Barclays is planning a “major overhaul” of its Radbroke Technology Center near Knutsford.
The Cheshire East Council’s Strategic Planning Committee today unanimously approved planning permission for the 64-acre site.
The bank said it was a “significant long-term investment” in Cheshire to provide a modern, flexible work environment for its 4,000 employees.
“Barclays has been a major employer in the region for many decades. These plans represent a strategic, long-term commitment to the site that will benefit both our colleagues and the regional community in which we operate, ”said Graham Bastin, General Manager for Barclays and Site Executive at Radbroke Technology Center.
“Radbroke’s colleagues are at the forefront of designing, testing and developing key technological advances for the bank. Therefore, we want to create a first-class work environment in which the best and best technology minds in the industry can be won over and retained.
“Our plans focus on the built environment, but what makes this campus so special is its unique location in the Cheshire countryside. Therefore, our plans are aimed at maximizing the benefit for our existing colleagues while improving the location of the site and recognizing its green belt status and rich heritage. “
Barclays has been based in Radbroke since 1972. Technologies such as ATMs and debit cards were developed there. At the same time, Barclays was central to the development of online and mobile banking.
This ends reports from 2018 indicating that Barclays planned to combine its three northern offices into a single 600,000 square foot “mega campus” at the Mayfield site near Manchester Piccadilly.
At Radbroke, Barclays planned to remove some of the existing buildings and reconfigure the site layout. This would allow him to re-green around 80,000 square feet of previously developed land on the site.
“With a community our size here at Radbroke, our employees have the opportunity to find themselves and learn about different aspects of the business,” Bastin continued.
“Many of our trainees who are with us four or five years later have now graduated from university. The trainees write code and work on developing software that is vital to the company. I would like to see one of our trainees find their way to becoming a managing director one day. That would be a really satisfying achievement. “
