News: Signs are that NatWest are taking Rotherham call centre building

NatWest, the major UK-based retail and commercial bank, appears to be taking on a vacant building in the Manvers area of Rotherham.

A planning application has recently been approved for new signage at Callflex Business Park showing that the company intends to use Unit 6, also known as Discovery House.

Recruitment for Customer Service Advisors based in the building began in February after refurbishment completed last year.

NatWest took on the large Cyan Building at Adwick Park in Manvers in 2007 when RBS Group plc, now known as NatWest Group plc, moved their Lombard business across Rotherham.

Lombard is one of the UK's leading asset finance providers and started out as the North Central Wagon and Finance Company in Rotherham in 1861.

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Unit 6 at Callflex is 33,822 sq ft and was previously used as a call centre by the The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Rothbiz reported in 2022 that at least 1,000 jobs were at risk over DWP's planned closure of 13 processing sites, including Rotherham.

Records indicate that Ashfield District Council operates the Callflex building as an investment property.

Also at Manvers, the Concentrix Call Centre at Adwick Park has been put up for sale as an investment.

At 62,652 sq ft over two floors on a 4.95 acre site, there is car parking either side of the building providing 440 car spaces.

The property is let on an FRI lease to Telecom Service Centres Ltd (TCS). The lease was re-geared last year on a ten year term from March 2024 at £430,000 per annum with a tenant option to break March 2029. TCS has been in occupation since 1999.

Concentrix Corporation is based in the United States with operations around the world, including the UK business entity, Telecom Service Centres Ltd. It has previously operated under the name, Webhelp. Concentrix set out plans in 2023 to buy Paris-based outsourcing and consultancy firm Webhelp in a $4.8 billion deal.

AP Investment and Andrew Dixon & Company are marketing the Manvers property for sale having been instructed to seek offers in excess of £4m.

Images: AP Investment / Knight Frank

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News: Plans approved to demolish and replace Rotherham call centre

Plans have been approved to demolish a call centre building in Rotherham that has been vacant for a number of years.

Unit 1 of the Callflex Business Park in Manvers was one of a number of commercial properties built on the former Manvers Main Colliery Site specifically for call centre use, but it now looks set to be knocked down.

Plans from owners, CEG, are to replace the 3-storey L-shaped offices with a general industrial building of some 37,000 sq ft.

The colliery site was reclaimed in the 1990s. Formerly occupied by Portal as managed call centre space, the unit was previously home to companies such as E-On and other call centre operators. The space has been marketed since 2018 without success.

The plans, drawn up by Pegasus, stated: "Given this lack of occupation or interest, the applicant wishes to bring about a more viable, employment generating use upon the site.

"CEG Ltd as owners of the Callflex Business Park now want to make this full planning application to secure a new user for the site, who could occupy the proposed building for the long-term future, given the outcomes of shifts in commercial requirements."

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The plans for a large single ground floor area with ancillary office mezzanine were recently approved without going to the planning board at Rotherham Council.

The new building, which has a footprint larger than the one currently in situ, can be used for General Industrial or Storage and Distribution purposes and also includes HGV bays and landscaping work at the site.

A neighbouring occupier has objected on highway grounds regarding the access for HGVs but the council's Transportation Unit have assessed the application and raised no objections.

Agents at Knight Frank explain the reason for the circumstances: "Historically these larger scale call centre buildings had been built during a period of the historic enterprise zone status and where there had been good demand from back office/call centre operations and substantial offers available – rates free periods and large incentive packages. A lot of the traditional call centre market moved off shore, and in more recent times due to the pandemic a lot of businesses have now adopted home working policies in the UK.

"Looking at the performance of the property asset, this is under delivering and also is not currently stimulating any employment or economic growth in the region. Therefore we could consider alternative options for the asset. One sector that is showing substantial growth demand and potential job creation is the delivery of new industrial and warehouse accommodation within the South Yorkshire region."

CEG website

Images: Knight Frank

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News: E.ON announce proposal to leave Dearne Valley site

E.ON, one of the world's largest investor-owned electric utility service providers, has announced proposals to leave its contact centre site at Manvers in Rotherham, a move that affects around 250 full-time jobs.

Powergen opened a new telemarketing centre in the Dearne Valley in 2000. It has operated from 32,500 sq ft of space at facilities management firm, Portal's building on the Callflex Business Park.

Having been taken over by German firm, E.ON, in 2001, the sales site calls on prospective customers with deals on their energy.

Customer service advisors at the site heard from the firm this week as it "broke the difficult news to colleagues at our office in Wath-upon-Dearne that we are proposing to leave the site."

E.ON operates similar centres in Nottingham and Bolton.

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In a statement, E.ON, said: "We constantly review all aspects of our business to make sure we continue to give customers a high quality and cost-effective service and to ensure we are set up in the right way to succeed in the future energy market. As part of this process we are proposing to leave our office location at Wath-upon-Dearne in South Yorkshire.

"This proposal is not a reflection of the performance of this site and we value the contribution our colleagues make to our business. We absolutely understand the effect this will have and we will now consult with our trade unions and colleagues on the proposal."

At the end of 2017, three buildings at Callflex Business Park, including Portal's building, were bought by property company, CEG, for an undisclosed sum.

Just last week, Origin Broadband announced that it was moving from its site in Doncaster to take 53,665 sq ft at Callflex Business Park, with the firm believing that it offers an even bigger opportunity for growth.

E.ON website

Images: Portal

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News: Rotherham business park acquired

Three buildings at Callflex Business Park in Manvers, Rotherham have been bought by property company, CEG, for an undisclosed sum.

The three detached office buildings, totaling 97,000 sq ft, are multi-let to managed office company, Port@l; property partners, Telereal Trillium; and Keepmoat Regeneration, bringing in a rental income of £766,346 per annum.

The buildings are situated in a prominent position in the established commercial area of Dearne Valley. Other occupiers in the area include Next, South Yorkshire Police and RBS.

Cushman & Wakefield acted for CEG whilst Graham Foxton at Knight Frank Leeds advised the vendor, Bourdon Park SARL.

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Simon Marshall from Cushman & Wakefield's Investment agency team, said: "We were delighted to acquire this asset for CEG as they continue to source value add opportunities nationwide.

"Callflex Business Park benefits from solid underlying fundamentals, with a number of long-term tenants."

Richard Brooke from Cushman & Wakefield added: "Callflex Business Park provides some of the best quality office accommodation within the locality and CEG have an excellent opportunity to further enhance the asset."

CEG has built a portfolio that covers nine million sq ft, with a capital value of around £800m. With one of the most tenant-focused leasing packages in the industry, the company works to turn buildings from empty spaces into thriving offices. For example, at Horizon in Maidenhead, the empty building was transformed with some of the rentable floor space used to build a café and gym and the building split into smaller sections with deals to entice tenants.

At the centre of the Dearne Valley Enterprise Zone, Callflex Business Park includes a 35,000 sq ft office and four smaller buildings developed by development and finance company, Cannock Developments in 2002.

Planning permission was refused last year for plans that would allow housing at Building 7 on Callflex Business Park. Empty for ten years, applicants Castan Ltd proposed that the building could be subdivided into 62 separate dwellings.

CEG website

Images: Telereal Trillium

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News: Housing plan for empty call centre

A Rotherham building designed especially for a call centre operation could finally get tenants after being vacant for ten years.

At the centre of the Dearne Valley Enterprise Zone, Callflex Business Park includes a 35,000 sq ft office and four smaller buildings developed by development and finance company, Cannock Developments in 2002. It is now home to the Department for Work and Pensions, Keepmoat Regeneration, a G4S contact centre and South Yorkshire Police's Training Centre, but one unit, unit 7, has never been occupied.

Building 7 is a modern purpose built office / call centre building comprising 53,665 sq ft of Grade A offices, arranged over three floors. With little prospect of securing a contact centre operation, a planning application has now been submitted to assess if it would be permitted to convert the use from employment to residential use.

Applicants Castan Ltd are proposing that the building be subdivided into 62 separate dwellings.

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The plans state: "The unit was constructed to be a 53,000 sq ft call centre but was never occupied due to lack of demand.

"Callflex Business Park sits in the heart of a regenerated area. The location benefits from good transport links and integrated bus and rail networks. The local area provides significant amenities to the workforce with pubs, restaurants and nearby Cortonwood Retail Park.

"Unit 7 has been vacant for ten years and is ideal for subdivision into residential units in an attractive landscape setting. The unit is in the far corner of the site and noise and traffic is minimal in this location."

In 1995 the area was designated a ten year Enterprise Zone, offering employers and investors significant financial incentives to help rejuvenate the area. Since then, more than £200m of private funding has been invested in offices, light industrial and distribution schemes. It is estimated that around 10,000 jobs had been created in the area by 2002.

Images: Knight Frank / Jones Lang LaSalle

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News: G4S secures new Rotherham office

Leading international security solutions group, G4S, has signed the lease for 10,657 sq ft of office accommodation at Callflex Business Park in Manvers, Rotherham.

G4S specialises in outsourcing of business processes in sectors where security and safety risks are considered a strategic threat. Contracts range from securing sporting or entertainment events (including stewarding at Rotherham United's New York Stadium) to 25-year government contracts for the construction and management of prisons.

With a head office in Crawley, G4S is the largest employer on the London Stock Exchange, with operations in more than 120 countries and over 620,000 employees.

The Dearne Valley area has already attracted a wealth of high profile occupiers including NEXT, Keepmoat, South Yorkshire Police and RBS.

Unit 2 at Callflex Business Park is owned by commercial property management and investment company, Telereal Trillium. Joint agents CBRE and Lambert Smith Hampton acted on behalf Telereal Trillium and G4S were unrepresented in the deal.

Rob Darrington, associate director at Lambert Smith Hampton in Sheffield, said: "Callflex Business Park suited G4S' requirement for modern, well-positioned office space in the South Yorkshire area. The lease that they have signed until 2018 will enable them to service a new contract they have secured."

Ben White, surveyor at CBRE, added: "Following this recent deal, we have a further 24,500 sq ft available to let within Unit 2 at Callflex Business Park and look forward to welcoming additional occupiers in due course."

G4S website
CBRE website
LSH website

Images: G4S / CBRE

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News: Port@l strengthen Rotherham team

Port@l, leaders in delivering innovative occupier solutions has announced the appointment of Stephen Balmforth as area site account manager based at Dearne Valley in Rotherham. Port@l Limited was established in 1999 to provide hosted contact centre accommodation and operate at the Callflex Business Park. At the park, Port@l lists amongst its past and current clients: E-On (Powergen), Royal Bank of Scotland, Morgan Stanley, Insurance Dialogue Ltd, Direct Dialogue Limited, UKI Partnerships and Reed Employment. Other occupiers at the park include IKEA and the Department for Work and Pensions (Land Securities Trillium). Managing Director at Port@l, John Gotley said: "Bringing talented individuals on board like Stephen will help us grow our business, and ensure that we continue to provide our clients with a high quality service. We are very pleased to welcome him to the Port@l team."

Portal website
Callflex Business Park website
Rotherham

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