Kirkgate Centre to be demolished prompts strong readers' reaction

A wide range of views have been expressed by T&A readers at the news that the Kirkgate Shopping Centre will be bulldozed.

Bradford residents past and present took to social media in their hundreds to react to the news the centre site is set to close after almost 50 years.

Bradford Council has bought the shopping centre for £15.5m with a view to demolishing it in the coming years as part of its long-standing plans to create a “city village”.

The move will also see Primark move from Kirkgate to the former Debenhams location inside The Broadway.

Our story revealing the centre is going to be bulldozed produced over 600 comments on the Telegraph & Argus Facebook page.

Primark will move into The Broadway from the Kirkgate Centre as part of the plans. Newsquest

Here's a selection of those comments:

Sylvia Ross: “Good news Primark going to Debenhams old location. Will definitely boost the Broadway.”

Sarah Merifield: “Lots of memories from my childhood there but it's looking so dated, both inside and out.....Hopefully the replacement will be a great addition to the city.”

Ian Alderson: “Quite sad, it's an amazing building. Let's hope they replace it with something better. Not just a scaling back of Bradford to make way for the greater Leeds.”

Karen Michelle Evans: “I hope they save the old Kirkgate Centre hippo as a centrepiece for any play area they build.”

Viki Markwell: “Have a lot of good memories in Bradford, grew up shopping in Kirkgate and James street and went to uni in Bradford a decade ago.

“It was such a bustling busy place. It is a shame to see how much it’s changed and become so deserted through economic crisis, pandemic, and shops relocating.

“However, similar happened with Broadway if people remember that being knocked down.

“I’ll be sad to see the building go but will hold onto the good memories from the times.”

Stuart Cowens: “Can they send me the hippo? I live in Canada now but always remember playing on it as a child.”

Meanwhile, here are a few more comments from the version of the Kirkgate Centre story on the Telegraph & Argus website:

The_Light posted: “Wow, another slice of the city's history going, along with John Street Market further along too. Fond memories of both and of better times.”

Amanda1666 posted: “I think it is sad. Is it really necessary?? Or are they going to demolish it and leave it for years and years for when they demolish it nothing will be put in its place.

“I have many happy memories of the wooden hippo slide and strawberry yoghurt ice cream.”

Rizwan Saleem posted: "Won't be much of a park or an open air space as it's on a hill.

"Also £15.5 million for a building that is mainly vacant."

Mart Smith said: "So another hole in our town centre for 10 years like Broadway was."

Janet Hadi said: "Is this a joke? Bradford Council should not be spending £15.5 million on a building to then use more council tax payers money to demolish it! We have lost our libraries, our youth services, our social services, our schools are in dire need of finances and they feel fit to spend such an enormous amount of money on a gamble of the future?"

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