David Ward: Westfield's Top Boss must come to Bradford to see the result of Westfield's failure to deliver in Bradford

10.20.47am GMT Thu 29th Oct 2009

Cllr David Ward campaigning to get Westfield to re-start the shopping centre development.

Liberal Democrats in Bradford have written to Westfield's top boss, Frank Lowry, inviting him to Bradford to see for himself the impact of the failure of his company to deliver the promised Broadway Centre.

Leading Lib Dem David Ward said; "Frank Lowry is one of Australia's wealthiest men. He needs to get himself here to see the consequences of Westfield's failure to deliver in Bradford."

"Bradford has got a 61% increase in youth employment. Young people that could have had a decent job or training if Westfield had delivered not delayed on their project" said David.

"In addition to the 32 million pounds taxpayers have already paid to get work on the Broadway site started taxpayers are having to pay almost a quarter of a million pounds a week in benefit to young people without jobs. It's not good enough for fat cat Frank Lowry to keep getting his seven million pound bonus when he let's so many people in Bradford down. It's time we let Frank know what we think of his company."

"Bradford's taxpayers were promised they could do their Christmas shopping in the new Broadway Centre in 2008" said David Ward, "Now almost Christmas shopping time 2009 and work on the site has stopped. It could be years before work starts again."

"Its embarrassing and costing the country millions" said David Ward. "It's time we sent Frank a message about Westfield's performance in Bradford. They have posted earnings before interest and taxes of $1.466 billion, up 18.6% on last year. It's not good enough that Frank Lowry's company continues to make billions whilst young people here in Bradford are without a job and City centre businesses are struggling. I doubt that Frank Lowry even knows or cares where Bradford is. He doesn't need to have any loyalty to Bradford because he just takes the cash regardless of the consequences."

Westfields Chairman , Professor Hilmer in a speech to the Annual General meeting on the Westfield Group in May 2009 said "…. In recent times you can see that our assets have grown in value far more that than they have fallen in the short term response to the global financial downturn." (2)

In response David Ward said, "Westfield's failure in Bradford is making no difference to Westfield. Bradford didn't even get a mention in their self-congratulatory annual report. No one has been able to estimate the true cost to Bradford of this failure but one thing is clear it must stop now. Either Frank Lowry puts something back or they must move on."

"I want Frank to spend some of his 7 million pound bonus on a flight to Bradford to meet for himself some of the young people who should be benefiting from jobs and work experience that his company is failing to deliver."