Full revamp for five-storey combined authority HQ

Willmott Dixon Interiors has been appointed to deliver the refurbishment of Wellington House, the headquarters of West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor will transform 48,300 sq ft of office space at the five-storey building in Leeds city centre, into a modern working environment with improved accessibility for employees and visitors.

Features include the creation of flexible new office space and larger conference rooms for public meetings, with a reconfigured entrance lobby and internal layout that will allow better service to members of the public.

Improvements to lifts and the entrance will ensure full accessibility for employees and visitors.

Externally the structure will be re-roofed and photovoltaic panels will be installed to improve the building’s energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint.

In addition to the main works, Willmott Dixon Interiors is planning to deliver a social return on investment of more than £860,000, by investing time and resources in local projects centred on employability, people skills, career workshops and mentoring opportunities.

The renovation of Wellington House will enable West Yorkshire Combined Authority  to make much needed improvements to a building that was originally constructed in the early 1900s before being rebuilt following fire damage in the late 1980s.

Revamped office space will accommodate additional staff, and will allow consolidation of staff in various offices into a single location.

Willmott Dixon Interiors was chosen to deliver the refurbishment following the original contractor, Clugston Construction, going into administration.

The contract was awarded via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, part of the Scape National Construction framework.

Phil Crowther, director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “The transformation of Wellington House is a strategically important project for West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which will deliver modern and fit for purpose office and meeting space in the heart of Leeds city centre.

“The refurbishment has been designed with sustainability and wellbeing at its core, providing high-quality, fully accessible meeting and conferencing facilities that will promote flexible and collaborative working.

“We’re extremely proud to have been named as the chosen contractor for Wellington House, which reflects both the financial strength of our business and our ability to deliver on time and within budget.

“We’ve been able to quickly reconfigure our projects and processes to meet the challenges posed by Covid-19 and our people have embraced the changes required to ensure a safe working environment, with social distancing measures in place at all times.”

Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, said: “Willmott Dixon has a strong track record of providing cutting edge, high-quality facilities for local authorities across the UK, where space is maximised and services brought together in an intelligent way, which enables enhanced collaborative working.

“By accelerating this important project via our framework, West Yorkshire Combined Authority will not only secure value for money for the taxpayer but they will also unlock tangible benefits for the local community, through training, community engagement and through the use of SMEs from the local area.”