Law firm Eversheds Sutherland’s decision to relocate its 600‑strong Leeds office to the new development at Aire Park was important for the South Bank regeneration area.
As the first tenant of Kellstone, Aire Park’s flagship commercial building, the law firm will take approximately 47,000 square feet to occupy nearly two‑thirds of the building. The move, which is a catalyst for leasing activity, won it Lease of the Year for Yorkshire and Humberside in the Impact Awards, chosen by an independent panel of judges.
Eversheds Sutherland is taking floors 3–5 and part of level 6 of the 75,000-square-foot Grade A workspace. The deal also diversifies the 24-acre mixed use campus at Aire Park’s occupier base, where the firm joins existing tenants such as pension manager TPT, Interactive Investor and Devonshires.
The local agents' body, Leeds Office Agents Forum, said the deal also helped office leasing volumes "bounce back". Take-up reached 156,675 square feet in the third quarter of 2025, with Eversheds Sutherland's Kellstone deal making up around a third of that total.
About the project: Kellstone delivers one of the most advanced workspaces in the North of England, developer Vastint UK said, designed around sustainability, digital excellence and occupier wellbeing. Meeting Eversheds Sutherland’s stringent requirements in these areas was addressed by achieving premium certification targets and adding a bespoke terrace allocation.
The transaction meant navigating several strategy complexities including a time‑sensitive relocation of 600 people from their long time office at Bridgewater Place. The building’s delivery timeline had to be aligned with Eversheds Sutherland’s early‑2027 move‑in schedule, requiring coordinated planning between the tenant, the developer, and joint agents Colliers, Savills and CBRE.
The development's Building 1 and Building 2 also won Commercial Development of the Year for Yorkshire and Humberside in last year's Impact Awards.
The judges said: James Pitt, director, development, at Avison Young, said: "A core objective of the New Town designation is to ensure future communities have strong placemaking characteristics – walkability, green spaces, social infrastructure, and sustainability. Aire Park directly fulfils those requirements and therefore this letting is pivotal in establishing Aire Park as a new growth location within the city."
Adam Varley, development director, at Scarborough Group International, said: "The letting to Eversheds represents a strong vote of confidence in the ongoing demand for well-located office space, particularly assets with robust environmental credentials. While the letting is significant in scale, it does reflect a net reduction in their overall floorspace. However, this is of lesser importance: Eversheds’ relocation to Aire Park underscores a structural shift in occupier priorities, where the focus has moved from the quantum of space and cost per square feet toward quality, sustainability, and amenity provision."
Rob Whatmuff, the head of the Leeds office at Colliers, said: "Vastint UK’s bold vision to speculatively develop this scheme, alongside the broader regeneration of Leeds’ South Bank is a remarkable achievement and the area has been truly transformed."
They made it happen: Charles Preston, associate director, and Roddy Morrison, director, national offices from Colliers, and Toby Nield – office agency and Hannah Coleman, surveyor, Savills, represented the landlord. Charles Parkinson, associate director, CBRE, represented the tenant. Simon Harris Eversheds Sutherland, head of Leeds office, and Vastint UK's head of UK portfolio, Dan Westley, and commercial leasing manager Leyla Ongun were also involved.
