Leeds Law Society’s historic headquarters is to become a restaurant in a deal which the society says will secure its future. Under a long-term lease with the restaurant chain Bill’s, the Grade-II listed building will be sympathetically transformed into a top-class venue at the heart of the city’s retail district.

The society has in turn agreed a 20-year lease on modern premises at 62 Wellington Street, at the centre of the city’s professional services district.

Leeds Law Society president Philip Jordan (above), a partner at Ward Hadaway, said: ‘1 Albion Place is no longer suitable for meeting the evolving needs of our members. We are unable to use the majority of the space and the building has become a major burden on the finances of the society.

‘This deal is all about making sure we can deliver more to our members and guarantee that we can maintain our position as one of the most influential societies in the country.’