Forster Square post demolition, late 2006

Westfield Bradford is the current name of a planned leisure and shopping complex in Bradford, England. In preparation for the project a number of buildings, mainly dating from the 1960s, were demolished on Forster Square and major shopping street Broadway.

By 2006 demolition work had freed for development a site encompassed by Hall Ings, Well Street, the new Lower Kirkgate and Charles Street.^[1] In April 2010, after several years in which no construction had taken place, the project was mothballed and work began on creating a temporary park on part of the site.^[2] The site was subsequently occupied by protesters unhappy about the lack of development.^[3]

History [edit]

In 1998 the Forster Square Development Partnership was established between Magellan Properties, Caddick Developments and Bradford Metropolitan District Council. They planned a 51,096 m² (550,000 sq ft) shopping centre containing Debenhams, BHS, C&A [1], Marks and Spencer and 100 shops and other leisure facilities.^[4] (BHS already had a store in Broadway which was demolished as part of the demolition of the previous development on the site and C&A also had a store on the old Broadway although closed all of their UK stores in 2001 and thus cancelled plans to be part of this redevelopment). The partnership sold it to Stannifer which was bought out by the Westfield Group in December 2004.^[5]

Planning permission for the development was awarded approved on 10 September 2003 with the claim that 3,000 new jobs could be created.^[6] Demolition on the Forster Square site started on 18 March 2004 and by mid-2006 the site was empty apart from a large pile of rubble. It was originally hoped that the complex would be open by late 2007^[6] (with construction commencing in early 2006^[5]), but with a lack of anchor tenants and with many workmen still working on Westfield Derby, the start date for construction was pushed back.^[7] The delays lead to Bradford Council threatening to take back control of the site from Westfield, if progress wasn't made.^[7]

Boarded shops on Broadway on the fringes of the development, the current hole in the city has left shops in this area somewhat isolated.

Expected stores [edit]

On 7 February 2008 it was revealed that BHS had cancelled its plans to open within this development,^[8] meaning that Bradford would not have a replacement for the BHS store which closed in 2004 as part of the demolition. Arcadia Group have also signed up for stores, which include their Topshop, Topman, Evans, Dorothy Perkins, Burton, Wallis and Miss Selfridge brands.^[9] Some of these stores already exist on Darley Street, elsewhere in Bradford city centre.

Next has signed up for a 2 floor store within the centre. Its existing store in Forster Square will remain open.^[10] Marks and Spencer have also signed up^[11] - it is unknown whether the existing store on nearby Darley Street will remain. The jewellery chain Beaverbrooks was expected to take up tenancy.^[11]

Temporary park [edit]

Mural at the temporary Urban Garden

In February 2010, almost 6 years since the start of demolition, Bradford Council announced a plan to convert part of the construction site into a temporary park.^[12] The park would include new footpaths, seating, grassed areas, urban allotments and a performance area^[12] The funding for the park scheme was provided partly by central government, as part of a fund to help local councils invest after recession, Yorkshire Forward, and the developers Westfield. Work began on the park in April.^[2] The park is a temporary measure; in its 2009 financial results, Westfield stated that it was continuing pre-development activity on the scheme.^[13]

Current status [edit]

• 20 November, 2007 - Westfield installed staff cabins^[14] and began preparatory work prior to beginning construction.
• Also in November 2007, Westfield apply to change the planning permission to include a hotel.^[15]
• August 2008 - No formal start date for construction yet announced,^[10][16] as Westfield are waiting for more 'anchor tenants' to sign up for shop space;^[16] currently half of the total shop space has been let.^[11] The developers have pledged to start work 'as soon as possible' and preparatory work on the site was due to be completed by mid-August 2008.^[16]
• January 2009 - site consists of excavated foundations but nobody working on site and all staff entrances chained up.
• March 2009 - announced that work on the site is 'on hold' until 2010 due to the recession.^[17]
• 20 May 2009 - Bradford West Member of Parliament Marsha Singh raised the lack of progress on the site during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, stated that he would be willing to hold a meeting with Westfield to discuss the issue^[18][19]
• February 2010 - Bradford Council announces plan to convert part of the site into a temporary park^[12]
• April 2010 - Work starts on the temporary park^[2]
• June 2011- Westfield to submit new revised plans for a smaller centre containing 77 shops.^[20]
• October 2011 - Bradford Council pass revised planning applicaction.

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Westfield Bradford
• Westfield Bradford Corporate

Coordinates: 53°47′40″N 1°44′59″W / 53.7945°N 1.7497°W / 53.7945; -1.7497