TalkTalk set to open training facility at Salford Quays’ Soapworks

Broadband, phone and TV provider TalkTalk has agreed a 10 year deal for the 20,000 sq ft Boilerhouse at the Soapworks in Salford Quays for a new training centre.

The company has chosen the site for a new meeting and training facility, which is expected to become operational in March 2015.

Global alternative asset manager, The Carlyle Group, and its joint venture partners Nikal and Abstract Securities, announce that they have let the entire Boilerhouse development to TalkTalk.

The letting is one of the largest in Salford’s Media City since 2010.

The Boilerhouse forms the first phase of Soapworks, a 400,000 sq ft redevelopment of the former Colgate-Palmolive factory, with Phase II (210,000 sq ft) due to complete in November.

TalkTalk Group, founded in 2003, is Britain’s leading value provider of broadband, home phone, TV and mobile services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom.

Warrington-based TalkTalk Business is one of Britain’s fastest growing B2B telcos, and TalkTalk TV is the fastest growing TV service. The new location will provide meeting and sales and technical training facilities.

Ben Du Boulay, director of The Carlyle Group, comments: “For such a significant and prolific business as TalkTalk to choose Soapworks as its new facility is a major endorsement of the high quality space we have created here.

“The Boilerhouse letting gives us really good momentum ahead of the completion of the second phase of the scheme, which is due to complete later this month, bringing 210,000 sq ft of Grade A office space into a very low supply market.

“Soapworks offers potential occupiers a premium quality office in a location which has extremely strong transport connections to both Manchester City Centre and surrounding areas, access to a strong talent pool of employees in Manchester and from Manchester University, at rents which are less than half the level of comparable space in the city centre.”

Chris Mulchay at JLL, letting agents on the Soapworks scheme, comments: “The deal is a milestone letting in Salford Quays and the new transaction with TalkTalk reinforces Soapworks’ position as a vibrant and sustainable commercial office destination within the North West.”

Nigel Sullivan, group HR director at TalkTalk, comments: “The Boilerhouse is an amazing building that will provide a fantastic facility for staff training and development, along with much-needed meeting space. We’re excited about moving in.”

JLL and Canning O’Neill are joint agents on the Soapworks scheme.