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A new regeneration project in the city of Bradford includes a six-acre park in the heart of the centre, reports Tony Reeves. As every town and city in the UK battles through the recession, Bradford is choosing to invest public sector resources directly into the local economy by accelerating its major regeneration project, funded primarily by the council and Yorkshire Forward. Bradford City Council starts construction this autumn on the £24.4m City Park. The flagship scheme surrounding the Grade-1 listed City Hall, aims to transform the fastest growing city in the north into a leading investment and cultural destination. The six-acre park, featuring the mirror pool, the largest water feature in any UK city, is being built in the heart of the city centre, with the community and sustainability at the heart of the plans. Cllr Adrian Naylor, Bradford's executive member for regeneration and economy said: ‘People make places, and we recognise by investing in our public spaces and giving the community a park that can adapt and grow with and for everyone. We are also investing in our residents. Regeneration is not just bricks and mortar; it's creating a sustainable base for the city to develop from; an environment from which ideas, businesses and people can launch!' The delivery of the City Park is seen as a catalyst which will boost the economy; raise land and property values; help create the landscape for investment in the city; support local jobs and encourage further development. During its construction, the project will provide new jobs and use local materials, with local labour clauses inserted into the building contract. The City Park is a critical step forward for Bradford, in building a strong city centre. It is about much more than creating an attractive urban environment, it's about social and economic sustainability, economic investment, tourism and communities. It's ambitious and it will make Bradford unique. The park, equivalent to four football pitches and approximately the same size as St Mark's Square in Venice, will be a world-class attraction featuring areas for rest, play and relaxation. It will be a flexible space, attracting people of all ages into the city centre, and able to hold a range of large scale events – an important addition for the district's economy. The park is expected to attract visitors from across the UK, building on the district's strong tourism offer which includes Haworth, home of the Brontes, Saltaire, UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's first UNESCO City of Film. An independent report by Locum Consulting predicted that City Park will bring 2.2 million visits each year, bringing an additional £80m to the local economy. Investing in the events infrastructure is a key part of City Park, which will be able to host a range of activities from neighbourhood festivals to large-scale national events. The highly flexible mirror pool can be fully or partially drained to provide additional space and exciting features, such as a media pod on stilts accessed by a drawbridge, adding a bit of unique character to the urban park. Bradford already hosts a wide-range of successful events across the city and district – such as the recent ‘Garden Magic' where 120t of breathtaking sand sculptures with grass, flowers and art transformed Centenary Square – and the City Park aims to build on these. Barra Mac Ruairi, Bradford's director of regeneration, says: ‘The city has already taken great strides towards our vision of the future. The City Park is the focal point of the "masterplan" for Bradford and it is a credit to the team at Bradford and its partners that this vision has been translated to reality in such a short period of time. Importantly the ambition of the masterplan is being kept alive as we progress schemes and position the city ready for the upturn in the market.' w Tony Reeves is chief executive of Bradford City Council • More information on the City Park can be found at www.bradford.gov.uk/citypark Bradford factfile: * Bradford district covers 143 square miles, with a population of almost 500,000 – predicted to be the largest metropolitan district in the UK * The district includes 6,500 listed buildings, more per head than Manchester and Liverpool, plus 37 parks and 10 English Heritage sites * The city is very cosmopolitan, with more than 60 languages spoken * Bradford is the UK's fastest growing major city with an annual population growth of 0.8% (twice the national rate) * The city has the third largest population of under 30s in the UK * Bradford has the fastest forecast rate of economic growth in West Yorkshire, with a forecast of 64% increase in GVA over the next 10 years.

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ECONOMIC GROWTH

The greening of Bradford

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