AFTER years of work, a local group has finally taken ownership of a popular arts and community centre.

South Square Centre in Thornton has been handed over by Bradford Council to the group that currently runs the centre on a 99 year lease.

The Grade II listed building is home to an arts gallery, cafe, bar, artists' studios, local businesses, charities and the Thornton Antiquarian Society.

And with the centre being a short distance away from the house the world famous Bronte sisters were born in, the centre is expected to play a big role in Bradford's 2025 Capital of Culture bid.

For several years work has been underway to secure the Community Asset Transfer, which will take responsibility for the centre away from the Council.

Refurbishment plans South Square Centre in Thornton approved after impressing heritage officers

This will allow the group to apply for a wider range of funding streams, as well as protect it from any Council budget cuts.

Rosie Freeman, Chair of South Square’s Board of Trustees, said: "South Square Centre is going through a really exciting transformation at the moment, becoming an increasingly important place for the communities it serves and a key location on the Bradford cultural map.

"With exciting plans such as Bradford's bid to be UK City of Culture 2025, South Square is adding something positive and distinctive to the fabric of the district.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: "We’re delighted to be completing another transfer of a Council asset to be run by the local community, this time with the brilliant South Square.

“This will support their work in developing a multi-purpose space for the people of Thornton and beyond and further develop the cultural offer for the wider district.

"The work South Square have done to involve the community in the development work gives us confidence that the centre will become an important space in Thornton for years to come and I’d like to congratulate them on their success.”

The building is made up of a dozen 1820s workers’ cottages surrounding a courtyard, and was saved, re-purposed as a community facility and re-opened in the 1980s.

The centre has recently been granted funding for a major refurbishment, including the replacement of its damaged roof, replacing ancient windows and fixing poor quality guttering.

Work would also be done to improve accessibility to the building, including adding wider doors so more of the community would be able to access all areas.

A total of £311,000 has so far been secured from Arts Council England, Garfield Weston Foundation and Swire Charitable Trust, to undertake these works, and a decision from National Lottery Heritage Fund towards capital and activity costs will be received in April.

A statement from Thornton Councillors Sue Duffy, Richard Dunbar and Bev Mullaney said: "We are delighted that the Community Asset Transfer process is at completion.

"This transfer has enabled South Square to embrace potential funding opportunities to develop the building, that will further enhance and widen the cultural offer within our Ward and the wider district.

"We commend the vision, work and aspirations of Yvonne Carmichael and South Square board to bring this stage of the project to fruition.”