A NEW green space, complete with Wi-Fi connection, has been created in the centre of Bradford on the site of a former eyesore building.

Bradford College created the College Green on the land where its Westbrook building previously stood.

The facility became redundant after the new David Hockney Building opened to students last September.

Work to demolish the multi-storey building started shortly after the new-build opened, and the green was created by the college to "provide a fantastic green oasis of calm and tranquillity for students and staff away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre."

Students will get the first taste of the green area when the college reopens after the summer break. The free internet connection will mean the area could be a place where students can work on their laptops while getting some fresh air.

The tiered green space will also be used for activities such as outdoor teaching, theatrical performances, staff team building activities and fundraising picnics.

Planting on the site includes trees, native hedges, native shrubs, herbaceous perennials and bulbs.

It is the latest in a number of major additions to the college campus, which include the David Hockney Building and the new Advanced Technology Centre, due to open to students in the next few days.

The green complements a roof terrace on the fourth floor of the David Hockney Building.

Gareth Osborne, group chief operating officer for the college, described the Westbrook building as " a real eyesore".

"The temptation could have been to whack another building up there after we knocked it down, but we felt there had to be a balance for students," he said.

"As part of our investment in the college site we included this college green idea.

"Bradford city centre is quite a built-up place, so we wanted to give students a bit of outdoor space.

"It is already proving popular with staff. There are not many big green spaces around here.

"It gives a brilliant focal point to the college and is nestled between the award winning facilities in the David Hockney Building, the stunning, newly refurbished Dye House art gallery and the college’s internationally renowned Whistling Woods International Film School in the listed Old Building.

"The people of Bradford should be very proud that we have such fantastic facilities so close to the city centre and we’re very excited to be contributing to the revitalisation of Bradford. The city is clearly at a real turning point and here at the college there is a sense of real pride and optimism about the future."