Community centre plan for city's former gig venue

A derelict music venue which once hosted gigs by rock legends such as The Cure and Joe Strummer could be converted into a community centre.

The Palm Cove Club in Manningham, Bradford, was a popular concert hall from the late 1970s, but has been vacant for several years.

A planning application to transform the building into a community hub and nursery has been submitted by the Hollings Youth Association.

The voluntary organisation said it would provide an important facility for young people in the area, as well as offering skills training for the unemployed.

Bands such as The Fall, Diamond Head and Hanoi Rocks all performed at the Palm Cove during its heyday and it was also a well-known reggae venue.

However, it had since fallen into disrepair, with parts of the roof having collapsed and several windows smashed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The refurbishment scheme would see the building divided into two large halls, a nursery and a kitchen.

Meanwhile, a section of the stone yard behind the site would become a 12-space car park.

Documents submitted to Bradford Council said there had been "less need" for a clubhouse and gig venue as the Manningham area had changed.

“Over the years, the development has been left in a state of disrepair. Due to this, much of the property requires heavy refurbishment and regeneration," the papers said.

“The proposal aims to bring life back to the building by using the bones of the existing structure to create an improved mixed-use development that effortlessly integrates into its surroundings."

An "extensive overhaul" of the interiors would be required, the documents added.

A decision on the application is expected to be made by councillors later this month.

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