It is in some ways disappointing that West Park Developments, which was planning to build apartments in Little Germany, has pulled out after planning differences with Bradford Council.
Postponement of any project, particularly one on a prestigious site like this one, is bound to be seen as a setback for Bradford's redevelopment plans. Cranes above the city centre are a sign that it is moving ahead. But it is precisely because the site is so prestigious that planners are right to set high standards and stick to them.
This location, in East Parade, is part of a showpiece area in which the existing buildings are of a high quality. So it is vital that whatever is built in that area strikes the right note.
The whole point of the masterplan for Bradford is to ensure that there is a better quality of development on key sites and that the city does not have to opt for something that doesn't meet the highest standards.
While not wishing to comment on the merits or otherwise of the scheme which West Park Developments has now abandoned, we applaud the principle that if a developer cannot be encouraged to meet the design brief set by the Council it is preferable that the two part company.
The important lesson to be learned from mistakes made in the past is that, as Councillor Simon Cooke says, "cheap and cheerful" is not an option. Bradford should be prepared to settle only for the best.
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