A famous statue that holds a special place in the hearts of many Bradfordians could soon re-emerge from a seven-year period in storage.

In 2004, the well-known statue of W E Forster was removed from its location near St Peter’s House, in Forster Square, as part of the Connecting the City infrastructure programme to allow the Broadway shopping development to go ahead.

The painstaking removal of the statue by contractors was watched by thousands of people as they passed through the city.

Since then, the statue has been in safe storage, but is set to resurface in one of the new public squares which will be among the main features of Westfield’s Broadway shopping centre.

Plans to reintroduce the statue to the city centre have been welcomed by civic guardians in Bradford.

Alan Hall, chairman of Bradford Civic Society, said: “It will be nice to have Forster back somewhere in the city because, to be quite honest, I have missed him.

“I had been wondering where that statue was, so it’s very encouraging to hear that they are looking to bring it back.

“It’s a really good way of recognising some of the people who were important in creating Bradford, especially those who are not really known about by the people who live in Bradford today.”

Mr Hall said it was nice that an important part of Bradford’s past would be included in a vital part of Bradford’s future, the Westfield development.

“Forster was not just important for Bradford but also nationally as the man who pushed through the 1870 Education Act – the foundation stone of our education system,” added Mr Hall.

The statue will undergo some restoration work prior to its reappearance, with a public square near St Peter’s House being the most likely location.

As the Telegraph & Argus revealed last Friday, construction work on the scheme could start next year, subject to planning permission and the success of a leasing campaign.

  • Read the full story Thursday’s T&A