Business Press can today exclusively reveal how the new £7 million operations centre for Card Protection Plan (CPP) in York will look.

An artist's impression of CCP's proposed operations centre in Holgate, York

CPP's nerve centre is the first major building project to be undertaken at Holgate Park, since ABB carriageworks closed in December, 1995, with the loss of 750 jobs.

"We are delighted that we are now able to give the public some idea of what this impressive scheme will look like when completed," said John Reeves, of project co-ordinators, The Helmsley Group, which represents the developers, the Holgate Park Venture.

"We have worked closely with the architects, local planners, English Partnerships and CPP to ensure that the building not only serves a practical purpose, but also becomes an integral part of York's architectural heritage as we move into the 21st Century."

The 56,000 sq ft building will comprise three storeys of high specification office accommodation with full air conditioning for CPP's operations centre staff. The scheme will also feature car and bicycle parking, as well as considerable landscaping throughout.

Construction work on the centre is due to start shortly and will be undertaken by Malton-based S Harrison Construction Ltd.

Technical manager for Harrison, Adrian Thomas, said: "The scale and design features of the building are particularly exciting, and we are confident it will become a valued and impressive addition to York's skyline."

CPP is currently operating from temporary premises in one of the existing buildings in Holgate Park, formerly occupied by Adtranz. CPP has 120 employees at York, which is expected to grow to 160 by mid-September, and 750 within five years.

Stephen West, CPP's customer services director, said: "The centre is proving very successful, and our recruitment drive is in full flow as we actively seek ever-increasing numbers of new staff to join us in York. The team here is already looking forward to moving into the new offices when they are completed next year."

Only last week CPP switched on to a 24-hour operation from Monday-to Friday. Plans are in place to extend this to seven days a week in the next couple of months.

CPP is one of Europe's leading credit card registration companies, registering the cards of 4.5 million people, issued by major banks, building societies and shops. Established in 1980, CPP also operates in Germany and Spain.

CPP decided to set up the new centre in York as it had outgrown its headquarters in Kings Road, Chelsea.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.