Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire (left with Bishop Nick), will officially open Church House - the new diocesan office in the centre of Leeds - on 6 December.In the meantime you’re welcome to visit, or just come and 
experience the café, Cielo - it’s a social enterprise that’s open to the public, selling high quality coffee, sandwiches and cakes.
The main phone number is 0113 2000 540. 17-19 York Place, Leeds LS1 2EX, enquiries@leeds.anglican.org
The Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd John Dobson, Chair of the project team that led the move, explains some of the thought that went into the new building:
Fit for purpose
As we’re the newest and the third largest diocese in the Church of England, we needed to provide an 
office that’s fit for purpose in the 21st century. It’s wonderful now to be under one roof together, and people are delighted with the modern, airy and state-of-the-art building. There’s been careful attention to detail to make sure it’s a pleasant working environment for our staff, whom we value greatly and who are a crucial part of supporting the Church’s mission in this region.
Sound financial sense
The purchase of the building makes sound financial sense. As we have the freehold, after 10-15 years we’ll 
be saving money when compared to renting. (And as it’s a prime site in Leeds, the property will appreciate in value.) In addition, as well as significant income from a tenant, there will be money gained from the former diocesan offices either being sold or rented.
Ecologically mindful
Consistent with the diocese’s desire to reduce its carbon footprint, the building incorporates many ‘eco features’, such as:
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Solar panels on the roof, plus a PV panel in reception which shows the energy being generated, as well as the CO2 saving and the total energy generated to date.- Limited parking, so the use of public transport is encouraged (it’s near the train station).
- Recycling bins on each floor with waste separated.
- Printers automatically print double-sided and there is printer and document management to reduce printer use (saving paper and ink).
- Hydro boil taps on each floor instead of kettles, which saves power and water.
- Video conferencing and remote room booking minimise travel across the diocese.
Lighting across floor plates, offices and meeting rooms are activated by movement , so turn off when areas are not in use.- Heating and cooling is via energy efficient ceiling mounted VRF cassette units.
- An electric car charging point is located in the basement.
- All dishwashers and fridges installed are Energy Efficient A+++