Traders call for more help amid roadworks chaos

Roadworks in Bradford city centre are expected to be complete this winter

A business leader is urging officials in Bradford to fulfil their "moral obligation" to do more to help shopkeepers affected by roadworks chaos in the city centre.

Many traders have told the BBC they have seen their takings tumble in the past few months amid round-the-clock regeneration and highways work to transform the city centre ahead of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture year.

Some shopkeepers say their income is down 90% or more - and even a discount in business rates is not helping avoid the looming threat of permanent closure.

Bradford Council said it could not offer grants or compensation to shopkeepers, but it was offering additional support to businesses, including advice from experts.

Mark Cowgill, president of the West and North Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce said more should be done to mitigate the "challenging" and "tricky" time for smaller businesses.

Mark Cowgill, president of the West and North Yorkshire Chambers of Commerce, says the council needs to do more to help traders

The roadworks, overseen by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, are spread across key parts of the city centre, including Bank Street, Broadway, Market Street, Hall Ings and parts of Bridge Street and Little Horton Lane, which have all been shut to traffic.

The situation is exacerbated by the recent closure of the Interchange bus station due to structural damage - and ongoing delays to its reopening.

Mr Cowgill told the BBC businesses had campaigned for improvements to the city centre for a long time and, although the changes were welcome, the frustrations of smaller traders needed to be addressed.

"It's been really tricky, and it'll continue to be tricky for months to come," he said.

"We've all been crying out for this modernisation in the city for over 20 years now, and we have seen that being done progressively with places like Leeds and Manchester - which have had major city centre transformations.

"But in Bradford we're kind of having that all in one go, and from a personal point of view, would I have rather that happened over the last 10 years on a gradual basis? Yes, absolutely, because we'd have also been in the position now where we would have had a modern fit for purpose city centre.

"It would have been fantastic, but we've not got that. What we have had is this opportunity from a very, very large and very substantial investment fund for transforming the city.

"You have to accept that, even if there's not a statutory requirement, there's a moral obligation to try and help out businesses that you want to be there beyond the works, and that offer essential services in the area.

"I know that they have done things like lower the business rates, but that clearly isn't enough in some cases."

The council says works in the city centre will be "better for businesses in the long term"

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said although cash grants were not available for city centre traders other business support provided by the council alongside the West Yorkshire Combined Authority "may be useful".

This includes a specialised support programme for businesses under three years old and one-to-one help for more established firms.

“Businesses can also apply for a reassessment of their business rates, if they think that this will be of benefit to them," he said.

Mr Ross-Shaw added the £43m of works in the city centre would be "better for businesses in the long term", and in places like Market Street, traders themselves had led a campaign to pedestrianise the area to boost footfall ultimately.

He said builders were working "as quickly as they can" to finish up, and the main works would be completed this winter, with planting and minor public realm works going on until spring 2025.