Bradford races against the clock to finish works in time for city of culture

In a little over four months, Bradford takes the mantle of city of culture for 2025.

But the city is in a race against time to resolve an almost perfect storm of over-running civic works, delays to infrastructure refurbishment, crises with transport and uncertainty over one of the proposed flagship venues, which is causing something of a headache for the event’s organisers.

The honour is awarded by the government every four years after a bidding process by cities and a final decision by a judging panel, which picked Bradford over the other shortlisted candidates of County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham.

Over the next year, Bradford will deliver more than 1,000 events and performances, new artistic commissions and arts-related festivals. It can be costly to host the city of culture, but the rewards are enticing; the previous holder of the accolade, Coventry, is estimated to have brought in £172m in direct investment. Bradford’s own bid document predicted that winning would help create more than 6,800 jobs and opportunities.

While Bradford’s ability to deliver what it has promised isn’t in doubt, there are several flies in the ointment, particularly in the city centre, which are adding challenges to the city of culture getting under way in just 20 weeks’ time.

The most visible is the £45m scheme to pedestrianise the city centre, which has resulted in a labyrinthine network of fenced-off sections, road closures, and constant works blighting the streets for months. Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of the Labour council, said she accepted the work had been “frustrating” for local people , but said “much of the works” would be finished by 2025.

The scheme is financed by the government’s Transforming Cities fund and is designed to reduce congestion and air pollution in the centre.

She told the BBC on Friday: “Bradford has not had this sort of investment for decades and I am confident people will see that benefit.”

The problems have been exacerbated by the sudden closure of the central bus station, part of the Bradford Interchange transport hub which includes one of the city’s two rail stations. In January, it was found that drainage issues had led to water leakage and corrosion to steelwork in the building.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), which owns the bus station, is due to release a report next month detailing what can be done about the site, but did point out that it was “built in the 1970s and is at the end of its 50-year lifespan”, and has become “difficult to maintain”.

One of Bradford’s undisputed cultural gems is the National Science and Media Museum, part of the Science Museum Group, which opened more than 40 years ago. Since last year, it has been undergoing a huge refurbishment programme and was due to reopen this summer. However, the works are over-running and it will now not reopen until 2025.

Jo Quinton-Tulloch, the museum’s director, told the Observer that it would reopen in January. “Despite the extended closure, our ambitions for 2025 are undiminished,” she said, adding that “the museum will play host to major exhibitions, events and festivals throughout 2025”.

Perhaps the most contentious issue is Bradford Live. The formerly derelict Odeon cinema, which opened in 1930, has been transformed into a live music venue housed in the art deco building. Operated by the NEC Group, it was due to open in November, but advertised gigs were cancelled and tickets refunded, with no word about when it will open. Last week, the local Telegraph & Argus published a letter demanding answers about Bradford Live, which is being funded to the tune of £43.75m by Bradford council, through grants and loans, with the rest of the projected £50m cost coming from WYCA, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the National Lottery heritage fund.

Group editor Nigel Burton said the project had suffered delays, partly due to Covid, but that the “fates seemed to have smiled” on Bradford Live when it was announced it would open in time for the city of culture year. But he said: “No opening date has yet been formally announced, and no shows or events are currently listed. The general manager left in February and no replacement has been announced.

“The new venue looks fantastic and when it does eventually open it will be a wonderful addition to the city. But excitement about the project has been tempered with concern due to the lack of information. The taxpayers of Bradford deserve to know what is going on. Simply saying nothing is not acceptable.”

The NEC Group did not respond to a request for comment.

Related: ‘Welcome home sexy’: Bradford relishes its year in the limelight

Burton added that, concerns about Bradford Live aside, there was a lot of positivity about the city of culture in the area. “You only have to look at the wild scenes of celebration when the city’s bid won in 2022 to see what it means to people. City of culture’s positive impact will be felt for many years after 2025. The people of Bradford are rightly proud of their city and are ready to show it off.”

Dan Bates, executive director of Bradford 2025, said: “The city of culture designation has been a catalyst for long needed development in Bradford and has brought in the new investment, such as the Transforming Cities fund, which will make the centre, greener, safer and less polluted. These improvements are significant, and not without disruption – but every day we see streets reopening as the works start to complete.”