Bradford fashion retailer Janan granted permission to expand flagship store
Janan started in Bradford in 2010, and has since expanded to the point where there are currently 10 Janan stores across the UK.
A BRADFORD based fashion retailer has been granted permission to create a “flagship” store – and its CEO has said it will be an “important investment” for the city.
The approved plans will allow Janan, based on Shearbridge Road, to build a two storey extension to the store.
As well as improving the appearance of the building, the plans will lead to more warehouse space being created, and space for the business to sell a wider range of clothing.
Last year a similar application was refused by Bradford Council, with planning officers fearing the development, on the edge of the city centre, could draw shoppers away from the traditional high street.
But this year the company submitted a revised application for the development, accompanied by an assessment of the exiting retail offer of the city centre.
It says that Bradford City Centre has a “strong mix of uses and is experiencing a substantial level of investment which will introduce a more diverse mix of uses including town centre living and a greater level of footfall.”
It suggests that with the development being an expansion of an existing store, it was not realistic to shift the business into Bradford’s established city centre.
The application added: “To ensure this store remains its headquarters; its flagship, the warehousing solution proposed is desperately needed.
“This warehouse ensures this business can remain running from this site. Without this extra retail and online storage facility they will have to seek alternative locations, and this would more than likely be outside of Bradford.”
Janan started in Bradford in 2010, and has since expanded to the point where there are currently 10 Janan stores across the UK.
After the plans were approved, Asif Khan, CEO of Janan Group, said: “We are delighted to have secured planning approval. Following the previous decision, we worked closely with our professional team to address all the queries raised and provide the information and technical detail that were key to the Council being able to make this decision.
“This extension is an important investment not only for Janan, but for Bradford. It will allow us to grow our flagship operation, create more jobs and generate further economic activity locally. We also want to attract more visitors from across the UK and overseas to Bradford and help strengthen the city as a shopping destination.
“Bradford is our home and has been at the heart of Janan since we started.
“As we continue to grow nationally and internationally, we want that growth to translate into further investment and opportunity here in the city.”
The scheme has been led by Bradford-based Morf Architecture, working alongside Empace Civil & Structural Engineers and Consult North on quantity surveying and project management.
Ayaz Khan, Principal Architect at Morf Architecture, said: “From the outset, our aim has been to reflect Janan’s brand identity through the architecture, with a strong emphasis on elegance, carefully considered façade hierarchy and a distinctive sense of arrival.
“The façade has been conceived as a layered composition, drawing inspiration from fashion, fabric and couture to create depth and a refined visual identity. It is particularly rewarding to be delivering a major investment for an established Bradford business, and we now look forward to progressing the scheme through detailed design and into delivery.”
Professor Ummer Daraz, Managing Director of Empace Civil & Structural Engineers and Visiting Professor at the University of Bradford, added: “This is a technically complex project, particularly because the existing store needs to remain operational throughout the development. The structural and construction approach has been carefully planned around that requirement, allowing the extension to progress while minimising disruption to the existing business.
“It will also make an interesting engineering case study, and I look forward to sharing aspects of the project with students at the University of Bradford.”
Janan will now work with its professional team to progress the development through detailed design and towards construction.