Striking community centre plans for Manningham site likely to be approved

If approved, the plans would see a former playground site on Tile Street transformed into a four storey centre that will include sports facilities, a cafe, bookshop, rooftop garden and underground parking.

A decision whether to approve the planning application, submitted by the Jamia Masjid Naqshbandia Aslamia, will be made by Bradford Council on Thursday.

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Planning officers will advise that members approve the scheme, which was first submitted to the Council in December.

Since then there have been a number of amendments and tweaks to the plans after concerns were raised about traffic to the building and its impact on neighbouring properties.

Two storeys of the building will be above ground, with parking and some sports facilities on lower levels of the site will be below ground level.

The proposed site for the new community centre in Tile Street

The application says: “There is a strong need for well located and easily accessible community centres that offer the right services for the local demographic.

One of Manningham's earliest villas will be restored to residential use after new plans were approved

“This proposal would maintain and respect the surrounding area and further provide the local community and prospective users with a development located within the heart of the community – giving an added vibrancy and attraction to the area.”

The group says the centre will be used by numerous groups including a deaf club, homework club and creche services and that there will be various training facilities delivered by professional organisations relating to community issues.

They add; “This will give the public an opportunity to actively engage in recreational activities and other services, where previously they would not be able to access such facilities due to financial and social barriers, experienced by low-income families.”

A report going to the committee says many of the issues raised by officers have since been dealt with through amendments to the scheme.

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Recommending the plans be approved, the report says: “There has been due consideration given to the design of the proposal and it’s setting in the landscape, it is a bold design reflecting an Islamic design and the intention is not to be ‘in keeping’ with the surrounding architecture, which is mixed in form and not considered distinctive in its own right, but to create a design which engages target users and celebrates the organisation.”

An artist's impression of the rear of the proposed community centre in Manningham

It adds: “The scheme provides a community development on a redundant historic quarry site in a residential area. The principal of such development is supported in the Local Plan.”

If approved the community centre will only be allowed to open between 8am and 10pm. There will also be traffic orders, paid for by the applicants, introduced on surrounding roads.

The committee will meet in City Hall at 10am on Thursday.