Hello, how’s it going fellow viewers?
This is a 4-part summarised information packet that goes into further detail about Bradford city centre that was extracted from the Bradford Council Expression of Interest for Future High Streets Fund. The first part would be an introduction to Bradford and its overall characteristics:


PART 1- DEFINING THE PLACE

Bradford is a great northern city with a rich history built on industriousness, entrepreneurism and global connections. It currently has half a million population and boasts the youngest population in the country. Moreover, the city centre enjoys substantial Victorian architectural heritage with over 100 listed buildings.
Bradford and Leeds are closely linked cities within the Leeds City Region, having the highest level of commuting between any two cities in the UK with 44,000 workers travelling daily between them, 75% by car.

With more than 150 languages spoken, the abundance of international connections brings people together, leading to creativity and innovation.
Bradford is the youngest city in the UK with 141,600 people under the age of 18 in the district (26.5% of the total population). It has the potential for a powerful culture of entrepreneurship with 32,500 self-employed people and a large student population but also has high levels of economic inactivity and an unemployment rate of 5.4% compared to the national average (4.2%).

The city centre is an important shop window to the district with a strong cultural offer – Bradford is the world’s first UNESCO City of Film and is home to the National Science and Media Museum. Annual visitor estimates include 25m shoppers, 4m visitors to City Park, around 500,000 visitors to the Science and Media Museum including the Bradford City of Film and over 250,000 theatre goers.

Next, we shall explore the challenges and opportunities present in Bradford city centre. There are 10 in total, therefore the next upcoming blog will cover the second half.


PART 2- CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS

VACANT PROPERTIES
The most recent Centre for Cities Report lists Bradford as the city with the third highest level of high street retail vacancies in England and Wales. The report shows that 24% of Bradford’s retail premises were vacant in 2017-18 compared to an England and Wales average of 16%. There is also an increasing number of unused upper floors, underused surface car parks, and vacant sites. Key losses of many big brands, such as Marks and Spencer, Burton Group, WH Smiths, Argos, etc.

BUSINESSES AND JOBS
The city centre needs to become a recognised business investment choice and showcase for Bradford. Resources are required to demolish redundant low quality buildings, bring back into use empty buildings and sites to ensure a vibrant and functional area and facilitate repurposing for alternative uses. Adaptable and flexible accommodation will be a requirement for micro-businesses, such as artist studios, independent retail, co-working spaces, makers-spaces, and micro-manufacturing. Collaboratively, they will work together and complement products and services which allows more appealing opening hours, driving the evening economy.

FOOD AND LEISURE
The cultural diversity in Bradford has the potential for a wide range of food on offer. Added to this is a strong tradition of festivals and events, many of which celebrate the distinct cultural blend within the district. These include the renowned Bradford Literature Festival and the annual Bradford Festival. Bradford also has a strong Asian influence, with leading Asian fashion stores and restaurants which have yet to significantly permeate the city centre.

EVENING AND NIGHT ECONOMY
The city centre suffers safety fears during the night, caused by the presence of homeless and beggars, street drinking and groups of youths congregating. There is a need to promote a safe, welcoming and vibrant night-time economy. This can be done by repurposing vacant properties to create food and beverage and leisure venues which links both universities and their students to the city centre.

RETAIL OFFER
A Retail Survey done in 2017 shows that the city centre does not capitalise on the workforce present in the centre for shopping, food/drink and leisure. There is a lack of linked ‘multiple’ usage patterns, shoppers shop and workers work. Shoppers yearn for greater choice and variety for night-time and greater crossover between daytime and early evening offering.

PART 3- CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS (continued)

FOOTFALL
Based on monitoring of footfall on Darley Street, the key street in the former retail core, a reduction is shown on its quarterly footfall of 1.48 million in 2012 to 1.04 million in 2018. The lack of footfall creates deterioration of the environment, increasing concerns around safety and the occurrence of crime. The cause of it is a combination of consumers’ changing shopping habits, competition with online retail and out-of-town shopping centres.

HOUSING
Whilst the UK trend towards greater urban living and urban lifestyles have been less pronounced in Bradford than in many other cities over the past decade and a half. Compared to other major cities, Bradford city centre has witnessed a slow but steady growth in its residential population. The City Centre Area Action Plan aims to deliver a minimum of 3500 new homes by 2030, 1000 of these proposed within City Village Boundary. In this plan, there are specific needs to ensure housing choice in tenure and size to meet more local needs. There is also a requirement to support a sustainable city living through close proximity to new schools and healthcare.

ENVIRONMENT
The topography of Bradford is rather drastic, with steep inclines around the City Village area, accessibility needs to be maximised to create a more walkable city. Policies evaluated to reduce car use, congestion and air pollution via clean air zones, traffic management, smoke control, active travel interventions, and travel planning to increase public transport usage. The City Village will present an opportunity to create public living green areas and community gardens that create safe, accessible and inclusive spaces, enabling pop up markets, street festivals and cultural events (Healthy Streets)

TRANSPORT AND CONNECTIVITY
Bradford is one of the most congested cities in the UK with Leeds-Bradford placed eighteenth on the list of the 25 most congested UK towns and cities. An integrated response should be developed that considers cars, public transport, cyclists and pedestrians. The city centre therefore acts as a transport ‘hub’ where the cars, public transport, walking and cycling all work together so that the city centre is connected both to Bradford residents and the wider world.

TECHNOLOGIES
To prepare for future transport needs, Bradford’s planned infrastructure provision is necessary for increasing numbers of electric vehicles and the demand for rapid charging points. In the medium to long term, car-sharing schemes, predicted reduced car-ownership and eventually autonomous vehicles may reduce demand for car parking and multi-stories in the city centre. Data will be used to better inform and enhance city centre managements and forge new and stronger links between local people, businesses and the city centre. Information sharing will also integrate wayfinding information with local information on events, cultural and destinations and retail offers to extend dwell time and support local businesses and grow the economy.

The following will be the final part of this 4-part informational series!


PART 4- STRATEGIC AMBITION

The ambition is a city centre that is transformed to enable new and sustainable styles of living that are attractive to all our communities, provides economic opportunity for all and is the cultural heart of the district. A place-based approach will be taken, drawing on local strengths and assets and putting people at the heart of this transformation.

The Future High Streets Fund will be used to catalyse the transformation of the city centre and revitalise Bradford, improving perceptions, increasing investor confidence and rekindling local pride. Bradford will harness the energy and entrepreneurial spirit of the young population and diverse communities to dive and innovate the city’s productive business community.

Bradford City Plan addresses a social and placemaking agenda with proposed actions organized around five priority outcomes:
• A Place of Dynamic Business and Entrepreneurship
• A Centre of Excellence for Learning
• An Exemplar of 21st Century Urban Living
• A Major Transport Hub
• A Destination & Experience

The Council has worked actively with Historic England to introduce the UK’s first Local Listed Building Consents Order which alongside a Local Development Order allows conversion and change of use of listed buildings without the need for planning consent.

A programme of Heritage Streets public realm investment has transformed much of the city centre pedestrian area. One of the most significant investments has been the delivery of the multi-award winning £25 million Bradford City Park.

The city centre is identified as a Spatial Priority Area for investment in the Leeds City Region Strategic Economic Plan 2016-2030 and is designated as an Urban Growth Centre reflecting its importance as a hub of economic activity and a centre of residential, leisure and cultural significance.

Regional Growth Fund monies received in 2012, matched by Bradford Council, has supported the wider City Centre through improvements to the streetscape and visitor navigation as well as creating a development platform for new build office accommodation in City Park.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Strategy 2040 identifies the city centre as a focus for housing and job growth in Bradford District alongside the Bradford Shipley Canal Road Corridor.

The Bradford Civic Society has secured letters of support from many stakeholders across the city, district and beyond, including support from the Leeds City Region. There are multiple letters of support from the private sector including key city centre partners and investors; wider business interests are also represented.

Working with Born in Bradford, one of the largest research studies in the world looking at childhood health, to jointly involve schoolchildren using smart technology to get their views on what they want from their future place.

It was announced at MIPIM and the LGA that Bradford is to be one of only five beneficiaries of the Future Places Initiative.

Involvement with the ‘Design in the Public Sector’ initiative and are presently working collaboratively with Homes England, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and other key partners on preparing the City Village ‘master delivery plan’


In the end, these details will better inform us on our approach towards our project coming soon. Until next time!