MIPIM Latest: Yorkshire cities step up renaissance work

DEVELOPMENTS to help the renaissance of two major Yorkshire cities have been stepped up.

Work has already begun to create a six-acre City Park in Bradford which will have as its centre piece the largest city centre water park in the UK, while proposals for the redevelopment of the historic Tower Works in Holbeck Urban Village, Leeds, have been released.

Progress on both key projects was highlighted at international property conference MIPIM where five local authories – Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees, are promoting the Leeds City Region to the world.

The former West Yorkshire Police Headquarters in Bradford has been demolished to make way for the first phase of the City Park.

The north wing of the 1970s building has been cleared to make way for a grass-roofed pavilion building which will house the maintenance hub and water source for the park’s centre piece, a mirror pool.

Overseen by contractor Birse Civils, all the material from the building demolition is being recycled and will then be brought back on site to use under the centre piece feature of the park.

Stephen Talboys, director of city centre regeneration said: “The demolition of the former police station is a significant point not only for the City Park but also Bradford’s regeneration. I think this gives people an idea of the scale of the changes we’re making to the city centre and the ambition we have to create a ‘park in the city’. 

“The City Park is about more than creating an attractive urban environment, it’s about social and economic sustainability, economic investment, tourism and communities. It will make Bradford unique and will position the city ready for the upturn in the market.”

The park, equivalent to four football pitches is approximately the same size as St Mark’s Square in Venice.

The funding for the City Park is provided by the public sector in partnership between Bradford Council, Yorkshire Forward and the Regional Transport Board.

The Tower Works site is being redeveloped by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward and is one of a series of flagship projects supported through the urban renaissance programme.

Selective demolition work at Tower Works is now complete and marketing hoardings were erected at the end of February. Yorkshire Forward, which acquired the site in 2005, is currently in the process of selecting the main contractor for the construction phase, starting on site next month and completing by March 2011.

Tower Works, with its landmark Italianate towers, is a key site within Holbeck Urban Village, the focus of a major regeneration scheme which aims to develop a thriving new business and residential community in an area immediately to the south of the city centre.

Detailed planning permission for phase one of the scheme was granted early in 2009, with outline planning consent approved for the remainder of the site.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward commented: “We have maintained that, wherever possible, we will work to ensure that our region’s key regeneration schemes continue to progress. By undertaking this first phase of development, Yorkshire Forward is creating a first class opportunity for private investment to support the delivery of future phases of the scheme.”

The first phase involves the clearance of redundant buildings and the restoration of two listed buildings, converting them for commercial use.

When this first phase is complete, Tower Works will offer 18,000 sq ft of serviced office accommodation. This will be provide grow-on space for businesses in the digital and creative industry who are currently based at the neighbouring Yorkshire Forward run Media Centre in the Round Foundry; which provides an award-winning serviced office accommodation facility specialising in the Creative and Digital (CDI) sector.