The upper floors of a long-standing former department store in Bradford city centre have been given the go-ahead to be converted into flats.
Bradford Council planners have agreed that the second and third floors of the former Brown & Muff building, on the corner of Ivegate and Market Street, can be redeveloped under permitted development rules. The scheme would see the upper levels brought back into use more than two decades after the store closed.
The historic building dates back to 1870 and was most recently known as Rackhams, before shutting its doors in 1995. While the ground floor has since been subdivided into smaller retail and leisure units – including a Caffè Nero – the upper floors have remained largely unused.
The latest proposals include 34 one-bedroom flats, alongside shared facilities such as a gym, office space and a private dining room for residents. The plans were submitted by Mab Hussain of BFD 1 Development Limited.
This is not the first time redevelopment of the building’s upper floors has been approved. Planning permission for residential use was previously granted in both 2017 and 2022, although those schemes were not progressed.
Unlike earlier applications, the most recent submission was made under permitted development rights rather than through a full planning application. Under current regulations, developers are allowed to convert certain empty commercial spaces in city centres into residential accommodation without formal planning permission.
As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councils can only refuse such developments if there are significant concerns relating to issues such as highways safety or environmental health. In this case, planners concluded that the proposals met the required criteria.
With no objections raised on those grounds, council officers have confirmed that the scheme can proceed under permitted development. The decision paves the way for another city-centre building to be brought back into use, contributing to Bradford’s growing residential population and ongoing regeneration efforts.
