City park and market will bring ‘vibrancy’

TWO MAJOR developments that will help with the transformation of Bradford city centre have taken a step forward.

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive, members agreed to progress with the development of One City Park and a new food market on Darley Street.

The schemes were described as reflecting the “shifting” nature of city centres.

One City Park is a proposed development of grade A office space due to be built on the former site of the Tyrls police station in City Park. It is expected to create about 450 jobs.

The council also gave the go ahead for officers to start the process to find a preferred development partner for the scheme.

Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, executive for regeneration, said: “A key focus is getting good jobs into the city centre. So much of our ambition around the centre’s future is about getting the good jobs here. “This is the best possible chance for us to attract top businesses.” The market development will see the former Marks and Spencer on Darley Street turned into a food market, with the existing Kirkgate Market becoming a non-food market. Oastler Market will be demolished and the site cleared for housing. Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe added: “It is clear that the future of city centres is much more mixed. It used to be just retail, now it is retail, leisure and residential. This project will help that, and bring new vibrancy to the centre.”