Urban Echo: Yorkshire's only urban newspaper

Vibrant new city square for Bradford

Bradford Council Executive is set to approve proposals to create a major new public space supporting the development of the Bradford city centre markets. Initial plans to develop a market in the former M&S building have now been expanded to include 8 and 10-14 Darley Street. The extra space will allow the food market to face onto the dynamic new public space which will host outdoor markets and specialist open air events bringing more people into the city centre and adding to Bradford’s draw as a shopping and leisure destination.…

PayPal fight for equality in the UK and worldwide with support from the casino industry

The worldwide e-wallet solution leader PayPal has launched a series of initiatives aimes at favouring equality and inclusiveness in the UK and worldwide. Starting with Paypal casino UK operators now targeting the needs of female players, the online payment behemoth established an LGBTQ+ network - called PayPal Pride - and has been a proud ambassador of inclusiveness for years. The gaming world has taken note and more and more casino operators have teamed up with PayPal to promote equality in the gambling industry. PayPal casinos offer financial supports to several initiatives which focus in the wll being of the LGBTQ+ community - and much more.

Bradford Lord Mayor donates food to local homeless charities

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Zafar Ali has donated food to help two Bradford-based charities who support homeless people across the district. The Lord Mayor attended the Salvation Army, Leeds Road’s annual carol service where he donated an array of festive food items that will be used to feed people experiencing homelessness on Christmas Day The donation included ham and beef joints, turkey crowns and a whole host of other festive trimmings to be enjoyed by those visiting the organisations on the day. The Salvation Army has been working…

Members of £1m Car Crime Gang Jailed

Three men from Bradford have been sentenced to a total of 19 years following an investigation into an organised crime gang which is believed to have been involved in the handling and disposal of more than £1m of stolen cars. The investigation centred on Chapel Green Works in the Little Horton area of Bradford after police discovered vehicle parts for 69 stolen vehicles in an industrial unit on the premises in September 2016. Documents and other items were also found for a further six cars. Most of the vehicles had…

BREXIT: AT LAST A WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT

After all, a withdrawal agreement consisting of 585 pages has been drafted. The document is a road map for the UK to leave the EU scheduled for 29 March 2019. It’s important to lay out first the important points of this agreement and then to evaluate these critically and logically. The transition period, termed as implementation period by the UK government will begin from 29 March 2019 and end on 31 December 2020 It would be imperative upon the UK to abide by all the rules of EU, yet…

The Pain of Being A Perfectionist

By Janette Ward There is a preoccupation in our society to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect home, the perfect relationship, being the perfect parent, etc. If you watch television adverts, read glossy magazines or take part in social media, you will be bombarded with these messages. What being a perfectionist feels like is powerfully described by writer Nick Wignall: ‘Picture the nastiest, cruellest person you know. Now imagine that their full-time job is to follow you around, close as your shadow, constantly criticizing or judging everything you do.…

Frustrating events - Another Brexit issue

by Rachael Donnelly, Associate, Property Litigation Team RDonnelly@LawBlacks.com, 0113 207 1094 Another day, another article on Brexit. But this one is a little bit different. It concerns a dispute between the Canary Wharf Group, a property development, investment and management company, and its tenant, the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”). The EMA is, in simple terms, attempting to get out of the remaining term of its 25 year lease of substantial premises at Canary Wharf. Their reason? Brexit has frustrated the lease. They say, at the time the lease was entered…

Funding crisis at Bradford College

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) are warning of a crisis for Further Education which is having a direct financial impact on Bradford College. With massive debts already surrounding the college as well as no staff pay increases for the past ten years, the UCU are urging the people of Bradford to support their campaign to protect Bradford College. After meeting with Bradford West MP Naz Shah and picketing outside the college last week, the union have now written the following open letter to the residents of Bradford. An Open…

Depraved Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison Following Serious Sexual Offences

A depraved man who raped a woman and two children has been jailed for 20 years. John Lord, aged 36, of School Yard in Horbury, appeared at Leeds Crown Court on Friday 30 November, to be sentenced for a total of 34 counts, two counts of rape against an adult woman and 34 counts of rape and indecent assault against two children. The offences against the children happened in 1994 and the offences against the woman occurred in 2014 at addresses in Mirfield and Huddersfield. He was found guilty of…

Bradford Fraudster Ordered To Repay More Than £30,000

A Bradford man convicted of fraud has been ordered to repay more than £30,000 following a confiscation hearing. The order against Mohammed Navid Ramzan, 28, was made at Bradford Crown Court last month (28 November) by His Honour Judge Burn. Ramzan, of Northdale Road, was given a sentence of 24 months which was suspended for the same period in March this year after he was convicted of conspiracy to defraud Lloyds Bank, with whom he was employed at the time of the offence in 2013. An investigation by the Bradford District…

MP Naz Shah opens new Islamic Relief office in Bradford

Naz Shah, MP for Bradford West and Shadow Minister for women and equalities, opened Islamic Relief’s new office on Saturday 24 November at Legrams Terrace in BD7. The MP has been a long-term supporter of the charity and an ambassador for the organisation’s Honour Her campaign, which aims to tackle violence against women and girls. Her speech highlighted the campaign, her partnership with Islamic Relief and the incredible commitment of hundreds of Bradford volunteers to support vital humanitarian and development work, internationally and in the UK. She said: ‘It’s a…