Why now is the Ideal time to create office spaces in Bradford - Simon Dew

At Muse, we set our sights on Bradford several years ago. We could see its potential and the momentum being generated by the council’s progressive approach to regeneration with significant investments in capital developments such as Bradford Live; major master plans which are set to completely transform large areas of the city including the Darley Street market and the enormous opportunities offered by the City Village designation for the historic ‘top of town’ area.

Other important milestones, such as PwC opening an office in Bradford in 2019; Sunday Times naming Bradford in the UK’s 20 best places for business in 2020 and Channel 4 stating that they chose Leeds City Region for their new HQ specifically because of the unique opportunities presented by Bradford – they were all signs of a growing confidence in the city.

Muse is part of Bradford’s story, working with the council to bring the vision for One City Park to life. One City Park is the first grade A office space in the city centre for more than 10 years – a huge step forward for Bradford which must make this investment if it is to compete with other major northern cities. Just as many voiced their concerns over whether Bradford bidding for City of Culture status was a good use of public funds; there have also been those who have questioned whether now is the right time to build new office space.

The pandemic has accelerated changes that were already happening in our towns and cities, with a need to create buildings that support a hybrid or agile working environment.

There is commercial space in the city centre. However, it is older, often neglected and offers greater potential for conversion to alternative uses such as residential.

I have no hesitation in arguing that this is the ideal time to create new, striking office space.

The pandemic may have caused a shift to working from home initially – but now employers are realising more than ever the importance of having quality spaces where their teams can come together to collaborate, with offices that support creative models of working.

To attract the type of fast-growth businesses that will really enhance job opportunities for the city’s young talent it needs to offer the type of high quality, flexible spaces in which these businesses can thrive and grow.

A major factor for employers is workforce potential and once again, Bradford ticks this box with the University of Bradford’s strong reputation as an international leader for research.

Employers will also consider the wellbeing of their staff; availability of good quality housing and the quality of the evening economy. In Bradford, this is being driven by the Council’s ‘Clean Growth Strategy’, ensuring that development in the city is sustainable, clean and environmentally regenerative and brings growth to the local economy that is socially inclusive for everyone in the district.

Simon Dew is development director at Muse