THREE SNOWHILL CHOSEN AS NEW HOME FOR BT IN BIRMINGHAM

Significant investment to provide future-fit workspace for thousands of staff

BT Group today announced Birmingham’s landmark Three Snowhill development will be its primary new home in the city and provide a future-fit workplace for thousands of colleagues.

The building, in the heart of the city’s business district, will become a key hub with between 3,000 – 4,000 colleagues set to be based there eventually – more than five times the number of people currently based in Birmingham. BT will occupy the majority of floors in the 17-storey development, marking a major investment by the company in the UK’s second city.

BT has acquired the lease and plans to move colleagues in from the end of the year. The lease of Three Snowhill 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.

The five-year programme will improve and consolidate BT’s footprint of corporate offices, service centres, contact centres and specialist sites across the country.

Graeme Paton, BT’s managing director of Property and Facilities Services, said it was an exciting development and a clear sign of BT’s commitment to Birmingham and the Midlands.

He said: “Unveiling our new site at Three Snowhill follows our announcement last year, when Birmingham was revealed as one of the first locations that will house our workplaces of the future.

“The city was recently ranked one of the most rapidly improving places to work in Britain and, thanks to securing this office space, we will become one of the largest employers in Birmingham with a visible presence in a strategic and important location*.

“Our new building in Birmingham will bring our people together in an impressive and modern environment, transforming the way we work. Excitingly, it will become a strategic hub location for BT in the UK with a considerable increase in the number of colleagues we employ based in the city.

“We hope our colleagues will be inspired by the new office, which will give them the tools and environment to be able to thrive. This is also fantastic news for both Birmingham and the wider Midlands.”

Teams based at Three Snowhill will benefit from 5G mobile connections alongside full fibre broadband. 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.

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “It is wonderful news that a company of BT’s stature has chosen to increase its presence in Birmingham by taking up a prime location in the heart of the city’s business district.”

“This is a further sign not only of Birmingham’s renaissance but also the growing confidence that exists within the city’s business community at present.”

Martin Towns, head of UK commercial and global capital partnerships at M&G Real Estate, which secured a 20-year lease with BT for Three Snowhill, said: “Where we deliver best in class office buildings, with leading levels of amenity and environmental credentials, we continue to experience strong tenant demand.  Our agreement today with BT further reinforces the success of our UK office development strategy, helping to provide the quality of accommodation modern business requires, whilst also providing attractive investment returns for our clients.

John Mulryan, group managing director at developer Ballymore, said the building formed part of its wider development in Snowhill

He said: “Ballymore’s investment in the Snowhill Estate has created a new business quarter for the city, comprising the highest International quality offices and award winning public realm. It has also delivered the viaduct, which enabled the tram extension from Snowhill across the wider city centre, and provided direct pedestrian access to the Jewellery and Gun Quarters and Snowhill Station via the new ‘high level’ entrance. We’re very proud of this legacy. It’s reflective of all our partners’ hard work that BT has chosen Three Snowhill.”

BT Group plays an important role in the Midlands economy and is responsible for generating £1 in every £115 produced in the Midlands region, according to an independent report. It also generated nearly £2 billion towards the Midlands economy in Gross Value Added, during the 2017/18 financial year.** BT Group employs more than 11,000 people across the Midlands.