More than 1,500 jobs are expected to be created in Bradford - thanks to a £4 million European cash boost.

Thousands of tourists are also expected to flock to the district following an extra £2.3 million for tourism in the city.

The money has come from the European Regional Development Fund pot which allocated £24 million to the Yorkshire and Humberside region.

Some £540,000 from a total of £1.4 million has been earmarked to help develop contaminated "brownfield" land on the City Park off Filey Street where 380 new jobs will be created.

The money will be used to make four acres of land suitable for development as offices and a warehouse on the site.

A total of 195 new jobs have already been announced with the building of a new Waddington's fat refinery where 45 jobs will be safeguarded and 150 new posts at a NatWest call centre where a total of 350 people will work.

A further £547,000 of European grant cash will help with the development of the 30-acre site off Cross Lane, Drighlington, where 800 jobs are planned by Princes soft drinks. The company wants to develop the site as a national distribution centre.

An additional £91,000 has come from Europe to prepare 2.8 acres of land on the Sanderson Business Park between Manchester Road and Ripley Street where two industrial units are being planned, creating a further 183 jobs.

A total of £2.3 million has been earmarked for Bradford city centre. The cash will go to Bradford University's plans for an International Peace Centre, a 3D IMAX screen at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television and to create a National Faith Heritage Centre alongside Bradford Cathedral as part of the Cathedral 2000 project.

The National Faith Heritage Centre, to be created in St Peter's House, has been granted £830,000. It follows a £2.3 million grant from the Millennium Commission and half a million from the former owners of the building General Accident.

Canon Geoff Smith said: "This is a crucial. It was part of the offer from the Millennium Commission that we were successful in acquiring money from the ERDF."

He praised the Council officers for "championing Bradford's cause" and said the whole project was on track to open its doors in Easter 2000.

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