West End Leeds
Planning secured for next phase of £450 million development
MEPC, one of the UK’s leading developers of sustainable business communities, has secured planning permission for the first building of the third phase of their £450 million Wellington Place development in Leeds.
Designed by Fielden Clegg Bradley Architects, the building, which will comprise accommodation in excess of 100,000 sq ft of commercial space, will be situated fronting Whitehall Road in the heart of Leeds’ West End.
The planning consent for the building also includes the installation of Tower Square, a very large area of high-quality public realm around the Grade II Listed Lifting Tower, and the early creation of the Whitehall Road Boulevard, being the “Place Making” design work of Martha Schwartz architects.
Commented Rick de Blaby, Chief Executive Officer of MEPC: “Although we are not immune to the effects of the ‘credit crunch’ we still believe that Leeds is the most robust business centre in England outside of London and that there is still a good demand for grade A office space within the 5 star business district in Leeds’ West End.
“Our vision is still for Wellington Place to grow into the most significant urban regeneration project in the region and this first building will set the tone for Wellington Place and its future phases. Providing such a large area of quality public realm so early on in the development we help with the “place making” that we see as being essential to the success of Wellington Place and which meets the social and environmental quality required by the types of Occupiers that we are looking to attract.
In June 2008, the Savills Planning and Regeneration team in Leeds, on behalf of MEPC, secured reserved matters approval for a building which will consist of 17,569m2 of mixed-use space, primarily office and residential use. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the building will be developed in conjunction with the new River Aire ‘Urban Beach’ as part of the Martha Schwartz & Partners public realm design, the timing of which is presently unknown.