A global media company has strengthened its presence at 26 Whitehall Road in Leeds. The media company has taken 8,514 sq ft of office space on the first floor of the building, which is owned by Credit Suisse Asset Management. The company already occupies 30,000 sq ft on the second and third floors. The deal was brokered by Eamon Fox, partner and head of office agency at property consultancy Knight Frank in Leeds. Mr Fox, who advised Credit Suisse Asset Management, said: “The media company’s expansion in this prestigious building underlines the fact 26 Whitehall Road is one of the finest office developments in the city. “This deal comes hard on the heels of engineering and development consultancy Mott McDonald taking over 15,000 sq ft of office space at 26 Whitehall Road in one of the most significant office transactions of the year so far.” The Leeds office of property consultancy CBRE represented the media company.

Joint venture partners Asset Capital and Prescient Capital have been given planning permission to develop central Leeds Wellington Plaza to offer 77,000 sq ft of prime, best in class workspace. The partnership intends to fund and deliver the £50 million enhancement of the 1980s HQ building speculatively with a start on site by early 2024. Designed by Leeds based DLA Architecture, the approved plans will increase floor space availability from 21,000 sq ft to 77,000 sq ft with Grade A specification floorplates up to 10,000 sq ft.  A total redesign of the buildings’ façade is influenced by the local conservation area and ESG credential targets including BREEAM Outstanding, minimum NABERS 5 Star, Fitwell 3 Star and Wired Score Platinum Certification. The internal space is designed to support the post-pandemic hybrid way of working with total flexibility for occupiers fit out.  Communal spaces will include a large roof top terrace, sky lounge, and business lounge linked into reception for occupiers and their guests. Asset Capital CEO Daniel Newett said: “We have plans to not only bring the site in line with its neighbouring Grade A premises but surpass this with a specification that the city has not yet seen, redefining the term ‘super prime’. “We are very much repurposing an existing building, in line with our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, to provide an inspirational, collaborative, sustainable and futureproof working environment that is worthy of a leading European city for business.” Fox Lloyd Jones, strategic property advisors have been appointed joint office leasing agents for the scheme alongside Cushman & Wakefield and Knight Frank. Society Studios is appointed as branding and marketing consultants for the scheme. Adam Cockroft at Cushman & Wakefield said: “Wellington Plaza will offer much needed, new, super prime office accommodation with a level of specification and ESG credentials that Leeds city centre has not yet seen. Several pre-let discussions are already underway, confirming that the desirability for such high-quality workspace in a prime city centre location is still high.” Nick Salkeld, Director at Fox Lloyd Jones, said: “Wellington Plaza’s speculative development is a huge boost for the critically undersupplied Leeds office market. There remains an underlying ‘flight to quality’ with Grade A demand accounting for almost 80% of take up which has seen headline rents continue to rise. Wellington Plaza is the first of a new generation of offices coming forward in the pipeline which will set the benchmark for boutique ESG led workspace in the prime core and is already attracting pre-let interest.”

Leeds’ LNT Care Developments has secured funding from Shawbrook Bank to drive the construction of three 66-bed care homes. LNT have a wealth of experience in the industry, having built more than 200 homes across more than 30 years, with over 20 schemes currently in progress. LNT will be building these new sites as part of its new Danforth operating entity. With a facility capable of funding three care homes, this development marks a significant milestone as the largest singular deal backed by Shawbrook’s Development Finance Team. Shawbrook’s Development Finance and Healthcare teams worked closely together to develop an innovative funding solution for LNT. The package brings the development and the operating funding under one roof, providing simplicity for the client and ensuring funds are more easily accessible throughout the build programme. Representing a significant stride forward for Shawbrook, this deal provides a combined five-year facility that will support not only the project’s construction, but also extends its assistance over a continuous trading period post-practical completion to build occupancy and reach trading maturity. Strengthened by a well-established relationship between LNT Care Developments Directors and Shawbrook, the combined expertise of Shawbrook’s Development Finance and Healthcare Finance Teams has been central to the deal’s success. Matt Lowe, CEO of LNT, said: “We are delighted to have secured support from Shawbrook. The teams at Shawbrook were able to offer a bespoke facility to enable us to drive forward our commitment to building the country’s leading care home portfolio. “It was important for us that they provided a facility which not only enabled the construction of three new homes, but also supported the operational side of the business once construction of the care home is complete. “It was great to work with a team who combined their knowledge in development and healthcare to structure a transaction in a way that worked for all parties. We have established a strong relationship with Alastair, Christos, Dasos and the Shawbrook team, and look forward to working together in the future.” Alastair Partridge, Senior Relationship Director at Shawbrook, said: “We are thrilled to announce this collaboration between LNT Care Developments and Shawbrook to build three new care homes. “LNT have a wealth of specialist experience developing leading care facilities and are one of the most recognisable names in the industry. This deal serves as a big leap forward for Shawbrook, and we look forward to seeing the progress of the developments. “Despite being a new-to-bank client, we have forged a strong relationship with LNT and hope to build on this in the future.” Christos Christodoulou, Senior Director, Healthcare Finance at Shawbrook, said: “This is a fantastic example of the innovative and collaborative way that we work at Shawbrook. “This deal brought together the expertise and experience of both the Development Finance and Healthcare Finance teams, allowing us to fulfil all the client’s needs, from the first spade in the ground to full operation. “We’re delighted to have worked on this deal with LNT and are excited to see the developments take shape.”

GRAHAM has been appointed by the City of Lincoln Council to design and deliver crucial elements of the Western Growth Corridor development. The Western Growth Corridor project in Lincoln is set to transform the city and bring new opportunities for housing and economic growth. The work elements include the design and construction of a new vehicular/cycle/pedestrian bridge over the railway and a pedestrian bridge enhancing safety and connectivity between the site and the existing communities. The Pagabo Civils & Infrastructure Framework has been used to procure and appoint GRAHAM for this Design and Construct project. The framework ensures that competent and experienced contractors are appointed for major infrastructure projects. GRAHAM’s extensive experience in delivering similar projects, particularly in the railway sector and knowledge of working alongside Network Rail, played a significant role in its selection. The firm’s involvement in the Western Growth Corridor project will see its civil engineering team oversee the design and construction of key access routes and bridges. In August 2022, the city council, in partnership with Member of Parliament for Lincoln, Karl McCartney, submitted its bid for £20 million to create a road bridge and adjacent foot bridge linking the city’s Western Growth Corridor development to Tritton Road. The Government’s Levelling Up Round Two programme will see the bridge completed by March 2025, with work anticipated to start at the beginning of 2024. The project aims to establish a major access route into the Western Growth Corridor site, enabling the delivery of up to 3,200 new homes as part of a Sustainable Urban Extension to Lincoln. Subject to design and budget approvals, construction will commence in 2024, with the first phase of homes expected to be delivered thereafter, pending detailed planning approval. A range of surveys are currently underway, including eco and geotechnical utility surveys, to gather essential data and verify the physical conditions on the ground. GRAHAM contracts director Alastair Lewis said: “We’re thrilled to be appointed as the lead contractor for key elements of the Western Growth Corridor project, which highlights our expertise and commitment to delivering exceptional infrastructure projects. “The Western Growth Corridor project is a challenging scheme involving tackling access restrictions, utilities, drainage, and traffic management, among other complexities. “GRAHAM’s objective is to value engineer the access road and bridge over the railway, seeking creative design and construction solutions that deliver cost and carbon savings while ensuring the long-term success of the strategic masterplan for the site.”