Growth and Regeneration
Bradford is poised for transformational economic growth driven by unprecedented levels of investment into infrastructure, major housebuilding programmes, delivering our climate ambitions, and harnessing the momentum from UK City of Culture 2025.
In the district’s Regeneration and Growth Plan we set out our ambition that the district will become widely recognised as a global hub of innovation, sustainability, and opportunity. Entrepreneurs will launch and scale game-changing enterprises. Residents from all backgrounds will share in rising living standards.
Good growth is at the heart of our plans and is essential to fostering both prosperity and resilience. It is about creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for individuals and the whole community with access to better jobs, higher incomes, and greater opportunities for personal development.
Our approach is rooted in three key themes:
- People - ensuring that the district’s residents have the skills needed to thrive in the future economy.
- Productivity - supporting industry–academia partnerships to deliver cutting edge workplace practices, enabling SMEs in high-value sectors to scale up, and stimulating export growth.
- Place - Revolutionising transport networks, being at the forefront of green energy production, and delivering the city centre and townscapes that will make the district a great place to live.
There has been considerable work in this area with the large scale transformation of Bradford City Centre, Keighly and Shipley; improvements to the two railway stations in Bradford centre; the opening of two iconic venues in Bradford Live and Darley Street Market, significant improvements in levels of engagement for 16–18-year-olds and a strong partnership of skills providers delivering all age skills interventions. Over the life of the Council Plan this work will continue to develop and deliver.
How the Council will deliver the Growth and Regeneration Ambition
Objective: Create the conditions to secure business and job growth
| Action | Milestone 26/27 | Milestone 27/28 | Milestone 28/29 | Measures | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implement Southern Gateway as Bradford’s biggest regeneration opportunity | Masterplan launched Establishment of Development Corporation Curriculum planning undertaken with FE and HE partners to meet projected skills and labour demands from local communities |
Programme plan agreed by Corporation Curriculum planning implemented |
Levels of qualification in the working age population Number of jobs created Increase in GVA Increase in median gross weekly pay |
Growth | |
| Deliver the Local Plan for Bradford setting out a vision and a framework for the future development of the district | Plan to Full Council and submit to the Government for Examination | Examination process | Adoption | Plan in place and legally adopted | Growth |
| Establish Bradford as a recognised hub of clean growth pioneering and scaling world leading clean energy production technologies | Implement Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Programme to deliver 1,000 new charging points | Hy Bradford hydrogen production facility at Birkshall operational | Review Bradford Manufacturing Futures programme impact and set out priorities for next steps | Number of jobs created Increase in GVA Increase in median gross weekly pay |
Growth |
| Harness existing sector strengths through the Creation of local plans for key sectors based on the WYCA cluster model to fuel innovation and growth. | Produce cluster plans | Deliver action plan to scale advanced manufacturing and smart production to attract investment and boost exports | Review of cluster action plans in partnership with WYCA to secure further inward investment and health of the business ecosystem in key growth areas | Number of jobs created Increase in GVA Increase in median gross weekly pay |
Growth |
| Develop and implement a comprehensive and collaborative support offer to employers of all sizes | Produce and implement a long‑term growth plan with Bradford’s FTSE companies and major organisations to strengthen and expand their footprint and attract more high‑value employers | Develop collaboration with the University to embed academic research into real-world business challenges and opportunities to drive SME growth and productivity | Review district wide availability of innovation networks and spaces to target future funding to encourage creativity, experimentation and shared learning. Implement unified export strategy for SMEs to better link firms to markets. |
Number of businesses Number of businesses surviving past 12 months Number of jobs created Increase in GVA Increase in median gross weekly pay |
Growth |
Objective: Increase skills levels
| Action | Milestone 26/27 | Milestone 27/28 | Milestone 28/29 | Measures | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position the SkillsHouse Partnership as the central gateway for people and employers, delivering an inclusive, joined-up employment and skills service | Finalise the SkillsHouse Partnership vision, mission, and action plan, then launch and embed the Entry to Work programme with the Council and service managers. Finally, agree and implement the Post-16 Transition Policy | Review the first year of the Entry to Work programme and set a forward plan, including scaling up to anchor organisation partners. Achieve a 30% increase in participants and publish the Year 2 impact report | Reduce unemployment among target groups and launch a sustainability plan for long-term delivery. Expand the programme to include private sector placements and set strategic priorities for the next five years | Participation and Engagement EET outcomes Number of Council departments offering placements Programme Quality and Impact Year on year growth on opportunities |
OCEX |
| Leverage existing industry partnerships through the CTE partnership model, aligning skills, learning, training and live employer demand, expanding apprenticeships, and nurturing home-grown talent | Analyse current training programmes for alignment with employer needs across three priority sectors. Establish an apprenticeship plan for young people, design and approve sector-led training programmes with evaluation methods and launch employer-led training for the three sectors | Deliver a pilot employer-led training programme and review its launch. Celebrate employer participation, gather user and stakeholder feedback, assess impact, and plan next steps for expansion, including LMI review and incorporating young people’s voices | Expand the offer across additional sector areas and analyse delivery trends to identify improvements. Create a sustainability plan with funding and partner commitments and explore advanced training modules to enhance current apprenticeships | Number of sector programmes Number of young people undertaking Sector based training programmes Number of employers engaged |
OCEX |
| Every young person and job seeker has a clear path and line of sight to good jobs through 15 sector gateways leading to career progression | Review CTE integration and define scalability for sector programmes. Co-create learning opportunities with industry and deliver professional development while rolling out new programmes and produce marketing materials. | Co-design and sign off sector asset maps and employability routes for priority and non-priority sectors, engage employers and learners, and deliver programmes. | Deliver programmes, review and refine for priority and non-priority sectors, and create a 3-year programme plan. | Number of schools Number of partners engaged September Guarantee / EET rates |
OCEX |
| Maximise the contribution of business and the supply chain through a managed approach to social value. | Implement manual and digital monitoring systems, launch the Construction Academy with Bradford College, create social value opportunities for care leavers, and support Pride in Place projects. | Build public sector connections with Building Bradford’s Supply Chains Board seats, create an active supply chain network, establish a supplier social value charter, and embed social value in planning processes. | Apply social value to grants and funding, review the programme after two years, create a community social value charter, and capture council social value beyond contracts | % of council contracts with social value integrated Value (£) and impact (case studies) of social value activities across people/place/planet measures |
OCEX |
Objective: Deliver improved transport links and connectivity
| Action | Milestone 26/27 | Milestone 27/28 | Milestone 28/29 | Measures | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliver the Bradford Rail programme relocating Bradford Interchange with a new through-station, unlocking direct HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail connections | Continue to promote the strategic case for the programme and submission of the business case to government. | Secure government commitment to investment in the project. Full programme plan produced. | Programme confirmed by Government Amount of funding secured Increase in GVA Increase in median gross weekly pay |
Growth | |
| Embed Active Travel as part of the integrated approach set out in the Bradford Transport Strategy | Conduct review of the Bradford Transport Strategy and agree priorities and timelines for implementation | Commence implementation with partners. Public consultation and engagement strategy to promote Active Travel Network with residents | Evaluate progress and impact to date, agree next stage of the Active Travel approach reflecting progress with connected major regeneration projects. | Increase in number of people cycling and walking to work Number of planned new cycle routes |
Growth |
| Deliver Phase 1 of the West Yorkshire tram system linking Bradford and Leeds across West Yorkshire’s fastest-growing corridor | Work with the WYCA and Department for Transport to finalise programme and business case for funding for the tram network | Consult with residents and employers regarding travel to work and travel to learn patterns opening up opportunities to develop higher level skills | Employment and skills provision in place to ensure local people can benefit from job opportunities created by the scheme | Number of jobs created Increase in GVA Increase in median gross weekly pay |
Growth |
Objective: UK City of Culture Legacy
| Action | Milestone 26/27 | Milestone 27/28 | Milestone 28/29 | Measures | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deliver Bradford’s City of Culture 2025 Legacy Plan by expanding the district’s cultural offer, scaling up flagship festivals, and actively leveraging Bradford’s elevated profile | Launch legacy programme including coordinated marketing plan to drive year-round cultural offer | Expand reach to district-wide venues | Evaluate impact and sustainability and set plan for the next three years | Number of events, attendance, satisfaction Growth of visitor economy Amount of funding secured for Legacy programme |
Growth |
| Enhance the visitor experience by delivering a new era of accommodation supporting our iconic attractions and Bradford’s unique experiences. | Develop a hotel and accommodation plan that offers quality, character-rich stays, and supports independent SMEs | Implementation of hotel and accommodation plan begins | Review and refresh support to SMEs | Growth of visitor economy Number of visitors |
Growth |
| Invest in the 18-hour economy through development of key arrival points to the city centre: North Parade, Darley Street Market, Bradford Live | Develop a plan for the city centre night-time economy with partners including BID and the Chamber of Commerce | Growth of visitor economy Increased footfall in City Centre |
Growth |
Objective: Access to secure and affordable housing
| Action | Milestone 26/27 | Milestone 27/28 | Milestone 28/29 | Measures | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerate the number of decent affordable homes through partnerships with developers, registered providers, WYCA, and Homes England | Minimum of 1,703 net new homes, including at least 411 affordable homes in year | Minimum of 1,703 net new homes, including at least 411 affordable homes in year | Minimum of 1,703 net new homes, including at least 411 affordable homes in year | Number of new homes EPC rating of new homes |
Adult Social Care, Health and Housing |
| Deliver 1,000 new homes in Bradford centre through the City Village programme | Agree integrated masterplan for the City Village in consultation and collaboration with ECF, WYCA, residents and key partners | Secure and prepare the site for development | Groundworks commence on site | Number of planned new homes and businesses EPC rating of new homes Increased footfall in city centre Number of jobs created |
Adult Social Care, Health and Housing |
| End Rough Sleeping and Reduce Temporary Accommodation Use | Reduce rough sleeping in Bradford to as close to zero as possible by 2027 through expanded outreach, Housing First placements and rapid-access accommodation. | Reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation by 40% by March 2029 through strengthened prevention, tenancy sustainment, move-on accommodation, and earlier intervention. | Number of households in temporary accommodation Number of people sleeping rough over the month who are long term |
Adult Social Care, Health and Housing | |
| Bring Empty Homes Back into Use and Improve Housing Quality | Increase the number of private sector homes improved through Council intervention year-on-year to raise safety, energy efficiency and neighbourhood standards | Bring a minimum of 300 long-term empty homes back into use by March 2029 through grants, enforcement and targeted institutional investment in area interventions | Number of long-term empty homes brought back into use | Adult Social Care, Health and Housing | |
| Establish a One Council Accommodation Offer Incorporating a New Housing Commissioning Framework | Develop and implement a ‘One Council’ Accommodation Offer by December 2026, bringing together all temporary accommodation, supported housing, move-on options, and tenancy sustainment into a single, consistent system across the Council | Open a new Housing Customer Advice Centre in Bradford city centre by March 2027 to provide a single, accessible point of face-to-face support for all housing enquiries, including homelessness, tenancy sustainment, private rented standards, and financial advice | Achieve at least a 30% improvement in first-time resolution rates and reduce repeat housing contacts by 20% within the first full year of operation | New housing commissioning framework that identifies need, closes provision gaps, improves quality and ensures services are outcomes-focused Increase the number of home adaptations completed each year by at least 15% to support more residents to live safely and independently |
Adult Social Care, Health and Housing |