Plans for a multi million pound scheme which would transform Bradford city centre took a big step toward reality today.

Councillors last night approved a development agreement with a business consortium which wants to take over seven acres of the city centre, including the Broadway shopping complex.

The Council's regeneration committee will keep pressure on the consortium, headed by Knottingley based Caddick Developments, to deliver the scheme.

The agreement about leases and time-scales will be signed by the Council - which owns the freehold of the massive Central House site - and the consortium which wants to turn it into a covered shopping mall with high streets shops.

The consortium wants to keep the existing major tenants, including C&A , BHS and W H Smith.

The redevelopment would involve demolition of parts of the 1960s buildings and provision of a 500 space car park.

The consortium has exchanged contracts with receivers for the purchase of Central House at a cost of £7.5 million and the sale is expected to be finalised this month.

But the approval of the agreement coincides with a blow to the city centre as two major shoe shops prepare to close.

Shoe City in the £35 million Forster Square development will shut on Saturday because of a takeover of its owners, the British Shoe Corporation, by Belgium compan Branatoe.

City Centre Manager Elaine Frances said she regretted the closures and sympathised with the staff.

It coincides with the closure of Shoe Express, which has also been taken over by an unnamed company. Shoe Express says the Bradford branch is not operating at a profit.

At last night's regeneration committee chairman Councillor Dave Green said he believed they had produced the best development agreement for Central House - both for the public purse and the district.

"We have put in as many safeguards as we can. This part of the city is a blight and this is a great opportunity to develop it."

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