Moves towards Bradford’s first official city centre Asian bazaar were welcomed by council regeneration bosses who met last night.

And talks between officers and a potential tenant willing to run the bazaar in the abandoned Rawson Market could bear fruit this autumn, markets manager Colin Wolstenhome told the city hall meeting. “The preferred tenants have expressed their wish to complete the process as soon as possible and we hope we should be in a position to start some time around October,” he said. However the building has been left empty since 2003 and Mr Wolstenholme said there would be some considerable cost in making it fit for purpose.

He said the idea was to agree a fixed term of tenancy for five years, with a view to incorporating an Asian bazaar into mainstream market development in the future, depending on its level of success.

LibDem councillor Howard Middleton (Bolton and Undercliffe) is currently battling controversial plans for a bazaar in a former Morrisons on Idle Road on behalf of many worried local residents.

But he warmly endorsed the idea of a council-backed ethnic market in the city centre, which would have about 50 stalls.

“I think the idea of having a bazaar in Rawson Market is absolutely fantastic,” Coun Middleton said. “Other people have started to enter the game in terms of Asian bazaars, but Bradford has a leading role by being well down the line with Rawson Market.

“Perhaps we need to be much more explicit in our support for this and can it be moved forward so it will happen?,” he asked.

Coun Abid Hussain (Lab, Keighley Central) asked what type of rents and fees would be charged and said he was interested if there would be an impact on existing trading areas for Asian clothes such as White Abbey Road. Markets boss Mr Wolstenhome said the rents would be on days-per-week and he evisaged there would be just that fee with no business rates.

Shipley’s Coun Hawarun Hussain (Green) said she welcomed the idea of the bazaar and thought it would have little impact on Bradford’s booming Asian clothing businesses which draw customers from across the country. Her concern was that strict rules regarding recycling of packaging and other waste should be imposed from the start.