A Major Upgrade at The Tannery, Fully Air Conditioned from April 2026

Originally built in 1876, The Tannery, which was formerly known as Oak Tannery; served as the offices of William Paul, a Leeds tanner and prominent local industrialist. While the history and character are central to the building’s appeal, bringing a Victorian property up to modern environmental and workplace standards presents real challenges.

Retrofitting air conditioning into a building of this age and stature is not for the faint of heart!  Working closely with our specialist contractors, Europe Air Conditioning, we planned the work in strategic phases, so we only had small pockets of the building being worked on at any one time and where the install had to be carried out in client workspaces, we worked around our clients to make sure that their office use wasn’t interrupted. 

The result is a significant upgrade for everyone based at The Tannery. Our clients will now benefit from both heating and cooling through a modern, energy-efficient air-conditioning system, creating a far more comfortable and adaptable working environment throughout the year whilst fully respecting the building’s historic fabric

Just as importantly, the project marks a major step forward in the building’s energy performance and sustainability. The new system enables us to pivot away from radiators using gas-fed boilers and increase the use of renewable energy sources, and significantly improve the overall efficiency of the building.

This investment will help improve the building’s EPC rating, delivering benefits both for the companies that call The Tannery home and us as property owners. It will being a clear shift towards reduced carbon emissions and a much stronger environmental performance. For clients who measure their ESG performance, the upgrade helps support the ‘E’ in ESG. For organisations pursuing B Corp accreditation, the improvements contribute positively where assessments consider renewable energy use, carbon emissions and building efficiency.

We’re excited for this next chapter as The Tannery continues to evolve.  We continue to invest in the building and preserve its historic character while ensuring it meets the expectations of modern businesses for many years to come.