BANKING giant Santander’s decision to build its £150 million new UK headquarters in Milton Keynes is testament to the city’s pulling power when it comes to attracting inward investment, a MP has said.
Ben Everitt was speaking after a tour of the under-construction Unity Place with his Parliamentary colleague for Milton Keynes Iain Stewart.
Unity Place, next to Milton Keynes Central station, is due to open next year.
The MPs were joined on their tour by Santander chief executive Nathan Bostock and discussed progress on the project and Santander’s role within the wider business community.
Mr Everitt, who represents the Milton Keynes North constituency, said: “It was absolutely fantastic to see the progress on the new Santander building – the views from the top were simply stunning.
The vision: How Unity Place will look once complete
“I was delighted to hear how Santander are keen to make sure the building will also be for public use, with street food options on the ground floor, and their continued support of the MK:U project.
“With a business like Santander choosing to call Milton Keynes its UK home, it really showcases how our city can be the present and the future for UK businesses and innovation.”
Mr Stewart, MP for Milton Keynes South, added: “I have said it before but I truly believe this is one of the many signs of confidence in Milton Keynes being an excellent location for businesses to locate to and for people to work in.
“It was an amazing experience to walk around the new UK headquarters of Santander and see the progress of the construction as well as learning what each area of the building is going to become.
“The highlight of the tour was going to the top level and looking over the skyline, a view I am jealous of Santander’s employees having.”
Once completed, Unity Place will house facilities for the wider business community and community groups as well as more than 5,000 Santander employees.
Mr Bostock said: “I was delighted to be able to share our latest plans for Santander’s new headquarters in Milton Keynes. The campus will provide state of the art facilities enabling collaborative working not just for Santander colleagues, but also for local businesses and local community groups through the dedicated community space.”
