A BRADFORD car dealership is planning to expand by developing a new site on a major city road.

Clive Brook Volvo on Canal Road recently purchased the former L Heseltine And Sons furniture manufacturer’s site, further up Canal Road.

The building has been demolished and Clive Brook is currently using the site to store cars. The business has now submitted a planning application to build a workshop and showroom on the site - which is just a few yards from the recently opened Costa and Aldi in the New Bolton Woods development.

The business’ owner, Clive Brook, says the company will continue to operate from its existing site once the new site is built, and the plans will create more space for its day to day operation.

The application says: “It is the intention to utilise the existing frame on site and re-clad this to form the workshop to the rear of the site and construct a new smaller showroom area to the front, all within the footprint of the former furniture manufacturing building.

Business park to expand if new plans are approved

“The proposed scheme provides a positive enhancement of a site and will bring further business users and customers to the area. The proposed buildings are located on the site of a former manufacturing unit of poor construction and aesthetic, the scheme would therefore only go to enhance the site and area as a whole, providing a further site for a local business.”

Plans show that the site will have space for 33 cars, and would operate from 8am to 6pm.

The existing Clive Brook site is on the junction of Canal Road and Bolton Lane - one of the busiest and most congested roads in Bradford.

Mr Brook said: “We wanted the site to help expand our existing business. Our site on Canal Road works really, really well, but it becomes really busy.

“The main function of this plan is to take pressure off the existing site.

“The current site will remain the workshop site for customers, it will be where they can wait for their car to be services.”

He said that despite the Covid 19 pandemic having a big impact on a lot of business, sales have been “really good” in the last few months, adding: “People seem to want something different in their lives.”

He said the showroom would be a big improvement on the previous furniture workshop, and complement the New Bolton Woods development, saying: “I’m pleased to see the area starting to improve. This will make a massive improvement to the area.”

The New Bolton Woods development, between Shipley and Bradford, is a major scheme that will see up to 1,000 new homes built, along with new shops, roads and infrastructure.

A decision on the Clive Brook application is expected to be made by Bradford Council next month.