Character Area 1 –Town Centre and Civic Quarter

The key vision for Shipley’s retail core is to create a more diverse offer which encourages people to come into Shipley for socialising, with an improved food and beverage offer as part of a new market hall.  There is also the potential for a new cultural and heritage experience with a visitor attraction, which could provide the home to Bradford’s archives as well as tell the story of Post-war planning.  

Shipley’s retail core would continue to be a place where people can access key services and amenities, including the library, access services for medical needs and go about their day-to-day lives.  

Potential interventions therefore could include the following:

• Shipley Railway Station, providing the potential for a new mixed-use development comprising residential and commercial uses, and complementary food and beverage offer for rail passengers, which will be better connected by a new footbridge into the retail core. 
• Shipley Clock Tower – repurposing the iconic Clock Tower to create a visitor attraction and viewing platform towards Baildon Moor and surrounding countryside.  The redevelopment of this site, which currently houses Shipley’s Underground Market, could provide for new mixed uses within the town centre, including high-quality housing.    
• A revitalised Shipley outdoor and indoor market – creating a more flexible outdoor market square to host regular markets as well as events, alongside an improved new indoor market and offer including food stallholders housed within a new Food Hall, and the potential for new small business start-ups and creatives.  
• Residential sites – Improved housing offer, including enhancements to existing social housing stock and potential to increase densities in the town centre, making more of existing retail and commercial buildings by introducing residential above shops.   This includes an improved residential quarter to the south of the enhanced Market Square. 
• Civic Quarter, including Town Hall – Shipley’s Neo-Georgian town hall could be used for broader non-civic uses such as an event space.  The development block in which the Town Hall forms part could be opened up to create an attractive courtyard leisure offering within Windsor Court.  Adjacent blocks could come forward for housing, making the most of the proximity of Crowgill Park.   

The proposed interventions as set out are indicative only. There is no funding commitment at this stage to deliver the vision. If the proposals are supported by stakeholders, a more detailed delivery plan would be considered as funding opportunities arise.