2,000 Brighton jobs safeguarded (From The Argus)

2,000 Brighton jobs safeguarded

6:38pm Wednesday 4th November 2009

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More than 2,000 jobs have been safeguarded after Brighton and Hove’s biggest private employer was given the go-ahead for a £100 million extension.

Business leaders spoke of their joy last night after plans by the credit card giant American Express for a nine-storey extension were given the green light.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the proposals to construct a building with 34,750sqm of office space at the back of the company’s existing landmark Amex House site in Eastern Road, Brighton.

The redevelopment could also create more than 1,000 construction jobs.

The move has been seen as a demonstration of the multi-national company’s ongoing commitment to the city.

Its presence in Brighton and Hove also sustains 75 non-Amex jobs.

However while business leaders described it as “a step in the right direction”, they warned that more development would need to take place in order to reach the city’s job target for 2016.

The work, which is expected to begin in March 2010, will enable Amex to improve its office facilities as part of the company's global workspace improvement programme.

The new purpose-built service centre will include enhanced technology, a flexible office environment and improved open public space.

Raymond Joabar, senior vice president and country head, UK, American Express, said: "We are delighted to be have been given the go ahead to proceed with the project to improve our premises in Brighton.

“We are committed to building a longer term sustainable working environment for our employees in the city of Brighton and Hove."

A spokeswoman for Amex said there were no immediate plans to create new positions at the site but the extension would allow the company “to respond flexibly to current and future requirements.”

Ted Kemble, the council’s cabinet member for employment, enterprise and major projects, said: "We've given this project every possible backing as part of Brighton and Hove City Council's priority to support businesses and create jobs.

“We have worked with American Express throughout the planning permission process from the pre-planning stage in order to create the right development through to granting permission.

“It's a tremendous day for the local economy and we should be proud of ourselves at securing investment every other UK city would envy."

Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said he was “absolutely delighted” with the result.

He said: “This has been a long negotiation, which was started by the previous administration and brought to a conclusion by this one, so we are all incredibly grateful to the planning officers and this is an enormous gesture of confidence in Brighton and Hove.

“This is a world-class company, with a world class name, which provides employment right across the range of skills.”

However he added that another major business still needed to be attracted to the city.

He said: “There are two kinds of things we need if we are going to hit our jobs target of about 12,000 extra jobs by 2016.

“The first is the organic growth of companies already in Brighton and Hove.

“But we will really need to attract another big private sector employer and we need to have some sites where we can do that.

“What we are really hoping for now is productive conversations with the council about some of the bigger sites near the bypass.

“It is really important if we are going to provide those jobs to find somewhere suitable for new developments.”

One of the conditions of the Amex plans is that a £300,000 donation is made to Carlton Hill Primary School, which will have its playground overshadowed by the extension.

The money will allow the school to relocate its playground and revamp facilities.

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