There was a sizeable share of grumbling when Bradford Council first announced it was to create what we now know as the City Park in the centre of Bradford, largely from those who wondered whether such a large expenditure would be worth it.

Since then, the City Park and Mirror Pool has won a host of awards, and on sunny days in particular it is a huge draw for Bradfordians and visitors alike.

But while a groaning trophy cabinet is all well and good, it seems that the City Park is also having a measurable positive effect in terms of community cohesion.

A new report by a team of academics says that the City Park has made great strides in bringing Bradford's communities together on an equal and peaceful footing.

This is something the Telegraph & Argus said back when the idea of "flooding Bradford" was a much-derided idea from the maverick mind of architect Will Alsop - give people a place to gather and they will use it to its best advantage.

A host of events - mainly free and inclusive of all no matter their age, religion or social standing - have helped to create a vibrant and buzzing space right in the heart of the city centre.

The City Park can be rightly said to have driven forward the regeneration of Bradford city centre, and with the Westfield shopping centre due to open next year and other projects in the pipeline, we are at last getting the city centre that we have long deserved.

Let us all continue to make the best possible use of it to ensure it develops and grows.