Ambitious plan to turn run down area of Bradford into 'desirable new neighbourhood'

Bradford Council has been working on plans for a “desirable new neighbourhood”, known as City Village, with up to 1,000 homes, public spaces, shops and other businesses.

The council wants it to be a place where people “choose to live, work and thrive” and where businesses “invest, trade and grow”.

The new £23m Darley Street Market, which will be home to dozens of food stalls and shops as well as a stage for live events when it opens this summer, will be a key part of the neighbourhood.

It comes as Oastler Market and Kirkgate Market are both due to be shut down and demolished and the traders will be offered the opportunity to relocate.

According to the council, the area earmarked for the major development was once Bradford’s most popular shopping destination, but it is currently filled with vacant or low-value shops as customers now prefer Broadway Shopping Centre and Forster Square Shopping Park.

The Labour-run council said it has been working on the project for years and reached a stage where their vision “needs to be transformed into delivery actions”.

It will begin searching for a development partner to help deliver the scheme and aim to begin construction in May 2025, if the plan is signed off on Tuesday.

According to the council, the major project will require millions of pounds of investment from taxpayers and the private sector.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the council’s executive member for regeneration, said: “City Village is a large and ambitious regeneration project.

"We’re already showing some of what the City Village area will be like with the new market and this is a huge opportunity to reshape the city centre with sustainable and quality new housing, public spaces and business developments.”