Bradford City Village regeneration scheme secures planning approval

Planning approval has been granted for Bradford City Village, a major regeneration project that will transform the city’s former commercial core into a new residential-led neighbourhood.

The scheme is being delivered by ECF, a partnership between Homes England, L&G and Muse, in collaboration with Bradford Council. The development will span the ‘Top of Town’ area, including the Oastler, Kirkgate and Chain Street sites.

City Village is set to deliver up to 1,000 modern, energy-efficient homes, comprising a mix of affordable and private rented tenures. The regeneration aims to complement the area’s existing independent traders while introducing new opportunities for retail, leisure and commercial uses.

A detailed planning application for phase one has been approved, providing 33 two and three-bedroom townhouses on Chain Street arranged around a new community green, alongside 64 additional townhouses on the northern Oastler site. The homes will be centred around courtyards and landscaped green spaces, with each property benefiting from a designated parking space.

The first phase also includes supporting infrastructure such as safer road layouts, landscaped public realm and active travel routes to encourage walking and cycling.

Bradford-based affordable housing provider Incommunities has been selected as ECF’s preferred funding partner for phase one, subject to final legal agreement, to deliver the townhouses for sale and rent.

Outline consent has also been secured for the wider regeneration, which includes plans for more than 300 apartments on the southern Oastler site and approximately 400 apartments at Kirkgate. Demolition of the former Oastler Shopping Centre, which closed in June 2025, is expected to begin later this year. The 1970s-built Kirkgate Shopping Centre will also close later this year ahead of demolition, with works anticipated to begin towards the end of 2026.

The masterplan will create three new landscaped public spaces, building on recent city centre pedestrianisation works and contributing to Bradford’s ambition to deliver a greener, more people-focused urban environment.

City Village has been identified as one of seven ‘game-changing’ regeneration projects within the Council’s 10-year growth plan and supports the Government’s ambition to increase residential density in city centres, as outlined in the Northern Growth Strategy 2026.

The project has already secured £13.1 million in-principle funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, alongside £30 million of Government funding via Homes England. It is also one of fifteen locations identified under the Strategic Place Partnership between the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England, aimed at unlocking complex residential regeneration and accelerating housing delivery.

Simon Dew, director of development management, said the approval would enable the Council’s vision for a new residential offer in the city centre to begin taking shape. Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, described the decision as a milestone moment that will align improvements in housing, transport, retail and entertainment, helping establish a people-centric neighbourhood at the heart of the city.

A detailed planning application for phase two of City Village is expected to be submitted later this year.