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Press Releases

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ move to Salford gets green light

Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Date: 31.05.2007
Printable version

The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has reached agreement with the developer Peel Holdings over the detailed terms under which it will occupy buildings in the mediacity:uk development at Salford Quays.

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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust has today approved the terms of the deal, meaning that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s proposed move of five of its London-based departments to the North of England will now definitely go ahead.

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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Director-General, Mark Thompson, said: "I'm delighted that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s vision for its expanded presence in the North of England is now firmly on the road to reality. I'm excited by the plans and believe they have a key part to play in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s future.

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"The modern, multimedia broadcast and production centre in Salford will shift the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s centre of gravity away from London, bringing a range of creative benefits to us and, I hope, helping us to better reflect and represent the whole of the UK.

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"I'm glad that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust agreed that this project represents value for money for licence fee payers and that we are now able to proceed."

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It is expected that preliminary work will begin at mediacity:uk in Salford Quays within days, followed by the start of construction works in September 2007.

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The mediacity:uk site is being developed by a partnership comprising the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, the North West Regional Development Agency, Peel Holdings and Salford City Council.

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The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ will move five London-based departments, including two television channels and two radio networks, to Salford Quays:

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• ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Children's (including CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and CBeebies television and radio);
  
  
• ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Children's Learning;
  
  
• parts of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Future Media & Technology (including ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Research & Development);
  
  
• ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Five Live (including Five Live Sports Extra);
  
  
• ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sport.

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Approximately 1,500 London-based posts will relocate to Salford Quays in 2011. Around 800 staff currently based at the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ in Manchester will also move to the new site.

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Caroline Thomson, Chief Operating Officer of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, will be the Executive Director with responsibility for delivering the implementation of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s move to Salford.

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She said: "I'm delighted that we have now finalised the terms for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s presence at the mediacity:uk development. This is a really exciting project for us all and I look forward to working with colleagues in Peel Holdings and the development consortium to turn the vision into a reality."

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Pat Loughrey, Director, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Nations & Regions, who has led the project up to this point, continues his responsibility for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s wider Out Of London strategy, which is committed to distributing the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s production spend and commissioning decisions more widely across the whole of the UK.

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Notes to Editors

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Key dates:

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Jun 2004	Building Public Value published, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s contribution to its Charter Review process. Building Public Value outlines the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s vision for a less "London-centric" ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, including a potential move of major departments to the North of England.
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Dec 2004	ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Director-General Mark Thompson announces the move of five London-based ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ departments to the North of England: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Children's; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Children's Learning; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Future Media & Technology; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Five Live; ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sport.
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Aug 2005	ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ identifies four potential sites - two in Salford and two in Manchester.
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Jan 2006	Four possible sites reduced to two - Salford Quays in Salford and Central Spine in Manchester.
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Jul 2006	ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ announces mediacity:uk Salford Quays as the preferred bidder, a brownfield site based on 200 acres of former dockland at Salford Quays and developed by a partnership of Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, Peel Holdings, Salford City Council and the North West Regional Development Agency.
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Apr 2007	Final planning permission granted for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ buildings by Salford City Council.
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May 2007	Agreement reached between ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and Peel Holdings and approved by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Trust.

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