Development and investment group Munroe K has submitted a planning application for the new Station Plaza office development at White Rose Park, which aims to be the first BREEAM Outstanding and NABERS 5 star out of town development in Leeds.
Planning has been submitted to Leeds City Council for a 145,000 sq ft new build office development directly fronting the new White Rose Railway Station, which is scheduled to open in Spring 2024. The masterplan for Station Plaza incorporates three buildings, two totalling 100,000 sq ft over two wings and interconnected with a shared atrium and the third is a separate 45,000 sq ft building.
The new high specification Grade A office buildings will comprise under croft car parking and will be set within a heavily landscaped site. The development has been designed with biodiversity as its core, with ESG top of the agenda at White Rose Park.
In addition to the targeted BREEAM Outstanding and NABERS 5 star accreditation, Munroe K is aiming for the development to be carbon neutral in operation. This aspiration follows the developer’s ambition to make White Rose Park carbon neutral by 2030, through implementing further sustainable features and throughout the new development.
The wider White Rose Park comprises just over 550,000 sq ft of offices across nine buildings which are almost fully occupied by a host of blue-chip businesses with only 12,000 sq ft remaining available, with interest in the space. There are some 5,000 employees across the Park’s fifteen occupiers and the on-site Elliott Hudson College, which is one of the City’s best performing colleges with Ofsted Outstanding, has circa 1,200 students.
The talent pool on site from the college and within the locality will be hugely boosted by the new train station which will give the park and its occupiers access to over 7m new people in a 45 minute travel time, with connectivity opened up to Manchester as well as a journey of just 4 minutes to Leeds City Centre.
White Rose Park is an established, successful environment with strong ESG credentials from its host of facilities including an on site creche, a 2G sports arena, outdoor gym, hospitality facilities and all the amenities at the neighbouring White Rose Shopping Centre which includes an Imax cinema.
David Aspin, founder and CEO, Munroe K, said: “We’ve always been successful in attracting and retaining occupiers and the opening of the new train station in Spring 2024 giving access to a new 7 million strong talent pool, has acted as a catalyst for this new development. Alongside our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030, this new sustainable office scheme makes for exciting times at the campus.”
Alex Hailey, senior director, CBRE Office Agency in Leeds, said: “There is strong demand for office space at White Rose Park as evidenced in its near full occupation and the proposed additional 145,000 sq ft will fill a crucial void in the city’s development pipeline.
“With on site and neighbouring amenities to rival the city centre, the abundance of green space and outdoor facilities along with crucial services such as the creche, employers can provide an exceptional working environment for their staff. The new train station will be a strong driver for occupiers interested in the new space as will its strong sustainable credentials.”
Office agents on Station Plaza at White Rose Park are CBRE, Knight Frank and Sanderson Weatherall.
