Contractor completes "much needed" £8m Leeds city centre refurbishment

Willmott Dixon Interiors has announced the completion of an £8.05m project to refurbish the headquarters of West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The fit-out and refurbishment specialist contractor has transformed 48,300 sq ft across all five floors of Wellington House, a 1980s office building in Leeds city centre. The phased project has delivered flexible office space and a collaborative working environment, with its energy performance rating improved from D to B.

Visitors will benefit from a reconfigured entrance lobby and internal layout, as well as improved accessibility and modern conference rooms for public meetings. Externally the structure has been re-roofed and photovoltaic panels installed to improve the building’s energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint.

Originally constructed in the early 1900s, Wellington House was rebuilt following fire damage in the late 1980s. Willmott Dixon Interiors was chosen to deliver “much needed” improvements to the building in the summer of 2020.

The contract was awarded to Willmott Dixon Interiors via Major Works England and Northern Ireland, part of the Scape National Construction framework, and was delivered by a project team that included Faithful+Gould and NPS Leeds Limited.

Phil Crowther, regional director at Willmott Dixon Interiors, said: “We’re thrilled to have handed over a modern and fit for purpose workspace across all five floors of Wellington House. This refurbishment is a strategically important project for West Yorkshire Combined Authority, that has been designed with sustainability and wellbeing at its core.

“It’s especially pleasing to have successfully completed the renovation considering the challenges that have been posed by the pandemic and an increased demand for building materials across the UK.

“Perhaps most satisfying of all, our team has continued to make a significant impact in the local community through a whole series of initiatives that will leave a positive lasting legacy.”