Chartered accounting and business advisory firm, Saffery, has completed a move into new offices at Wellington Place in Leeds city centre. The company announced earlier this year that it had signed a lease on more than 5,000 sq ft of Grade A office space at 10 Wellington Place and recently completed a full internal fit-out to create a contemporary open plan working environment with meeting rooms and break-out areas. Saffery employs an 84-strong team in Yorkshire, which includes eight experienced partners leading on every client. The firm had been based in Harrogate town centre since 1992 and will retain office space and meeting rooms in the spa town. Jonathan Davis, partner and head of Saffery’s Yorkshire office, said: “For more than three decades we’ve worked hard to establish an enviable client base across nearly all sectors and throughout the whole of Yorkshire. Our clients choose to work with us because we combine robust advice and expertise, that’s local and boutique in style, with the backing of an extensive national and international support network when required. “Our success and foundations are built on this ethos and will remain integral to our future in Leeds. Completing this move is a major milestone for our whole team and marks the start of a new era for us in Yorkshire, as well as demonstrating our longstanding commitment to our clients and our people, in a highly accessible location, close to Leeds railway station. “Crucially, it gives us a very modern, spacious and high-quality working environment. Having a base in what has quickly become one of the city’s most prestigious office addresses, at the centre of the UK’s biggest financial and professional services market outside London, will also aid recruitment as we grow our team with several strategic appointments planned in the coming months. All this makes it a very exciting time for Saffery in Yorkshire.”

Works have now started on new premises for charity Naomi’s Garden following a team of construction partners coming together to offer free labour and materials at cost price. Louth-based Naomi’s Garden provides conductive education to families who have loved ones with movement disorders, such as Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, Dyspraxia and Motor Delay, as well as conditions including Autism, ADHD, sensory processing and genetic disorders and Long Covid. Having outgrown its current centre – which limited the number of families it could support – the small team of therapists at the charity raised enough funds to secure a new building, however funds are still needed to complete the purchase and to renovate it to make it fit for purpose. Landscape architecture practice, Influence Landscape Planning & Design, stepped in to support Naomi’s Garden by bringing together construction and professional services partners to move the project forward. Internal works have now officially begun by Lincolnshire firm GBM Demolition, who are stripping out and widening door frames. As previously reported, East Midlands-based construction partners who have committed to providing services are Influence, contractor G F Tomlinson, project manager and quantity surveyor Gleeds, solicitor Knights, and A + G Architects. New to the project are commercial fit-out company APSS, glazer Tradeglaze, GRS Electrical, retailer B&Q Louth, and West Lindsey Landscapes. The charity is still hoping to find a drainage, heating, and M&E partner. The new centre, located on Manby Park in Louth, was previously a motorcycle shop and needs extensive internal and external works to make it suitable for the charity to deliver its life changing services. The construction partners will be working together to completely transform the building, with works including internal strip out, raising floors, installing ramps, new windows and doors, complete interior decoration, and landscaping to the exterior. If enough money is raised, which is approximately £150,000, Naomi’s Garden’s new centre should be complete at the end of this year and welcoming families in early 2025. When complete, the new centre will enable the charity to extend its working hours, provide group sessions and create a dynamic learning environment for all – no matter what their disability, resulting in supporting many more adults and children each year. Managing director of Influence Landscape Planning and Design, Sara Boland, who lives in Louth, contacted Naomi’s Garden during the pandemic after having read about its plight and initially offered to help by providing landscaping services. That conversation continued to Sara offering to bring together a team of willing partners to deliver the works. Sara said: “It’s been a real journey to get to this stage. This small charity worked incredibly hard to get to this position and through sheer grit and determination, the new centre they so desperately need is now in sight. “A really big thank you to the companies which have supported us to date. What we are creating will positively impact so many lives and with these sort of services limited across the country, will offer more Lincolnshire and East Midlands-based families hope. “Fundraising continues while the construction team and I focus on finding new partners and getting the work done. Any offers of help toward the project, no matter the size, are always welcome.” Sarah-Jayne Walker, lead conductor at Naomi’s Garden, said: “As a small charity, we are overwhelmed by the kindness of local businesses who have come alongside us to help create Naomi’s Garden’s permanent home. “Teamed with the fundraising efforts of our community we have started to see the transformation take place. We, as trustees, are beyond grateful as we continue to build on Naomi’s Legacy. Here’s to the next stages!” Retailer B&Q at Louth recently chose the charity for its volunteering community day. At the end of October volunteers from the store spent a day creating some of the outside spaces, which included planting hedging, bulbs, hanging baskets, raised beds and clearing pathways. The retailer also donated £1,000 worth of B&Q materials which were needed for the day. West Lindsey Landscapes were also present, preparing and digging the ground for the hedging which they kindly donated. B&Q and West Lindsey Landscapes have transformed the external areas of the new centre. Naomi’s Garden has a SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities) specialist who works with the needs of children with autism, ADHD and sensory processing issues, and with the help of Lincolnshire County Council, also provides free school holiday provision services including free healthy meals and enriching activities. To make a donation towards Naomi’s Garden’s new centre, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/naomis-gardens-big-move?utm_campaign=p_nacp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer

Harleyford Logistics Partnership, the joint venture between Tristan Capital Partners and Harleyford Capital, is to reposition part of the recently completed estate on Greenland Road in Sheffield. As one of the premier trade parks in the region, rebranded as Sheffield Trade Park, it offers rare opportunities for more occupiers to take space. Harleyford Capital has already commenced a programme of works to enhance roadside visibility, with landscaping improvements, larger signage zones and large illuminated totem signage alongside other on-site changes. The highly prominent scheme enjoys substantial high profile frontage to the busy A6102 Greenland Road, with over 29,000 vehicles passing daily, and is already home to Costa Coffee, Wolseley, Formula One, Auto Windscreens and Headlam Flooring. Destination operators such as Edmundson Electrical, Kwik-Fit, Lidl, McDonalds and Shell PFS are also close by. Four additional trade units, capable of accommodating requirements from 3,031 to 12,334 sq ft, are available on the scheme with Knight Frank and Ogle Property appointed by Harleyford to market the scheme to national and regional operators, post upgrade and rebranding. Thomas Mallindine, on behalf of the Harleyford Logistics Partnership, said: “Sheffield is the sixth largest city in the UK and is a key target location for our investment strategy. The high quality space at Sheffield Trade Park means we have already seen strong occupier interest in the few units available.” Harry Orwin-Allen, Associate at Knight Frank in Sheffield, added: “Sheffield Trade Park offers best in class trade accommodation based in a prime location with fantastic links to Sheffield City Centre, Meadowhall and the M1 Motorway, all within seven minutes journey time. “The units have been designed to a high specification with trade occupiers in mind offering flexible floor plates, 8 metre eaves, ground level full height loading doors, generous dedicated car parking, excellent road frontage to Greenland Road and strong environmental credentials with remaining units having EPC A and BREEAM ‘Very Good’.” Alfred Bartlett of Ogle Property also commented: “The scheme already possesses all the attributes sought by trade operators. The proposed works should reposition the park as one of the premier trade schemes in the region, that will appeal to both regional and national trades not already represented on the park, and to operators seeking additional representation in Sheffield.”  

Five businesses spanning accountancy to healthcare can now call No.1 King Street in the heart of Leeds city centre their home, after the Victorian building underwent a significant refurbishment. Strategic property and construction advisors, Fox Lloyd Jones and joint agents WSB have received high levels of interest in the contemporary workspace spanning 14,118 sq ft in total across lower ground, ground and three upper floors, situated in the professional district of Leeds on the corner of King Street and Wellington Street. The five firms acquiring offices to take advantage of its prominent location and open plan working environment are chartered surveyors Walker Singleton, Aysgarth Chartered Accountants, engineering consultants Joseph Gallagher, sleep aid app developer Sleepiest, and law firm Ison Harrison Solicitors, who have expanded from the neighbouring building. No.1 King Street has a rich historical legacy, with the building originally a textile warehouse before transitioning in the mid-20th century to accommodate a broader mix of businesses. The major refurbishment works recently completed include enhancing the façade, the introduction of a new main entrance and a Category A refurbishment of the office suites. Matthew Welsh, owner of No. 1 King Steet, said: “We’re delighted to welcome five businesses of this calibre to No. 1 King Street, following the hard work and investment that has gone into completing a refurbishment on this scale. “We feel we’ve created a vibrant working space that will immediately meet their needs, whether that’s needing to accommodate increased staff levels due to recent expansion through to accelerating growth plans in a more central location in Leeds.” Harry Finney, associate director at Fox Lloyd Jones, said: “The number of deals transacted in such a short space of time is testament to the quality of the refurbishment. “The building is perfectly positioned on the corner of King Street and Wellington Street with demand for high quality workspace particularly strong in this area of the city and we are delighted to have the building now 90% let. We look forward to seeing all five businesses thrive in their new working environment.”

Leeds City Council has approved Watkin Jones’ plans for the conversion and re-purposing of Headrow House at 42 The Headrow, into 230 co-living homes. Headrow House is a vacant office block in the centre of Leeds. When completed in 2028, the project will deliver a supported communal living environment, offering managed homes for city centre living and will help to address the demand for rental accommodation that continues to outstrip supply in Leeds. The project is a prime opportunity to restore and repurpose an historic building and contribute to the regeneration of vacant buildings in the city centre. The scheme will retain retail units on the ground floor, helping to support local residents and businesses and Headrow House will only be a short walk from popular restaurants and shopping centres. The co-living design supports the Group’s ESG strategy, emphasising reuse and energy efficiency, and attaining BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification. The retrofit enhances thermal efficiency and air permeability, with electric heating for net zero carbon, energy-efficient windows, and air source heat pumps. Photovoltaic panels, efficient lighting, and energy-saving controls will optimise performance. By reusing the building, the scheme will reduce embodied carbon by 78% and Watkin Jones will use sustainable landscaping throughout. Importantly, the design will serve evolving residents’ needs and will include many social benefits. Headrow House will offer its occupiers a gym, shared kitchens and dining areas, a cinema, co-working lounge, library, laundry room and bicycle parking in addition to personal storage rooms. Iain Smith, Planning Director at Watkin Jones, said: “We are very excited to announce planning approval for Headrow House, our first co-living project in Leeds. Ranked the third largest city by population in the UK, Leeds is a vital commercial and residential centre, and we are committed to providing high-quality, sustainable co-living accommodation that will help to address the on-going demand for rental homes in Leeds city centre. “We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts with Leeds City Council and our local communities to address this growing demand, while also supporting our ESG targets as a business.”