Launched in 2012, the Bradford City Centre Growth Scheme was created to support the economic growth and resilience of the City Centre. Alongside major investment in quality public space, the scheme has assisted 86 vacant units in being brought back into commercial use. It has also encouraged 230 businesses to either open or expand operations within a designated growth zone area. Supporting businesses through the provision of business rate rebates and capital grants for property improvements and machinery purchases, this award-winning scheme has delivered some great successes.
The challenge
The City Centre Growth Scheme was created in 2012 in response to the scale of the challenges facing the city centre. The impact of the economic downturn, and the reality of a slow recovery, suggested a renewed approach to stimulating regeneration in the city centre was required.
As a direct result of the recession, the Westfield Broadway shopping development in the city centre had stalled in 2008. The Association of Town Centre Managers' benchmarking research highlighted Bradford performed well below average for a city of its size – particularly on shopper population and comparison retail, compounded by low footfall, short dwell time, high numbers of vacant units and stiff competition from a growing offer in Leeds city centre.
These factors added to existing low confidence levels and a subsequent lack of private sector investment and meant it was unlikely that market forces alone would be sufficient to re-balance Bradford’s economy or address the abnormal costs, risks and historic lack of occupier interest.
It was acknowledged that business success, jobs growth and an increased evening economy were essential to the district’s future and a strong vibrant city centre was needed to help secure the economic prosperity of the wider district.
The solution
The council executive took the decision to develop an ambitious plan for Bradford city centre. The resulting city plan set out the strategic approach to achieving economic growth and physical development of the city centre for the next ten years. It provided a framework to create the conditions for business – to make the city centre a great place to set up, grow and run a business.
Delivery of the City Centre Growth Scheme followed a successful bid for Regional Growth Fund investment, matched by the council’s own funding. The scheme included improvements to the public realm within the city centre and a programme of Heritage Street enhancements, transforming much of the city centre built environment and matching the quality design of the award winning City Park.
A grant scheme was launched offering business rate rebates to businesses creating new and additional jobs in the City Centre, either by expanding their existing businesses or by opening new operations. The rebates are offered for up to three years and based on a “refund” of £16k rates for every new job created, with the ceiling being the business’s annual rates bill.
A capital grant was introduced a year later, enabling eligible businesses to access up to a 50 per cent contribution towards property refurbishment costs and machinery and equipment required for growth.
In 2016 a “Priority Streets” area was created to target remaining capital resources to encourage investment into streets within the city centre suffering from the highest levels of vacancies, many as a result of business relocations to the Broadway Shopping Centre, which opened in November 2015.
The impact
Through this scheme the council continues to demonstrate its confidence in the city centre. To date, the grants provided have encouraged 230 businesses to invest, either by opening up new operations or expanding existing ones.
The scheme has created an environment in which new businesses can start up and grow and has directly supported 47 new businesses to open in the city centre. So far, over 730 jobs have been created as a direct result of the scheme’s interventions as well as providing huge benefits to the local supply chains. At a time when we are seeing contraction of the retail core and weekly announcements of national chain closures, the scheme has brought almost 90 vacant units back into economic use.
The city centre has seen physical improvements through the investment in high quality public realm and the introduction of new visitor navigation infrastructure.
The night time economy has seen a major boost as a result of the scheme with support for new bars and restaurants, including helping to develop North Parade as an evening destination with a range of quirky independent bars. Also supported, was Sunbridge Wells, a fascinating development of bars, restaurants and shops in Victorian tunnels beneath the streets of Bradford.
The growth scheme has had clear impacts on the city centre, the wider economy of the district and the lives of the residents in the face of reduced budgets, weak investor confidence and poor perceptions of the city centre. Through innovative working, creative solutions and partnership delivery the results are lasting, positive change on Bradford.
How is the new approach being sustained?
Continuing the council’s investment in the city centre, we are in the planning stages of a major development project for our city centre markets and are we actively encourage alternative uses for former retail properties. Growth scheme funding is currently supporting the development of co-working and collaborative spaces, encouraging new and creative businesses to work from the array of fabulous historical buildings bringing new life, new energy and ideas and additional footfall into the city centre.
We are building our leisure offer, encouraging dwell time, increasing visitor spend and supporting the retail offer. The Light cinema recently opened adjacent to Broadway shopping centre and we have a number of family-themed leisure providers moving into the city centre shortly.
The growth scheme has a healthy pipeline of applications for new bars, restaurants, cafes and leisure operators and it is anticipated that 2018 will see the completion of a number of exciting developments.
With recent issues faced nationally by restaurant chains, the business rates offer provided by the growth scheme is there to help de-risk investment and encourage a wider range of operators.
As part of creating a supportive environment for businesses, we are proposing to consult on a new Local Development Order, covering more of the city centre, which will simplify the planning process and make it easier for businesses to change the use of properties in line with demand.
Dedicated business support will be available in the city centre and town centres, providing our independent businesses with one-to-one support to sustain develop and grow their business. This includes a training package covering marketing, social media, e-commerce and merchandising to ensure that businesses are able to benefit from the opportunities that the internet presents.
Due to the success of the city centre-based scheme we launched a district growth scheme in April. This is a rate-relief scheme to attract new investment and encourage bringing empty properties back into use in town centres across the district as well as supporting new developments and re-using listed buildings
Lessons learned
There is no perfect solution. Getting the offer right for businesses has meant many different iterations of the scheme. These have included introducing capital grants, creating a grant offer focused on key streets and creating a strategic investment fund to support innovative ideas to help unlock future economic benefits. By being flexible and adaptive to the needs of local businesses the scheme continues to encourage investment at a time when the high street faces its greatest challenges.
The scheme’s success has not just been as a result of the grants provided but also, as a result of the fully integrated support offer provided to our businesses. This included business development support, assistance with recruitment and staff training, simplified planning processes, and assistance with accessing regional, national and European funding and support.