The expertise of the UK’s leading gardening charity could be called upon to help create an urban garden on the site of a mothballed shopping development in Bradford city centre.

It has emerged that the Royal Horticultural Society, famous across the world for organising the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, is interested in becoming involved in a scheme to create a temporary green space on the site of the Broadway development.

Simon Thornton Wood, director of learning and communities at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “At this stage, we are having informal discussions with Bradford Council about opportunities for us to assist with the potential development of a community garden on the site.

“As the national organiser of the UK’s largest community gardening campaign, Britain in Bloom, we know just how effective community gardens can be in improving people’s lives. They have a big part to play in creating greener, cleaner, safer and more cohesive communities.”

Details of the Society’s interest emerged as developers, Westfield, submitted a planning application seeking permission to change the use of the site to a temporary urban garden.

A Design and Access statement, submitted in support of the application, said the site was currently vacant and that no activity had occurred for about two years or was anticipated for “a period of time”.

The statement said the Bradford Urban Garden site will be controlled by the Council, while the rest of the site would remain within Westfield’s control for safety reasons.

Westfield will protect manholes and steelwork, regrade existing on-site material to even-out levels, install ducting for street lighting and CCTV and put down hard areas for temporary pedestrian routes, soils for wildflower and grassed areas.

That part of the site will then be handed over to the Council, which will install lighting columns, CCTV and a pedestrian crossing point outside the Midland Hotel.

The Council will also introduce street furniture including five fixed metal seats, five basic litter bins and lighting columns.

The document said the Council would have ongoing responsibility for routine maintenance during the temporary use of the site as a public open space.

Barra Mac Ruairi, Bradford Council’s strategic director of regeneration, said: “The cost of transforming the site into a temporary urban green space will be about £300,000.

“Although the exact figures have not yet been finalised, Bradford Council, the developer Westfield, and the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, have agreed to each contribute roughly one-third of the cost of the project.

“Contractors will create walkways, green spaces and lighting before removing the hoardings to allow access, until economic circumstances allow the development to go ahead.”