Bank House, Leeds: Former Bank of England regional headquarters to be redeveloped into Grade A offices
Planning permission has been granted to redevelop the former Bank of England building in Leeds.
Yorkshire-based property company Rushbond Group has received approval for its plans for Bank House, located on King Street in the city centre. The building, once the regional headquarters for the UK's central bank, will be refurbished into a Grade A office space spanning around 90,000 square feet.
The redevelopment includes a multi-level central atrium and an internal extension, aiming to create a "sustainable, energy efficient, accessible, best in class scheme", according to the developer.
The lower ground floor’s former bank vaults will be converted into a new auditorium, while the ground floor will house meeting rooms for tenants. Plans also feature a restored exterior, a roof-level business lounge, and terrace.
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Richard Baker from Rushbond expressed the developer’s enthusiasm for the project: "For more than 50 years, Bank House has been a landmark in the heart of the city’s commercial and financial district, and our planned redevelopment will ensure it meets the requirements of modern businesses.
"Rushbond’s long-term vision for Bank House is for a sensitive, best-in-class redevelopment which respects the significance of the building. The demand for Grade ‘A’ office space in Leeds remains strong and Bank House will deliver sustainable, energy efficient workspace to the highest design standards rich in occupier amenities – attracting a new generation of occupiers to be part of its future.”
Located at the corner of King Street and Park Place, Bank House was built between 1969 and 1971 to serve as the Bank of England's regional headquarters and is designed in a European Brutalist style clad in Cornish granite.
With this redevelopment, Bank House joins Rushbond’s portfolio, which includes Majestic Leeds which now hosts Channel 4, Leeds Corn Exchange and First White Cloth Hall on Kirkgate.