Please Note: The following article was written for April Fools’ Day. We hope that you enjoyed it and will continue to share it.

According to leaked insider information, Google is now planning to move it’s UK Headquarters from London to Leeds.

Leeds is a rapidly growing city. It is the third largest city in the UK, which has had a strong technology presence for many years; it is often referred to as the ‘digital hub’ of the north, and with good reason.

Alongside this, the fact that other large corporations like BSkyB have also recently announced that they are moving their technology centres from London to Leeds shows just how strong Leeds currently is when it comes to technological presence in big business.

According to Building Design, Google was going to break ground on its new £650 million UK HQ in London back in February 2015, when suddenly all work came to a sudden halt. The architects were allegedly told to go back to the drawing board and create new plans.

The reasons for this were kept a guarded secret, however, details emerging this morning indicate that these new designs are for a whole new location – that location being no other than Leeds.

Google's new Global HQ design, Silicon valley
Google’s new Global HQ design in Silicon valley. Will Leeds’ HQ’s be like this?

Leeds – why now?

The contemporary economy of Leeds has been shaped and grown by Leeds City Council, who wanted the city to become a ’24-hour European city’. We are seeing this becoming a reality following recent rapid developments in Leeds, and therefore Leeds is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK.

This does not stop here, as many also feel Leeds is on its way to becoming the future digital hub of the whole of the UK. The moves by BSkyB and now Google only go to confirm this.

Google Garage Leeds

Some may find it surprising that Google would decide to move it’s UK Headquarter to Leeds. When you consider the fact that Google also recently decided to open it’s first Google Garage here too, it doesn’t seem such a shock that they would also choose to set up camp in the same digitally-thriving city.

First Google Garage based in Leeds Dock
The first Google Garage, based in Leeds Dock