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Regional daily to stay in city centre as new offices unveiled

A regional daily whose city centre home was recently sold to property developers for £3.6m is to move to a brand new HQ less than five minutes away.

Sheffield daily The Star will move to The Balance, a modern office block on Pinfold Street in the city centre, publisher Johnston Press announced today.

The Star’s offices at Telegraph House on York Street, which it has occupied for decades, have been sold to property company Toscafield.

In a tweet, editor Nancy Fielder said she was pleased the paper would be remaining in the city centre.

The Balance, Pinfold Street, where the Sheffield Star will be based from the end of this year.

The Balance, Pinfold Street, where the Sheffield Star will be based from the end of this year.

The move, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, was announced by JP chief executive Ashley Highfield on the day the company published its half-yearly results.

He said: “As part of our commitment to transform the business for growth and invest in a new media sales approach, we are investing in a new, modern work environment for our teams in Sheffield.

“Our relocation from York Street to The Balance on Pinfold Street will see us taking over 26,500 feet space for our 400-strong staff, over three floors in the heart of Sheffield City Centre.

“Both the editorial teams for Sheffield Star and the Sheffield Telegraph will join the new Media Sales Centre, including the Digital Sales, Recruitment, Sales Operations, Group Services and IT teams. The move is likely to be complete by the end of 2017.

“This move is a commitment to keeping our Sheffield titles, which remain in the heart of their community, in the town centre, to deliver local, relevant and up-to-the minute news.

“Further, it is an investment in our Media Sales Centre – along with other changes to be implemented, including recruitment of new roles, training, products and services – that will enable us to provide a modern work environment for employees and an advanced customer contact centre offering the very best experience to our customers.”

The building will be shared with a number of other companies including internet service provider, Plusnet and multinational corporation, IWG Plc, formerly known as Regus.

Other occupants in the building are Nabuh Energy, Access Computer Consulting, Horwich Farrelly, KPMG and Protocol Education.

The sale of Telegraph House, which currently houses 400 staff, is the latest in a series of major disposals of office premises by JP over recent years.

The former Peterborough Telegraph print works is now a housing estate, the former Northampton Chronicle and Echo building is now an Aldi superstore, while the former Yorkshire Post building in Leeds is being redeveloped as offices, shops and housing.

4 comments

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  • August 2, 2017 at 1:17 pm
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    JP can’t keep flogging off its finite assets to keep its head above water – although I’m certain they will keep sacking journos as part of their ‘business model’.

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  • August 2, 2017 at 6:25 pm
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    400 staff !!!!

    There is only 2,494 at the last count in the whole company

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  • August 3, 2017 at 7:28 am
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    Good news. Well done for resisting the business park.

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  • August 3, 2017 at 1:19 pm
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    Are they going from selling off the freehold in their former city centre site to merely buying leasehold in nearby accommodation?

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