Gateway road to the city 'has everything'

Leeds Road in Bradford will be a focal point for the UK City of Culture celebrations

It is described as one of the most diverse and vibrant streets in Bradford - and it is now being highlighted as a possible tourist destination during the upcoming UK City of Culture year.

Leeds Road has restaurants, South Asian shops and a community of business owners, with Bradford Council offering a £70,000 contract to promote it during 2025.

But traffic issues, begging and crime have been highlighted as concerns which could hamper the visitor experience.

The BBC has spoken to people who live and work locally to find out what they think about the plans for the route.

Zayn Marza says Leeds Road is the best Bradford has to offer

Zayn Marza, 25, has Pakistani and Italian heritage and says the world cuisines available in Leeds Road's restaurants could attract visitors.

"It's the best road in Bradford - for tourists it's perfect if they want to try something new, like Chinese, African, Asian, even Italian," he says.

"Whatever you need they are going to make it for you."

Mr Marza, who works in an Asian wedding outfitter, says that although there are some issues with crime in the area, he would like to see it become a tourist hub.

In a city where about a third of the population identified as Asian in census returns, Leeds Road has a large number of restaurants and retailers serving these communities.

According to several businesses, the corridor already attracts shoppers from outside of Bradford.

"I think it's quite a good idea," says 30-year-old Gurvinder Bharath, who talks in between serving a steady stream of customers at his haberdashery shop.

"If you go all the way from the top of Leeds Road down to the bottom it's full of shops, you have got everything.

"A lot of people that come from other cities always visit Leeds Road."

Gurvinder Bharath says Leeds Road is already a popular destination for visitors

Mr Bharath, a born and bred Bradfordian, says he would "definitely" recommend a trip to Leeds Road.

"People are very friendly, there's a lot of variety and you can get all your shopping done on one road."

Another business owner, Kash Ahmed, also 30, says coachloads of visitors arrive most weekends to shop at the Bradford Plaza precinct, which has been described as Europe's largest Asian shopping mall.

"It does sound promising," he says of the council's plans to promote the area.

"It's just the traffic that needs to get sorted out, there needs to be more parking."

A local councillor highlighted concerns about speeding and pavement parking on Leeds Road, as well as begging at traffic light junctions.

Mr Ahmed, who owns seven clothing outlets in the plaza, adds: "You can make a day out of it, you can do your shopping from here and get anything to eat from Leeds Road."

Barber Rashid, left, welcoms the council's plans for the area

Established in 1989, Mughals Restaurant and Sweet Centre is a family-run business serving breakfasts, desserts and sweets.

"Over the years Leeds Road has started thriving, when we first started there was barely anybody here," owner Barber Rashid says.

"It's a gateway between Bradford and Leeds, there's a lot of traffic that does flow through."

He continues: "It is a bit of a hotspot, we do get people coming from up and down the country."

A local councillor recently pointed to the "architecturally stunning" Madni Masjid mosque, which he described as "symbolic of the area's cultural heritage and diversity".

The Madni Masjid mosque has been described as "architecturally stunning"

"There's a diverse set of businesses here," adds Mr Rashid, as his 18 staff cater for the lunchtime rush.

"Having everything in one area does make it easier for people and I think it does create a bit of an atmosphere - I do think it could be a good idea."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.