DEVASSIST: Bradford council approves 1,000-home city centre regeneration scheme despite affordable housing shortfall

Bradford Council has approved plans for a major mixed-use regeneration project delivering around 1,000 homes in the city centre, despite affordable housing provision falling below the council’s usual policy requirements.

Planning officers recommended approval after highlighting the authority’s limited housing land supply and the potential regeneration benefits of redeveloping the site.

Major redevelopment proposed for Bradford City Village

The application was submitted by ECF, a development partnership between the government’s housing agency Homes England, developer Muse and asset management company L&G (Legal & General).

The proposals relate to land on both sides of Westgate in Bradford city centre and form part of a wider regeneration project known as Bradford City Village.

The plans include demolition of several existing buildings, including the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, alongside the redevelopment of surrounding land.

The scheme combines detailed permission for 97 affordable homes with outline permission for a further 903 dwellings, alongside up to 7,000 square metres of retail and community floorspace and the creation of a new public park.

The proposals were approved at an extraordinary meeting of the council’s regulatory and appeals committee.

Housing land supply pressures highlighted

Planning officers advised councillors that the development could play an important role in addressing Bradford’s housing shortage.

According to the committee report, the council currently has a housing land supply of just 2.08 years, significantly below the five-year supply required by national planning policy.

The report states the development “will make a substantial contribution to addressing the council’s housing land supply shortfall… in a highly sustainable city centre location”.

Two car parks within the site area are already identified for residential development under the Bradford City Centre Area Action Plan (2017), with allocations for around 120 and 200 homes respectively.

Regeneration and economic benefits

Officers also highlighted the wider regeneration benefits of redeveloping the site.

The report notes that the project would “deliver extensive public realm enhancements, new green infrastructure, [and] active travel connections”.

The redevelopment of the brownfield land was given “substantial weight”, with officers stating that “the development would facilitate the regeneration of underperforming city centre land replacing failing retails assets and surfaced car parks”.

Economic benefits were also emphasised. The report estimated that the scheme could generate around 500 jobs per year during construction and 250 permanent roles once completed, meaning the positive impact on economic growth was given “very substantial weight”.

Public realm improvements, open space and green infrastructure associated with the scheme were also afforded “substantial weight”.

Affordable housing viability considerations

Bradford’s planning policy normally requires 15% affordable housing in new residential developments.

However, affordable housing provision will only be delivered in the first phase of the scheme. The initial phase includes 97 affordable homes, supported by public funding.

No affordable housing is proposed within the second phase of 903 homes due to viability constraints.

The committee report states that the outline scheme “cannot viably support any affordable housing provision… because of the high development costs associated with redeveloping a complex brownfield site and the development values achieved in Bradford city centre”.

Following a review by the council’s valuation office agent, officers concluded that “the proposed level of affordable housing has been robustly justified”.

Heritage considerations

The redevelopment will take place in a sensitive historic environment close to several designated heritage assets, including the Grade I listed Wool Exchange, the Grade II listed Midland Bank*, and nearby conservation areas.

Officers acknowledged that the scheme would “result in areas of less than substantial harm to designated heritage assets”.

However, the report states that “great weight” was given to protecting heritage assets and concludes that the harm would be limited.

According to the assessment, the heritage impact is considered “minor and is outweighed by the considerable public benefits”.

Historic England was consulted on the plans and said it “remains supportive of the principle of this important scheme”.

Next steps for the development

The site is also identified for residential development within Bradford’s emerging local plan, which remains at an early stage. The allocation anticipates the delivery of around 707 homes over the plan period.

The redevelopment will require the closure and demolition of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, which was built in the 1970s.

Developer Muse has confirmed the shopping centre is expected to close “later this year” before demolition takes place.

Bradford Council’s Labour leader Susan Hinchcliffe described the approval as “a milestone moment in what will be a landmark chapter for our city” in a council statement.

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