Wakefield’s Merchant Gate welcomes first office space tenant

Albemarle & Bond consolidate West Yorkshire offices at new £140m development

Article posted: 03 May 2011

Leading pawnbroker and jeweller, Albemarle and Bond, will be the first occupiers of new office space in Wakefield at English Cities Fund’s £140m Merchant Gate scheme.

The firm, which comprises a portfolio of the UK’s leading pawnbroking, financial services and jewellery brands, has signed up for 10,000 sq ft of office space on the entire top floor of No 2 Burgage Square, on a fifteen year lease.

The move will be a consolidation of office space in Leeds and Wakefield, with 72 staff relocating to the new offices which will act as a central administration centre. With over 180 stores country-wide and 700 employees, Albemarle & Bond has become one of the largest operators of its kind in the UK. It is headquartered at offices in Reading although it was founded in a single shop in Bristol less than 30 years ago.

Commenting on the move, Albemarle and Bond chief executive Barry Stevenson said: "This move will bring a number of benefits for us as a company. The new Merchant Gate development offers us a great opportunity to centralise out administration centre and provides access to a great office space set in fantastic public realm. There are also a huge amount of benefits for the business in relocating from Leeds to Wakefield - with obvious savings in property costs."

Merchant Gate comprises a total of 48,000 sq ft of new modern Grade ‘A’ office space in Wakefield city centre adjacent to the Westgate train station. The office units are located across three buildings and situated next to an impressive public realm area which will boast shops, cafes and restaurants.

King Sturge and Jones Lang LaSalle are joint agents on the scheme.

For breaking news relating to office space in West Yorkshire follow us on http://twitter.com/officespacenews

Posted by Carmen