Bradford Chamber Property Forum offers helping hand on Council regeneration schemes

The Bradford Chamber Property Forum has been liaising with key local authority officers to see how to work closer together on economic development schemes.

Bradford Chamber of Commerce has asked its Property Forum – one of its key Policy & Representation groups – to work closer with senior representatives of Bradford Council to ensure the best possible use of private sector skills, knowledge and experience is being utilised.  Senior Council officers Angela Blake and Julian Jackson met recently with the Forum’s Steering Group to talk about some of the upcoming regeneration and development schemes in the District and how to tap into the specialist business resource based within Bradford.

Walker Singleton’s Jonathan O’Connor, who chairs Bradford Chamber’s Property Forum, said:

“There’s lots of schemes in the pipeline that are going to make the city and the District more attractive to businesses, investors and visitors, and we’re keen to help push them forward and get them delivered.  There’s always a lot of pressure on the Council, and that’s become more evident recently due to increased labour market difficulties that are highlighting staff shortages, and so we’ve offered a helping hand to their senior management team to help drive schemes forward through the involvement of the private sector’s local, regional and national knowledge and networks.”

A recent meeting of the Steering Group discussed problems relating to land shortages for housing and employment, ensuring transport projects are harnessed to sound commercial and regeneration opportunities, and utilising social media for communications ad awareness-raising.

The Chamber has various business expertise groups that help to develop Policy & Representation positions, including property, manufacturing, transport and technology.  Julian Jackson, the Council’s Assistant Director for Transport, Planning & Highways, is a member of the Forum’s Steering Group, while Assistant Director for Economic Development Angela Blake sits on Bradford Chamber’s Leadership Group.