Ivegate, from the wrought-iron gate at its junction with Market Street up to the point where it meets Westgate, is a street of wasted opportunity. There is so much potential for this to be one of Bradford's most attractive shopping thoroughfares.
Many of its buildings above shop-frontage level are interesting architecturally or historically, yet so many of them are standing empty and some are put to uses which do not do justice to them. The former Old Crown pub, for instance, is an amusement arcade. Surely it deserves a more dignified role.
And now there is a bid to open another amusement arcade lower down, in the premises once occupied by Carter's Toys. The Council has quite rightly turned this application down. This is not a suitable use for premises in what hopefully will become a prime shopping street as Bradford's regeneration progresses.
Besides, with the arcade already in Ivegate and another at the bottom of Queensgate, there are surely more than enough already in this area.
The applicant has now lodged an appeal with John Prescott's Office in the hope of getting the local decision overturned. Often when developers lodge an appeal it is in the hope that the potential cost will lead to the Council deciding not to contest it.
In this case the authority must stand firm. Even if it means that the shop stands empty for a while longer, that is preferable to filling it with a business of a type which would not be good for the reputation of Ivegate or for the retailers trading nearby.
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