A bid to pull down a historic hospital building has failed.

Objections to the demolition of the listed former Bradford Children's Hospital outpatients' wing were submitted to Bradford Area Planning Panel.

JCT 600 applied for permission to develop the site, which is next to its BMW dealership in Oak Lane, Manningham. The company wants to extend its business to provide more parking.

But the panel threw out the plans to redevelop the site and demolish the building.

A petition signed by 90 people was received saying that the removal of the property would harm the area's heritage.

Objections were received from the Victorian Society, the Ancient Monuments Society and the Council for British Archaeology.

Officers told the committee that the building, which is in a conservation area, dated back to 1903.

They said it contributed heavily to the setting of the nearby former hospital - now used as a nursing home - and the character and appearance of the St Paul's conservation area.

But Harry Taylor, managing director of JCT 600 said the firm was under pressure from BMW to expand. Mr Taylor said JCT600 had been pressed to relocate to Owlcotes, Pudsey, but wanted to stay in Bradford.

He said: "The Council would obviously rather have an empty building which is a danger to children, and a place for undesirables to live in, rather than a viable business in Manningham."

l An application for offices and industrial use of a site, which dates back to the Civil Wars, was approved.

The panel considered 14 letters objecting to the bid by Commercial Development Products Ltd.

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