A city centre office building could be converted into a “car-free development” of 28 apartments.
Broadway House is located on the newly pedestrianised area of Bank Street, and is made up of ground floor businesses and office spaces on its first, second and third floors.
Now proposals to convert this office space into apartments have been revealed.
The application form says the plans have been proposed by Springer, and that the aim is to convert the building through “permitted development”.
Planning laws introduced by the last Government allow developers to convert empty office space into residential without the need for planning permission.
The ground floor of the building is home to Skipton Building Society, Ladbrokes and Pawpaw, a café specialising in ice cream and bubble tea.
The upper floors have recently been on the market, with listings saying “a full refurbishment programme (of the office space) has been completed”.
The stretch of Bank Street outside the building was, until last year, a busy street with a taxi rank directly in front of Broadway House.
In the past year it has been transformed into a fully pedestrianised street.
The new plans refer to the pedestrianisation, acknowledging the flats will be a “car free” development.
The development will be made up of 17 one bed, one-person units; two one- bed two-person units, seven two-bed, three-person units and two, two-bed, four-person units.
The plans say: “The roads surrounding the site (Broadway, Bank Street, Bridge Street and Market Street) have recently been improved as part of a scheme to further pedestrianise the city centre area.
“These streets have been closed to general traffic to provide improved routes for those on foot and cycling.
“Pedestrian access to the site will be provided from Bank Street via the existing access point.
“The proposals are for a car-free development and the existing vehicular access point onto Broadway will be retained for servicing.
“The site is well located within a sustainable area with various realistic travel options available to reduce the reliance on the use of a private car.
“Bradford Interchange is located approximately 350m south of the site.
“The site is considered to be highly accessible by active travel and public transport. The sites’ location within the centre of Bradford means that many amenities which resident and visitors are likely to use are within walking and cycling distance of the site.
“Therefore, residents and visitors will have extensive opportunities to utilise sustainable travel options.”
Bradford Council will only be able to block the plans if officers have serious highway or environmental concerns about the proposed apartments.
