We are on the rise!

Developer Westfield said the project, which will revitalise city centre shopping, is on track to finish by 2008.

Now the company has submitted a planning application designed to improve the complex even more.

Among the changes are plans to limit the proposed underground car park to service vehicles and instead provide spaces for 1,800 shoppers' vehicles in a state-of-the-art car park on the centre's roof.

Traffic would enter and exit the huge centre on a ramp leading off Hall Ings.

The developers have drawn up measures which they believe will minimise road congestion as thousands of cars go in and out of the complex.

Westfield has also announced it wants to drop plans for a bridge which was to carry people from the law courts area to the new shops. People would instead cross Hall Ings using improved crossings.

There are also plans to change a planned 120-bedroom hotel into apartments as demand for homes in the city centre escalates.

All three changes to the original proposals are in a planning application lodged with Bradford Council yesterday. The lengthy documents are now being closely considered before being taken to the Council's regulatory and appeals committee at the end of next month.

The application comes six months after the world's biggest retail operator Westfield bought the Broadway project from the former developer Stannifer.

It came complete with full planning consent and work on the infrastructure for the new centre well under way.

But since then Westfield has studied the plans and decided it wants to change them.

Bradford Council's executive member for regeneration Councillor Simon Cooke said: "We will do everything we can to speed up this application in view of the importance of the scheme.

"I think this demonstrates Westfield's commitment to Bradford. They have put a lot of effort in.

"I understand that a developer who inherits a scheme will want changes to meet his own requirements. Westfield's approach is slightly different from Stannifer. I am pleased there is further progress."

The height and scale of the centre would be unchanged if the regulatory and appeals committee agrees to the amendments.

A ramp in the area off Hall Ings currently occupied by shops including The Lighthouse would take cars in and out of the centre which would have 80 shops, two department stores and 170 apartments.

Westfield has submitted a full traffic assessment to the Council and says it believes the system will work smoothly.

The developers decided they preferred the roof option for the car park after looking at excavation demands, water tables and costs.

Council planning officers have always had doubts over security concerning the bridge from the law courts as it would carry people to upper levels of the centre which would be quiet after shops shut.

Westfield's UK development director John Burton said: "We feel the bridge is somewhat redundant and want to change the hotel because of the demand for apartments."

It is unlikely the new application will need to be referred to the office of Deputy Prime Mister John Prescott, however, because the full scheme has already been granted planning consent.

Mr Burton said the changes would enhance the scheme and make it easier to use. He said many drivers preferred to park above ground than under it.

He said: "We are continuing to work at delivering much greater variety to the shopper and a much expanded food offer.

"We have also reviewed the operation of the centre. The most significant change is the positioning of the car park above ground. We will be able to make this improvement without raising the height of the car park."

Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Centre Regeneration, he company spearheading the renaissance of the city, said: "We are delighted they are moving this forward.

"We are less interested in the detail of the scheme than getting this neighbourhood going ahead with a global player and company of this stature. We believe it is workable."

Mike Cartwright, policy executive member for Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said the organisation had been invited to meet planning officers to discuss the application.

The £20 million Connecting the City project laying the infrastructure for the scheme is on target to finish by autumn when Westfield plans to take over the site for development and completion in 2008.