rlShould be here soon.rl

Unlike Westfield, ho ho ho...

Couldn't edit for some reason.

What's been said?

Is that it then, no development?

Not that it was happening anyway.

Depends who you believe.

According to the Council, Westfield are still committed to developing the site and something should be moving on it within the next two years.

According to Westfield, they are committed to proceeding with development once it is fiscally prudent to do so - in other words, maybe never.

According to Gerry Sutcliffe MP, Westfield have offered the Council the chance to buy the land back off them. The Council are denying any talks of that nature have taken place and demanding Sutcliffe reveals his sources.

The difference between the Westfield view of the future and the Council view of the future needs some explanation.

INO the Council have made an awful mess of this. The re-development should have been complete before the recession started. Now it looks increasingly like it'll never happen.

In the meantime more businesses go to the wall in town. I was at the Love Apple on Friday night a couple of weeks back, there were only 10 of us in the whole place. Pubs nearby were equally empty. In noticed Walkabout has shut. It's only a matter of time before there are only a couple of pubs left in the city centre. The place has died on its backside over the past 10 years.

I love the fact that the council have to buy part of their own city back from a private company. That just doesn't seem right.

Time for some direct action people, tear down those barricades.

How long will it be before Westfield go belly up?

Can't say it would be a big surpirse if they did as many building firms are experiencing problems right now. Personally I can't see who would want to by a big hole in the ground in Bradford, so the council could end up with it being given back to them for nothing.

Under no circumstances should the council pay £80m to buy it back. That would be absolutely stupid.

it's such a shame to see Bradford going belly up like this.

The thing is Westfield know the council have a huge wad of cash sat in bank account somewhere from the sale of a certain airport. If enough pressure is put on the council from various sources who's to say they might well stump up some of this. Was this the Westfield plan all along?

i'd be surprised if it was. I'd say Westfield's reputation will be lowered somewhat after this shambles.

I thought that had been spent/assigned to worthwhile projects such as the Odsal Sporting Village?

Got to agree, but who knows what goes on in the corridors of power when millions are at stake. We only find out about it years later after some internal audit or a councilgate body appears.

yeah, blotting the city like they have done and walking away with millions of the council's money (if it happens) should be punishable.

It doesn't seem acceptable business practice to decide when they do and don't build the shopping . Wouldn't the council have fines in place to make sure deadlines are kept to? If any were agreed that is.

I'm not an expert on how this project works but surely Westfield will have tendered for building the and should have had deadlines in place to get the building built?

As far as I know Westfield have already passed three start dates or completion not sure which, and I'm sure somebody has said the council did'nt have a penalty clause in the contracts so hey ho no one to jump on from a great height. If thats the case very poor planning on a project this size.