City’s masterplan on track as £19m council HQ is completed

The city, which is home to a £26m art gallery inspired by the work of Wakefield-born Barbara Hepworth, has also got a new business hub.

The Waterfront – of which The Hepworth Wakefield is an integral component – has seen the restoration of 18th-century canal warehouses to create business space.

The city also plans to cash in on its strong rail links with London, and attract a new generation of entrepreneurs.

Morgan Sindall construction has completed work on Wakefield One, a £19m headquarters for Wakefield Council.

The four-storey civic offices, which have been designed by architects Cartwright Pickard, will provide office space for 1,200 council employees.

The development is part of the second phase of the £140m Wakefield Merchant Gate Masterplan, a regeneration project which aims to create a 17-acre urban quarter in the city.

Morgan Sindall was appointed to the scheme by English Cities fund (ECf), a joint venture partnership which comprises urban regeneration and property developer Muse Developments, Legal & General Property and the Homes and Communities Agency.

Chris Brown, area director at Morgan Sindall, said: “The regeneration masterplan is of great importance to Wakefield city centre and its wider business community and these new state-of-the-art civic offices will play an important part in the new, modern look and feel of the city.

“Morgan Sindall has a wealth of experience working on major urban regeneration projects across the country and we’re proud to play a part in such a significant regeneration scheme.”

Coun Peter Box, the leader of Wakefield Council, said yesterday: “We are really pleased with the new building, which looks great, and has been built on time and on budget.

“Wakefield One will save the council at least £1m a year and, through bringing several services into one place, provide a better service for residents.

“So we’ll be providing more for less, a great achievement in these difficult financial tim- es.”

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