A decision to forge ahead with the regeneration of the Leeds-Bradford corridor will be made at Bradford Council's next Executive meeting.
Taking place on Tuesday 18 December, Executive members will decide whether to agree to joint working between Bradford Council and Leeds City Council to regenerate the nine-mile corridor that stretches between the two cities.
It will also decide whether to agree to a budget of £50,000 per annum for two years from each authority, and to create a staff post to take the scheme forward.
It is proposed that Bradford Council identifies £50,000 a year for two years as part of the Local Authority Business Growth Initiative (LABGI) budget process.
Work on a regeneration study was completed in July this year and since then further activity on various delivery options has been progressed, that could be carried out between the two cities. These include:
1) Employment sites and economic development;
2) Local connectivity;
4) Future housing growth and affordability;
5) Skills and employment.
A separate joint bid from Bradford and Leeds Councils and other partners to the Government's Northern Housing Challenge Programme looking at innovative housing proposals for the area was submitted during the study.
Should it be successful, it would bring a grant of £17.9m to the corridor area between 2008 and 2011, as part of a £50m programme developing 364 new homes either for sale or rent and supporting 210 people to enter training and 230 to enter employment.
Bradford Council's Executive Member for Regeneration Coun Andrew Mallinson said: "Developing and regenerating the nine-mile Leeds-Bradford corridor has huge potential and would make a significant impact on our economy and also boost our partnership working with Leeds.
"Creating better transport links, providing better houses and living conditions, and utilising skills and employment from the two cities, are other benefits and it will really compliment the other regeneration schemes taking place throughout the Bradford district."
Officer/Contact
Kate McNicholas
Senior Programmes Development Officer
Telephone: 01274 431761
Media Relations Officer
Duncan Thorne
Telephone: 01274 433526
Fax: 01274 432005
Email: press.communications@bradford.gov.uk
Date: 12.12.07
