Here’s what the next phase of Leeds’s Kirkstall Forge is set to look like

Developer CEG is set to begin pursuing its proposals for the next phase of giant £400m commercial development.

Central to the scheme is a 190,000 sq ft office development, with active ground floor uses for all to benefit from. The flexible space is designed to appeal to headquarter occupiers, with open floor plates from 11,000 sq ft.

The new buildings will sit alongside the existing office development at the heart of the 57-acre development which will eventually be home to more than 1,000 homes. CEG is holding a public consultation event on Tuesday July 16 to enable residents to view

Paul Richardson, investment manager at CEG, said: “We intend to harness CEG’s understanding of what our customers need for their business to thrive and ensure we deliver that in a contemporary, flexible and unique way and hope local people attend the event to find out more.”

Ultimately Kirkstall Forge is designed to include 1,050 new homes and 300,000 sq ft of offices.

Mr Richardson added: “Number One Kirkstall Forge secured the British Council of Offices best Commercial Workplace in the UK and was named the country’s healthiest building by Property Week, as well as securing a raft of awards for its technical specification.

“We have set a high benchmark that we aim to build on with our next phase of commercial development.

Designed to a specification which exceeds most city centre products, this next generation of workspace will harnesses its unique setting, offering those within the building exceptional views across the riverside, wooded valley.

Number One Kirkstall Forge has established the site as a new destination, attracting Zenith, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd, Bupa, Smart Buildings Ltd, CEG, Trufe and Butlers restaurant and bar.

Graham Forsyth, Director of Cooper Cromar architects which are designing the next phase of development, added: “CEG is determined to push the benchmark set to date, delivering best-in-class and putting its customers at the heart of the design. We are designing a place that is suitable for small and large companies and offers a variety of spaces to work, meet and collaborate both indoors and out.

“This is not a mainstream development, we are capturing the unique character of the site and continuing to deliver something bold, sustainable, efficient, productive, healthy, future-proofed and digitally resilient.”

Fox Lloyd Jones is appointed to market the new space, with pre-lets already available. Paul Fox said: “The market feedback and successes we have had with Number One Kirkstall Forge have led us to design this next phase around a cornerstone of floorplate flexibility and each floor having a unique personality and design treatment to appeal to both small and large occupiers.”