New Bristol office set to be key location for BT

BT Group plans to move into its new state of the art office in the centre of Bristol in early 2022.

Bristol has been announced as one of BT’s key locations in the UK, with the new office acting as a hub for more than 2,000 colleagues in the city and wider region.

Construction of the 13-storey waterfront development is underway, with the work due to be completed next year.

The Assembly Bristol building – part of the growing Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone – will have capacity for more than 2,000 colleagues and will offer state of the art facilities for those based there.

The building, close to Bristol Temple Meads station, will have large roof terraces on the upper floors, more than 250 cycle spaces and shower and changing facilities for staff.

The development represents a multi-million pound investment by BT in the Bristol area, with the company due to increase its presence significantly in the city in the coming years.

Ahead of the move to the new building, BT has acquired the lease on a temporary building in the centre of the city that has seen some staff moving there this year.

While the majority of BT colleagues will continue to work from home over the coming months due to the coronavirus outbreak, the company is committed to creating new and modern workspaces for staff to return to, when government and public health guidance allow. BT believes that inspiring office environments, combined with a more flexible approach to home working, will play a vital role in its future.

The announcement is part of BT’s ‘Better Workplace Programme’ – one of the largest workplace improvement and consolidation schemes of its type ever undertaken in the UK. Bristol was announced in June 2018 as one of the first locations that will house BT’s workplaces of the future as part of the programme. The five-year programme will improve and consolidate BT’s footprint of corporate offices, contact centres and specialist sites across the UK.

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: “This investment will create a new, modern workspace in the heart of the city and will contribute to the ongoing transformation of Temple Quarter.

“We are delighted that this will bring skilled jobs and growth into Bristol and the west of England as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Graeme Paton, BT’s managing director of Property and Facilities Services, said: “Our new buildings will bring our people together in an impressive and modern environment, transforming the way we work.

“Excitingly, they will become strategic locations for BT in the UK with a considerable increase in the number of colleagues based there. We hope our colleagues will be inspired by the new spaces, which will give them the tools and environment to be able to thrive.

“We’re modernising the way we work as a business, by simplifying our products and processes, moving to the latest IT platforms and investing in future-fit workspaces. Our move to Assembly Bristol is part of this modernisation process.

“Our Assembly Bristol building will boast panoramic views over the floating harbour and across the city, as well as incorporating outstanding design features, including rooftop terraces and exceptional communal spaces.”

Paul Coles, BT Group’s English regions director, said it was a huge boost for the city.

He said: “Bristol has already been revealed as one of our key cities and I’m excited that we can now reveal when colleagues will start working from this impressive, state-of-the-art building in the heart of the city. This will be a great workspace for staff, in the thriving Bristol Temple Quarter, and represents our future vision as a company.

“I’m really pleased we’re able to make this long-term commitment to Bristol during an incredibly difficult time for our economy due to the pandemic. Our new office spaces and increased presence in the city will make us one of the largest employers in the area.”

Teams based at BT’s new and refurbished buildings will benefit from the company’s investment in the latest technology. BT’s ambition is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Programme will deliver a combination of moves like this, into new offices, as well as the refurbishment of some existing BT buildings. The programme is expected to be complete by 2024.

BT Group plays an important role in the South West’s economy and directly employs more than 7,000 people in the region. According to an independent report, it generated a £1.3bn (£1,300 million) contribution – expressed as “Gross Value Added” (GVA)* – to the South West economy during the 2017/18 financial year.

Bristol joins other locations already announced including, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Warrington and Ipswich (Adastral Park). More locations will be announced in due course.