More details revealed for city centre neighbourhood plans

The first computer generated images for the planned new Bradford City Village residential neighbourhood have been unveiled.

They were published as part of a three-day Bradford Showcase event at Leeds Dock, which is running alongside this year’s UKREiiF regeneration forum.

Built across the “Top of Town” and Darley Street areas which includes the Oastler and Kirkgate Shopping Centres, the new City Village will repurpose what was historically Bradford’s commercial and retail area.

Credit: 5plus/Dematerial

It will create 1,000 homes, as well as independent retail and leisure opportunities, business spaces and public realm.

Bradford Council is developing the plans in partnership with ECF (formerly the English Cities Fund).

Initial proposals currently include:

• Oastler: This site could contain around 70 townhouses, with gardens and parking, and around 380 apartments. The buildings could range from four to six storeys, with the potential for one building to reach a maximum of ten storeys.
• Kirkgate: This site is considered most appropriate for higher-density apartment living, with buildings set around new courtyards. Around 400 new apartments could be accommodated, with active ground-floor spaces for shops, places to eat and drink and other leisure uses. Potential building heights are still being explored.
• Chain Street: This site could provide lower-density family housing in the form of modern townhouses, set around a new community green. Around 50 new townhouses could be accommodated, in a mix of two-four-bedroom properties with gardens and parking.

All sites will include green spaces with three new community parks.

Credit: 5plus/Dematerial

Bradford Council’s lead member for regeneration, transport and planning, Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw said: “City Village is the next stage of our ambitious regeneration programme to reshape our city centre.

“Key projects like One City Park and Darley Street Market are now nearing completion and City Village shows the direction of the city centre for the next 10 years – quality housing, more public spaces and a shift away from an over-reliance on traditional retail that has now changed forever with online shopping and changing customer habits.

“This draft masterplan is a key step forward to unlocking the funding and investment required to deliver the necessary regeneration to Bradford city centre and provide jobs and opportunities to people across the district.

“While housing is at the heart of these plans, City Village will also create opportunities for new independent retail, cafes, bars and business spaces.

“Bringing more homes into the city centre will also increase custom for the existing businesses on North Parade, where our recent investment shows what a sustainable, greener high street can look like.”

ECF is a strategic joint venture between developer Muse, which has recently delivered the 56,400 sq ft One City Park office scheme in Bradford; investor Legal & General; and the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, Homes England.

Simon Dew, development director at ECF, said: “Bradford is investing at an unprecedented level in its transport and public infrastructure to drive future success and realise its full economic potential.

Credit: 5plus/Dematerial

“City Village is about responding to these new opportunities by balancing retail against other uses that will bring more people into the city centre.

“City Village will transform Bradford and these latest plans reveal the current thinking, and we’re really keen to hear what people think about them.”

The planning application for the scheme will be submitted in spring 2025 and construction could start later that year.

The wider project team for Bradford City Village also includes 5plus Architects and re-form Landscape Architecture.