Council's £5.2m Accrington Globe Centre deal (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Council's £5.2m Accrington Globe Centre deal

1:00pm Tuesday 2nd February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(6)

LANCASHIRE County Council has bought part of the Globe Centre in Accrington in a £5.2million deal.

Now another 100 office staff will move from Preston in a ‘huge boost’ to the local economy.

The council has just exchanged contracts with Barnfield Construction, which acted on behalf of Globe Enterprises, a joint venture partnership between Barnfield, Hyndburn Council and businessman Stuart Nevison.

The move means the council will transfer staff from its HQ in Bluebell Way, Preston, to its new office base.

Bosses insist it will save taxpayers £600,000 a year in rental costs.

The building is where all calls coming in to the authority are handled.

Most of the county council staff have already moved to the Globe Centre.

Hyndburn Council leader Coun Peter Britcliffe said: “This is good news for Accrington in the time of recession.

"It means more people will work in the town and more people will pump money into the town centre economy.”

Lancashire County Council leader, Coun Geoff Driver, said: “To have many more workers and jobs based in the town is a real boost for Accrington.

At the same time, this move will allow us to save a significant sum of money on behalf of Lancashire’s council tax payers.”

A spokesman for Globe Enterprises Limited, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have exchanged contracts on a £5.2million office deal covering 60,000sq ft in Accrington.

“The deal includes the sale of part of the Globe Centre, in Accrington, and the former Technology Management Centre, in the grounds of the Globe Centre.”

The council's customer service centre is now split across two locations.

The remaining customer service centre staff are being relocated to 58-60 Guildhall Street, Preston, a building owned by the county council.

Hundreds of people are employed at the Globe including Contour Homes, Hyndburn Homes, North West Training and Deve-lopment Team, Thomas Cook, NHS, Elevate, and Accrington and Rossendale College’s Graduates Facility.

There are also conference facilities and a restaurant called Traders Brasserie and a hotel and restaurant called Horizons.