(Image: Shipley College)
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A resident has hit out after a Bradford district car park was closed to make way for a new development.
The site of the 33-space Caroline Street car park in Saltaire will be the new home of the Saltaire Community, Art, Heritage & Future Technology Centre.
The building will include classroom space for Shipley College, a visitor centre, public toilets and the new home of the Saltaire Collection.
The car park closed just over a week ago and is now owned by Shipley College.
What the council has said
Bradford Council approved the plans in February 2024, despite ICOMOS warning they could have a highly adverse impact on Saltaire’s Outstanding Universal Value.
A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “The sale of Caroline Street car park to Shipley College completed on the exchange of contracts last week, so is no longer council property.
"The car park is now closed ready for the commencement of works for the Shipley College.
"Visitors can use Exhibition Road car park as an alternative, and residents can use the residential on-street parking spaces.”
'Parking in Saltaire is crazy'
Local resident Kate Rawnsley, a member of the Save Our Saltaire group, said: “It’s been absolutely horrendous since its closure.
"The whole village is rammed with cars.
"It’s going to put pressure on parking. Parking is crazy in Saltaire.
"The village cannot accommodate any more cars.
"The residents are at breaking point."
She added: "Saltaire is a tightly packed conurbation, as the majority of the 800 hundred houses have no off-street parking.
"I couldn’t get into my driveway the other day. People with pushchairs and little children have to walk in the road to get around parked vehicles.
"I’m going to campaign for permit holder only parking for residents."
Caroline Street car park in Saltaire has closed and is now owned by Shipley College (Image: Newsquest)
Public meeting to be held
She also claimed there was no public consultation.
Ms Rawnsley said the residents are now planning to hold a public meeting about the car park’s closure.
She said representatives from Bradford Council highways, Shipley College, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and Saltaire Village Society will be invited to the meeting.
The meeting date has yet to be confirmed.
What Shipley College has said
Shipley College said the scheme had been subject to several consultations over the past few years.
A spokesperson for the college said: “The development has been subject to public consultation, discussion and scrutiny over several years.
"A public consultation event was held at Shipley College on November 17, 2022, with more than 200 responses received during the consultation period.
“The proposals were discussed at public meetings, including one in July 2023 that recorded the proposed car park transfer.”
"The development was considered at a public planning committee meeting in February 2024, where local residents and objectors were able to make representations.
"Further opportunities for public comment followed in 2025, with two formal public notices attracting a total of 145 representations, which were considered by Bradford Council's Executive in December 2025.
"These meetings, consultations and decisions are documented in publicly accessible records.
"Shipley College took ownership of the car park site from Bradford Council just a few days ago, on Friday, October 16, 2026.
"Immediately following the transfer of ownership, we sent letters to households and businesses throughout Saltaire and launched www.saltaire.info to provide information about the development and keep the local community informed.
"We remain committed to openness and transparency throughout the project."
Why this location?
The spokesperson added: "Our ambition is to celebrate the extraordinary legacy of Sir Titus Salt, his family and the many people who helped shape Saltaire.
"For too long, a priceless collection of historical artefacts held by the college has remained tucked away in storage, largely hidden from public view.
"These remarkable treasures tell the story of Saltaire's extraordinary history and deserve to be seen, appreciated and enjoyed by the local community and the thousands of visitors who come to Saltaire each year.
"The site itself was once home to a Sunday school, providing education to generations of local people before the building fell into disrepair and was destroyed by fire in the 1970s.
"This development offers an exciting opportunity to return education and community purpose to this historic location, creating a beautiful, welcoming space that celebrates Saltaire's past and inspires future generations.
"We believe this project reflects the very values Sir Titus Salt championed: education, opportunity and a lasting commitment to the wellbeing of the local community.
"Our ambition is to create something that Saltaire can be genuinely proud of, and we look forward to keeping residents and businesses informed as the development progresses.”