The iconic former headquarters of a regional daily look set to be converted to student flats after being reportedly sold for £2m.
The building on Wellington Street in Leeds was the home of the Yorkshire Post and its sister Johnston Press title the Yorkshire Evening Post until last year when they moved to a new base.
Now it has been reported that the building has been sold for £2m to a Yorkshire businessman who plans to turn the offices into student flats.
The newspapers moved last year to a new base on Whitehall Road in the city and their former headquarters were put up for sale by Johnston Press without a guide price.
According to Estates Gazette, David Newett, who runs Stirling Investments, has offered £2m for the landmark former newspaper HQ although it is not clear whether a final deal has been done.
It is understood that the businessman is initially looking to secure temporary planning consent for a car park to generate income before moving forward with plans for student accommodation.
In September, a demolition order for the building was submitted to Leeds City Council but it is not known whether Mr Newett’s plans for student flats would see the offices demolished or refurbished.
The building housed the two regional dailies for 32 years after being opened by the Prince of Wales in 1970.
The printing presses at the 4.75 acre site were closed earlier in 2012 when the printing of the titles was moved by JP to its sites in Dinnington and Sunderland.
No one from Johnston Press had responded to requests for a comment at the time of publication.
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Bargain. Then again, for just £5 million more you could own 14 Irish newspaper titles.
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Few things in life are as constant as the need for student accommodation and somewhere to park a car.
Shame though, it would have made a great BetFred.
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If they retained some of the building they could name the student accommodation ‘The Press Halls’.
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It’s to be hoped they put some windows in. Working in the news hall was like being in an underground bunker
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A pretty miserable piece of industrial architecture, but the closure and sale is indicative of the shrinking of the regional press over the decades, from landmark buildings to single floors in office blocks.
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I spent 39 years and 10 months of my working life in that building. There were no windows (based on the US principle that people tend to look out of them ie pause in their work output). I lost count of the number of times I picketed the YPN building. I had some of the best mates you could imagine, and some of the best times of my life. It used to buzz. The local pub was the Central Station 400 yards away. The afternoon lock-ins, the “early doors” opening in response to rattling the letter-box in the back door – what a culture. Generations of young reporters were trained at the YPN building, and went on to careers nationally and around the world. I can’t help feeling a touch of nostalgia.
Peter Lazenby, former YPN NUJ Joint FoC.
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Iconic? Ugh! I am getting heartily sick and tired of journalists using this adjective for absolutely everything – from the British police helmet to Big Ben – and cobbled streets to the Mini. It’s just sloppy, lazy and unimaginative journalism. Now HTFP is at it – for a newspaper building. ‘Landmark’ would have been better. You should make a New Year’s resolution never to use it again – unless it appertains to a religious icon, of course.
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I used to work at the Wakefield Office.. also up for sale, and spent some time at the YP building in my latter days at JP. Could never understand why, if the company need to raise money so badly, they didn’t open up the car parks at the old buildings and undercut the councils for paid parking spaces. Seems like a potential goldmine especially in the run up to Christmas. But that’s the blinkered management for you, only interested in a quick buck, not a long term investment.
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Bob
I’m gutted at your rejection of the word iconic – because it IS so iconic and like many things it is absolutely unique.
It will be a real tragedy if, at the end of the day and across the piece, people do not bid to investigate how we are loosing a horde of (words) that are, quite simply, legends.
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Confused – Couldn’t you have said that in ‘less’ words? (I take it “loosing” was part of the fun?)
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How long before the two posts become one – can’t be long or has it happened already.
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I take issue with Bob Hayward’s criticism of the word ‘iconic’. It serves a purpose and is no better or worse than ‘landmark’, ‘legendary’, ‘late great’ and ‘legend in his own lunchtime’, all of which have a high irritation quotient.
I’m afraid some words and phrases do get overworked, but it’s nigh impossible to think up new words for every eventuality, especially if you’re up against deadlines.
I’m more inclined to take issue with the building itself and whether it qualified for any kind of praise. It looks bloody ugly to me – and if the newsroom had no windows, there’s a good chance it was as grim inside as it was outside.
It looks a bit like a state intelligence headquarters in some grim outpost of the old Soviet bloc.
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Iconic or not, the building is still ugly. And despite what some have already said, it must have been very oppressive with no windows.
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Confused… “absolutely unique” !!! you cannot qualify unique….where did you learn English grammar…..
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Cynical…I’m sorry, when I put iconic – I should really have put ironic!
You know it’s lonely up here travelling at just above head height.
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Personally, I have always liked this building , but like it or loathe it, the people of Leeds knew where their papers came from. Nowadays, so many buildings look alike. Madin’s design was unique … and not dangerous.
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Those who think it iconic didn’t have to work there when rain came through the glass panels on the roof to be collected in plastic buckets, suffer bites from fleas living in the carpets or linger until 2am with only the office ghost for company (it really exists).
In memory of many departed colleagues I suggest if they have three blocks of housing they call them Redundant A, Redundant B and Redundant C.
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I think most provincial UK newspaper offices are always interesting. Has the great Rod Hopkinson retired. A good mate of Peter Lazenby as I recall and a talented journalist of the ‘old school’. Best wishes Paul Booth
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I followed my dad into the job and the building. He’d worked there for more than 30 years (before falling victim to the cuts) and every member of my immediate family worked there at one time or another.
I met some of my closest friends there, laughed a lot, cried a little, fell in love and learned more than I ever did at college university.
Many people who spent time there will be able to say the same (I actually lost count of the number of couples who met and married while working there) and whilst it is a total carbuncle, when the bulldozers do finally move in, they will be tearing down a lot more than bricks and mortar.
So long to the Old Lady of Wellington Street and thanks for the memories!
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