BRADFORD Council has been awarded a £2 million grant to help breathe new life into some of the city centre’s most at risk buildings.

The National Lottery has today confirmed that it will be providing funds to help encourage the owners of heritage properties in the “Top of Town” area to refurbish their buildings, and bring empty space back into use.

And the grant will also help fund a major refurbishment of the public square around the statue of Richard Oastler.

The Council secured initial support for the Heritage Lottery Fund grant to support a Townscape Heritage Scheme in January 2017. Since then officers have been working to convince the Lottery that they had a clear plan for how the full £2 million grant would help boost parts of the city that have fallen on hard times in recent years.

The money will allow owners of buildings on North Parade, Rawson Place, Darley Street, Northgate, Piccadilly, Upper Piccadilly, Duke Street and James Street to apply for financial support to refurbish the properties. They will also get support from heritage experts.

Although this area of the city contains 37 structures on the National Heritage List for England and 47 “key unlisted buildings”, many of these properties are either vacant, underused or have been altered beyond recognition.

The funding would allow owners to restore original shopfronts, repair period features and bring empty upper floors back into use.

Although the funding will help fix unsympathetic alterations to buildings, it will not go to building owners who are responsible for the unsympathetic alterations themselves.

Key buildings in the area include the old Yorkshire Penny Bank, Church House, the Institution for the Blind and Bradford Dispensary.

Eyesore building such as those on Rawson Place are among those the Council will be most keen to see improved.

A joint release from the National Lottery and Bradford Council said the grant would help “bring a new vibrancy to the area and make it more economically attractive.”

Bradford Council plans major changes for the Top of Town area, including moving the market from the Oastler Centre to Darley Street and demolishing the building to make way for new city centre housing. Council bosses have said the change will help reinvigorate an area of the city that has suffered from low footfall in recent years.

The release adds: “A comprehensive activity programme will also help raise public awareness of Bradford’s wonderful architecture to widen people’s knowledge of the ‘Top of Town’ area, develop an understanding of historic buildings and the skills needed to maintain and protect them, and increase awareness of how protection and preservation of our heritage can enhance our communities and places.”

David Renwick, Head of HLF Yorkshire and Humber said: “Our historic city centres are the beating heart of our communities, and where they fall into disuse and disrepair, the community pays a heavy price.

“Bradford is vibrant city with a young population and strong entrepreneurial and community spirit. I’m thrilled to see Bradford continue to lead the way in its approach to focused heritage-led regeneration and be awarded this vital investment to transform the ‘Top of Town’ area into a striking and economically robust city centre destination that aims to make it a better place for everyone to live, work, and play.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “We have been working tirelessly since the opening of The Broadway to readdress the balance of regeneration activity between the bottom and top end of town. Significant interventions, like the proposed redevelopment and relocation of the markets from the Oastler Centre to Darley Street, will see a growth in investment in this part of the city centre.

“Being awarded this National Lottery funding will mean we can continue to work with businesses and landlords to further develop this area as an independent destination for the city centre, which will create an alternative offer for shoppers, visitors and businesses. This award is a significant milestone to the regeneration of the ‘Top of Town’.”

Saira Ali, Landscape Design & Conservation Team Leader for Bradford Council, commented: “In developing the scheme, we have  met with many property owners, to discuss their ambitions and explore how they will be able to use the grants to repair the exterior of their period property, restore lost or damaged architectural features, or to develop vacant space for sustainable new uses.

“We have also devised some interesting ideas for how to get people involved in the scheme, from working with local schools and colleges, construction trades and consultants, to heritage walks and sneaky peak tours.”

Furakh Iqbal and his uncle Zahid Iqbal are local businessmen and the owners of 12a North Parade, built in 1873 as the Church Institute, a grade-II listed building in the Townscape Heritage area. He is part of a family jewellery and precious metals business in Bradford and said: “Developers like myself will be able to realise the full potential of our listed buildings, and to showcase their beauty, architecture and internal features. Previously, even where this was possible it was time-consuming and complex. The funding will allow us to cherish, celebrate and memorialise our properties.

“This country has a wealth of buildings with beautiful architecture and renowned builders and architects, and Bradford should be a poster child for this.”

Kamran Rashid is Co-Founder of 30 Chapel Street Ltd, based in Little Germany, and sits on the grants board panel for the Townscape Heritage project.

What does this National Lottery funding mean to you?

The funding is an absolutely phenomenal opportunity for Bradford. Given the city centre’s general decline and loss of retail, this provides the chance to revitalise the Conservation Area’s social, cultural and commercial life.

How do you think the Bradford Townscape Heritage scheme / heritage led

regeneration will benefit the city of Bradford?

It will help kickstart a micro-economy in the city centre. The streets around North Parade are quickly developing into an independent area. The focus on heritage will also help the independent retailers by bringing back a sense of character and history.

What do you think the future holds for Bradford?

Bradford is at a tipping point of something good, with the literature festival, the Broadway centre and City Park being a few examples. There are many positive stories and people are becoming more integrated and working together and the city is becoming confident of itself. The city holds a lot of potential for people who want to succeed and thrive.

Si Cunningham, Chair of Bradford Civic Society, is an advisor to the Townscape Heritage team and a member of the project’s grants board. He said: “The funding shows a tremendous amount of confidence in Bradford and recognises the potential of our unique built environment. At Bradford Civic Society we’re very encouraged to see people of all backgrounds coming together to make our city a place to be really proud of and there is a real entrepreneurial spirit.

“One of Bradford’s greatest assets is its unique architectural landscape. It’s absolutely right that we not only preserve our numerous conservation areas but also make them fit for a modern city. Enhancing Bradford’s built environment will serve as a catalyst for further regeneration as more people visit or do business in our city.

“Like any big city we have our challenges, but when we choose to see them as opportunities we can achieve great things. With two new and historic entertainment venues reopening, better shops, the best public realm in the country and now this new investment in Bradford’s independent quarter, we have a lot to look forward to.”