City Park continues to be at the hub of activity in Bradford city centre.

Behind the scenes, the Council is working to put new cells in the Magistrates’ Court, so that the existing ones underneath the otherwise empty Tyrls building can be decommissioned.

That will allow the Tyrls to be demolished, freeing up the space for new development.

There’s a genuine sense of momentum, with planning permission for the new cells imminent and all funding secured.

The cells would be built this summer, with demolition of the Tyrls possible in the new year.

That activity will add to the continuing work on The Broadway (Westfield) and the developments that are known to be coming forward around it – creating a buzz in the city. In Little Germany, the Council is working with English Heritage to pilot the UK’s first listed building local consent order – making it easier to bring empty listed buildings back into use.

The streamlined planning process looks set to apply to more than 40 buildings, allowing them to be more easily turned into flats or offices.

Developers could make a range of internal alterations without having to apply for listed building consent for each change – saving time, reducing red tape and making it more affordable to bring buildings to the market.

Bradford’s planners take a lot of flak. But this is a positive and innovative change, responsive both to the market and the residents of Little Germany, being delivered in partnership with the body responsible for heritage protection.