Known locally as ‘the Giro’ in reference to the old Girobank, the new centre will be the main contact centre and operations hub for Santander UK and will employ up to 2,500 people. Tony McDonough reports
Banking giant Santander has secured approval from Sefton Council to build a new £75m complex to house its 2,000 staff in Bootle.
Known locally as ‘the Giro’ in reference to its previous status as the headquarters of the old Girobank, there has been a banking operation at the Bridle Road site since 1968. Santander is aiming to have the new campus open in 2022.
It will be the main contact centre and operations hub for Santander UK, a subsidiary of the Spanish banking group, and it could lead to the creation of another 500 jobs. A new public park and new pavilions will be created as part of the plans, which will be open to the local community.
The new building has been designed to be environmentally sustainable and support the health and wellbeing of its users. It will accommodate sporting and social facilities, with a retail offer accessible to employees and the wider public.
Nick Roberts, head of property at Santander UK, said: “We’re really pleased that our plans to invest in a new state-of-the-art campus in Bootle have been approved by Sefton Council.
“This is an exciting next step in the development of our new contact centre and operations hub for Santander UK. It will not only give our colleagues a cutting-edge working environment, but will also have the potential to become a hub for the local area, reaffirming our long-term commitment and support for the local community.”
Bootle isn’t the only significant site for Santander in Merseyside. At No 4 St Paul’s Square in Liverpool city centre, the banking group operates a business incubation centre with a number of tenants.
Cllr Marion Atkinson, Labour Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills at Sefton Council, said: “The plans are a huge vote of confidence in the borough and the level of investment highlights what an attractive proposition Sefton is to major employers.”