The Global Association for Contact Center Best Practices & Networking

Nov 17, 2011 -- Hopes of attracting a 500-job call centre to Torbay have suffered a setback.

The proposed new offices in Lymington Road had been highlighted as a potential location.

Steve Parrock, chief executive of Torbay Development Agency, said the prospective call centre operators liked Torquay, but they were seeking larger premises than currently available in the town centre.

However, several other companies have made inquiries about available space in the Bay.

Mr Parrock said: "The Business Hub in Lymington Road would have been great for the immediate requirement, but if they then wished to expand that site might not have been large enough for them.

"The challenge for Torbay is that there are other locations in the South West which have hundreds of thousands of square feet of offices ready for occupancy, such as in Bristol and Swindon.

"A small call centre might require 20,000 to 30,000 square feet, but a large call centre could require 120,000 square feet, roughly the size of Sainsbury's at the Willows.

"We are planning around 120,000 square feet office space in total at White Rock in Paignton, but that doesn't have planning permission as yet.

"Alternative sites, for example the former Nortel site at Long Road in Paignton, do not have planning permission either and the call centre operator needs somewhere quickly.

"We haven't given up and are still providing them with information about the other sites which are larger."

He added: "It's just the kind of inward investment which could see Torbay attract extra Government funding.

"The Government is rewarding those towns and cities which are continuously striving for economic growth, creating new jobs and housing.

"At some point those incentives will run out but we will all have contributed to the financial incentive pool through taxation."

He feared: "Torbay could miss the boat completely. It's partly about community leadership and aspiration, informing residents of the opportunities which will lead to economic growth and prosperity.

"We need to recognise that Government policy is rewarding those authorities who are not only ambitious but also actively delivering regeneration through their own deeds and actions."

The TDA is continuing its campaign to attract more inward investment.

It has identified six business sectors in which Torbay has a competitive advantage, for example hi-tech industries, marine industries, and advanced electronics.

Mr Parrock said: "To support the inward investment drive we have produced six online publications targeting the key sectors.

"An investor can now go to a single site to see what is available in Torbay, whether it is property, training or inward investment support.

"It may be an existing business wishing to expand or a new business wanting to invest, in addition to working with many local businesses."

The TDA is also continuing to pursue the possibility of attracting Government departments looking to relocate.

Mr Parrock said: "Several of the information packs we have developed are for Government relocations but these can be easily adapted for any business specific relocation or start up."

To help local businesses the TDA has recently established an online local business directory and a property database which is used by all the local commercial agents.

Mr Parrock said: "We are continuing to push hard in the face of a global recession and, if we do get a positive business inquiry, we are able to react very quickly with skilled and experienced inward investment practitioners.

"This reflects the investment that the TDA has made in recent years and we are now receiving on average four or five new inquiries each week, in addition to those from existing businesses and incubator start-ups."

Posted by Veronica Silva Cusi, news correspondent
Source: http://www.paigntonpeople.co.uk

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