Bradford Civic Society will play a leading role in a new Heritage Action Zone for the city centre, following news that Bradford Council has been awarded £2 million from Historic England to fund a transformative regeneration programme in the city’s historic core.

The 3-year Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) project will cover the historic heart of the city centre bordered by Bridge Street, Kirkgate and Sunbridge Road, extending to the Grade I listed City Hall.

The HAZ will focus on preserving and repurposing important buildings to boost economic growth in the area. Regeneration plans include improving shopfronts in historic Ivegate and giving repair grants for prominent sites like the ‘Carters Block’ facing Centenary Square. The project will also inform future plans for the conservation of City Hall.

Historic England has enjoyed significant success, helping to breathe new life into town and city centres through Heritage Action Zones. They have delivered a £95 million regeneration programme across 67 high streets across England, bringing more than 700 buildings back into productive use.

Commenting on the news, Chairman of Bradford Civic Society said: “Bringing a Heritage Action Zone to Bradford is a fantastic achievement for the city, and will have a noticeable positive impact on some of our oldest and most historic streets.

The city centre’s remarkable 19th-century buildings are a tremendous source of civic pride for the people of Bradford, and we now have a great opportunity to restore many of them to their former glory. 

Aside from architectural improvements, our new Heritage Action Zone will help bring some of the area’s fascinating history and stories to life too. Judging by the success of similar initiatives in other cities, I think people will be very pleased with future results in Bradford.”