Offices now fully occupied in two buildings at flagship commercial district

Wellington Place, in Leeds, says office space in its flagship 11 & 12 buildings has been fully let less than a year after completion.

The buildings have attracted lettings from well-known companies, including global accountancy firm EY, which is the latest business to reveal its move to new offices having agreed to take 25,000 sq ft.

The EY deal follows on from Lloyds Banking Group taking a lease of 124,000 sq ft at 11 & 12, marking the largest regional office transaction in the UK in 2023.

Employee-owned consultancy Arup recently expanded into 36,000 sq ft of office space at 11 & 12, while British brand ghd (good hair day) has launched its new headquarters there.

Credit: Bevan Cockerill

With commercial law firm Hill Dickinson and global real estate adviser JLL also having agreed deals at 11 & 12, a total of almost 230,000 sq ft of office space has been taken at the buildings since they were completed in spring last year.

The lettings will bring an additional 2,000 people to Wellington Place’s growing community.

The connected 11 & 12 Wellington Place buildings total 254,879 sq ft and will also feature a gym, business lounge and ground floor leisure and retail spaces.

Paul Pavia, head of development at MEPC, the developer and asset manager behind Wellington Place, said: “To have fully let the office space at 11 & 12 Wellington Place in such a short space of time is a fantastic milestone and one that we are rightly proud of.

“As with all our new lettings, we faced tough competition from across Leeds, the Yorkshire region and beyond to attract these leading organisations to 11 & 12 Wellington Place.

“We have made no secret of our belief that the office remains an absolutely vital part of the economy and society and these deals further cement this view.”

Jeff Pearey, head of UK regional office agency at JLL, said: “We are seeing a flight to quality for office occupiers who are increasingly focused on several key drivers when making their occupational real estate decisions.

“Appearance, transport links and location have always been important considerations. However, post-Covid, the first three on the list are now amenities, quality and sustainability. Wellington Place is delivering these, and more, in spades.”