New office buildings set for green light

Plans for two new office buildings comprising about 230,000 sq ft of space at a key site in Leeds are recommended for approval at a meeting later this week (20 February 2020).CBRE, on behalf of Hermes Wellington Place Site 2 GP, submitted a reserved matters application to Leeds City Council at the end of 2019 for the construction of two new building at Wellington Place.Planning permission is sought for the construction of two office buildings of ten and 11 storeys, linked by a glass-sided bridge.Buildings 11 and 12 at Wellington Place would comprise about 230,000 sq ft of office space of the upper floors, together with flexible commercial space on the ground floors and a gym at basement level.The basement area would also feature 41 car parking spaces (including two disabled spaces and four electric charging points), 17 motorcycle spaces and 142 bicycle spaces.The application will go before the council’s City Plans Panel on 20 February and is recommended for approval in a planning officer’s report prepared for the meeting.MEPC Ltd (MEPC) is developing and asset managing Wellington Place on behalf of joint venture partners Hermes Real Estate and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.The scheme, which is currently home to more than 30 businesses including Sky Betting & Gaming, Shulmans and HMRC, currently comprises in excess of 860,000 sq ft of office and retail space.A revised masterplan for the remaining land at Wellington Place was approved in 2019.Phase two would comprise an additional 830,000 sq ft of office space and 250,000 sq ft of residential, which will provide space for 200 housing units, with a mix of one-, two- and three-bed apartments, all set in new public realm.The development is also set to feature 50,000 sq ft of retail, health and community facilities, plus a 230 bedroomed hotel – as well as a multi-storey car park, with a capacity for up to 500 spaces.