First phase of Bradford city centre heritage project nearing completion (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

First phase of Bradford city centre heritage project nearing completion

9:39am Monday 15th March 2010 in

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A £1.6 million programme to improve streets in Bradford city centre is due to be finished by the end of next month, the Council has revealed.

The first phase of the Heritage Streets Project, focusing on Tyrrel Street, Bank Street and Hustlergate, started in March 2009 and is now nearing completion.

The scheme has involved the resurfacing of streets with natural stone paving, the installation of new street furniture and the creation of three new public squares for shoppers to enjoy.

Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, Bradford Council’s executive member for environment, said: “The majority of paving work on Tyrrel Street, Bank Street, Hustlergate and New Market Place is now complete, although we still need to repave at the bottom end of Piece Hall Yard, where it reaches Hustlergate, and the section of Hustlergate behind Goldsmiths.

“Other outstanding works include constructing a granite seating plinth around the base of the lighting column in New Market Place, installing three below-ground electrical sockets for the outdoor markets, new signs, painting of street furniture and cabling and commissioning of the automatic bollards.”

Part of Kirkgate at the bottom of the shopping centre has also been dug up. Coun Hawkesworth said the work, near McDonalds, would allow an automatic bollard to be installed. Six more bollards are being installed on nearby streets.

Coun Hawkesworth said: “This will be a physical means of stopping vehicles entering the pedestrian precinct outside certain allotted times. There will be no further works taking place on Kirkgate. We hope to complete all work by the end of April.”

The work is being carried out by Birse Civils, the Tadcaster-based contractor that is also constructing the City Park, on the other side of Centenary Square. As part of the Heritage Streets Project, workers had to re-waterproof the culvert of the Bradford Beck, which runs beneath Tyrrel Street.

When they exposed the beck at the end of last year, they found urgent repairs were needed to the concrete on the culvert roof.

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