Leeds office park expansion plan moves forward

Plans for a programme of investment and redevelopment to pave the way for the mixed-use extension of a Leeds office park, which is currently home to a number of high-profile occupiers and about 5,300 workers, have moved forward. If realised, the vision could drive about £1bn of development and investment over the next ten years.A report to be scrutinised by Leeds City Council next week details initial concepts which are being developed that would involve Millshaw Industrial Estate in south Leeds being repurposed to enable a mixed-use expansion of the White Rose Office Park (WROP), incorporating community infrastructure such as a primary school and health facilities, the new White Rose railway station, office and commercial space, residential uses and related retail, leisure and amenity.Munroe K, the owner of WROP; Schroders, which has owned Millshaw Industrial Estate since 2016; and White Rose Shopping Centre owner Landsec are bringing forward a vision for how the south Leeds area could be further developed, centred around proposals for the new White Rose railway station and grounded in an aspiration to enhance the connectivity of the site to adjoining neighbourhoods through new public transport links, cycling and pedestrian facilities and social infrastructure that will serve the wider community.WROP covers 27 acres with office space of 560,000 sq ft and is a significant commercial hub in the city, home to tenants including Capita, the West Yorkshire Police, WSP, Gather and Gather, HMRC, HSBC and the Elliot Hudson School.Munroe K has made substantial investments to establish WROP as a major destination and, following news that Perform Media is to take 40,000 sq ft there, the park is now fully let.Consideration is now being given to the next phase of development and growth.One option under consideration is to repurpose Millshaw Industrial Estate, one of the largest inner area industrial estates in the city which offers about 480,000 sq ft of industrial and warehouse accommodation where 20 businesses, employing about 500 people, are currently located.As well as repurposing of the Millshaw estate the council document goes on to state that there is also an opportunity to “tailor this to reinforce and grow the economic specialisms and dynamism of the city, targeting key tech-driven sectors and developing relationships with academic and innovation focused institutions”.The report adds that “this could provide the research and business spaces required to harness the growth potential of the city’s entrepreneurial, start-up and university spin-out activities.