MILLIONS of pounds will be used to prop up traditional shopping areas in Bradford city centre when the new Broadway shopping centre opens later this year.

Areas affected by shoppers migrating to the new centre are expected to need help for years to come, Bradford Council officials have acknowledged.

Meanwhile, a 'finishing school' is to be established to make sure there are enough properly trained workers to meet the demand from retailers for the Broadway centre by developers Westfield.

The new Retail Academy is expected to survive after the centre opens because Westfield have predicted a 'churn' of staff which could see up to 500 vacancies per year caused by staff leaving.

Business rate rebates are being used to help firms in Darley Street and other areas, with deals lasting up to three years available to businesses in affected areas.

There have also been grants for improving premises and equipment available, though they will be drying up soon.

COMMENT: HELP FOR CITY TRADERS IS GOOD NEWS

However, after the rate rebates end, the Council will try to find other ways to help the areas "most at need of assistance".

Details of the support going into the city centre are contained in a report to the Council's regeneration scrutiny committee, which will be considered at a meeting tomorrow.

Bradford Chamber of Trade has stressed the importance of ensuring Broadway "complements and not competes with" existing city centre traders.

So far, the Council has put £5.4m into grants to help improve 77 premises or buy equipment, with the result of "supporting" 289 jobs and brining floorspace back into use.

Another £4.7m has been agreed in rate rebate assistance, with firms accepting that help promising to provide 445 jobs. So far, 230 of those have materialised.

The report to be studied by councillors states: "It is acknowledged that in the short term there will be relocation of some retailers into the Westfield development from, in particular, Darley Street and the Kirkgate Centre."

Job creation from the Westfield development forms part of the Get Bradford Working initiative, which has been running for several years.

It is now anticipated Broadway will create more than 2,000 jobs with retailers, with many of those new vacancies.

The Retail Academy development is now at an advanced stage and is expected to start operating in the spring at Kershaw House, alongside the new shopping centre.

It will provide tailored training to meet the needs of businesses opening there, acting as "finishing school" to ensure candidates are fully able to meet employers' needs.

Council experts believe the anchor stores at Broadway will start recruiting about three months before opening but other stores could start to look for staff as close as four weeks to the opening date.

Chamber of Trade secretary Val Summerscales said: "We are obviously appreciative of the fact the Council are saying we need to be looking at established areas.

"Westfield will be the pull when it opens but it is up to us to ensure the rest of the city is not neglected and links in with Westfield."