Funding has been secured to take the ambitious Mirror Pool City Park plans to the detailed design stage.

Discussions with Yorkshire Forward and English Partnerships have reached agreement over each funding £500,000 towards the cost of the designs.

It follows Bradford Council's failed Park at the Heart bid to the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmarks programme.

Chief executive Tony Reeves told yesterday's executive meeting that both organisations are "positively disposed" to the project and he gained a "commitment from both to work with us".

Councillors agreed the scheme presented to the lottery be continued in the same form, at an estimated cost of £24m.

Councillor Andrew Mallinson said: "This is about driving forward the economy and making the city centre a vibrant place."

Council leader Kris Hopkins praised the backing from the private sector for the project, which includes a foundation to help raise £3 million.

Also at the meeting, an agreement to regenerate the nine-mile corridor between Bradford and Leeds was approved, with each city providing £100,000 over the next two years.

A separate bid from a partnership including Firebird JVC - a housing partnership comprising Bradford Community Housing Trust and others - is supported by the two councils.

It is calling for £17.9m to develop 364 new homes in Ravenscliffe, Holme Wood and West Leeds from the Government's Northern Housing Challenge Programme.

Councillors also agreed to voice their concerns over new Government housing targets calling for 50,000 properties to be built in the district over 20 years.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth said she was horrified at the figures, and the executive agreed to make formal representations over the draft Regional Spatial Strategy.

They also agreed to speak out about Bradford being allocated as a "sub-regional city" rather than a "regional city" which could affect investment opportunities.

Councillors also adopted a plan setting out the work of Bradford Council's services for adults over the next five years.