New adventure park with bumper cars and laser quest could open in Yorkshire

A planning application to convert an empty ground floor unit – and a large first floor area, at the Petergate Mall side of the shopping centre has been submitted to Bradford Council.

If plans are approved, the empty space would become an “indoor adventure park” that would also include ice skating, indoor football and indoor golf, inflatables and a café.

The application is for unit SU16 – a currently vacant space between jewellery store Pandora and the newly opened outdoor clothing store Trespass.

This ground floor unit would be the entrance to the adventure centre, with most of the activity space on the first floor – stretching to space above the mall’s HMV store.

The application has been submitted by Bradford Broadway Ltd.

Documents in the application show that the upper floor will be divided into a number of different activity zones.

They include an inflatables area, ice rink, bumper cars space, indoor golf area, laser quest zone, indoor football area and adult soft play area.

There have been previous plans to open leisure businesses – beyond the existing Light cinema complex, in the centre.

A Ninja Warrior centre, based on the popular TV show, was due to open in late 2021, but work never began.

And in early 2020 an application to open a climbing wall in the centre was approved – but again this business never opened.

If approved, the plans would be the latest in a series of new openings in the shopping centre in recent months.

In the months leading up to Christmas retailers Jack & Jones and Trespass have returned to the shopping centre. Café Muffin Break opened its doors, as did pawnbroker Ramsdens, US themed clothing store Lids, and shoe store Sketchers.

And next year discount retail giant Primark is due to move from its current home in the Kirkgate Shopping Centre to the former Debenhams unit in Broadway – just yards from where the planned adventure centre will be based.

It would also be the latest leisure business to open in the city centre.

The former Boyes store on North Parade has been turned into a leisure destination in recent years – now home to crazy golf, virtual reality and gaming businesses.

And late last year plans to convert the ground floor of Sunwin House – the former TJ Hughes department store, into a leisure facility with virtual reality gaming and trampolining, were approved by Bradford Council.

A decision on the planning application is expected next month.