Changes planned for Bradford city centre will ‘lift’ areas as residents updated

The first steps of a plan to pedestrianise swathes of the city centre will start in the coming year, and will see parts of Hall Ings and Market Street closed to traffic.

The Government funded Transforming Cities Fund will involve Norfolk Gardens being extended over what is now Hall Ings, and the NCP car park demolished to create a new entrance to Bradford Interchange.

The Jacob’s Well roundabout will be replaced by a “super crossing” and Little Horton Lane will be blocked off at the end nearest the cenotaph to create a crossing free route between the Media Museum, Alhambra and Bradford Live.

At a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive earlier this month Darren Badrock, who has been working on the scheme, gave an update to members.

Mr Badrock said: “We’re looking to increase footfall across the city. We want to improve the nighttime economy and make the most of City of Culture.

“We’re trying to encourage people to shift from private cars to reduce congestion.

“Part of the plan is to take traffic out of the civic area of the city centre – making safer pedestrian areas. At the moment there are significant barriers to getting around the city centre as a pedestrian.

“We’re re-organising public transport – redistributing public transport around the core of the city.

“We’ll introduce new bus stops and more green space to the city centre, make it a much more pleasant place for people to be.

“Every major junction will include improvements to pedestrian and cycling flows.”

One of the changes introduced to the plans after consultation was a proposal to close the end of Little Horton Lane off to traffic.

Mr Badrock told the meeting that this would make it easier for people to get to the “entertainment quarter” which includes the Alhambra, National Science and Media Museum and, by the time the work is complete, Bradford Live.

He said: “The closure of Little Horton Lane was a request from the stakeholders in the entertainment quarter.”

The meeting was told that the new pedestrianised area at the bottom of Little Horton Lane will include “bespoke” bus shelters designed to match the neighbouring buildings.

Referring to the pedestrianisation of Market Street, Mr Badrock said the work would create “high quality public realm” that would include floor sockets to make it easier for the street to host events.

He also said the work would make better use of the street’s buildings, many of which are currently behind bus shelters.

He told members: “It is a chance to enhance the architecture. There are some buildings on Market Street that are absolutely stunning, but are really undervalued at the moment.

“An enhanced public realm will lift them.”

Work is expected to start in November with the demolition of the Hall Ings Car Park, followed by the opening up of Well Street to create a bus corridor.