5plus unveils plans for a ‘village’ of 1,000 homes in Bradford city centre

The Bradford City Village proposals will create new homes on three central plots, including the increasingly empty 1976 Kirkgate shopping center by John Brunton & Partners, which will be flattened.

The huge concrete block, dubbed Bradford’s “space age shopping centre” when it opened as the Arndale 48 years ago, was recently refused listed status by Historic England.

Despite winning a European award from the International Council of Shopping Centers in 1979, the government’s heritage watchdog described it as “mundane and repetitive”, adding that it lacked “architectural flair”.

Renderings of the replacement ‘sustainable residential quarter’, which will also see the Oastler Market building in the city’s northern quarter demolished and new homes built in the Chain Street area, were revealed at the UKREiiF regeneration forum in Leeds last week (May 22) .

The scheme is being developed by Bradford Council in partnership with ECF, a strategic joint venture between developer Muse, investor Legal & General and the government’s housing and regeneration agency, Homes England.

The development team, which includes landscape architecture reform, said the emerging masterplan was “shaped and refined” following feedback from hundreds of local residents during the initial public consultation programme, which ended in January 2024.

Another phase of public engagement will be carried out this autumn, before the 10-year project is submitted for planning next spring.

All three sites will include new community parks.

Following the demolition of Kirkgate Shopping Centre, Darley Street will be widened to create a “significant new linear park” next to Greig & Stephenson’s soon-to-open market building.

Councilor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s lead member for regeneration, transport and planning, said: “This draft masterplan is a key step forward in unlocking the funding and investment needed to deliver the much-needed regeneration of Bradford city center and provide places of work and opportunities for people in the district.

“Our vision is to create a healthy, sustainable and community-friendly neighborhood. While housing is at the heart of these plans, City Village will also create opportunities for new independent retail, cafes, bars and business premises.

Simon Dew, development director at ECF, said: “Bradford is investing at an unprecedented level in transport and public infrastructure to drive future success and realize its full economic potential.

“City Village is about responding to these new opportunities by balancing retail with other uses that will bring more people downtown.”

Subject to approval, construction could begin next year.

Bradford City Village Vision (May 2024)
(1) Chain Street about 50 new homes proposed (2) Ostler this site could contain approximately 70 houses and approximately 380 apartments (3) Kirkgate higher density apartment living with approximately 400 new apartments (existing mall footprint highlighted in red)

5plus on why they are demolishing Kirkgate Shopping Centre

Initial studies have shown that, unfortunately, it is not possible to reuse and reuse the existing buildings of shopping centers.

We are aware of the carbon embedded in the existing Kirkgate structure in particular and see an opportunity to re-use and reform some of the textured concrete cladding panels or sections of wafer board into landscape elements such as steps, seating, plinths and interior surfaces. open spaces.

The concrete frame is to be recycled, crushed and reused on site to fill the large hole in the basement to minimize material to be taken on or off site.

Source: Martin Priestley

Bradford’s Kirkgate Center (September 2022)

Project data

Location Bradford
Local authority Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Project type Resident-driven mixed-use masterplan
Client Bradford City Council and ECF (English Cities Fund)
Architect 5plus Architects
Landscape architect reform the architecture of the landscape
Planning consultant Avison Young
Structural engineer Curtains
M&E consultant WSP
Ticket collector Turner and Townsend
Lead designer Project 4
funding N/A
The rough inner surface TB
Form of contract and/or purchase TB
Annual CO2 emissions Unavailable
Total cost Undisclosed

Source: 5Plus

An aerial sketch of the proposed redevelopment of Bradford’s Kirkgate Shopping Center in 1976