The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has signed an agreement for a new Leeds office at 2 Wellington Place, which it says will become its long-term home in the city from 2028.
The regulator will take 36,097 sq ft across the top two floors of the building, which is undergoing a full refurbishment, according to Wellington Place’s owner, Federated Hermes MEPC. More than 350 employees will move from the FCA’s current Leeds office at 6 Queen Street in 2028.
The FCA opened in Leeds in 2022. It said the new permanent base supports the ambition in its five-year strategy to have 1,000 roles based outside London by 2030.
Pritheeva Rasaratnam, head of the Leeds office at the FCA, said: “This move reflects our continued commitment to Leeds and our confidence in the city as an important financial and economic centre.”
The building
Once the refurbishment is finished, 2 Wellington Place will offer more than 119,000 sq ft of Grade A offices over seven floors, according to the landlord. The building will be all electric and is targeting an EPC A rating and BREEAM Excellent. Plans include a remodelled entrance and reception, a business lounge, 140 lockers, a cycle maintenance hub and 152 secure cycle spaces.
Miles Jones, regional development director at Federated Hermes MEPC, said the landlord continues “to see strong demand from prospective occupiers for space at 2 Wellington Place”.
JLL and Savills acted for Wellington Place on the letting, and Cluttons represented the FCA.
The letting comes as the city’s financial and professional services cluster sets up a new Northern Square Mile board. More Leeds commercial property news is in our property section.