Work continues on a new city centre park that is replacing one of Bradford’s busiest roads.
Norfolk Gardens is being expanded across Hall Ings as part of the Transforming Cities Fund work that has seen swathes of Bradford city centre pedestrianised over the past year.
The new 10,000 square meter urban park will stretch from Bridge Street to Jacob’s Well, and include 20 species of trees, “stepping stones” that mark the path of the subterranean Bowling Beck and new street furniture.
A “pocket park” on the site of the former NCP car park is also being developed, and this Spring will host the Tower of Now sculpture, a 15-metre tall piece of art commissioned for Bradford’s City of Culture.
The new Norfolk Gardens is expected to be completed by the Spring, and these images show much of the pathways and paving have now been completed ahead of planting.
The Conservative Government announced funding for the scheme as part of its Transforming Cities Fund package of work to make Bradford more pleasant for pedestrians in March 2020.
Once busy roads such as Hall Ings, Market Street and Bridge Street have now become pedestrian plazas – a move that has generated a mixed response among Bradford residents.
Planting in the extended Norfolk Gardens will take place in the coming weeks, and the park’s designers aim to reference the city’s wool history.
Landscape designers researched the natural dyes that have been used in the Bradford District for over 150 years and have selected species of plants from which local dyes were derived.
The colours chosen for the new planted area include claret, amber, red, and black which give a nod to the colours of many of the district’s sporting clubs.
A stone mermaid sculpture that was once located in the Jacob’s Well roundabout will be brought back out of storage and re-located in the new park.
The Norfolk Gardens memorial area will remain in the same place and a Covid memorial rose bed has been relocated.
Other work that has taken place this week includes turf, shrubs, and trees planted at Jacobs Well and along the route to Nelson Street and Channing Way.
New turf has also been laid on Bridge Street, near Sunbridge Road and the newly installed antique tram lines.
By: Chris Young, LDRS
