SWEEPING plans for regenerating Keighley town centre over the next two decades have been unveiled.

A range of potential measures, from relocating the bus station and market hall to creating quality housing for families and young professionals, has been put forward.

The suggestions are contained in a draft development framework for Keighley, which Bradford Council has put out for public consultation.

Residents, developers, businesses and landowners are being urged to have their say.

Similar frameworks – which will help guide development in the district's city and town centres – have been produced for Bradford, Shipley and Bingley, as part of an economic growth plan.

The draft plans have been produced using feedback from an initial consultation, which focused on people's perceptions of their communities and the challenges they faced. That attracted more than 1,200 responses.

A council spokesperson says: "Building on the success of the Towns Fund, the draft development framework for Keighley looks beyond our existing projects and City of Culture 2025.

"It sets out an overarching vision, objectives and potential interventions for the regeneration of Keighley looking at the next 15-20 years. It has been shaped by local stakeholders’ views and will continue to be refined following this engagement.

"Not all of the ideas in these frameworks would be directly delivered by the council, but they'll serve to provide a vision for the future and allow us to work with the private sector, local communities and other organisations to bring about their delivery.

"The proposed interventions as set out within the frameworks are indicative only. There is no funding commitment at this stage to deliver the vision. If the proposals are supported by stakeholders, a more detailed delivery plan would be considered as funding opportunities arise."

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, the council's portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport, says: "I’d like to thank all those who have already taken the time to engage with the new development frameworks during the initial consultation.

"We are now ready to share these, and I hope that people will once again engage in the process.

"The reports are more holistic than just looking at development sites and consider how people move around safely and enjoy public and green spaces.

"These plans look at potential changes in our town centres for the next 20 years and give people the opportunity to have their say on what their town centre could look like over time.

"They will help to ensure economic growth delivers excellent investment and job opportunities, housing and public spaces, whilst ensuring our city and towns are clean, green and healthy places to live, work and invest over the coming decades."

The framework says Keighley town centre currently has a "limited" retail offer and suffers from high levels of vacancies. It says the ambition is to create a more diversified offering by broadening the mix of uses, generating greater footfall.

The Airedale Shopping Centre would be "reconfigured" – with a view to attracting increased food and beverage uses and thriving independent businesses, and creating a more attractive retail/leisure experience – and the bus station relocated to the area currently occupied by the multi-storey car park. That would enable a new town square to be provided at the centre of the retail core, where events could be held.

Keighley Market Hall would also be relocated, to within the reconfigured shopping centre, with the existing market site providing a residential quarter.

Walking and cycling routes between the retail core and railway station would be improved.

An upgrade of Cavendish Street is proposed, to "utilise the attractive heritage buildings", together with the introduction of traffic calming measures.

And a new linear green park and heritage trail could be provided along the banks of the River Worth.

To view the Keighley draft development framework in full and to comment, visit letstalk.bradford.gov.uk/development-framework-for-keighley.

The online consultation closes on November 19.