Stalled shopping centre could become public space

A “COMMUNITY garden” is set to be opened in a Yorkshire city on the site of a long-awaited £320m shopping centre.

Work on Westfield’s Broadway scheme in Bradford has ground to a halt and the vast site has been left derelict for more than two years.

However, Bradford Council has completed a site survey and has compiled a list of temporary uses for the site, which is surrounded by hoardings.

The plans would allow half of the site to be levelled out and used by the public.

Bradford Council said there was potential to create grassed areas, seating, footpaths between the city centre and Little Germany, a wild flower meadow, urban allotments and an area for outdoor theatre performances.

Health and safety issues are understood to still be viewed as a stumbling block to any projects on the land.

Work on the building of the shopping centre, which saw a number of existing buildings demolished to make way for the complex, has been stopped because of the economic conditions.