Today's first exclusive glimpse of the new plans for the £200 million Broadway shopping development should be a source of delight and encouragement for all those who have the future of Bradford at heart.

This huge scheme is the key to the regeneration of the city and it is vitally important that it meets the needs of residents, shoppers and retailers alike.

This newspaper has often said that it is not Bradford's task to compete with Leeds but to create a unique shopping experience that is good enough to encourage most of the people of this district to want to shop here most of the time. If the striking design for the planned purpose-built Debenhams store - with its dramatic arch welcoming vistors at the bottom of Leeds Road - is an indication of the quality of the rest of the development, then that goal looks set to be surpassed.

Developers Stannifer have worked hard to improve on the original plans and to bring the overall package a little closer to the concept incorporated in Will Alsop's masterplan. The end result is more restrained than those futuristic artists' impressions but it should reassure both shoppers and retailers that Bradford is destined for the high quality of shopping experience it truly deserves.

There is a long way to go yet - and we will all need to be patient as the planning and construction process grinds on its steady way - but, at last, here is something to make all Bradfordians bristle with pride and raise their eyes to a vision of a brighter future.