A brilliant burst of summer colour is on its way to Bradford city centre.

Work has begun on preparing more than 160 hanging baskets which Bradford Business Improvement District (BID) will be installing across key streets next month.

Canal Road-based ACW Garden Centres are busy potting-up the baskets with vibrant and colourful plants which will adorn city centre lampposts throughout the summer.

They are being prepared by the team at ACW’s Woodbank Nurseries, in Harden Road, Harden, before being delivered to the city centre in June.

Bradford BID manager Jonny Noble said: “With the likelihood of Covid restrictions being further eased from May 17, we are encouraging more and more people to come along and ‘Rediscover Bradford’ and we want it to look its best for them.

“This will be the third year we have installed hanging baskets and we know that – along with our five-year programme of deep cleaning for the city streets - they are hugely popular with residents and visitors alike.

“They set off the beautiful architecture perfectly and help the city centre feel so much brighter and more welcoming.”

The baskets will be installed on 142 lampposts – on new brackets specially-erected by the BID in 2019 – most of which they have renovated and painted in smart, glossy black with funding from the organisation’s annual levy on more than 600 city centre businesses and other organisations.

BID chairman Ian Ward said: “The BID’s focus is all about making the city centre cleaner, safer and more attractive for the people who live, work, visit and enjoy their leisure time here so that businesses can thrive and grow and improve their offering.

“It’s a genuine virtuous circle – the more people who come and spend their time and money here, the better the city centre will be and the more people will want to visit.

“That’s why we want people to Rediscover Bradford – to look at it with fresh eyes, go into shops they haven’t been in for a while, walk down streets they tend to bypass and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings.”

The BID aims to buy locally and employ local businesses and their services wherever possible, said Mr Noble.

“We’re really pleased to be able to award the hanging baskets contract to ACW again,” he said. “They did a fabulous job last year and the display of colour just went on and on. They really make a difference to the city centre!”

ACW director Andrew Walmsley said: “We’re very pleased to be working with the BID to bring this lovely splash of colour to the city centre.

“We’re enormously proud of our team and the great job they do and it’s very special to be able to walk around town when the baskets are in full bloom and think ‘We did that!

“We’re very grateful to the BID for their confidence in ACW and we’re really looking forward to delivering the baskets next month when they’re ready to show that summer has arrived!”