People across the UK voted and the winner of  the BIG Lottery Fund’s ‘The People’s £50 Million Lottery contest’ the biggest ever award to be decided by a public vote, was Sustrans: Connect 2.

Sustrans: Connect2 is a UK-wide project that will create new cycling and walking routes to improve local travel in 79 communities across the country, a portion of which travels through our City of Bradford.

The successful Connect2 Project turns long-term plans for a new bridge across Manchester Road into a reality.

The new bridge will be an iconic landmark, at the heart of a network of pedestrian friendly routes connecting West Bowling and Marshfields and linking Bradford City Centre to the national cycle network – Route 66.

Bradford Trident has worked closely with a range of partners, including Sustrans, Newby School, Yorkshire Forward, Bradford Council, Bradford & Airedale PCT and Bradford Hospitals Trust to build safe and attractive streets for people who live in the neighbourhood, focusing particularly on the needs of people who walk to local amenities such as schools, shops and play areas.

The successful Connect2 bid joins up these streets and allows this way of working to expand across the Bradford District.

Councillor Ian Greenwood, Chair of Bradford Trident, says “This is a tremendous boost for Bradford; the money will provide an iconic landmark and enable people to move easily and safely throughout the neighbourhood.   I would like to thank everyone who has supported and voted for Sustrans’ Connect2 bid for Big Lottery funding”

Mike Latham, Headteacher at Newby School which is adjacent to the proposed bridge adds, “All at Newby are absolutely delighted with the outcome of the national vote.  The new bridge will stand as an imposing, yet practical, symbol of West Bowling and Bradford’s new confidence and will no doubt become a major gateway to the city centre.

Thanks to Trident and Council initiatives, walking and cycling in and around West Bowling are on the increase and this will encourage local people to walk and cycle to town and beyond. This success will have a major impact on Bradford for years to come.’  

Pictured is an artists impression of how the bridge may look

Bradford Trident has added to its list of awards by being pronounced ‘Regeneration Partnership of the Year 2007’.
 
Over 60 partnerships competed for the prestigious national award which was judged by a panel of expert regeneration professionals.
 
Bradford Trident’s ground breaking anti-crime work, environmental and housing improvements, unique education and community programmes and support to business together with its pioneering Neighbourhood Management work are all factors that led to winning the award, promoted by Regeneration and Renewal magazine.
 
Overjoyed Chair of the Bradford Trident Board, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said, ‘I am delighted that Bradford Trident has received this award. It is a tribute to the hard work of the board and partners, the support of all our residents and the commitment of the staff. The area has improved hugely over the past eight years and will continue to do so in times to come. Our programme is about lasting change that tangibly improves life for all in our communities. Winning this award is confirmation that our innovative approach is a nationally recognised success.’ 

Chief Executive of Bradford Council, Tony Reeves, echoed these sentiments saying, ‘Regeneration Partnership of the Year is a well deserved accolade. Bradford Trident delivers results, showing the way forward for physical, social and economic regeneration in the district. We very much value the work of Bradford Trident as both a partner and as a beacon of good practice. I am sure we will continue our positive relationship in the years to come. At a time when so much focus is on city centre landmark projects it’s really important that we get things right in our neighbourhoods and this award demonstrates that Bradford Trident is doing that.’
 
Bradford Trident, part of the New Deal for Communities programme, was launched seven years ago. In that time the area has changed beyond recognition. GCSE pass rates have more than doubled, crime rates have dropped to the national average and unemployment has halved. Perhaps most importantly, surveys of local residents show they’ve really noticed the difference, reporting significant improvements in quality of life and satisfaction with the area.  Other notable achievements include the building of a network of neighbourhood centres, improvements to hundreds of homes and a popular Neighbourhood Warden scheme.
 
Chair of the judging panel Heather Hancock, partner at consultancy Deloitte MCS says, ‘What impressed us was the cohesiveness of the approach that had been taken, and the way communities had been brought together under strong leadership.’
 
Fellow judge David Marlow, Chief Executive of the East of England Development Agency adds, ‘Bradford Trident illustrates that regeneration has to be for the long haul and involve the community in a sustained manner over a number of years. It developed a programme and saw it through to implementation while involving the community along the way.’