Bradford's NCP car park will be used to fill underpass

Bradford city centre is due to undergo a major transformation in the coming years, including the pedestrianisation of Hall Ings and the creation of a new entrance for Bradford Interchange.

One of the first changes will be the demolition of the Bradford Council-owned NCP car park to create an entrance that will lead onto the new pedestrianised Hall Ings.

The Interchange work will be funded by over £16m from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund.

At a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee on Friday, members were asked to approve almost £3m of this being released so work on the car park demolition can begin as soon as possible to ensure work is completed by November 2024.

A report to the committee explained the urgency of the project: “As Bradford has been named as City of Culture 2025, regional and national attention has been focussed on the city with particular attention drawn to the city centre as a hub for activities across the year and to Bradford Interchange as the main transport hub in the city.”

An artist's impression of the planned Interchange entrance (Image: Bradford Council)

Other changes to the station include relocating the taxi rank to Bridge Street to allow the front of the station to be pedestrianised, improved waiting areas, new baby changing, multi-faith room and ‘Changing Places’ facilities, a new entrance to the underground car park and a new cycle hub nearby.

The works to pedestrianise Hall Ings will also see the Jacob’s Well roundabout and underpass filled in – replaced with a through road and a “super crossing” for pedestrians.

Referring to the Interchange works, Fiona Limb, Transforming Cities Lead, told the Transport Committee: “It will make improvement to the user experience of the Interchange.

“The demolition of the NCP car park is also required to support Bradford with its ambitions to move towards more sustainable transport by reducing the parking stock in the city.”

She said the car park site would be used as the compound for many of the upcoming city centre works, and added: “The waste material from the NCP will be used to fill Jacob’s Well roundabout.”

Members were told that releasing the funds to start this work would enable the scheme to be delivered in time for City of Culture.

Councillor Martyn Bolt (Cons, Mirfield) asked where people visiting St George's Hall would park once the car park is demolished.

Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchciffe, who chairs the committee, said: “There is a car park directly behind St George’s Hall (the courts car park), Jacob’s Well car park, and the Broadway has over 1,000 spaces.”