The future of Bradford took a step forward today as consultants were commissioned to take forward half of the city centre masterplan.

The blueprint of the city for the future has been created by architect Will Alsop and now Leeds-based Ove Arup have been employed to turn how to turn two of the radical proposals into reality.

Bradford Centre Regeneration - the company set up to breathe new life into the city - went out to tender and chose Ove Arup from a line up of top contenders.

In the masterplan, revealed in 2003, there were four different areas identified of which Arup will be looking two.

The areas in the masterplan to be fleshed out by Arup include The Markets - the current shopping area bounded to the east by Manor Row and Cheapside, to the south by Hustlergate, Tyrrel Street and Aldermanbury, to the west by Godwin Street and Sunbridge Road and to the north by Darfield Street and Drewton Street.

The other is the Channel bounded on the South by Leeds Road, to the east by Shipley Airedale Road, to the north by Hamm Strasse and west by Cheapside and Forster Square station. The area includes Bradford Cathedral and Little Germany.

Today Ove Arup associate Michael Osborne said: "It is an exciting masterplan and we are looking at the details.

"We will be speaking to land owners and consulting. The plan is visionary but there is a lot of in depth thinking in it and there is no reason why it cannot happen."

Mr Alsop's Bradford masterplan - currently on display in New York - hit headlines across the world when it was unveiled just over a year ago.

Ove Arup's work will include a detailed implementation programme setting out how the master plan's vision will be delivered over the next five to ten years.

Bradford Council's head of plans and performance Christopher Hughes said: "These frameworks are an important step in planning and delivering the high quality city centre of the master plan, which is a key part of the district's further success."

Bradford Centre Regeneration's director of operations Marc Cole said: "Commissioning these neighbourhood development frameworks marks another major milestone on the city centre's regeneration road map."

Arup is already handling a masterplan for the future of the Aire Valley and a preliminary study for Bradford Centre Regeneration on the new Canal.

The work is expected to be completed by summer and BCR will go out to tender for a consultant to do frameworks for the other two neighbourhoods in the masterplan - The Bowl and The Markets - in the next three months.

Another firm of consultants - Manchester-based Urbed - have been employed by BCR to draw up a design guide for all of the city centre included the masterplan.