Global inspiration behind civic society’s vision to improve city
MEMBERS OF a civic society have taken inspiration from some of the world’s most famous cities for a long-term vision to regenerate the heart of Bradford.
Ambitious proposals drawn up by the Bradford Civic Society include an urban park, more pedestrianised streets and a cinema on top of a multi-storey car park.
The society had asked the public to make suggestions for changes they wanted to see in the city.
The group’s Place Panel said the coronavirus lockdown has added a greater focus to their work, and members have now revealed their ideas.
Some of the more striking plans include an open air cinema and performance space on top of the Oastler Market car park and creating a new urban park on the site of the long-delayed Forster Square Leisure development.
“Pocket parks”, like those found in Tokyo and Barcelona,
would create several open spaces, and could be linked to efforts to make more out of Bradford’s network of becks. Roads such as Westgate could also be made more pedestrian-friendly.
Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, said: “I’d like to thank the civic society’s Place Panel for sharing their thoughts on the future of the city centre with us.
“We’ve met with them a number of times to discuss key projects and have always found it to be a productive and valuable session.”
One of the most ambitious suggestions calls for Bradford Council to work with British Land to re-purpose the mothballed former Royal Mail sorting office site at Forster Square as a large inner city green space.
The site was earmarked for a leisure development of a cinema, shops and restaurants, and although planning permission was granted in 2016, work on the development has yet to start.
The society has suggested the new park at the site would be temporary, and when work does start on the development, it could be moved to another vacant city centre site.