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'Milestone' as city centre park nears completion

Aisha Iqbal
BBC News, Yorkshire
Reporting fromBradford
Bradford Council handout An aerial view of an urban park, in a city centre. It is in different sections, and has fresh planters and saplings. It sits in front of a number of civic and office type buildings in a city square.Bradford Council handout
An aerial view of the new Norfolk Gardens park in front of Bradford City Hall

A new city centre park is now home to thousands of plants, shrubs and trees as a multimillion-pound regeneration and pedestrianisation project nears completion.

The 10,000 sq m (2.5 acre) green space of Norfolk Gardens marks the final key element of a scheme that has transformed and pedestrianised large parts of Bradford city centre.

Officials said more than 7,700 plants and shrubs, 57 trees, and a total of 173 species had been planted in recent weeks, boosting local biodiversity.

Alex Ross-Shaw, the council's executive member for regeneration, said the completion of the planting "marks another major milestone" in the wider project, which is due to be completed later this month.

Bradford Council Grassed area and paths with slim tree surrounded by large buildingsBradford Council
Norfolk Gardens in Bradford city centre

Norfolk Gardens marks the final phase of a major £45m infrastructure project delivered by Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The council - which is operating under wider financial pressures - stressed the money was from a specific government transport fund, and could not be used for other purposes, such as delivering day-to-day council services or other projects.

The associated roadworks caused some frustration among businesses, and the project, originally scheduled to finish by the start of Bradford's 2025 UK City of Culture year, was dogged by delays.

However, some firms have already reported an uplift and hopes of a full turnaround.

The new park has also become home to the city centre's relocated mermaid statue, which was previously housed in the Jacobs Well roundabout subway.

Final touches, including a gravel surface for new cycleways and footpaths, are among the last elements to be completed before the park opens and work finishes later this month.

Ross-Shaw added the planting had been designed to "reflect the heritage and culture of the district".

"Once complete this Norfolk Gardens area will form a welcoming green space in the heart of the city centre," he said.

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