The seven projects that could transform Bradford

A new growth plan unveiled for Bradford has pinned hopes on seven major regeneration projects that could transform the city over the next 10 years.

Built Different is part of a bid for Bradford to gain "core city" status alongside eight other major population centres in the UK.

The city's leaders believe schemes such as City Village and the new railway station could put it on the same level as Leeds and Manchester.

Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: "This is really exciting, and marks the next stage of Bradford's development."

The six other core cities are Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.

A launch event held today will set out the city's potential but also the challenges it could face.

The seven projects are: West Yorkshire Mass Transit; City Village; Southern Gateway; the new station; Airedale Hospital rebuild; HyBradford; towns regeneration boosts for Shipley, Ilkley, Bingley and Keighley.

City Village, on the site of the former Kirkgate and Oastler shopping centres, and Southern Gateway, on land between Leeds Road and Manchester Road, are both major housing and industrial developments.

The new railway station, proposed as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, has been touted as a catalyst that could support up to 27,000 jobs by improving links to other cities.

The rebuilding of Airedale Hospital in Keighley is long-awaited, and HyBradford will boost clean energy capacity with the opening of a green hydrogen facility at Birkshall.

A report prepared ahead of tonight's official launch said the new vision is a "statement of collective ambition" for Bradford's future.

But it also admits there are "significant challenges", particularly around reducing poverty, inequality, and poor educational attainment.

The document lays out ambitions to cut the district's unemployment rate to 4%, create 17,000 new homes by 2035, and increase the number of manufacturing and technology businesses.

It will also build on Bradford's successful year as City of Culture and it is hoped the momentum generated will be key in the push for core city status.

Yet previous public reaction to some of the key projects - most of which have been years in development - has been muted.

Delays over the mass transit system stretch back decades.

The Airedale Hospital rebuild has also been subject to uncertainty.

David Shepherd, Bradford Council's strategic director for place, said the new plan would guide those looking to invest in the district.

"The ambition of Bradford becoming one of the core cities in the UK is one we could all get behind," he added.

"To overtake some of these core cities we need to accelerate growth."

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