New call centre promises 450 jobs for town

WORK has begun on a £55m building which will house a 450-strong BT call centre and 500 council staff.

It is part of a seven-acre development, which will total 245,000 sq ft of office space, to regenerate the centre of West Bromwich called All Saints.

BT has a 15-year outsourcing deal with Sandwell Council – called Transform Sandwell – which began in 2007 and its staff will move to the building.

Planning consent for the building was granted in May last year and it will comprise 75,000 sq ft over five floors with a central atrium overlooking a landscaped public park.  It is set for completion in autumn next year.

The regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands, has committed £6m to the project.

Matt Burgin, director of the Birmingham-based developers, Stoford said: “We are very pleased that we are underway with the first phase of this key regeneration site within Sandwell. The start of works is testament to the significant efforts made by all the parties involved through a very difficult economic period.

“It is a landmark scheme which is generating serious enquiries from many of the UK’s biggest companies. We have very exciting times ahead.”

The West Bromwich Building Society plans to move its head office to the site, from the High Street, in early 2012.

It says that it is looking to lease a 70,000 sq ft building to house 450 staff.

The chief executive, Robert Sharpe, said: “West Bromwich has been our home for over 161 years and I believe this development will mark a new era in the society’s illustrious heritage within the town and the wider region.

“We are also delighted to be part of a formidable team – Sandwell Council, Advantage West Midlands and Stoford Developments – where, together, we can ensure the town of West Bromwich is firmly on the map with a vibrant and prosperous future ahead.”

Nearly 900 people are set to work in the new building, by the A41 Expressway and Cronehills Linkway, Sandwell
	Site visit (from left) Fred Lynch, Transform Sandwell; Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell Council; Matt Burgin, director, Stoford; Mick Laverty, CEO, Advantage West Midlands; and Councillor Ian Jones, cabinet member for jobs and economy at Sandwell Council