Plans to build a street food “oasis” on a space between three roads has been refused due to highway safety concerns.
The food “hub” was planned for a triangular plot of land between Thornton Road and Listerhills Road, and would have seen six food vendors set up on the site, along with public seating and planting.
But Highways officers feared that adding so many vendors to a small plot of land – only accessible by crossing busy roads in an area with no pedestrian crossings – raised too many safety concerns.
Dubbed TriYard, the proposals were put forward by Mi7 Projects Ltd, the company behind a recent planning application to build flats on empty land near the Listerhills triangle.
The space would also host regular food festivals and outdoor events.
Last year Bradford Council granted temporary planning permission for a street food business based in a “renovated vintage vehicle” to be based on the triangular plot of land.
A condition of that approval was that the site would need to be cleared within two years of the business being set up.
A static cafe has since been built on the site.
The application said TriYard would “Offer a vibrant and eclectic experience where visitors can savour flavours from around the world in a single, lively location.”
However, that liveliness raised alarm bells with highways officers, who felt the site couldn’t cope with the extra car and pedestrian traffic.
They said: “The proposed development site is located at an extremely busy signalised junction of Thornton Road (B6145) and Listerhills Road, close to the City Centre.
“The existing pedestrian links to this ‘island’ are poor in that the signals do not incorporate suitable pedestrian phases. The proposal would also lead to an increase in the number of vehicular movements.
“There is significant competition for on-street parking locally and although it is acknowledged that the site is within a short distance of the City Centre, there is no off street parking provided to offset the additional parking requirements the proposal introduces.”
Planning officers also raised health concerns about the development.
The Council has a policy of not allowing take aways to open within 400 metres of a school or facility likely to be used by young people.
Officers said although there was no detail of what food vendors would be at the site, it appeared much of the business would be take away food.
They pointed out the site was close to Bradford College, a YMCA and Laser zone.
Officers added: “The takeaways proposed could have significant potential to increase health inequalities in this area, which would not be acceptable.”
