Sweeping changes to remove traffic's stranglehold on Bradford city centre are contained in a regeneration masterplan.

The blueprint proposes closing much of the inner city ring road, which isolates important areas of the city and leaves pedestrians continually having to cross choked roads.

International architect Will Alsop and his team have even recommended that Prince's Way, which links Manchester Road and Godwin Street, be closed for a trial period to assess the impact.

Maud Marshall, chief executive of Bradford Centre Regeneration, which commissioned the masterplan, said: "It is of vital importance to improve the road network because it is strangling the city.

"We have City Hall on a traffic island, pedestrians finding it difficult to get across the city and whole parts of the city cut off because of traffic. We would like to deal with this sooner rather than later."

The masterplan proposes to "down-grade, if not remove" the ring road, although no detailed traffic schemes are included.

The document adds: "In the majority of cases, strategically important road closures deliver real change.

"Traffic chaos rarely materialises as drivers either change their travel patterns or take advantage of real travel choice. Limited highways closures are a small price to pay for the regeneration of cities."

The architects claim their scheme does not alienate car drivers because they know people like to drive and successful cities accommodate them.

They say parking is provided and access to properties for servicing or delivery could be done using some sections of the ring road kept open.

The masterplan also proposes: a ring of park and ride schemes on the outside of the city; connecting the main public transport routes Manchester Road, Leeds Road, Manningham Lane, Wakefield Road and Thornton Road with the city centre, with a view to eventually making them "rapid transit systems"; and making it easier for pedestrians to move between Forster Square and the Interchange and making more areas in the city traffic free.

The traffic plans received a mixed reaction today.

Bradford South Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe said: "The ring road has always divided up the city in a negative way. Closure would be welcome providing it is achievable and doesn't slow traffic down and create problems in other areas."

Bradford Council's executive member for the economy, Councillor Simon Cooke, said: "We get some heavy goods drivers using the city centre like a main trunk road and something needs to be done.

"It seems adventurous to close Prince's Way for a while but we have to be very careful that we still allow people into the city by car. We mustn't stop them. The whole thing needs to be looked at carefully."

Sharmila Gandhi, chief executive of Bradford Vision, made up of the district's leading organisations, said businesses acknowledged the need to tackle both the city's traffic and parking issues.

Roland Clark, president of Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said the masterplan still provided plenty of parking spaces but ease of access for drivers wanting to do business or shopping was essential.

Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade said: "We have always said the road infrastructure was vital and it has to welcome car-borne shoppers to the city. We welcome the masterplan as long as it complements the existing shopping centre."

Bradford Council highways officers were said at an executive committee on Tuesday to have conflicting views about the traffic system.

Alan Mainwaring, the Council's director of transportation and planning, said they were still studying the highways implication proposals of the masterplan and could not comment.

The Council's Labour group leader, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said he supported the masterplan in general but had reservations about the road proposals.

"I would be concerned about creating something which would create more congestion in the city centre and shunt traffic on to other arterial roads and residential areas. All of south Bradford could be affected by the proposal," he said.

"There are 42,000 vehicles a day using Prince's Way and you have to have somewhere to put them."

"I wouldn't want to just say close the ring road. I would only consider it as part of a bigger plan."

But Councillor Phil Thornton, former Labour chairman of the highways committee, described the proposal as ludicrous and said it would drive people away from the new-look city.

"I have no objection to getting rid of the traffic but we have to maintain access. We want to bring people in to our towns and cities and must consider the needs of the private motorists."