TalkTalk has this morning confirmed plans to move its headquarters and hundreds of staff from London to Salford.
The telecoms group’s new home will be its existing Soapworks development in Salford Quays, where approximately 1,500 of its employees are already based.
The FTSE 250 company revealed the news alongside posting a trading update and announcing that it has set up a new company, FibreNation, to accelerate its plans to roll out full fibre broadband to three million homes and businesses.
Chief executive Tristia Harrison said moving the company’s HQ from London to Salford is part of efforts to “radically simplify TalkTalk”.
“Having a single main home will reduce operational complexity and allow us to become a more efficient, focussed business, in turn supporting our long-term growth,” she said in a London Stock Exchange statement.
The move will be TalkTalk’s second major investment in the region, following the opening of its Salford base in 2017, which replaced previous offices in Warrington and Irlam.
The listed group confirmed that the “vast majority of roles” will be moving from London to Salford with further hiring set to begin in 2019.
“We’ve always had a base in the North West, but we want to build on that heritage and create a world-class campus for the whole business,” Harrison added.
The news was welcomed by Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, who said TalkTalk’s relocation “speaks volumes for the success of our investment in a digital future”.
“TalkTalk has a long-standing and very warm relationship with the city and local communities so I’m delighted to hear of this further investment,” he added.
“It is an exciting new chapter in Salford’s success story as the fastest growing economy in Greater Manchester.”
Rebecca Long Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles, said she hopes the move will “open up opportunities for Salford residents”.
TalkTalk has also announced the launch of FibreNation to support its plans of rolling out faster and more reliably broadband to three million homes and businesses.
The company confirmed that the first three towns to benefit will be Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough, building on its full fibre trial in York.
Harrison said: “For too long, Britain has trailed the rest of the world when it comes to broadband speed and reliability.
“We’re determined to change that and invest in the faster, more reliable broadband Britain deserves. This is just the beginning of our plans to be at the heart of Britain’s full fibre future.”
FibreNation will be run by BT veteran Paul Reynolds, who said the infrastructure will “transform” how families and businesses use the internet.
“Having rolled out full fibre networks around the world, I’m excited to start building in Britain,” he said.