Further 'significant' investment in new offices for the town centre is revealed as council agrees to spend £775,000 on designs

Work began earlier this year to build a £100m seven storey office office block in King Street which will house more than 3,000 civil servants from 2025.

Now talks are underway for another phase of office development as part of the Talbot Gateway masterplan around North Station.

The council has agreed to spend £775,000 to draw up initial designs for the scheme, which will be reimbursed.

No details have been revealed about the exact site of the proposed offices, or who the interested party is.

But a council report says: “Discussions are underway regarding a specific opportunity for an office with a net internal area (NIA) of approximately 4,860m2 (52,300 sq.ft.).

It would be smaller than the civil service building where floor space is 215,000 sq ft.

The council wants to attract more workers to the town centre in order to boost spending in local businesses.

The report adds: “This will be achieved through either relocation or inward investment into the town centre as part of the Talbot Gateway Masterplan.

“This future phase of the Talbot Gateway will accommodate a significant office development and it is vital the opportunity is not lost.

“The priority for the Talbot Gateway is to secure more high quality jobs not only to expand and drive footfall into the town centre (with the knock on effects of encouraging the upgrading of the town centre retail and restaurant facilities) but also to secure and increase job opportunities for local residents.

“The council and Muse Developments have been negotiating with the interested party and have been developing preliminary designs for a scheme that will meet their requirements.”

Whoever occupies the office will purchase a long lease on the land and enter into a funding agreement with the council and its development partner Muse Developments Limited for construction.

The first phase of Talbot Gateway, completed in 2014, saw £80m invested including in council offices at Bickerstaffe House, a Sainsbury’s store and refurbishment of the Talbot Road multi-storey car park.

Phase two, due for completion in early 2024, includes a £34m Holiday Inn hotel and new tram terminal, and phase three is the £100m civil service hub.

The council has also been awarded £40m of Levelling Up funding to develop a multiversity education campus on a site on Cookson Street between Charles Street and Milbourne Street.