MORE details of a new city centre restaurant have been revealed - and it is hoped it will add to the city’s nighttime economy.

A new Pizza Express store, the first to open in Bradford, will be based in one of the units at The Light cinema, and will have space for 140 diners, making it one of the larger restaurants in the city centre.

And the boss of the Broadway Shopping Centre says there is interest in “a number of units” at the centre.

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The details have emerged through a planning application to Bradford Council for signage for the unit, and although Pizza Express has yet to confirm they will be taking up the unit, the application clearly shows the national chain will be the occupier of the restaurant.

An application for signage was submitted and approved last year, although that application did not show the scale of the restaurant - only showing just over 20 indoor seats.

The new application for illuminated signage on the unit, based on pedestrianised Broadway, shows that the restaurant will in fact have 124 indoor seats and 16 external seats - in an area surrounded by planters.

A decision on this application is expected in April.

There are as yet no details of how many jobs the business would create.

The Light cinema opened in May, and was the second part of The Broadway development.

The cinema, which also includes a bar area, is based on the first floor of the building, and the ground floor was proposed as a row of cafes, bars and restaurants.

However, with the units un-let, plans were submitted to allow other types of business to set up there. This led to Specsavers relocating its city centre store to one of the units.

Ian Ward, General Manager at The Broadway, Bradford, said: “It’s a very exciting time for The Broadway as we can confirm that there is currently interest in a number of units at The Broadway.

“We’re dedicated to growing and enhancing the retail offering for the residents of Bradford and wider Yorkshire - as soon as leases are signed and confirmed, we’ll announce the expansion to our portfolio.”

Val Summerscales, from the Bradford District Chamber of Trade, said; “The unit has been empty for some time, and a business like a restaurant will help complement the nighttime economy.

“It will definitely be used by those going to the cinema.

“It is the right place for a business like that to be. If will give people that extra bit of choice and pick up the rest of the area.

“There are already food units in The Broadway, but a lot of them close early evening so this gives people another place to go.”

Plans to introduce restaurants to The Broadway have met with mixed success. Veri Peri opened on the Hall Ings side of the centre, only to shut last year. That unit will be taking over by Frankie’s Burgers, although the proposed January opening date has been and gone.

Patisserie Valerie was one of the main food offers, but shut last month after the company went into administration.

And last year it was announced that a planned 400-seat Indian Restaurant, which would have been called Papadoms and have been located next to Patisserie Valerie, would not go ahead due to financial issues.