AA INVESTS IN TYNESIDE REGIONAL OFFICE

Left to Right: Robert Bell from The AA, Jamie Baldridge, director of parks services at Quorum Business Park in Newcastle & Jon Ellis, head of property and facilities management

Breakdown company The AA is investing in a new regional office for its 700 staff as part of plans to modernise its operations.

The AA will be moving to Quorum Park in March after spending nearly 30 years at Newcastle Business Park, after signing up for 27,000 square feet of workspace across three floors at Q3. A full office fit-out programme is being carried out for the company in the new offices, which will give it ample room for a growing workforce.

The news comes as part of plans by the AA to look at its future direction and modernise current work practices in the face of changing operations, which have been accelerated by the Covid pandemic, providing its 700-strong North East workforce with a more flexible, contemporary work environment.

Quorum Park will provide the AA, which offers vehicle insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans, motoring advice and other services to thousands of customers, with a new regional head office that will see staff benefit from a range of onsite amenities and services, including sports facilities, a gym, a children’s nursery, food and drink outlets and onsite parking.

The 10-year letting was brokered by Avison Young and Savills. The AA will join names such as Verisure, Rightmove, National Utility Hub, Shared Services Connected Ltd (SSCL), Ramboll and NRG, all of whom have made the move to Quorum since it was acquired by Shelborn Asset Management in 2019.

Jamie Baldridge, Quorum’s director of park services, said: “Enabling businesses to cater for growth and expansion, Quorum will be the ideal location to accommodate the AA’s current and future needs. It provides an accessible flexible working environment that has everything people require, so we’re really looking forward to welcoming the AA next month.”

Tony Wordsworth, director at Avison Young, said there is now less than 20,000 square foot of space left at Quorum Park. He added: “This is another big name for the park, which continues to appeal to forward thinking organisations looking to benefit from first class, flexible commercial space with excellent infrastructure and transport links.”