ECF starts on site with Bradford City Village

Wakefield-based Metropolitan Demolition will spend the next eight months removing the Oastler shopping centre and neighbouring buildings to make way for the first phase.

Construction of 97 high-quality two and three-bedroom townhouses is expected to begin in summer 2027.

Cllr Andrew Judson, Bradford Council’s executive member for economy, regeneration and planning, said: “This transformational project is now moving from planning into delivery. These sites have played an important role in Bradford’s history, and we are now preparing them for a new future at the heart of our city centre. City Village will deliver much-needed high-quality homes, attractive public spaces and new opportunities for business, helping to create a thriving neighbourhood.”

Delivery partners Bradford Council and ECF, a partnership between Homes England’s National Housing Bank, L&G and Muse, alongside representatives from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Homes England and Incommunities, gathered on site this week to mark this major milestone.

The buildings being taken down include 22-24 Rawson Road, the former home of Bradford Brewery, and the Bazaar building.

The demolition and enabling works are being supported via the first release of capital from £30m already secured for City Village through Homes England’s Brownfield, Infrastructure & Land fund. The neighbourhood has also secured £13.2m from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Tom Bridges, executive regional director of the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber at Homes England, said: “The demolition of the Oastler site marks a significant step forward for City Village, one of our priority focus areas being brought forward through our Strategic Place Partnership with West Yorkshire Combined Authority. By combining capital investment from our Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund with the investment and expertise of our partners, we’re paving the way for this ambitious city centre regeneration opportunity to begin.

The new homes will be offered as a mix of shared ownership, affordable rent and social rent. All will be owned and managed by Bradford-based housing provider, Incommunities.

Phase one will include the delivery of safer roads, landscaped public spaces and active travel routes that promote walking and cycling.

City Village will include up to 1,000 homes alongside retail, leisure and community spaces and improved connections to the city centre.

Simon Dew, managing director for Yorkshire and the North East at ECF, said: “A demolition programme of this scale in an urban centre is a significant undertaking, but every measure is being put in place to minimise the impact – including maintaining access to local businesses.

“This builds on a new chapter for Bradford city centre, removing outdated retail buildings to create high-quality homes, leisure, new retail and public spaces that will attract more people to live, work and spend time in the city. It’s not just about delivering much needed new homes, it’s about setting the foundations for a new community to thrive for the long-term, whilst unlocking the wider economic potential of the city.”

The development takes in Bradford’s former Kirkgate Shopping Centre site, where an initial six-month internal strip-out programme is now underway, before external demolition starts in spring 2027. The site will eventually accommodate hundreds of apartments delivered over two later phases.

Across both sites, demolition will be carried out by Metropolitan using specialist machinery to safely dismantle buildings piece by piece. Measures including screening and water suppression are being used to minimise dust, while work will take place during standard daytime hours to reduce disruption.

City Village is one of 15 places identified in the Strategic Place Partnership between the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England which aims to unlock ambitious, complex residential regeneration and boost the delivery of thousands more homes.

The wider team for City Village includes 5plus Architects, re-form Landscape Architecture, Avison Young, Cushman & Wakefield and Turner & Townsend.