05 March 2008
Unite gives Transport House new lease of life
Transport House, the former Transport and General Workers’ Union
(TGWU) building on Commutation Row in Liverpool city centre is to
be given a major refurbishment by its new owner Unite the
Union.
The move comes after negotiations to sell the freehold on the
building were completed by the Northwest Regional Development
Agency (NWDA), city centre regeneration company Liverpool Vision
and Unite.
Planning consent has been granted to refurbish the entire
building creating a 30,000 sq ft District HQ for Unite including a
complete re-cladding of the exterior with a sandstone render that
will be in-keeping with the appearance of other buildings in the
area and provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Transport House has been vacant since the year 2000 and occupies
a key gateway location on the main road approach to the city centre
from the M62.
Martin Lloyd, Head of Property at the NWDA, said: “This building
sits in a key location in Liverpool and its revival will help to
continue the transformation of the city centre. The NWDA is pleased
to have been able to play a role in bringing it back into
productive use.”
Mike Ryder, Property Executive for Purple Apple, Property
Managers for the Union, said: “We are delighted we have been
able to reacquire this iconic property and are looking forward to
breathing fresh life back into it. The building will have a
significant impact on the area and promote the profile of Unite the
Union, the largest Union in Great Britain. When refurbishment is
completed the building will be renamed as Jack Jones House.”
Chief Executive of Liverpool Vision Jim Gill said: “This is a
key building that welcomes thousands of visitors entering the city
centre every day.
“It has been vacant for far too long and it is important for the
city centre that it is being brought back into use.”
The refurbishment is expected to commence in April this year and
take around nine months to complete. It is anticipated that
the building will be fully operational early in 2009.
Unite the Union was established in 2007 following a merger
between TGWU and Amicus. The Union is currently jointly led
by Wirral born Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The full name for the merged union is Unite the union but is
commonly abbreviated to Unite.
Jack Jones was the former leader of the TGWU and was born in
Garston in 1913. See link for details.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Jones_(trade_union_leader)
For further information please contact:
Steve Sanders at SKV PR. Tel 0161 838 7770 / 07971 079
314
Sarah Moston at NWDA. Tel 01925 400 552