The news that a brand new shopping and restaurant complex is to be developed alongside the Broadway site is a sure sign that the Westfield factor is really starting to kick in for Bradford.

The exciting plans for Arndale House, which sits between Charles Street, Broadway, and Market Street, are a very welcome indication that there is real confidence in the city on the back of the long-awaited construction of the Westfield scheme.

That news of this development, to be called The Xchange, is revealed on the day of the Taste of Bradford event, which is intended to attract more leisure-related businesses and, in particular, restaurants and bars, into the city centre, is fantastic timing.

After years of seeing shops slowly disappear from Broadway in particular, it is a real boon to see such positive movement in this location.

As we said just a few days ago in this newspaper, it is absolutely vital that the city attracts more of these type of businesses to transform the night time environment for people who visit the city to shop, or to go to the theatre, or see a film, or visit an event.

As the agent for the new development says, the development of Westfield is ‘a game changer’ and this location offers an ideal chance for businesses to tap into that Broadway effect.

Those behind it say they already have interest from a buffet restaurant company and a gym.

Let us hope it is the first of many similar schemes, either from developers or individual businesses, over the next few months as more and more potential investors wake up to the fact that Bradford city centre really is finally on the up.