Latest news with #TransformingCities
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Visitor numbers to Bradford rise - but are they spending money?
After a year of severe disruption in Bradford city centre, the number of people visiting to shop or eat is going up. There has been a 25% increase in footfall in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024, according to the Bradford Business Improvement District (BID). The organisation, which represents 600 firms, said last year's figure was severely impacted by roadworks to pedestrianise parts of the centre, and the unexpected closure of the main bus station. But has this resurgence translated to increased spending in independent businesses? The BBC asked traders whether they have seen the high street start to recover. Amy Berry manages The Cake'ole cafe in City Park. She says: "I think it's been a lot better. The buses coming back (into the Interchange) have fixed a lot of the problems. "And then especially with all the events that City of Culture 2025 has brought in. We've had a lot of footfall, it's been pretty good." Ms Berry, 27, has worked in the cafe since it opened in 2019. "We were still trying to come back from Covid. A lot of people were still a bit scared to come out. "It's definitely a lot busier than we were then. "But I think we're now maybe back to where we were pre-Covid, maybe even a bit busier." The pedestrianisation work was part of a £48m Transforming Cities investment which was supposed to be completed before the start of Bradford's City of Culture year. It was only finished in May - five months after the cultural showcase's opening night. The Interchange was closed for safety reasons in January 2024 after a chunk of concrete fell from an underground car park, and only fully reopened this month. Ibrahim Eryatmaz runs Benim furniture shop on Market Street. He says: "I think more people are on the street because Market Street is open for pedestrians. "I can see there are more people but business is still low. "For us it's very low now but if you sell coffees, maybe small items, maybe for them it's potentially better. "But we are a furniture shop and who's passing along this street doesn't have a big effect for us." The 52-year-old did praise Bradford Council, which has halved business rates to encourage more traders to set up in the city centre. But he says many Bradfordians are still cautious when it comes to spending their money on bigger items. John Varey opened his florist's shop with his wife Lisa at the start of the year and has had a promising first few months of trading. "I've seen massive growth from when I first moved in. "Obviously we moved in in winter so we can't really gauge it compared to last year apart from figures. "We got the sales figures from the shop from last year and we've kind of almost doubled what they were doing." Mr Varey, 58, says the high rents being charged by private landlords who are often not based in Bradford does not help businesses thrive in the city centre. Elsewhere, Leeds and Wakefield have seen increases year-on-year in the number of people coming into their centres while Halifax, which is undergoing a £64m town centre improvement project, has seen a fall. Jonny Noble, chief executive of Bradford BID, says the 25% footfall boost has to be viewed in the context of a very low starting point last year. "There is no doubt that 2024 was a tough year for city centre businesses due to ongoing roadworks and the sudden closure of the Interchange. "However we're now seeing strong signs of recovery. "We know there's still work to do, and we're under no illusions - regenerating the city centre takes time and continued effort." He highlights events like the BID's recent Soapbox Challenge as well as those organised by the UK City of Culture 2025 team and the council as reasons why more people are coming into Bradford. Mr Noble adds that he is "optimistic about further increases in footfall, dwell time, and overall business confidence." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. City centre regeneration plans take step forward People urged to return to city centre as works end
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
E-bike hire scheme withdrawal 'a mess'
A councillor has described the withdrawal of an e-bike hire scheme in east Dorset six months after it was launched as "a mess". Dorset councillor Ray Bryan, who oversaw the original contract, said it was bad publicity to see the scheme come to an end, weeks after the council had finished spending millions of pounds on new cycleways in the area. The project offered 122 Beryl Bikes, operating from 47 bays across Wimborne, Colehill, West Parley, West Moors and Ferndown. Dorset Council said not enough people were renting the bikes, with many choosing to ride their own instead. The scheme was paid for with £240,000 from a Community Infrastructure Levy fund and £23,000 from a Transforming Cities fund, plus £224,000 from Beryl Bikes. In November 2024, Beryl Bikes told the council at the three-year break point in the contract it would be pulling out of the area because it was "not viable". Mr Bryan said: "I can't tell you how damaging this has been in the east Dorset area. "People can't understand why this council has spent millions on providing cycleways and, within weeks of us having finished the cycleways, Beryl withdrew the service." He said Dorset Council was wrong to rely on information from Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) about the viability of the scheme and should have carried out its own checks. Councillors were told that, while the company looked at population figures, the age profile of the area appeared not to have been investigated. The area has one of the highest elderly populations in the country, while the bike scheme users are predominantly under 40. Wimborne councillor Shane Bartlett said the Beryl Bikes decision had been "hugely disappointing" and had not helped commuters. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. E-bike hire scheme withdrawn due to low demand New e-bike hire scheme set to launch Dorset Council Beryl
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dorset councillor says e-bike hire scheme withdrawal 'a mess'
A councillor has described the withdrawal of an e-bike hire scheme in east Dorset six months after it was launched as "a mess".Dorset councillor Ray Bryan, who oversaw the original contract, said it was bad publicity to see the scheme come to an end, weeks after the council had finished spending millions of pounds on new cycleways in the project offered 122 Beryl Bikes, operating from 47 bays across Wimborne, Colehill, West Parley, West Moors and Council said not enough people were renting the bikes, with many choosing to ride their own instead. The scheme was paid for with £240,000 from a Community Infrastructure Levy fund and £23,000 from a Transforming Cities fund, plus £224,000 from Beryl November 2024, Beryl Bikes told the council at the three-year break point in the contract it would be pulling out of the area because it was "not viable". Mr Bryan said: "I can't tell you how damaging this has been in the east Dorset area."People can't understand why this council has spent millions on providing cycleways and, within weeks of us having finished the cycleways, Beryl withdrew the service."He said Dorset Council was wrong to rely on information from Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) about the viability of the scheme and should have carried out its own were told that, while the company looked at population figures, the age profile of the area appeared not to have been area has one of the highest elderly populations in the country, while the bike scheme users are predominantly under councillor Shane Bartlett said the Beryl Bikes decision had been "hugely disappointing" and had not helped commuters. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Planting and new benches in city centre as pedestrianisation work reaches final stage
WORK to create new green spaces in Bradford city centre is continuing, with more trees planted and new benches installed this week. Much of the newly pedestrianised areas have been completed now, with the last remaining fencing taken down from the new planters and grassed areas. And more planting has this week been taking place in Norfolk Gardens, the new park that is being created on the former Hall Ings. Cherry Blossom trees have been planted in the new park, and this week saw more benches and 'soft landscaping' added to the space. A new bench looks out over the planted trees and soon to be green space (Image: Bradford Council) Progress has also been made on the new pathways and cycleways in the space, which Bradford Council says will 'help shape a welcoming and well-connected public space in the heart of the city centre.' Work is expected to be completed in Spring. New paving on Hall Ings (Image: Bradford Council) It is almost five years since the Transforming Cities scheme to pedestrianise areas of Bradford city centre was first announced. Funding for the scheme was first announced by Government in March 2020 as part of the West Yorkshire Devolution deal. It has been funded by central Government.
