A CITY centre plot of land that was once chosen to be the centre of a proposed £350 million regeneration scheme is now the subject of plans for a pay and display car park.

The chairman of the city's civic society has called the latest plans for the site a "fall from grace."

In 2005 an ambitious scheme to create a new canal basin, around 1,800 flats, a hotel, offices, shops, restaurants and leisure space on a plot of land between Shipley Airedale Road, Hamm Strasse and Holdsworth Street were first revealed.

The new waterway would connect Bradford to Shipley.

Dubbed Bradford Channel, the ambitious development, proposed by Bradford Channel Ltd, was eventually mothballed in 2008 due to the economic recession. At the time, the company said they would "bide their time" until the market picked up.

However, after a decade the Bradford Channel plans have remained stalled.

Now a new planning application has been submitted to Bradford Council for the former site of the British Gas depot on Holdsworth Street, opposite Forster Square retail park - which made up a large chunk of the Bradford Channel site.

The plans, by Car Parking Management Ltd, would see the land turned into a pay and display car park for 250 vehicles.

The company points out that the site is still earmarked for potential developments, but says the site is likely to remain empty for at least seven years.

The application says: "The use of the site as a car park would not conflict with the aspirations of the Area Action Plan for the site to be redeveloped for residential purposes. However, the AAP foresees the redevelopment taking place in 2025 at the earliest. In view of this, a temporary permission would be appropriate."

Si Cunningham, Chair of the Bradford Civic Society, said: "It's a bit of a fall from grace for what was once touted as Bradford's vibrant new waterfront quarter, but I accept the economic climate is somewhat different to the one over a decade ago.

"What I struggle to accept is the need for yet another surface car park in a city centre that's already suffering from some of the highest pollution levels in the UK. Bradford, like many other cities, has an unfortunate obsession with the motorcar that's doing more harm than good to our city centre, so I certainly won't be welcoming another car park with open arms."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "This privately owned site did form part of the wider proposed Channel Urban Village scheme but in 2008 due to the economic downturn the consortium behind the project made the decision to pursue other options and the site is now being marketed by their agent. The route of the canal is still protected to enable future development.

"There is increased appetite from investors and developers seeking further opportunities in the city centre and it has seen significant private sector development in the last few years with more in the pipeline."

Mike Cartwright from the Bradford Chamber of Commerce said: “Many developments and schemes were affected by the 2008 recession and, as Bradford was embarking on a major regeneration plan at that time, it hit us particularly badly.

"Bradford Channel was one of the schemes to unfortunately have suffered. Confidence has returned now, of course, and investors and developers are once again looking for the best opportunities and places in which they can get involved. As other sites come on stream in due course, we will be working with both the public and private sector to help bring forward those opportunities and make Bradford an even better place in which to do business.”

A decision on the application is expected to be made in June.