Bid for change of use of Bradford shop was rejected (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bid for change of use of Bradford shop was rejected

9:40am Tuesday 10th July 2012 in News By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter

Earlier this year BetFred lost an appeal over its plans to take over the former Woolwich bank building on Kirkgate.

Once a bank, the building has more recently been used as a shop, so a change of use application was required. However, the Council turned down the application, stating that BetFred’s plans would have “a significant adverse impact on the character and the viability and vitality on this section of Kirkgate which is a key pedestrianised shopping street in the allocated primary shopping area of Bradford city centre”.

Planners added that the stretch of Kirkgate was “already vulnerable as a quality shopping street” due to the number of non-retail uses and the change would further add to the significant imbalance of non A1 retail uses. BetFred’s subsequent appeal was dismissed by planning inspector Jean Russell.

She was concerned that the changing the prominent location from retail would have “an unacceptably adverse effect on the retail character of the shopping street and its attractiveness for the shopping public”.