Barra Mac Ruairi, is the man charged with the task of overseeing the Bradford district’s development following the Bradford Centre Regeneration company being disbanded.

In terms of the Bradford Channel project, Mr Mac Ruairi says the scheme is now being developed as a “broader piece of work” since the mothballing of the landmark canal basin project, which would have seen the basin surrounded by apartments, cafes and offices.

He says the corridor between Bradford and Shipley had been designated by Government as a site for an urban eco-settlement.

Mr Mac Ruairi says: “We are creating the planning framework to achieve that. We will be looking at mixed-use development within the whole site. That’s got a longer timescale to it, but we hope to move on some key sites along the route within the next five or six years.”

So why has the focus changed from the original goal of bringing forward the £350 million Bradford Channel project, at Forster Square, as the catalyst for the reintroduction of the Bradford to Shipley canal?

Mr Mac Ruairi says: “If you look at urban living, that was all across Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool and other areas. But we can see that the market is no longer there for vast large-scale high-rise developments with lots of apartments.

“We are expected to be the fastest-growing city outside London and we need to manage that demand and create quality neighbourhoods.”

On the topic of the city centre public realm improvements, Mike Cowlam, Bradford Council’s assistant director for regeneration, says: “It is on site and looking good. It’s a real step change for Bradford. There’s a change in the quality of materials we are using.

“We are seeing granite setts, whereas previously it would have been patterned pre-cast concrete which does not last and breaks up. We have to look to the long term.

“If we put quality in, the private sector will put quality in. If we put rubbish in, the private sector will put rubbish in.”

The over-arching aim of the public realm works along Hustlergate and surrounding streets is to link up different parts of the city centre, as well as improving the quality of land to increase land values and stimulate development.

On the City Park, Mr Mac Ruairi says: “We decided the Council needed to use all its effort to put things on site quickly. The key thing was to go and do the City Park and to bring it forward to stimulate the economy.

“We had a big big push on that one and, at the same time, we said we have the Westfield scheme and we need to link up with Darley Street, so we put the heritage streets in.

“We took down the bridge in Hall Ings and that was the first sign of change.

“We did once talk about it as ‘Park At The Heart’ but we wanted to create a business address we could sell and ‘Number 1 Park At The Heart’ didn’t quite work for me.

“Number 1 City Park is an address we can sell as a business space. It’s something we can put out and seek to attract inward investment.

“We have got three tower cranes in the centre and the JCBs are endless.”

In terms of the plans to transform the Odeon site with the New Victoria Place scheme, Mr Mac Ruairi says: “That’s moving on as well. That will be one of the best addresses in Bradford.

“New Victoria Place will overlook the park and the view will be phenomenal. We are in discussions with a number of potential occupiers for that building. One of its unique selling points is the City Park.”

On the subject of the plan to relocate Bradford Magistrates’ Court to a site near the Crown Court, Mr Mac Ruairi says: “We have taken that project up and are still working it up in terms of the detail of it.

“We have got a group in place to take it forward and have got good relationships with the Courts Service and Yorkshire Forward. It’s going to take time.”

In terms of Bradford’s future access to public funds, regeneration chiefs believe they will be helped by the City’s hard-won designation as a ‘Regional City’ within the framework of the Leeds City Region – an alliance of 11 local authority areas.

Mr Cowlam says: “Bradford’s designation as a regional city alongside Leeds is crucial. Between us and Leeds we are the two biggest economies in the Leeds City Region.

“We have got a strong relationship with Leeds – as strong as it has ever been and now work on projects across our boarders.

“A lot of future policy direction will be at City Region level. The Leeds City Region has forerunner status, which is where we have stolen a march. Ultimately it leads to better resource allocation.”

Mr Cowlam: “The other point is that regeneration is not just about physical regeneration – it’s about people. People, places and businesses have all got to be kept in balance. None of them work without each other.”