Into the Corridors of Power
I did something the other day I swore I would never repeat after my first soul destroying experience many years ago; I went to view a local Council meeting at City Hall, the purpose being to follow the latest developments in the long running saga concerning the fate of the Odeon in Bradford. Chaired by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Green, there were six other Labour councillors in attendance (Berry, Hinchcliffe, Amir Hussain, Imran Hussain, V Slater & A Thornton) fighting over the free biscuits , whilst largely leaving the talking to Green and a number of Council employees with their respective submissions.
Now I know there are people out there that consider the Odeon to be just a pile of old bricks in the middle of a crappy Northern town down on its luck, so why all the fuss? Well, that’s just what they thought in the Sixties about buildings those who remember them still bemoan the loss of; one could suggest that Bradford’s current woes have their roots way back then. Just how long did the ugly concrete blocks erected in replacement last before they too were felled leaving the centre looking like post war Dresden in parts? Ill thought out decisions they certainly were so surely the lessons of the past are there for all? This is a beautiful, unique building and we do not have that many left in Bradford.
I don’t know just how many Quangos have had their sticky paws on the Odeon over the last decade and more but few can dispute that they and the Council come out of this sorry saga with little credit. It is a fascinating tale of local politics at its worst and the more one reads, the more one is convinced that this building must be saved and be central to a wider strategy to revitalise a dead city. To the present and the building is now one of three sites owned by the HCA (Homes & Communities Agency; a Quango that replaced another Quango, Yorkshire Forward) these being the Odeon, the Tyrls former police station and the Furniture City site.
The HCA now wants to offload all three to the Council but the Council wants some serious money first, specifically some £4.1m to cover costs of renewal, largely related to the Odeon and Tyrls sites. In truth nobody is really bothered about the Tyrls, which commands the largest slice of the requested cake at £2.8m , especially as the Council spent £30m on a pond in front of it and all it seems to house are some underground cells which are probably flooded anyway. It looks to have about as much value as an apartment on the Fukushima coast.
The Odeon, we are told, needs another £1.3m spending on it having had the same sum spent so far by the HCA since 2012 when the proposed private developers, Langtree, went bust. Whether this is central or local Government money, it is our money ultimately. Whilst this may seem a high price, bear in mind the Council and various agencies had allowed the building to rot for over a decade dithering (or conspiring depending on who you believe) whilst speculative, grandiose private development plans for the site came to nothing as did most of the plans for Bradford’s city centre regeneration.
What became apparent during the meeting, where I began to think the Council’s budget for biscuits must soon come under public scrutiny, was how pathetically bereft of drive, energy or vision this Council is. In Green’s own hand-wringing words, in between chain-munching, it’s now all down to the “private and commercial sectors” presumably because the elected members have not got the combined wit or wisdom to offer up any ideas here at all. There are over ninety councillors representing Bradford but it is hard not to view this from a distance as an unchecked gravy train.
Here’s the agreed timetable assuming the HCA say yes to the “bung” to the Council in April:
– expressions of interest by August 2013
– long listing by January 2014
– short listing by June 2014
– decision day July 2014
It may be that the Council has no surplus money to direct here but the timetable is now incredibly short considering there has been a large hole in the ground not far away for many years now with no real impetus; of course I refer to the much promised Westfield Shopping Centre. It is patently clear that the Council have no intention of directing real effort, were they capable of this, to try to save the Odeon, giving the impression of preferring to see all attempts flounder whilst the wrecking balls are primed.
Witnessing at close quarters what goes on in these meetings is recommended fare and I have to admit I am sceptical as to what a Councillor’s function is other to vote when prompted like some electronically assisted monkey, subsequently rewarded with another biscuit. Constant use of the term “openness” by Green in the meeting caused the cynic in me to shudder as this seems beyond most politicians, national and local, but time will tell. That a politician has to promise to be honest is a bit like admitting the Pope may have to pray from time to time!
However, given the story of the Odeon over the last decade who would trust anybody in City Hall at this critical moment to achieve something of lasting value for the city? If you consider these harsh words then can you list any significant achievements by Bradford Council in recent years as the city has become a national laughing stock? Trawl through the archives and witness the reams of articles on various grand designs all funded by the public purse.
Spectacular plans have all come to nothing so pardon me if I am sceptical of anything other than another botched affair. The easy option is to flatten this iconic building opening up a site that would most likely result in yet another appalling addition to Bradford’s building stock and no cohesive strategy. Suspend disbelief for one moment though and just what if Westfield became a reality? All of a sudden there is a link and the two sites offer an opportunity to reconsider a much bigger picture. Wake up Cllr Green…put down that biscuit and read on!
If Westfield does happen what then of the top end of town, surely superfluous against the lure of twinkling new shops? Is there a broader contingency plan here, most certainly not. So the city will be even more awash with empty commercial and retail space necessitating a radical and visionary approach. So how about a unique parkland space opposite a renewed Odeon and the adjacent Alhambra which might also bring some sense to the expensive pond. This is where what remains of the city’s nightlife has fled to but plonk another couple of drab tower blocks up here and you may as well abandon the city.
If you think this is just a load of fuss about an old building take a look around the centre of Bradford and tell me what you think we have left of any real value. If this were Leeds they would be on with something now but well over a decade later and all we have are local Councillors bereft of ideas gorging on free biscuits. It needs a clarity of vision and purpose that has been woefully lacking in Bradford and whether the private sector can be convinced that Bradford is actually worth investing in, especially given who controls the city, will soon become clear.
Jumble Sale Television
As kids we used to sort out all our old crap for the summer holidays and hold jumble sales on the walls outside where we lived. The hope was that somebody would be stupid enough to pay us money to take this stuff off our hands so we could then slope off to the local VG shop and dutifully hand it all over to Mr Patel for some Texan bars and Barrs pop.
Unbelievably, that supreme waste of public money – the BBC – thinks that this is the basis for good television. Daily, some orange skinned, pompous oaf hams it up as if the fate of the world depended on some bored old fool buying dear old, stone dead old Aunty Agnes’s dusty bric a brac, enabling the uncaring relatives to swan off to the Costa on the proceeds.
I can imagine this is the sort of programme the care workers will be strapping me into my water-resistant Shackleton’s high seat as a sedative just before lunch when I reach senility. If they do I promise you I will launch myself head first into the television, especially if the orange one is still on it, becoming the first ever suicide bomber in a care home. It will be worth it!
Slow Starters
England survived with a draw in the first test against New Zealand after another, almost predictable, slow start to an overseas tour. There was a lot of chat about this on Sky but it was not surprising that nobody questioned the schedules determined by the English Cricket Board, which demand so much international cricket and so little time in between games. Far be it from me to suggest that powerful international broadcasters may have any influence here…
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Channel 4’s Dispatches programme this week told the story of a very worrying development in the importation of “designer” dogs, largely from Eastern Europe; this presumably is to make all those Bulgarians and Romanians queuing at the border for next years opening of the flood gates – like the Debenhams sale – feel more at home when they get here. In 2012 the Government, in its wisdom, relaxed the guidelines on Pet Passports – yes these really do exist – and now we have a flood of inter-bred dogs on sale to Mr & Mrs Chav, equally inter-bred.
Apparently, Chavs don’t want your average British dog and so are prepared to hand over Britney’s entire year’s child benefit for an East European cross-breed that may one day give young Britney rabies and forever ruin her chances of a run on X-Factor. And so we had a modern day Cruella Deville with a van full of bewildered dogs off-loading these to all parts of London. One more glaring example of soft touch regulations implemented by soft headed politicians?
This Dave’s Definitely For Turning
Surprise, surprise? The Government has caved in again – surely not to pressure from their mighty friends the supermarkets – and appears to have shelved plans for minimum pricing on alcohol. Don’t worry though because even though you can still get wasted on imported produce courtesy of the supermarkets along comes George with yet more tax on those nasty, dangerous threats to society, the bearded, anorak wearing beer drinkers at your local!
Stealing this shamelessly from CAMRA (Campaign For Real Ale) Bradford’s excellent Tyke Taverner (find a copy in your pub) it is worth repeating that the current beer duty escalator increases by 2% above inflation each year – “adding up to an excise duty rise of 42% since 2008″. This tax is levied largely on a domestic industry that creates innovation, jobs and taxes whilst so much of what we buy from the supermarkets is imported in tankers offering little real employment other than in the local emergency wards.
Congratulations though must go to CAMRA and the All Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group for their relentless campaign to curtail the closure of local pubs by greedy Pubcos (Public House Operating Companies) prompting fresh regulation at long last to halt the depressing trend. Time will tell if Secretary of State, Vince Cable, will have the desired effect here. If you do care about your local pick up a copy of Tyke Taverner and follow the story.
Dancing in the Dark?
“I’d like to book an appointment please”
“You do know you are not due for your regular check up until June?”.
“True but by then the season will be halfway over and it may be too late!”
Rohan Eli says
The Idle Lord for Prime Minister!!! If One person can see and write sense.Why cant the people in power do the same Instead of “shafting” the poor working class who are in turn being “shafted” by a lot of Employers………… Not to forget The Media who print their views not the Peoples…. And They Call This a Democracy!!!!! back to you Idle Lord keep your stories coming………….
Steve Wilson says
Thanks mate…will keep trying to prick the consciences of these greedy lamebrains
Paul Martin says
Loving the website and the ramblings Steve – you should have got into this a long time ago !! Have finished the 3 books, very entertaining especially the Barclays stories…………..if it were not for the threat of legal action hanging over me I would do something similar !!!
Keep up the good work and all the best.
Steve says
Thanks…very kind…will keep trying!