Sanctuary's plans to expand may see 500 jobs created

The Sanctuary Group has earmarked a vacant plot on Farrier Street, just round the corner from its Castle Street headquarters, to “provide space for a further 500 additional jobs”.

The development would be a five-storey glass-fronted office block on the site of a former Suzuki car dealership.

Sanctuary bosses say they will be working with their partners “to help create new jobs and training opportunities locally”, should permission be granted.

The group already boasts more than 800 staff in Worcester and more than 9,000 nationally. It has carried out a “visual impact assessment” of the area to weigh up any possible impact of the office block on the city centre.

The group says it has kept in mind the importance of views of the city’s church spires and has chosen the vacant spot because it is “well located by all methods of transport”.

There will be two open-plan offices per floor. “As the project is still subject to planning approval, we will be in a better position to determine the number of new roles once contractors and suppliers have been appointed,” said Peter Martin, group director of development for Sanctuary.

“With any new development we work closely with our partners to help create new jobs and training opportunities locally, and as a major employer in Worcester we very much look forward to working with the community on this project if planning permission is granted.”

Sanctuary says it already has a “robust travel plan”, meaning a “relatively small number of parking spaces are provided on site for staff and visitors”.

This will be extended so no further parking spaces are planned for the new development to “encourage other forms of sustainable transport to be used”.

The group says it has held consultation events with members of the public with all comments received being supportive of the scheme.

A decision on whether the building can go ahead should be made by the end of December.