A PLANNING application for the One City Park office development is likely to be revealed this Summer.

It has been announced that the government has officially agreed to a £7.5m funding grant towards the £35m, 56,403 sq ft office scheme.

And this week national urban regenerator, Muse Developments exchanged a significant development agreement with Bradford Council to bring forward the development.

Bradford Council says a community consultation exercise is due to begin imminently.

The council has also successfully secured £7.5m of funding from the government’s Getting Building Fund through West Yorkshire Combined Authority, to accelerate the delivery of One City Park, which is part of the council’s wider regeneration of the city. The scheme is expected to create 300 construction jobs and another 452 jobs when complete.

The scheme is one of the main regeneration projects for Bradford city centre, but has its critics. Opposition politicians have questioned the thinking behind investing so much in an office development at a time many businesses are introducing working from home policies.

Simon Dew, development director at Muse, said: “To exchange the development agreement and to hear confirmation that the council has successfully secured this funding boost from the government’s Getting Building Fund, highlights our collective confidence and long-term vision for City Park. Muse and the council are committed transforming the former police HQ site to drive economic growth and social prosperity at a time when it’s needed most in Bradford and the wider city region.

Meeting told that office development is about regeneration - not commercial investment

“Key ingredients to achieving this is to deliver high-quality designed development close to major transport infrastructure, but importantly with a purpose at its heart to deliver new Grade A office space for Bradford to meet the demand from local SMEs and inward investing occupiers. We look forward to working closely with the council as we progress the scheme.”

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council and chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: “The development agreement is another positive step on the way to Muse Developments delivering a striking, state-of-the-art and energy efficient mixed use building at the heart of Bradford city centre, with support from the Council and the Combined Authority.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has focused a lot of people’s minds on how office space and public realm should be used in the future and I would encourage everyone to have their say through Muse’s community consultation when it is launched.

“There is no question that the development and our partnership with Muse remain essential for the future economic recovery of the Bradford District.”

Following completion of the consultation exercise, Muse is looking to submit a planning application in the Summer.