Archant is to completely refurbish its head office in Norwich.

The media group is to make a substantial investment to improve the working conditions of the 470 staff who are based at Prospect House, which include people working for the Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News.

During a year-long project the whole of the building will be refurbished, with changes including a new reception area, new refreshment and relaxation areas and new-look office accommodation which will include lots of glass panels.

There will also be new meeting rooms, new carpets a state of the art telephone system.

Improvements will also be made to the exterior of the building, and the old press hall area will be turned into a 36-space car park which will allow the existing car parks to be made safer by widening and relocating spaces, and to extend provision for disabled drivers.

All changes are subject to planning permission, which will take around three months.

Archant Regional finance director Brian McCarthy, who is director of the project, said: "This move, which has been in the planning for a long while now, demonstrates the investment that Archant is making in its most valuable resource, its people.

"We have considered a number of options for our future accommodation needs in Norwich and have concluded that our staff are happiest where they are – Prospect House is convenient for public transport, customers and visitors.

"The Prospect House development is the latest in a series of upgrades to our offices across the group. We are aiming to provide a high quality working environment for all our staff, to increase flexibility and to provide a more modern, professional environment."