“People who are good at complaining about not having a lot of money are generally bad at not wasting money.”
Mokokoma Mokhonoana
Plans to re-develop High Point, one of Bradford’s most “divisive” (ugliest) buildings were announced last week. As one reader neatly summed up “apparently you can polish one!”
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority are proposing a £2.9m grant towards the projected £9.4m scheme. Where the other £7m is coming is more of a puzzle. Consider this from the article.
Bradford Council will be partnering with Circus Development for the re-development. Roll-up, roll-up, what could possibly go wrong?
Circus Developments (Bradford) Ltd were incorporated only last year and have an intriguing ownership with an Adam Sims (70%) as the major shareholder. SRL Property Holdings Ltd, based in Leicester, own 20% but are ultimately owned overseas. The two listed directors are stated as having occupations of computer programmer and pharmacist. Clear as elephant poo then.
Holding a mere 5% is Park Lane Properties (Leeds) Limited, established in 1995 and with a substantial balance sheet. Why the T&A could not do this kind of digging is beyond me. Equally, why is public money being used to subsidise a private development where a minority shareholder is more than adequately capitalised?
Seen as central to the Council’s plans to redevelop the area known as the top of town, at least we can now get an idea of their vision. An ugly concrete tower in the spirit of Eastern Europe with a new glass conservatory, full of yet more bedsits. And what on Earth do they mean with this quote?
“This scheme will potentially generate £3.7 million in social value.” Who challenges this bullsh*t?
Finally, consider this quote from another reader asking the very questions any newspaper should.
If the project were to cost £9.4 million as claimed, it will cost the developer just under £110,000 per apartment. What exactly do they expect to sell them for in Bradford town centre? If they were to rent them out for £500 per month it would take 18 years for them to get their money back and that’s without accounting for interest on loans or taxes payable on income.
Strangely, there was no quote as is usual from our regeneration guru.
Obesity
Stepping into the Marcus Rashford debate is dangerous territory; there is no simple answer.
As evidence of this was a piece in The Yorkshire Post last week which stated: In Bradford, only 56 per cent of Year 6 pupils were a healthy weight in the 2019/20 school year, with 41 per cent overweight or obese. The city had the 15th highest rate of childhood obesity in the country, out of more than 150 areas.
Year 6 is the final year of primary school and it is a given that arresting these trends gets far harder as children grow older. Instantly, you might think what has Rashford got to offer Bradford?
The article went on: As well as being more likely to be overweight or obese, children in Bradford were more likely to be underweight than anywhere else in Yorkshire. Figures show that Bradford has the fourth highest percentage of underweight Year 6 children in England, at 3 per cent.
Both statistics suggest poor diets but the fact that 41% are obese suggests the challenge is not about access to food but the right types.
My point is, expressed in these columns ad infinitum, that the real issue is not so much income poverty but knowledge poverty. As if to reinforce my point, here is another cutting edge piece – How to get McDonald’s from its Bradford restaurants during lockdown.
Footnote
All children’s grassroots sport will be halted in England during lockdown except in schools. Given that school sport is all but invisible in the state school sector, this makes little sense for the 93% of kids who are state educated. The choices are complex I admit but it seems ill-thought.
Dead Money
A couple of gems from The Yorkshire Post beginning (30/10) with Bradford Council urged to be “more realistic” when producing business cases. The latest cock-up in question is the new Coroner’s Court originally budgeted at £2.35m.
Asking for more money, Project Manager, Imran Khan said they “didn’t know enough about the coroner’s wants and needs.” Comfortingly he know admitted they’d now asked about these! Good lad!
And (4/11) an admission that the cost of repairs to Ilkley Lido would rise by £655k from £460k. For those of you not well versed in either business or maths i.e. council officers, that’s almost 2.5 times the original estimate.
Of course budgets can slip but there is slippage and outright incompetence; I leave you to judge which one.
A Cunning Cummings Plan?
By announcing the review of lockdown on Wednesday December 2nd Boris has played for extra time. It is inconceivable that breweries could risk ramping up production ready for the green light to restock pubs.
Even if they did, how many pubs could risk the possibility of a false start? Call me a cynic but I feel sure they have pushed the majority of pub goers back by another week and more.
M.T.LEAHY says
£2.9 million but “ they “ struggle to fund the repairs to the footbridge between Baildon & Thackley.
I use the term “ footbridge “ but it seems that people on foot may get in the way of the other users.
My wife & I gave up canal towpaths for walking years ago , I dread to think what they are like now. The footbridge between Roberts Park & Saltaire is dire with the 2 wheeled people not observing the notices to dismount & walk across.
I have requested the council several times to make the notices more visible, without success.
Pat says
The last time I used the bridge we all , unbelievably, had to give way to horses and riders using it!
I too stay away from the canal side walks as too dangerous for man and beast (my dog) Two wheeled people tend to “creep up”behind you – whatever happened to bike bells?