A DEVELOPMENT of shop and flats could soon be built in a city Conservation Area if new plans are approved.

A planning application to build a shop and 27 apartments on a car park in Sunbridge Road was submitted to Bradford Council this week.

The scheme, by Priestly Homes, would see a seven storey building built on the site, with a 1,184 square foot shop on the ground floor and a mix of two bed, one bed and studio flats on the upper floors.

The site, on the corner of Sunbridge Road and Vincent Street, is currently a car park, which the application describes as "infrequently used, undervalued and in a poor state of repair."

The car park backs onto a derelict industrial building.

That area of the city centre falls in the Goitside Conservation Area - an area dominated by old mill buildings and offices, many of which are empty or derelict.

National group Civic Voice highlights Bradford's Goitside area as 'at risk' conservation area

The application, by Bradford based Yeme Architects, says; "The existing site and building to its rear presents a dilapidated exterior, both to Sunbridge Road and Vincent Street to its side.

"This creates an unpleasant public environment and has a negative impact on the character of the surrounding area.

"The proposed development seeks to not only add to the fabric of the plot, but consequently contribute positively to the surrounding public spaces.

"It is the intention to make a positive contribution to the Conservation Area and complements the powerful sense of enclosure derived from a continuous tall frontage to this area."

Bradford Council’s City Centre plan lists the Goitside area as one of the key areas of future development - with 1,800 new homes proposed for the area by 2030. The plan says the homes would be delivered through a mix of building conversions and new builds.

A decision on the application is expected in early July.