City regeneration projects win regional awards

The revamp of Norfolk Gardens in Bradford city centre was one of the key parts of the city centre's pedestrianisation

Engineering projects in Bradford have won several top awards at a regional ceremony.

Bradford Live and the city centre pedestrianisation were recognised at the Yorkshire & Humber Constructing Excellence awards, which took place at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

The pedestrianisation scheme won Infrastructure Project of the Year and the Best of the Best award, while the refurbished former Odeon, officially due to open in August, won the Conservation and Regeneration award.

The two winning projects will now compete in a national awards ceremony later this year.

Bradford Live beat other projects including two from Bradford in the same category: Darley Street Market, and Shipley Sustainable Community Hub, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

It also faced non-Bradford projects including the refurbishment of Hull's Maritime Museum and Leeds City College's Mabgate Campus.

The Bradford projects were funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority's Transforming Cities Fund and run by construction firm Balfour Beatty.

The work to re-open Bradford Interchange after a year-long closure, carried out by the construction firm, was shortlisted and highly commended in the Integration and Collaborative Working Award.

Bradford's pedestrianisation, pictured here on Broadway in June, was picked for an award over Armley Gyratory, Copley Flood Alleviation Scheme and Filey Seawall repairs

The awards celebrate the built environment and construction industry and are organised annually by Leeds Beckett University's School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing.

Turner and Townsend, appointed by Bradford Live to redevelop the former Odeon, said it was an "incredible scheme"

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