Plans have been unveiled for a giant outdoor draughts board and a pavement caf area which would bring a continental touch to Bradford's city centre.

They are included in the final phase of city centre street improvements which will go before councillors next week.

This last stage in a rolling programme, which has included the building of Centenary Square and Bridge Street improvements, involves changes to Broadway and Bank Street.

Councillors will be asked to approve a £327,000 scheme to further reduce through traffic, widen pavements and make it easier to cross the road.

The proposals have the support of the City Centre Steering group, representing public and private sector organisations including businesses, police and Bradford and District TEC which have an interest in promoting the centre on a wide basis.

Committee chairman, Councillor Latif Darr, said: "It is an important part of the drive to stimulate investment in the city."

Welcoming the plans, which are being discussed with local shops and businesses, Jeff Frankel, who is the chairman of Bradford Retail Action group, said: "These improvements will create a more attractive shopping centre and provide another building block in the regeneration of Bradford." Buses currently using Bank Street would be re-routed to Bridge Street and a new one-way traffic system would be introduced in Broadway and Bank Street.

This would reverse the current flow from the Bridge Street direction and remove a through traffic route from Sunbridge Road via Broadway to Hall Ings and Leeds Road.

If approved by the transport, planning and design committee on Wednesday work would start in June.

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