people, but that’s tough.
RM: In terms of involvement in charities, Marks don’t involve themselves with national charities, concentrate on local issues ie schools.
CR: There are problems for long term visions because of political changes.
IS: Task is more to create a vision which is robust enough to survive political changes. Future is more important than position in party.
CR:This is too big for the political process. Can we do it here?
MJ: In terms of the political process, usually disagree about the means to an end rather than the end in itself. Cannot divorce politics from decision making. Can rise above the bickering and feuding but cannot escape from decision making.
KB: Suggested a 12/18 month project looking at what other cities are doing. Iterative process; what would need to come out of such a project would be something which people can see and get a flavour for; generates excitement. Degree of bravery in doing something like this, but then that’s life. Need conviction in politics rather than consensus.
GB: Got to start somewhere; priorities need to be set.
IS What would be the first steps to convince people that something was happening?
Needs to be tangible. GB: PR works in many ways; would need professional input on this.
KB: Who are the brightest people in the organisation; pull them out put up with the squeals from line management and tell these people to come back in 4 weeks with a plan for the next 6 months on how you would tackle this. Involve architects, planners, visuals. Talk to individual business leaders about their business plans. This is what the Victorians did.
CR: Engage the university/business school for out of the box thinking. Who do we want to influence?
MJ: "Young Turks" team <35 whose job is to look 30 years ahead. Stirred up a hornet’s nest, but this was what was wanted.
KB: Can be done. Glasgow’s image is v. good but the reality is different. Yorkshire Insiders for good young people. Use secondments in/out of organisations. CR:
commented on secondments that those involved need to have something they can influence in the short term otherwise will just become a cog in the wheel.
IS: asked guests if they would be prepared to comment on an outline vision/strategy in 5/6 weeks time indicated it would be sent out rather than get people together again.; reply was yes.
Present:
Julian Cummins - RDA / Avista Ltd
John Richardson - Provost of Bradford
Brian Donkersley, - Paul Dean Halifax plc
David Clegg - Finance Director, Denso Marston
Ron Lasseter - MD, Shires
Jeffrey Richmond - Chairman, Bfd City Football Club
Amjad Pervez - MD, Seafresh
Chris Hainsworth - MD, Marsylka
Paul Jagger - RDA /TUC
Michael Pendle - MD, Abbey National
Sandy Needham Director, - Chamber of Commerce
Mark Regan, Elizabeth Tolchard - MD, Marketing Director, The Regent Group
Ian Stewart
Ian Greenwood
In Attendance: Diana Cook
What will Bfd be like in 2020?
Build on sporting achievements, Bfd still in premier league. New industries, financial sector.
RL: Need to get away from manufacturing. Some of manufacturing won’t be here ie for his own business, probably will have been costed out and manufacturing off shore. This is national problem, not just local.
MP: Imbalance of call centres. Internet will replace these and call centres will become advice centres to help people use the Internet services. Will be operating 24 hrs a day so people will want safe transport/ parking into work at all times. Current working patterns will change.
PJ: Address education and training so that for instance when call centres are replaced employees are able to respond and quickly. Attitudes to class and ethnicity need to change; Bfd could be a window on the world.
AP: Future work force will come from ethnic background. People tend to assume that people are still from India/Pakistan. Not the case now. Are dealing with people who were mostly born here and see Bfd as their city; India and Pakistan are foreign countries. Need to see integration from both communities; both need to look at themselves and genuinely engage. If we fail, we won’t harness these strengths.
DC: Will have some Manufacturing; need the education to encourage people to go into both manufacturing and service sectors.
BD: To educate blindly is pointless, what industries will we be in. RL:Does the government care about manufacturing ? CH: Garment manufacture mostly done off shore.
We can’t change trend. We can do things to make Bfd more attractive ie image, lively shops, more attractive centre so that people want to live and work in the centre.
JR:20 years ago Pace emerged. Nobody imagined this would happen ie entrepreneurs. Things we can do: inject a different air. We have a dirty city, dreadful parking. There is a lack of a "feel good" factor. People tell others that it’s bad. General lack of pride, a big PR piece is required. There have been vast improvements made, part of turning it round, still a long way to go. Need to move from the remedial to progress, need to be seen to be on the front foot rather than catching up all the time.
IG: Bfd’s humour is down beat. There is a lot to be proud of. Believes there will be manufacturing but it will be different to what we have now eg Pace are in high viol/low value whereas Filtronic are high value.
In the past the council has been insular; it cannot be the district as this removes the responsibility from other parties. Need to pull everybody back into this. Need to deliver on the analysis.
IS: How can we work together?
SN: Infrastructure needs to be good, flexible. Processes for investment need to be speedier. Partnerships work, are superb, at the high levels. Once get below senior people, more of a problem.
Education; can’t predict what skills we need. need to get the basic maths and English right. Then work with organisations to develop the specific skills they require.
PJ: Not a vibrant city; left a hole in the centre. Need high quality communication I transport.
IS: How do we make it happen?
JC:The economic and social aspects need to be one agenda. Can’t predict skills for 5 yrs time. Have some very specific short term education requirements. Collapsing new product development times; use the FE colleges for things like this. As well as the hard skills, need self-confidence, a belief in the future. This is absent in many parts of Bfd; there is a sense of desperation. Business doesn’t think about community enterprise.
IS: How could business work with the community?
BD: Hard to cost this, business is always under pressure to cut costs. Can only be peripheral unless there’s a bigger force.
JR: When people work here they live, goes towards business and the social aspects working together. Look at lessons from history. Wool brokers built City Hall.
IG: There is a belief that it’s either / or the private I public sector. Needs to be both.
AP: His business is growing at an alarming rate. Needs to know which are the potential brown field sites for development. Then he can get on and do the rest himself. JG: Let business make their decisions and leave politicians to get on with theirs.
IS: Any other ways of working together?
Responsibility of the council to clean up. A lot’s been done but we haven’t got out of the habit of littering. Goes back to education and good citizenship.
IC: Encourage effective partnerships. Bfd hasn’t had such effective partnerships. Output needs to be concrete. Two sacred cows have to be tackled:
• Stop being frightened of the concept of elected mayors. Provides a focus.
• Concept of better roads infrastructure is nonsense in the political context; business has to recognise that we’re not in a road building era. Also effects of e commerce.
IG: Response: in terms of elected mayors, he’s not convinced that everybody would have an equal opportunity because of racial issues.
There has been too much emphasis on process/structure issues and insufficient on policy and delivery.
Still need a city centre even if there was less need to travel for work because people like to congregate. Vibrant centres are crucial.
IS: What outcomes would indicate we’re moving forward?
Good stories about things that have worked, shout about the success of the Nat Photog. Museum. Media coverage Bfd gets is mostly negative except for the Museum. Need to publicise that £558M has been spent on regeneration.
IS: What else would signal to you and the community that things were changing?
ET: Attract big names in retail; we don’t have Rackhams or designer shops. Can we learn from Leeds how they did it? Can we use their strategies? People aspire to be better. City centre currently aimed at low incomes, low aspirations.
JR: Build Odsal, new market; ethnic cooking shops. Declare a war on litter. Can be done; give it a high profile.
RL: Would be prepared to sponsor and get his employees involved.
MP: Need a prominent public figure, JR on the radio a PR front man. There’s also a real opportunity for Bfd to go first for an elected Mayor (IG: not possible for 3 yrs). Need a leader to get behind. Eating elephants and getting overfaced. Get smaller things sorted out and the bigger strategies will follow. Establish good relationships with journalists, national as well as local (JR: don’t need journalists for this)
Make bigger stories out of things we already have eg North of Watford, festival, city of culture 2006.
IG: summing up. Don’t see these meetings as one offs. Will continue to engage business community. Partnerships are not about structure but belief.
IS: Wants to share vision. Go back to business in 4/5 weeks time and share outline.
Want to launch in January.
Secondents of approx 40 people from within the Council currently under discussion.
Present:
Charles Dent - Managing Director Timothy Taylor & Co Ltd
Catherine Riley - Kirkgate Centre Manager
Dr Keith Howard M- anaging Director MCB University Press
Mike Hammond - Bradford & Bingley/ Bfd Breakthrough
Robert Allen - Senior Partner Eddisons Commercial
Mike Wormald- Managing Director P 5 Turner Construction
Jan Stewart
Philip Robinson
In attendance Diana Cook
Where do you as business leaders want the District to be in 2020?
CR: Need to get the basics right now; gateways, city centre cleansing. These are major hurdles that need to be overcome now.
KH: What’s the intention for city centre development; Poulson 60s and 70s buildings create a horrible impression. May be cosmetic but important. Bfd has a lot to be proud of in terms of both architecture and industrial, commercial strengths.
CD: In his business, he can’t budget more than 1 year ahead. Depends on successful pay packets. —~ 25-30% of his customers will close down in short term because of effects of coping with regulations and taxation. The people he sells to (small pubs, clubs) are in effect small retail units. The big retail buyers have the strengths. Anybody who is an exporter is being hit by the strong £. His company have got over some of the issues by managing the pubs themselves as small tenants can’t handle the issues.
In terms of the council, there needs to an efficient, quick turnaround in depts such as Planning and a positive attitude to how the rules are exercised.
CR: Every retail business is struggling, people operating on the margin. Its not just the M & Ss with higher management issues to sort out. In this environment need not to be coming up against obstacles in Planning for instance. The Council is seen as short sighted, blinkered and with a lack of joined up thinking.
RA: 30-50 years ago Bfd was a very rich city, family businesses now decimated. People don’t spend money in Bfd, quality of shops has come down. Need to change from negative to proactive. Planning applications a good example: how can we find a reason not to do it. Big projects such as Eurocam, Odsal have been around for 10 years and still haven’t come to fruition. Need fresh air into the way things are done. Council tends to get too involved. Just need to get jobs, wealth creation. The rest will follow.
KH: Bfd can’t be all things to all men. Need to pick areas of potential. Some may go to the wall. Bfd can compete in electronics; matter of responsiveness; do need to look 10 years ahead. A year or 2 ago, Bfd was expected to go down a hole; opportunity there now to pick up. Need to cut through the political constraints.
MW: His company part of a £300M plc. Over the years seen Leeds get ahead. Seen as dynamic, go ahead, makes it easy. He builds for industry; been in the position of pleading with the Council to get through schemes which will bring jobs to the area.. Bfd makes it so hard for successful companies.
MH: In isolation, decisions might be OK, but there’s been too many of them. His concern with 2020 is need to ensure that something happens. How do we make sure its carried forward and not still just on paper in 6 months time.
What would signify change to you?
RA: 6 tower cranes
CD: talking to people like us is almost unheard of in the past.
Mismatch between council officers and political will, "over my dead body", intransigence in planning.
CR: City centre project as an example. Council city centre Manager can’t be proactive because she spends all her time chasing contractors, not getting cooperation from other council employees. Prudential (CR’s employer) is assessing whether it’s worth investing in this project again. Need to look at alternative ways of doing things; example of Coventry is a bit extreme but do need to do something different. Performance indicators.
CD: Need to make it attractive for leaders to live "near the mill." For this need clean, safe streets, good schools. Don’t follow the example of Harrogate and get involved, council needs to be a good effective facilitator, enabler. Makes sure things get done.
MH: Speed up processes, not necessarily say yes to everything. Get rid of unnecessary delays.
MW: Change attitude to how it can be done.
RA: Just need to get existing schemes going. Developments going to happen and then don’t. Council needs to be an enabler and not get too involved.
KH: Leeds were dedicated almost ruthless about working with the private sector despite being a fairly left wing Labour council. Bfd still has a village mentality whereas Leeds has a city mentality. Broader view needed ie Leeds council prepared to put what they have in the pot for the greater good whereas Bfd its more what can Bfd get out of it. "Best value" can get in the way.
Some council officers think business is always trying to "do the council over". Not comfortable with the concept of business making a profit.
CD: Full marks to council for having breakfast meetings. Not impressed with survey form based on SWOT. Be careful how interpret results.
More potential in Bfd than Leeds.
IS: Leeds Council good at putting what they’ve got in the pot and then letting it happen.
RA: Council needs to help when its needed eg at Salts where mostly done by business.
CD: If council can get a name as a facilitator, business will come.
CR: city centre manager needs to be divorced from council and have some clout.
CR: Bfd has a huge resource of growing indigenous population. Have the resource to fuel new industries.
CD: Tremendous skills available in old West Riding.
CR: Rawson market is an absolute eyesore; it’s a tip. Council weren’t in touch with operators. Tried to get too involved. Retail businesses in city centre have been systematically bankrupted because council couldn’t see what was happening in front of them.
Council wants to sell sites for max ££ rather than getting people onto sites, many of which have low value because they’re next to burnt out buildings etc. Council needs to get out of asset ownership. Would give big savings in terms of running the council. Re: re development plans already in place for city centre (demolition Central House etc) got a developer who’s out of their depth. Means less likely hood that it will be delivered.
Present:
Stephen Davidson - Headteacher Bradford Boys Grammar School
David Shaw - Managing Director Bronte Foods
John Pennington - Pennington’s Variety Club
Chris Jones - Director Door Systems Design
Ian Stewart
In Attendance: Diana Cook
JP: People have stopped thinking, would rather grumble than do something about it. Lack of motivation. Need to get education right. CJ: sees same in his young lads (employees). Level of candidates for jobs is sad.
JP: Levels of crime abysmal; 6 officers in city centre at night. SD: See very little trouble in Leeds city centre.
SD: Leeds is a very aggressive city; they may lose sight of their original objectives.
CJ: Need to get shopping back into city centre. [Crime] ..it’s got acceptable to create havoc. [In relation to not turning up for work.. . .lack of parental control and even with support from parents, still can’t get through to young people.
JP: Seen a huge drug problem; CI: had problems amongst his employees.
CD: Has children who want to be in school; they know they will be disgraced if get involved in drugs at school.
JP: Drug pushers and the pimps are the problem rather than the drug users and prostitutes themselves. With car crime, police know who the persistent offenders are.
SD: Need people to have the confidence to come into the city. People who live in the Wharfe valley will look for independent education first in N Yorkshire then come to Bradford rather than Leeds. For shopping and entertainment, they will go to Leeds.Parents look to independent school education because they want quality of education and academic qualifications. Many parents believe in selective education and want their children to be where "its cool to do well" if put bright boys and girls together. Parents also want their children to experience social and cultural diversity and don’t want to see their children in a cultural elite.
JP: independent sector has done so well because are offering quality. Dixons CTC is a beacon; every school should be like Dixons where every child is a salesperson for the school. CJ: has had good experiences with placements of students from Dixons using their IT skills.
JP: Rank and file schools in city have polarised into white and black.
JP: How do we get the prosperity back? There’s nothing of any quality in the city. City centre car parking is also a problem.
SD: Need to clean buildings.
CJ: do something about crime, fast track ,punishment to fit the crime, problems with police bureaucracy.
JP: Get an outside consultant to look at traffic management; what makes a shopping centre work, crime prevention, shops and parking. People wan to and need to live in a city centre. There have been some conversions recently of old buildings into city centre flats. SD: This has happened in Manchester; business people now live in the city centre. Need to do this for pride.
JP: A lot of the council people are "grey". Can’t get decisions out of them. If don’t have enthusiasm in employees, have a basic problem.
SD: However hard individual institutions try, are beating your head against a brick wall.
IS: Problems have been tackled the wrong way round; been pouring money into social support; need to generate wealth
SD: Boston USA) turned a vandalised area into a marqued market. Rawson market is a disgrace. People from Bradford aren’t shopping in Bfd.
What would tell people we were moving in a different direction?
Be able to leave your car in the city centre at night.
Business men involved in city. It’s got to be apparent they have been listened to and have a certain amount of bite. Generally people are against the council (tax payment).
SD: Council needs to be prepared to take unpleasant decisions on the chin.
DS: What are you going to do for business?
IS: Council facilitate business, not get heavily involved in actually running things themselves. It gets the council into things which shouldn’t be involved in. For instance a separate Board has been set up to manage 2006 City of Culture project.