Speaking as a concerned resident of 'this Northern Mill Town', once famous for its velvets and high quality materials, I find that a voice must speak out against the slow and painful decline of this once grand and hard working city, but let us temper it with hope and creative solutions.
Like so many UK cities Bradford has faced a decline and extinction in manufacturing through world market imports. The brave new world of sixties development should now be seen as a failure and discredited; the concrete collar ring road and nasty boxed shopping malls have all contributed to the decline and impoverishment of the city. Bradford now finds itself at a crossroads again of either development and investment or of renewed decay and abandonment.
There are so many concerns and issues. The scandal of the Westgate development, whereby a large hole now sits in the centre of the city, the construction site abandoned indefinitely (so read 10 years) by a private corporation under no obligation to fulfil its remit and the council powerless through its agreements to enforce its completion. It has however opened up a new vista of beautiful and hidden buildings, including the cities Cathedral, previously hidden by sixties development ..... . Perhaps this hole should be the lake and 'Park at the Heart' and not up to the kerbstone of the cities' Venetian Town Hall. Should not the councillors march down with hammers, tearing down the hoardings and reclaim the land they gave away? Surely a vote winner.
And of the Alsop Masterplan? What of it? Considering the diverse people living in the region; and as Bradford's marketing team correctly point out, 'One landscape, many views', Alsop's own 'Vision a City' seems in reality to have ignored and sidestepped local people. Instead we have an all encompassing futuristic vision from outer space, without connection to place, culture or heritage, with rubbed out high rise buildings replaced with more Corbusian high rise. This though has been accepted by the city council due to their own inferiority complex over the technical totalitarianism of an architectural maverick wanting to make his mark, where ever that may be. Where is the sagacity of our previous city elders, the Salts and Lister's?
With the call from Central Government for individual and collective voice and the strengthening of local government, (The Sustainable Communities Act 2007) what in fact do the people of Bradford want? It surely is a time and opportunity for local people to take a positive role in their place and mend the fractured society of now Cameron's 'Broken Britain'. Perhaps this should mean city as city state, in the Venetian ideal as implied by our Victorian fathers. Local governance means local directive with local enterprise and trade, even a loosening of central government taxation! A step too far...!
Bradford is used as a litmus test for minorities and especially for a measure of Muslim sensibility and reaction but what of this particular and itself diverse community? It's not just curry and bhangra. These stereotypes should also be overcome, with a recognition of intercultural values as opposed to the awful and largely multicultural philosophy which has reinforced a segregation and ghettoisation of society. It must be of self expressed identity but with the opening of exchange and meeting. This could best be met through local trade initiatives and open air markets. The heritage of Muslim trade has been retained somewhat with the traders from a South East Asian background bringing vitality to our streets in an otherwise mundane and somnambulistic cut and paste shopping mall. Meeting and exchange always helps with a good deal and money in ones pocket!
And of the Muslim community themselves? They have to stand up and be counted. As the popularity and success of the Mela showed, people can meet and exchange, share and benefit. Utopias can be had. They represent a dynamic force for good within the city, despite crime, arson, fraud, extortion et al!! It's all in the mix. However there are people of quality and conscientiousness, who can be leaders of benefit to the whole of Bradford's diverse community. It remains for these keys of governance to be handed on in trust to the very capable younger generation who in fact need and have earnt this capability. This also applies to the Grandees of Mosque committees who should recognize the excellence of their sons and daughters as well as to the local councilors who remain wary to this latent energy and optimism.
Utopias can be had, but they also must be grasped. Better Bradford Beautiful than Beirut Bradford don't you think?
Written by M. Manning
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