Work proceeds at last on Bradford shopping centre

Work on the long-awaited Westfield Shopping Centre is continuing this week as contractors move to clear the site.
Work gets under way on the Westfield site in Bradford todayWork gets under way on the Westfield site in Bradford today
Work gets under way on the Westfield site in Bradford today

The building work on Bradford’s long-awaited £260m Broadway shopping centre began earlier this month.

The start of major construction works follows a two-month period of preparatory works and the new centre, set to fill the large hole in the heart of the city, is estimated to create 1,500 construction jobs and 2,500 new retail jobs for Bradford.

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A media event is anticipated for earlier in the week to showcase the construction work.

Work gets under way on the Westfield site in Bradford todayWork gets under way on the Westfield site in Bradford today
Work gets under way on the Westfield site in Bradford today

A spokesman for Westfield, which is behind the scheme, said: “The commencement of the construction works marks a major milestone in the delivery of the shopping centre and the future of Bradford’s retail landscape.

“The shopping centre will provide a significant economic boost to the city creating thousands of jobs in both the construction phase and on completion.”

It is almost six years since Westfield mothballed the site leaving the city centre scarred by what became known as the “hole in the ground” and 15 years since plans for a new shopping centre were first mooted.

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Work came to a halt at the site in 2008 as the credit crunch began and the painfully slow progress on the scheme has blighted Bradford’s image. It will house flagship stores such as Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Next.

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