L-R: Trevor Higgins (Bradford Breakthrough), Catherine Riley (Kirkgate Centre), Ian Ward (The Broadway) and Mike Cartwright (Chamber of Commerce) NON-ESSENTIAL businesses in Bradford are very excited ahead of being able to potentially re-open next month, but safety remains a priority as the fight against Covid continues. Under Step 2 of the Government s roadmap, non-essential shops will be able to re-open on 12 April, while hospitality venues will also be allowed to serve people outdoors. After a tough 12 months, Dr Trevor Higgins, Chief Executive of Bradford Breakthrough, has tipped Bradford s local economy to make a speedy recovery . I think the important thing is that we have a road out of lockdown. Businesses need certainty and to be able to plan for the future , he said.
A LETTER urging the Prime Minister to deliver HS2 in full has more than 100 signatories from across the North, including Bradford. The letter to Boris Johnson says the future of HS2 is critical to the North and Midlands and says a failure to deliver it in full would be a massive missed opportunity to create hundreds of thousands of jobs, attract major investment and stimulate huge economic growth . It says it would leave the levelling up ambition in tatters and that growth is being held back by uncertainty. The letter adds: The Integrated Rail Plan is your chance to move on from Covid to what the future of the UK should look like. Levelling up parts of the country that have seen traditional and considerable underinvestment, and that would benefit from a plan for growth.