Susan took part in a panel debate at Bradford University this week organised by Bradford District Faiths Forum.  Susan spoke of the tragedy of the hole in the middle of Bradford.  She explained that this was not just an economic tragedy for Bradford but also prevented better community relations in our district.  In her opinion, a city centre should be a place where people from all over Bradford come together and where they feel at home.  Instead no community feels that Bradford city centre belongs to them anymore, creating a real barrier to better community relations.

Susan welcomed calls for more power to be devolved to local people.  Bradford people are frustrated by decades of poor regeneration decision-making in Bradford, starting with the demolition of the Swan Arcade in the 1960’s.  Such a history makes it difficult for people to trust any council today to make the best regeneration decision for Bradford, the inevitable question regarding the Odeon arose.  She argued that in spite of the Tories’ sudden conversion to localism, it was this Labour government who had legislated for the devolution of Scotland and Wales and it was this Labour Government who was now devolving budgets and powers to City Regions for local leaders to make decisions about spending priorities for themselves.