The Bradford Urban Greenway is my major project and focusses on a green finger of space which extends along the Bradford and Canal Road corridor. The project focusses on three main themes which include improved access through creation of cycle walking network, improved landscape through high quality design, biodiversity net gain, sustainable drainage and finally provision of a social hub to support local communities.
The proposal sets out three important key themes Landscape, Habitat & Social
The greenway is almost 3km long and split into three separate sites
The Core Greenway – Links Bradford & Shipley and is a major corridor with access to rail networks and residential areas, shopping recreation. This site includes the Dalesway Link, Sustrans Cycle Network and City Link Cycle Routes. The core site is itself and important green space and as well as improved links and access this site will be re-designed.
A major influential factor for the green-way is its location within a strategic corridor (Shipley & Canal Road) which links both Bradford and Shipley. The master-plan identifies a series of accessible routes using the core site of the green-way as a priority link.
The route of the Bradford beck has been altered significantly and this once natural meandering watercourse is confined within a narrow brick lined channel. The beck is also culverted along many sections. These factors have a major influence on the beck which suffers poor biodiversity. The beck is also prone to flooding in times of extreme weather events water flow is restricted.
. The master-plan aims to mitigate theses affects by removing the eastern retaining wall and grading out the embankment to provide a natural habitat with back water, riffles and increased water capacity. Culverts will be removed and replaced with new bridges. Sustainable drainage will reduce surface water output and pollution from contaminated ground and pollutants from adjacent highway.
The green-way will be transformed from a mediocre green space into an exciting and functional series of interconnected spaces. The landscape will be re-designed to provide better access to the important feature of Bradford Beck along with increased biodiversity through habitat creation, wildflower, bulb and tree planting.
Dave Bennison, Bradford Urban Greenway
The core greenway site sits within the Shipley and Canal Road corridor and provides access to the Dalesway Link footpath and existing Sustrans designated cycle route (66). A City Connect scheme which was introduced in 2014 to link the Bradford City centre to Shipley and extended in 2016 to provide a connecting cycle route into Leeds City Centre.
Technical Detail Drawings
