Councillors have approved plans for a multi-million pound scheme to support the regeneration of Bradford city centre.

Members of the Council's executive agreed to back the Connecting the City project which is designed to act as a catalyst for the proposed Broadway shopping centre.

The scheme includes improvements to roads, lighting and pedestrian access to increase development in Little Germany and the Cathedral Quarter.

The plan also aims to integrate those areas into the rest of the city centre.

To enable the scheme to take place, councillors agreed to re-negotiate the Council's agreement with Broadway developers Forster Square Development Partnership, to take account of the changing circumstances.

Connecting the City will cost £20.6 million, excluding the cost of land.

So far, £14 million of funding has been agreed including cash from the European Regional Development Fund and the Sub Regional Action Plan.

More funding is being sought for the project and discussions are taking place with the Department of Transport, Yorkshire Forward and the Urban Regeneration Company.

As part of the scheme, the impact on other parts of the city centre will also be taken into account.

Councillor Simon Cooke, executive member for corporate and regeneration, told the meeting: "I am very conscious of the massive significance of this development. We are still not there but this is another piece of the jigsaw."

Executive members agreed that further decisions on the scheme be delegated to the bosses of relevant Council departments.

An amendment from the Labour group, which was agreed by committee members, asked for a further report on the progress of the scheme to be brought back to the executive.

Councillor David Green (Lab, Odsal) said they wanted to make sure they knew what was happening.

"It is one of the major projects that has had a long history and we hope this will bring it to completion," he said.