A £620,000 project to convert a former Grade II-listed bank in Bradford city centre into flats has been completed – five years after the plans were first approved.
12 Piccadilly is part of a row of buildings that were once some of the finest in Bradford.
In recent decades many of the buildings, a mix of warehouses and offices, had been vacated, and some of the buildings were beginning to fall into disrepair.
In 2017 Bradford Council approved a planning application to convert this building into a ground floor commercial space and 14 apartments – a mix of one bed and studio flats.
The application said the building, in the City Centre Conservation Area, was falling into disrepair and the new use would help ensure its future.
Approving the scheme, planning officers said the changes would support a push for more residential space in the city centre, while still retaining a commercial use and protecting a grand Victorian building.
They acknowledged that many buildings on the street were “showing signs of physical deterioration”.
Since the plans were approved the street has been transformed – buildings on the opposite site of the ex-bank have been demolished and the new multi- million pound Darley Street Market is under construction, and due to open next year.
And neighboring listed buildings have been converted into residential use in recent years.
Priestley Construction, the Leeds-based contractor which specialises in the refurbishment of historic buildings and developed Conditioning House in the city centre, has delivered the project with the developer IP Properties.
The 6,322 square foot building works has now been fully completed.
The 14 apartments which occupy the second and third floors of the three-story former bank while the ground floor will offer self-contained commercial space for businesses to rent.
The inside has been modernised to create the flats, with the heritage exterior retained and restored.
Head of construction Bob Priestley said: “It was great to work on another project in Bradford. Although we had some access and parking restrictions initially, we overcame these by having a strong team with excellent logistical and planning skills.
“We have created further apartments in the city and although this contract is not as large as Conditioning House, it brings another historic building of value to life and creates more city living in Bradford.”
The company says the flats will be aimed at “young professionals”.
