City of Culture sculpture to stay an extra year

One of the central artworks created as part of Bradford's year as UK City of Culture will remain for another year.

The Tower of Now, a 15m (49ft) sculpture by Saad Qureshi, was unveiled in spring 2025.

Bradford Council originally granted planning permission for the piece to be installed on the Hall Ings "pocket park" on the condition it would remain in place until the end of May 2026.

Permission has now been extended until May 2027 by the council, despite one objector claiming the sculpture had "divided communities".

The sculpture is inspired by architecture from around the world, including Bradford's City Hall, mosques, temples, pagodas and synagogues.

The single objection to retaining the artwork said it "divides opinion and only serves to divide the community. It adds nothing to the cityscape".

But planning officers said art would always divide opinion, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Approving the extension, officers said: "As stated in the previous officer report, as the sculpture is a piece of public artwork its design and appearance, like any form of art, is subjective with taste in art being a subjective matter."

The tower was originally granted temporary permission because Hall Ings pocket park was to become a new gateway to Bradford Interchange.

But with the future of the station uncertain, the area will remain a green space for the foreseeable future.

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