The success of City Park in attracting people into Bradford has been credited with increasing trade for some city centre stores.

Catherine Riley, manager of the Kirkgate Shopping Centre, said the complex had seen increases in visitors since the park’s opening earlier this year.

She said: “When there have been big events in City Park we have had spikes on the footfall figures in the centre. On the day when City Park was officially opened we had a big uplift.”

Latest figures show for the week beginning May 14 the number of shoppers using the Kirkgate centre was 0.4 per cent up on last year, compared to a 3.6 per cent fall for shopping centres nationally.

The monthly average for April was also above the national average, according to Mrs Riley.

She said: “City Park is bound to have had an impact. I think it’s fantastic, I love seeing everybody there.”

Mary Frame, of Bradford Chamber of Trade, was also optimistic that the water-based park, built by Bradford Council at a cost of more than £24 million, would also generate more trade for the city centre.

She said: “It has attracted people to the city centre and it can have a knock-on effect – we hope that in turn it brings people to spend money.”

Shelagh O’Neill, the Council’s economic development programmes manager, said it was in the process of setting up equipment to accurately record visitor numbers to City Park but already tens of thousands of people have made use of it.

She said: “Clearly it is proving very popular with visitors and residents, and we expect City Park to have a positive impact on city centre businesses and attractions over the long term.”

Charalene Lee, manager at the newly-named Dragon Thai restaurant – formerly Chino Thai – in Centenary Square, said trade had increased since the opening of the City Park.

The restaurant had to move its buffet upstairs, to operate alongside its main restaurant, after trade was hit during the park’s construction.

“Trade has increased, it has got better since the City Park was opened,” she said.

In the last two weeks, however, the Telegraph & Argus has reported how three city centre businesses have closed or announced they might have to close in the near future.

Antonio Barbiero, owner of Pizza Pieces in Market Street, said he could be forced to shut in September unless Westfield begins to develop its Broadway site from where he was forced to move seven years ago.

Last month the T&A reported that sportswear shop Sportsshoes is set to close at the end of July, after failure to agree terms on a new lease, to focus on its expanding Shipley-based online and mail order operations through which it sells goods to customers in 100 countries.

The store has stressed the closure was not due to declining business.

Jeff Franke’s Fowler & Oldfield jewellers in Kirkgate, shut its doors for the final time last Thursday.