...Bradford City Council have finally admitted the huge, ground-zero-esque hole in the ground that is the middle of Bradford city centre is not likely to be filled in anytime soon. If there's a more incompetent city council in the UK (and possibly the known universe) then I'm not aware of them.
This story begins in the early 1960s when the city engineer, Stanley Wardley decided "to heck with all these fine, Victorian buildings, lets pull them all down and build 1960s-brutalist concrete and glass buildings everywhere", turning the city centre into something resembling the middle of Milton Keynes (see here for a less than happy visit). Amazing to think that the city could emerge from World War II relatively unscathed, only for several buildings of architectural note to fall to the whims of a city engineer. Mention the Swan Arcade or the original Kirkgate Market to any Bradfordian over the age of 50 and there may be the odd reminiscence. Similarly, the two railway stations were demolished in the same era, among many other buildings. The development of the city centre continued in such a fashion even into the 2000's with the construction of the hideous, golf-driving range lookalike building opposite City Hall.
The buildings erected in place of these much loved places did not wear very well, and by the 1990s had become something of an eyesore. It was also hard to find tenants to rent out the retail and office space. The council thus decided they would demolish them all, barely 40 years old. Only what has followed since is barely believable, as one delay has followed another, such that the site has now stood vacant for more than four years. The Australian developer has now put the complex on hold citing the credit crunch and a loss of A$2.2 billion for the financial year. Reports of the halt in work in a national Sunday newspaper a month ago were denied outright before the news linked above. It seems that the contract to develop the site is open ended and that no deadline and/or penalty clauses for the development's completion were ever set. I find that staggering.
Equally surprising is the comment from the council redevelopment leader saying "maybe next year when the economy improves". So you think a company loses A$2.2 billion one year and then immediately starts turning a profit again? Naive in the extreme. All the while, ten miles up the road the city of Leeds continues to thrive (though not on the football field, heh) as a financial, legal and shopping centre for the north of england; one which retained most of the same type of historic buildings of note that Bradford demolished. Leeds City Council builds new buildings worthy of comment, for example the building known as 'the Dalek'.
Bradford and Leeds were not so different 20 years ago, both former cities of the industrial revolution that had fallen on hard times due to the collapse of the wool/textile industries that they were founded upon. Why the difference now? Leadership, joined-up thinking and strategic planning taken 20 years ago which is now bearing fruit. The local Bradford newspaper should start holding the people in City Hall to account instead of propagating the spin of the councillors.
As a final demonstration of the bizarre thinking that goes on in the corridor of power, the continuing saga of the old Bradford Odeon. Originally built in the 1930s, there is, in the voids behind false internal walls and suspended ceilings, a concert hall once upon a time capable of holding 3300 people. The building closed in its final guise of a three-screen cinema in 2000. It is one of the few remaining architecturally distinct buildings in the city centre. Here's what it looked like in the 1930s, a venue for concerts, theatre and so on before the shell was divided up in the late 60s. The local community overwhelmingly wants it restored. Does the council? I'll leave you to guess....
Would the last person out please turn off the lights?
This story begins in the early 1960s when the city engineer, Stanley Wardley decided "to heck with all these fine, Victorian buildings, lets pull them all down and build 1960s-brutalist concrete and glass buildings everywhere", turning the city centre into something resembling the middle of Milton Keynes (see here for a less than happy visit). Amazing to think that the city could emerge from World War II relatively unscathed, only for several buildings of architectural note to fall to the whims of a city engineer. Mention the Swan Arcade or the original Kirkgate Market to any Bradfordian over the age of 50 and there may be the odd reminiscence. Similarly, the two railway stations were demolished in the same era, among many other buildings. The development of the city centre continued in such a fashion even into the 2000's with the construction of the hideous, golf-driving range lookalike building opposite City Hall.
The buildings erected in place of these much loved places did not wear very well, and by the 1990s had become something of an eyesore. It was also hard to find tenants to rent out the retail and office space. The council thus decided they would demolish them all, barely 40 years old. Only what has followed since is barely believable, as one delay has followed another, such that the site has now stood vacant for more than four years. The Australian developer has now put the complex on hold citing the credit crunch and a loss of A$2.2 billion for the financial year. Reports of the halt in work in a national Sunday newspaper a month ago were denied outright before the news linked above. It seems that the contract to develop the site is open ended and that no deadline and/or penalty clauses for the development's completion were ever set. I find that staggering.
Equally surprising is the comment from the council redevelopment leader saying "maybe next year when the economy improves". So you think a company loses A$2.2 billion one year and then immediately starts turning a profit again? Naive in the extreme. All the while, ten miles up the road the city of Leeds continues to thrive (though not on the football field, heh) as a financial, legal and shopping centre for the north of england; one which retained most of the same type of historic buildings of note that Bradford demolished. Leeds City Council builds new buildings worthy of comment, for example the building known as 'the Dalek'.
Bradford and Leeds were not so different 20 years ago, both former cities of the industrial revolution that had fallen on hard times due to the collapse of the wool/textile industries that they were founded upon. Why the difference now? Leadership, joined-up thinking and strategic planning taken 20 years ago which is now bearing fruit. The local Bradford newspaper should start holding the people in City Hall to account instead of propagating the spin of the councillors.
As a final demonstration of the bizarre thinking that goes on in the corridor of power, the continuing saga of the old Bradford Odeon. Originally built in the 1930s, there is, in the voids behind false internal walls and suspended ceilings, a concert hall once upon a time capable of holding 3300 people. The building closed in its final guise of a three-screen cinema in 2000. It is one of the few remaining architecturally distinct buildings in the city centre. Here's what it looked like in the 1930s, a venue for concerts, theatre and so on before the shell was divided up in the late 60s. The local community overwhelmingly wants it restored. Does the council? I'll leave you to guess....
Would the last person out please turn off the lights?
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