BRADFORD Council is in the process of recruiting a team for the major overhaul of the city’s markets.

In March the council announced that it was planning to open a new food market in the former Marks & Spencer building on Darley Street, refurbish Kirkgate Market to cater for non-food market traders, and the demolition of the Oastler Market to make way for city centre housing.

The new markets are expected to be open by 2021.

The changes follow the collapse of a planned £3.8 million re-vamp of the Oastler centre, which was shelved after the closure of the anchor store Morrisons in 2015.

The Council has now put out the offer for a £1 million contract to a “Professional Services Multifunctional Team” to draw up plans for the re-developments of Kirkgate and the M&S building..

Companies have until June 22 to apply to take on the contract, which will start on the end of July.

Work on the two sites is expected to start in late 2019.

The contract notice by the Council says: “The Council believes that strong and viable markets within the city centre support its social, economic and environmental objectives.

“The Council is looking to revitalise its market offer whilst at the same time exploring how it can best assist in the regeneration of Darley Street and is therefore seeking a professional services multi-functional team.

“This is a complex scenario and options need to be considered with care to ensure maximum benefit for the market traders, other Top of Town businesses and the visiting public.”

The Council had said big changes were needed due to the impact of the Broadway Shopping Centre on Darley Street, the closure of the Morrisons store last year, and the resulting drop in footfall in the Oastler Centre, and a change in shopping habits.

The Marks & Spencer building shut when the department store re-located to The Broadway Shopping Centre in 2015.

Since then there have been numerous other high profile closures on the street, and computer games retailer Game have just announced they would be re-locating from Darley Street to the shopping centre.

The M&S unit has since been turned into a temporary arts space.