The North East’s biggest building society is continuing its policy of investing in its heartland community by choosing a raft of companies from across the region to design and build its new Newcastle advice centre.As part of a £10m investment programme across the business, Newcastle Building Society is creating a modern, open plan advice centre at its Portland House head office in central Newcastle, close to the Laing Art Gallery and City Library.
The new 1,750 sq ft facility will provide customers with improved access to services, information and advice, as well as private meeting spaces in which they can discuss all aspects of personal financial needs.
City-based MWE Architects has been appointed to oversee the design and provide architectural services, with STP Construction Ltd of Rowlands Gill acting as principal contractor.
Consett-based Stokoe Shaun Electrical Services is responsible for the electrical installations, with the Team Valley depot of ADT Fire and Security providing security and fire detection systems and Normans of Billingham supplying all the office furniture and equipment.
Heating and ventilation specialists Hadrian Air Conditioning of Washington is installing the advice centre’s air conditioning system, while the CCTV and door access systems are being provided by Data Fire & Security of Westerhope.
Work is now well underway, with the new advice centre scheduled to open in May. A second advice centre will also be launched in Newcastle as part of a comprehensive upgrade of facilities at the Society’s Northumberland Street branch.
Newcastle Building Society is investing £10m in the way it delivers its service to customers with improvements to its branch network, telephone and digital offering, and operational infrastructure, and is aiming to create 100 new jobs during 2016.
Steve Urwin, Sales and Marketing MD at Newcastle Building Society, says: “Our new advice centres are being developed to enable us to provide the face-to-face investment, mortgage and protection advice that our customers tell us they want, and the new Portland House space has been designed specifically to provide the best possible facilities in which to do this.
“Awarding contracts for this work to North East firms enables us to invest even more back in our heartland area, which is another way we support local communities.
“We’re working with some excellent local suppliers and are already excited about being able to show off their work to customers when the new advice centre opens next month.”