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Weekly to move to new offices after 48 years

A weekly newspaper is set to leave its home of 48 years next month to move to smaller premises.

The Essex Chronicle is leaving its current base at Westway in Chelmsford to move to new offices at the Hedgerows Business Park in the north of the city, along with sister title the Brentwood Gazette.

The current offices and print site were purpose-built by Chelmsford builders French’s in 1964, taking a landmark position on the then newly-designed Widford Industrial Estate.

But the print works on the site closed in 2002, with the Chronicle and sister papers throughout Essex now being printed in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.

Editor-in-chief Alan Geere said: “When I first joined the Chronicle in the mid-1970s there was a big, clanking press and linotype machines fuelled by bubbling vats of hot metal.

“The newspaper industry is very different now and the needs of our business have changed too. We don’t need so much space and our new premises will enable to us to work much more efficiently.”

Staff from the two papers will be joined at their new premises by production journalists who produce 40 weekly titles for Northcliffe South East every week.

Managing director Richard Karn said: “As the major media company in the region we look forward to continuing to serve the community with our innovative and inspiring approach to a fast-moving media world.

“This move cements our commitment to Chelmsford and we look forward to carrying on our relationship with many businesses we have worked with over the years.”

The Westway headquarters, which has 21,000 square feet of office space and 121 car parking spaces on a site of 1.77 acres, is now up for sale.

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  • June 28, 2012 at 11:11 am
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    This is always a bad move for the readers and not good for a newsdesk that wants to stay in touch. But at least it’s still in Essex!

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