Channel aims for '08 start
Prospects for the mixed-use development that will tie into the redeveloped canal scheme are being urged to get under way.
The organisers of Bradford Channel - a £350 million project of office and residential property to be built at the basin of the proposed water link on Canal Road in Bradford - have said they would like to be on-site as soon as possible. Mid-08 has been set out as a target to start the work.
Pivotal to the district's regeneration, the Channel is particularly important due to its geographical location. While on the edge of the city - north-side - the development will hook up with the rebuilt canal that is being worked on. The team behind it have said that, though its a big project, they can't wait to get started.
Harold Robinson, the director of Bradford Channel, said: "We want to be on-site as soon as possible, even though the market is difficult for residential developments at the moment." Dr Robinson - a member of the Forum - said that confidence was growing in the district and beyond, and the sooner that schemes like this got under way, the better it was for all.
Cllr Andrew Mallinson, who leads on regeneration for Bradford Council, acknowledged how imporant the scheme is for Bradford, saying the Channel would kick-start the canal scheme.