No change yet for park

Last June the Telegraph & Argus revealed that planning permission for the redevelopment of the park had expired because work had not started within three years of the scheme being approved by Bradford Council.

Landowners British Land, based in London, had said they wanted to make the shopping area more attractive to pedestrians and cyclists. They were to alter the layout of the car park and spoke about adding facilities such as a customer service building, public toilets and a play area for children.

British Land also has permission to build a major leisure development on the former Royal Mail sorting office site next to the retail park. Plans for Forster Square Leisure, which included a cinema, gym and restaurants, were approved in April 2016, a year after the retail site was okayed.

But while work started on the site - the buildings were demolished the following year - no construction work has begun.

Si Cunningham, chairman of Bradford Civic Society said the original plans should be scrapped for something more pioneering and has made some suggestions for the future of the site.

He said: “It’s frustrating to see a continued lack of progress on this key city centre site, but I personally see it as a great opportunity to go back to the drawing board and do something far more ambitious for Bradford.

“British Land’s current proposal for the site is wholly inadequate and outdated before it’s even been built. If we go down that road again, we will do irreparable harm to the wider city centre.

“I’ve had some positive discussions with both British Land and Bradford Council, and I’m now calling on both parties to get together and consider a temporary use for the land in the absence of any development.

“In the long term, it makes sense to me for any future plans for this site to be tied into both the delayed Forster Square station redevelopment and the Centenary Court office building, which will soon be vacated by HMRC.

“Let’s turn these three individual challenges into one bold development, possibly even creating a vast new public space to welcome people into the city.

“We should do something that future generations will thank us for.”

Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade said she was not unduly concerned on the lack of progress.

“The retail park appears to be doing well judging by the number of cars there all the time. I think they are taking stock of the former Royal Mail site and deciding what to do. They planned to put a gym and cinema there but these have already been done at The Broadway.”

British Land could not be reached for a comment. However, news has emerged that the company swung to a £319 million loss to March this year, down from a £501 million profit last year, as instability in the retail sector pulled down property prices.

British Land saw £1.4 billion wiped off the value of its property portfolio, declining by 4.8 percent to £12.3 billion, while its high street rents also significantly declined.