People’s Property Portfolio (PPP) has successfully acquired the Grade II listed 17-21 Chapel Street in Little Germany, Bradford, from Bradford Resource Centre Ltd, as part of its vision for community ownership and regeneration of city spaces.

The transfer was completed following pro-bono legal support from David Ryan in our real estate team, who carried out essential conveyancing work.

PPP is a Bradford-based Community Benefit Society committed to combatting precarious tenancies and vacant properties owned by absent landlords in the city. It does this by acquiring buildings for the benefit of local people and organisations.

Members of the PPP board have experience of developing other city spaces, including Bradford 2025’s ‘Loading Bay’ venue, however 17-21 Chapel Street is PPP’s first acquisition.

The Grade II listed building, steeped in Bradford’s rich social history, now enters a new chapter as a community-owned asset under PPP’s stewardship, which is also fundraising to reinvent the building as a multi-purpose space, that includes a public event space and workspaces for creative and community organisations.

17-21 Chapel Street started life as The Old Quaker School for boys in 1830. More recently, it was home to the Bradford Resource Centre, which provided essential support services to Bradford residents between 1979-2021. Having been largely closed to the public since 2021, Bradford Resource Centre Ltd agreed to hand the keys to PPP due to its commitment to retaining the building for local benefit.

Fatima Mahmood, PPP board director, said: “We are honoured to breathe new life into this space, and, through our Community Benefit Society model, ensure local people have a stake and a say in its future. As the city of Bradford has a rich history of collaboration and community organising, we’re excited to work with local people and organisations to revitalise this building and build a space to create community connections. From legal support to volunteering, Bradford citizens have already shown up in many ways to help make this vision a reality – keep an eye out for ways to get involved in the coming months.”

David Ryan, Associate in Real Estate, at Schofield Sweeney said: “We’re proud to support this acquisition through our conveyancing work. It’s a fantastic achievement for People’s Property Portfolio, and we’re delighted to help bring the deal to completion. We look forward to seeing the building’s transformation and the impact it will have on the community.”

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