A NEW market on Darley Street will be the "heart" of Bradford's new "City Village" - according to a new report.

Next month work to demolish the former Marks & Spencer building on Darley Street will begin.

Once the work is complete, construction will start on the new £23 million Darley Street Market.

Next week members of West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Investment Committee will get an update on the market project, which is now being referred to as "Phase 1" of the long planned City Village Scheme.

After the opening of the new market, currently scheduled for June 2023, the Oastler Market will close.

The building, in the city's Top of Town area, will be demolished to make way for a development of around 1,000 homes.

Although the City Village has been in the planning stages for years, very little information about what it will look like has been released by Bradford Council.

The Council will be providing £20.3 million funding for the new market, with a further £3 million coming from the Combined Authority as part of the Getting Building Fund awarded by the Government.

Section of lost Bradford building to be refurbished as part of market plan

The Investment Committee, meeting online on Wednesday, will be given an update on the market and City Village plan, as well as being asked to move the project on to the next stage.

The three storey market will also include an outdoor courtyard area between Darley Street and Piccadilly.

A report to the committee says: "Bradford Council plans to make its city centre a greener, healthier, vibrant, modern, attractive and sustainable place that will continue to be the economic core of the district.

"The city centre will stimulate business growth and create new jobs whilst also meeting the housing, social and well-being needs of a new, larger and multi-generational resident community.

"To achieve this, the Council is proposing to totally re-purpose and revitalise the part of the city centre, which was previously at the heart of its commercial and retail sectors, by creating a new City Village which will be a green, healthy, and sustainable neighbourhood of 1,000 new homes.

"This ’10 year’ regeneration plan will create a new community friendly environment with safer landscaped roads, extensive public spaces, a revitalised independent shopping sector, and new business spaces that, combined, will provide a place where people will choose to live, work and thrive and where businesses will want to invest, trade and grow.

"Phase 1 of the ‘City Village’ scheme, will develop an attractive, inviting and vibrant independent retail offer at the heart of which will be the new Darley Street Market.

"The purposely designed modern market building will provide opportunities for small, diverse, fresh and hot food businesses alongside non-food market operators, whilst also delivering an area of high-quality public space for events and other commercial and leisure activities.

"Phase 1 will replace the existing, outdated 1970's Oastler market hall, releasing the largely Council owned 3.5 hectare site, which will become the primary residential development opportunity within the City Village.

"The speed of change in the retail industry means that traditional retail markets are coming under increased pressure to meet the needs of local communities and traditional market halls need to reinvent themselves to become relevant. The sector is experiencing a period of renewal as market halls diversify and grow to embrace specialist markets to attract visitors.

"Investment in these market hall assets, to create destinations to bring communities back together, have proven to have positive knock-on effects on the wider high streets or town centre locations.

"West Yorkshire already has a number of food and beverage focused attractions and this kind of experience focussed destination centred around quality produce would be a good addition to Bradford."

The market in the neighbouring Kirkgate Shopping Centre will also shut after the new market opens.

The Investment Committee will be told: "The Council is liaising with the Kirkgate Centre regarding the future use of the vacated Kirkgate Market space inside the centre."

The report adds: "A comprehensive marketing and consultation exercise has been completed by the Council to ensure the relocation of existing traders and the promotion of new traders to the market.

"A waiting list is being compiled for prospective tenants due to the potential high demand and to ensure a diversity of offer."