28-02-2025
On this day: council buildings sale like 'selling the family silver'
On this day in 2024, the Telegraph and Argus reported that the proposed sale of more than 150 Bradford Council-owned buildings and assets had been compared to "selling the family silver."
The news came after the council revealed, that week, a list of assets that it was proposing to sell in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy.
The list of assets included car parks, former schools, and potential housing sites, according to the article.
The properties on the list included the Airedale Shopping Centre in Keighley, Cedar Court Hotel, the Drop Kick Pub on Huddersfield Road, Calverley Golf Course, and the Light Cinema at the Broadway Shopping Centre.
Councillor David Green said at the time: "It feels like we are selling the family silver – which some of these assets could prove to be."
A council spokesperson told the Telegraph and Argus at the time: "The intention is to initially generate £60M during 2024/5 and 2025/6, with further work during this period to bring forward more disposal opportunities for either incorporation into this time frame or for future years."
With Bradford Council facing potential bankruptcy, the authority had asked the government to agree to a "capitalisation direction" in an attempt to balance its budget.
