Hundreds of older people in Bradford have been given their say on what improvements they would like to see in the city centre if they had £1 million to allocate to a project of their choice.

More than half of those surveyed said they would allocate the money to the creation of a purpose-built centre with services and facilities for older people, while more than a third said they would like to see the former Odeon cinema refurbished rather than demolished.

The results of the survey have emerged after a bid to protect the Odeon from demolition by having it declared a scheduled monument was turned down by English Heritage.

A total of 35 per cent of the older people polled by Bradford People’s Centre said they would put the money towards renovating the 1930s cinema.

Jean Walker, spokesman for Bradford People’s Centre, said: “Older people’s voices often go unheard, but on this issue they are loud and clear.

“More than a third of people said if they held the purse strings they’d save the Odeon. And quite right too. How can we claim to love film in this city on the one hand, then destroy our cinematic heritage with the other. We should be celebrating our rich history and investing in our future, not dismantling it at every turn.”

The survey of more than 200 older people in the city was conducted last month by Bradford People’s Centre, which is campaigning for a purpose-built centre in central Bradford to cater for older people.

Other responses included providing free taxis for older people, better street lighting and more police on patrol in the city centre.

Read more on this story in today's T&A