'Probably the best office building in Halifax': Lloyds completes £116m transformation of famous Trinity Road site
Lloyds Banking Group is reopening its landmark Halifax office today after a two-year £116m refurbishment project to transform the building for its 3,500 staff in the town.
Its Trinity Road building has been closed since early 2023 while work has been taking place, with staff using another office in the town which will now be closed and is already up for sale.
Sharon Doherty, Chief People and Places Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, said she cannot wait for staff and visitors to see the new offices.
"We are really proud of our fifth building we are opening in the UK this year,” she told The Yorkshire Post.
"We have been on a major transformation at Lloyds and that has included upgrading our workplaces for our employees.
"We have absolutely gutted it so people will go in and it will feel like a brand-new building with new glazing, flooring, staircases cut through.
"It is modern and bright, has games rooms, gyms, working cafes, meditation prayer rooms, family rooms. I’m hoping it will probably be the best office building in Halifax.”
The Trinity Road site has been a cornerstone of Halifax’s business community since 1973, with its diamond-shaped building, officially opened by the Queen in 1974 and has supported generations of local families and businesses.
The refurbishment ensured that the original features such as listed timber panelling, the glass façade, and the distinctive 5x5 grid light system are still evident within the more modern, industrial design.
The building now operates on zero carbon heating via a cutting-edge heat pump system. This innovation, featuring boreholes as deep as London’s Shard, is set to cut over 1,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
The site uses 100 per cent renewable electricity, and innovative waste reduction measures include recycling stations made from 70 per cent recycled plastic and 30 per cent coffee grounds.
Ms Doherty said: "It is a Grade II-listed building so we have had to work responsibly with the local council because it is an iconic building for Halifax.
"When people go into our new buildings, they feel like they are joining a new company and that’s how we want it to feel. We are transforming Lloyds to create a new experience for our customers.
"Our building in Halifax will feel the same as Leeds and London so everyone is treared exactly the same whereever they are in the UK. What we find is engagement goes up, people feel excited and bring their families in.
"It is an iconic building that has been brought back to life and will be part of the Halifax community. We want this to be a beacon for the Halifax community.
“My buildings are like my babies, I always think they are amazing! But they do change how people feel about their company, about themselves and that pride in being able to bring their families in.”
She added the transformed office demonstrates Lloyds’ commitment to Yorkshire.
“Across Yorkshire, we have just under 10,000 people and in Halifax we have 3,500. We think we are the biggest private employer in Halifax. We are really proud we also have a really healthy youth contigent; apprentices, graduates, T-Level apprentices. There are 350 across Yorkshire and 100 in Halifax.
"We feel really embedded in the Yorkshire community. We’ve got a lot of people there. We’ve got a lot of customers, both business and retail. We’re very committed to not just helping Britain prosper but also putting some of our horsepower into the Yorkshire region. We’re touching so many parts of it, it is something we are probably uniquely placed to do.”
West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said the project “represents “a fantastic vote of confidence in Calderdale and the wider region”.
She added: "By creating a modern, sustainable workplace, Lloyds is investing in our regional talent pipeline as well as bricks and mortar - creating high quality T-level and apprenticeship opportunities in our vital digital and business sectors."
"Lloyds is setting the bar high for how businesses can preserve our heritage whilst embracing innovation and that is the kind of ambition we want for West Yorkshire."
Scott Camp, managing director of Wates Smartspace which delivered the project with Lloyds and Calderdale Council, said: “The Halifax Trinity Road refurbishment is a true example of what can be achieved through collaboration.
"Working together with our long-term partner Lloyds Banking Group, our supply chain, and consultants, we’ve delivered a transformation that respects the building’s heritage while creating a modern, sustainable workplace for thousands of colleagues.
"This project reflects the strength of our partnership and a shared vision to combine sustainability and innovation with social impact for the benefit of people and communities.”