Q&A with People’s Property Portfolio, Bradford
Regenerating a city centre’s spirit and spaces
As Bradford celebrates its status as UK City of Culture 2025, a group of residents are leading a bold movement. By bringing buildings into community ownership, they hope to ensure the city centre remains vibrant, affordable and beneficial to local people for the long term.
We spoke to Rosie Freeman and Carys Fieldson at People’s Property Portfolio about their plans, and how a network of community assets would contribute to Bradford’s cultural legacy beyond 2025.
Rosie Freeman, Chair of the Board of Trustees © People’s Property Portfolio
Carys Fieldson, Director, © People’s Property Portfolio. Credit: Ndrika Anyika
What made you start People’s Property Portfolio?
Rosie: Bradford is full of energy, creativity, and ambition, but many of the spaces that make the city special are at risk.
We came together with others who were struggling with insecure tenancies, poorly maintained buildings and rising rents – and who wanted to protect our local culture and grassroots activity from the rise of gentrification that we see in other parts of Yorkshire and beyond.
Our research in 2022 found that nearly 1400 properties in Bradford city centre are owned by external or offshore companies (many owning more than 5), meaning much of the value created locally is not reinvested in the community.
And in 2024, a report commissioned by Bradford Producing Hub showed that the lack of secure, affordable workspace is holding back the creative sector’s growth and sustainability.
So we saw an opportunity to create real community spaces in a way that’s unique, special and authentic to Bradford, ensuring they are places where people can create, work, live, play and thrive.
Our long-term ambition is to develop a cluster of community-owned buildings that can provide affordable spaces for artists, community groups, social enterprises, cultural initiatives, and independent businesses.
Ultimately we want to challenge decades of under-investment in our city and communities, and be a beacon for community-led regeneration in Bradford and across West Yorkshire.
“Bradford is full of energy, creativity, and ambition, but many of the spaces that make the city special are at risk.”
What’s different about community ownership?
Carys: When buildings are community-owned, the value they create stays local. That means instead of money leaving the neighbourhood or city, it gets reinvested into the things that matter — affordable workspaces, cultural venues, and spaces that bring people together.
We believe that buildings can be a real home for more equitable wealth generation, to nurture that amazing creative and entrepreneurial energy we’ve got here in Bradford.
Our goals go beyond just securing space; we want to democratise the vision for, and delivery of, a city centre that works for citizens, not just corporations.
“Community ownership ensures that economic benefits generated by our spaces are reinvested locally, supporting long-term sustainability and growth.”
You talk about ‘land banking’... but not the kind that leaves buildings empty, awaiting sale. Can you tell us more?
Carys: A People’s Land Bank means holding more than one building and using them for community benefit. It provides the community with the opportunity to see a benefit from the increase in value of the asset and invest this in securing further assets for the community – instead of local people and organisations being priced out when an asset’s financial value increases.
We’re actively developing a membership model to give local supporters a meaningful, democratic stake in People’s Property Portfolio and its activities.
How far along are you in making this happen?
Rosie: We’ve been building the case for four years and now our first building acquisition is on the horizon! In February 2020, we began engagement sessions to explore opportunities and develop a collective vision for Bradford’s city centre. After initial feasibility studies on a different building that’s now being developed by Bradford 2025, we’re close to securing our first building, which is Grade II listed and in Little Germany, a protected conservation area in Bradford city centre.
Our plan is to conserve and reimagine this heritage building into a mixed-use cultural centre, providing secure tenancies for artists, activists, and social enterprises that enrich Bradford’s identity. We’re hoping to create four or five office spaces, alongside a digital and a ‘messy’ makerspace and two more flexible spaces for hire or rehearsals.
However, the building needs significant investment in immediate repairs and adaptations.
To date, we’ve been funded by Bradford 2025 in our early-stage development work, and grants from the Architectural Heritage Fund, Co-operatives UK and Local Access Fund Bradford to develop our organisational structure, governance and feasibility (such as business planning and conveyancing). Our next major step is launching a Community Share Offer in 2025, offering local residents and supporters the chance to own a real stake in making this vision a reality.
© People’s Property Portfolio community consultations, visual notes by Glenn Hustler
© People’s Property Portfolio community consultations
What’s your advice for other communities looking to do something similar?
Rosie: Start by asking who owns the buildings in your city centre. What impact do those ownership structures have? Do they make places affordable? Do they create long-term community benefit? What are the owner’s plans for the place?
Bring together a coalition of partners — local groups, businesses, and councils — to develop a shared vision. You might think about a legal structure such as a Community Benefit Society (like ours) to ensure buildings remain assets for public good. Be persistent and patient; securing buildings takes time, and every step builds momentum for lasting change.
How can people support your work?
Carys: Follow our journey, share our story, and get involved in the Community Share Offer we’re planning to launch in 2025. The more people who support community ownership, the stronger our cities will be.
We also welcome conversations and advice from anyone interested in exploring similar models elsewhere.
© People’s Property Portfolio, illustration by Out of Place Studio
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