Member Article

Newcastle Building Society appoints North East contractors to build new advice centre

Local contractors have been chosen to design and build Newcastle Building Society’s new advice centre in Newcastle, set to open next month.

As part of a £10m investment programme across the business, the business is creating an open plan centre at its Portland House head office in central Newcastle, a stone’s throw from the Laing Art Gallery and City Library.

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.

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.

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, explained: “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.”

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.

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