You could almost hear the sighs of relief around Bradford when the Council decided against the scheme put forward to replace Provincial House.

The general view seems to be that whatever should be built on the site of this landmark, it wasn't that.

So what should it be? The consensus is that it should be something both striking and dignified architecturally.

One T&A reader has suggested it could be the new Peace Museum, currently destined to be built on the site of the former Alexandra Hotel. Another wonders what people would think about the former Post Office in Forster Square being dismantled stone by stone and reconstructed on the Provincial House site, giving it an enhanced setting in Centenary Square and at the same time opening up the Cathedral to Forster Square.

That's an interesting idea but one which must be ruled out by the fact that work is already well under way to link the old Post Office with the Cathedral and turn it into Life Force, the snappy title for the National Millennium Faith Experience.

I'm of the school of thought which would like to see a new use found for the existing Provincial House building, which isn't anything like as unattractive as some people make it out to be. With its clean lines, it has a kind of austere elegance to it - and, what's more, it reflects the light back across Centenary Square towards the front of City Hall which is forever in the shade.

There are any number of possibilities for it, given a bit of internal restructuring and refurbishment. Besides, hasn't Bradford learned over the years not to flatten perfectly good buildings and then wish it hadn't?

Ideally, it would be nice to see it taken over by the police and their present unattractive glass HQ demolished and turned into gardens flanked by the Alhambra and the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television.

But if that can't be (and somehow I can't see a strapped-for-cash police force paying the sort of money they would need to buy Provincial House), how about going for Lottery Heritage cash to turn at least a fair chunk of the place into a Bradford's Best museum - a showcase featuring the work and achievements of all the people associated with this city of ours who have made their mark on the world in so many diverse ways?

Social pioneers and educational reformers, medical innovators, artists, writers, composers, actors, pop groups...You name the category and the chances are that Bradford could come up with at least one candidate and probably several to be included in it.

We have so much to shout about. This would give us an ideal platform from which to do it.

e-mail:mike.priestley

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.