CITIZENS of Bradford have given a big thumbs up to plans for a new entertainments complex in the city centre.

Proposals for a six-screen 'boutique' cinema, four large restaurants and a corner cafe, on the Broadway site, have been unveiled for public consultation.

A steady stream of visitors called in at the Forster's Bistro, in City Park, on Saturday, where the plans were on display.

It is proposed to have a state of the art cinema at first floor level as an integral part of the new shopping centre. The restaurants and cafe, with outdoor seating areas, will be below.

Developers say they are exciting plans which will revitalise the pedestrianised site.

Work colleagues Deborah Crawley and Louise Hudson-Ghafoor, who are employed nearby at the Skipton Building Society, said the development could give Bradford a much needed boost.

Deborah, 53, of Wrose, said: "I remember Bradford when it was thriving and there was lots to do. But in recent years it has not had much to offer for people wanting to go into the city centre.

"If you are on your own, perhaps waiting for a bus, after 6pm you feel vulnerable. If we have a drink in the evening we go to Leeds, or we would go to Birstall to watch a film.

"Some people are optimistic and hopefully this might make a difference. I think it is a brilliant idea."

Louise said: "When you go out in Leeds it is buzzing. This idea could change things for Bradford, and encourage more people to socialise here.

"If we go out to Leeds we are paying an extra £20 for travel. This would mean we could go somewhere that was on the doorstep.

"It's not that we don't want to be in Bradford. It's just that it doesn't have the facilities. This could make all the difference."

She added: "I think we need a cinema in Bradford, and a smaller one like this, showing some different films, would be great.

"If we have visitors, there are not many places we can suggest where they could go for lunch, nowhere to sit out. But if there were little outdoor areas where you could enjoy lunch in the summer, like this is proposing, it would work really well."

Plumber Simon Crotty, 42, of Clayton Heights, said: "Anything being built in the centre of Bradford at the moment can only be positive. It has to be good if someone is prepared to invest in the place and build something that will attract people into the city. I'm all for a positive Bradford - onwards and upwards!"

His friend Tony Williams, 54, added: "It's about time people were investing money again in Bradford. It sounds a good idea."

A spokesman for Meyer Bergman said: “We were delighted that so many people visited our exhibition on Saturday, where they had a chance to see our plans for a new cinema and leisure development on the Broadway.

"We will now take some time to review the invaluable feedback that local people provided us with, before submitting a planning application to Bradford Council in the coming weeks. We will keep the community up to date as we move forward."