Wellington Place confirmed as site of new Yorkshire government hub

A Real Estate team from Addleshaw Goddard has created history advising Wellington Place developer MEPC on the Government's decision to locate its new regional government hub in Yorkshire. The move represents the biggest ever office pre-let on record in Leeds.

The project will see the construction of buildings 7 and 8 from MEPC’s masterplan to create a state-of-the-art working environment. Scheduled for completion in 2020, the public bodies will be welcomed to the thriving business community at Wellington Place which is one of the largest and most prestigious new city centre business quarters in Europe. The Cabinet Office was advised by JLL.

The Addleshaw Goddard team was led by Partners Peter Kershaw and Justine Delroy and included Paul Dowdall and Susan Bennett.

The new 378,000 sq. ft. building will be fully let on a 25 year lease, signed by HM Revenue and Customs, and is expected to bring over 6,000 civil servants to the centre of Leeds. This in addition to Wellington Place’s existing high profile business occupiers, including Sky Betting & Gaming, Willis Towers Watson, Squire Patton Boggs and Shulmans LLP, will grow the community to almost 10,000 employees – one of the largest in the region.

This project is part of the Government’s plans for building a strong Civil Service base across the UK. The Leeds hub will transform central Government's estate by accommodating multi-departmental workforces in shared buildings including HM Revenue and Customs and NHS Digital. This will deliver taxpayer savings, build Leeds' strength as a national leader in digital skills, act as a catalyst for regional growth in Yorkshire and ensure the delivery of the best quality service to the public.

Developed by MEPC on behalf of the joint venture between Hermes Investment Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the new building will create grade A office accommodation with a BREAAM excellent rating. 

Wates has been selected as the contractor following a successful long term relationship at Wellington Place on earlier phases on the development, with the Leeds office of Cushman and Wakefield representing MEPC.

Peter Kershaw said: "The MEPC development is superb and the Government’s decision to locate 6,000 roles at Wellington Place reflects both the quality of the accommodation as well as Leeds' reputation as an attractive destination for both public and private sector employers. We have been involved in many trophy deals in the region over the years, but this has to rank as one of the most significant and we are delighted to have been involved."