THE British high street is undergoing its biggest change in decades, as more and more people turn to the internet to buy goods they would once have picked up in person.

And in Bradford, while the opening of The Broadway was cause for celebration, the number of empty shops in the top end of town is becoming a growing concern.

Yesterday the Telegraph & Argus reported that a £1.5m council-run grant scheme designed to tempt retailers into five key city-centre streets hasn’t attracted as many applicants as hoped for.

So how can town planners and businesses create a city centre fit for the future?

According to one retail analyst, central Bradford now has too many shops and some areas should either be demolished or repurposed.

Matthew Hopkinson is director of the Local Data Company, which monitors the number of empty shops on Britain’s high streets.

He said as of this month, nearly a quarter (23.4 per cent) of units in Bradford were empty - more than double the national average.

He said: “This really says Bradford has got too many shops.”

In particular, he said, the number of empty leisure units such as cafes and restaurants was far higher than average, and rising.

He said: “If there is one thing that is normally growing in these cities, it is leisure. I expect to see too many shops but it is this point around leisure which is the first point of note for me.”

Matthew said another red flag was the length of time shops were lying empty for, saying there were nearly 40 in Bradford city centre which had been lying vacant for more than three years.

He gave the example of one unit in Rawson Place, saying it had been empty and boarded up for seven years.

He said: “There are bits of Bradford where you think, ‘What’s going on? What’s the reason anyone would want to visit there?’”

According to Matthew, all this data shows that Bradford “absolutely” needs a smaller high street.

He said: “There is a total of 762 shops and leisure premises in a fairly small area, and don’t forget, you have got places like the the Forster Square retail park with another 27 units.”

Matthew said grant schemes to tempt in new shops could only go so far, saying: “You have got to be careful you are not putting a plaster on an open, gaping wound.”

He said it was time for bosses in the city to “think outside the box” when considering what should be in the city centre, saying educational facilities and medical centres could both drive up footfall.

Matthew said another difficulty for Bradford was the fact Leeds was so close.

He said: “My million dollar question to Bradford Council is, you have got a great city here. What is it that Bradford stands for that you could put on a t-shirt, that you can’t have in Leeds?”

Another leading retail analyst believes that the huge changes hitting the retail world could offer real opportunities for Bradford’s high street.

Kate Hardcastle, who grew up in Bradford, advises governments and businesses around the world on retail matters.

She said: “I don’t see this as the end of the high street. It’s more of an evolution.”

She said while all high streets would probably be “leaner” in future, they could succeed by becoming places where people socialised and had memorable experiences.

She said one important factor was the “selfie opportunity” - things people wanted to visit and be photographed with - giving the example of the Harry Potter-themed Platform 9-and-three-quarters at London’s Kings Cross station.

Kate, who now splits her time between Yorkshire and London, said The Broadway’s sand sculptures of local heroes Zayn Malik and Dynamo had proved a temporary example of this kind of attraction, but permanent ones were also needed.

Kate said Haworth was a great example of a place that had thrived by drawing on its heritage.

And while she acknowledged that “we can’t all be tourist destinations like Haworth”, Bradford could also find ways of telling engaging stories about its history.

She said: “I think Bradford has the same opportunity. The mixture of theatres, museums, the textile history - there are very few places you can go to see that.”

Kate said amenities like good transport links, hassle-free parking and decent toilets were also hugely important.