A GROWING national business is this week unveiled as the latest tenant of Middlesbrough's prestigious Centre Square development.

Days after it was announced that new property bank GBB would create up to 120 new jobs when they move into Two Centre Square, nationwide pension experts XPS Pensions Group have confirmed they will occupy the whole of the second floor of the building as they expand their existing operation.

The firm currently employs approximately 90 people in Middlesbrough, and is committed to growing its presence in the area by creating further jobs in their new 11,950 sq ft offices.

The state-of-the-art Grade A office development offers 21st century accommodation at the heart of Middlesbrough town centre, close to the Town Hall and mima.

The scheme - developed in partnership between Middlesbrough Council and Ashall Projects - is kick-starting the next phase of town centre regeneration, designed to bring back employment and breathe new life into the town's retail and service sector.

XPS Pensions Group chose Centre Square following a regional search both for the quality of development and the burgeoning potential of the surrounding environment.

Middlesbrough recognised some time ago that if it wanted to compete and attract national employers to the town, it was essential that not only was the right quality of accommodation available to the occupier, but that the whole environmental and facility package be part of the offer.

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston has championed the Centre Square development since his election in May, 2019, recognising its key role in the long-term success and prosperity of the town centre.

It's part of an overall regeneration strategy that also features new urban living proposals as part of a better balanced and more sustainable town centre economy.

Mr Preston said: "This is fantastic news, especially in these difficult and unprecedented times.

"XPS have shown real belief in the vision we have for Middlesbrough, and it's a decision they won't regret.

"Coming so soon after the fantastic news about GBB taking space in Centre Square, this letting shows we're well on the road to delivering a thriving town centre with great job and living opportunities.

"But it's also just the start - we intend to take Centre Square and the whole town centre on to new levels so that the whole community can benefit from and enjoy it.

"I've been saying for some time that we had exciting tenants lined up to move into Centre Square and these things often take far longer to finalise that we'd all like, but this is just the latest in a series of good news announcements for our town, right at a time when we're facing some very real challenges due to Covid.

"We'll be announcing more good news very soon around Centre Square but there are so many exciting developments bubbling under that are going to have a transformational impact on our town centre, job creation and the local economy."

XPS Administration's Managing Director, David Watkins said: "We are delighted to be a part of this game-changing scheme and are looking forward to moving into our new offices and creating a first class environment for our staff and the opportunity to further grow our business in Middlesbrough.

"The Centre Square development is both a modern and environmentally-friendly office, which is essential if we are to continue to attract and retain the high calibre workforce we need.

"We'll be creating a new contact centre in Middlesbrough and we'll be looking to use the office to support growth in payroll services for the XPS Group as a whole.

"Clearly we want to grow our book of public sector business and continue to increase our presence in the Local Government sector. Also, we may look to use the space in Middlesbrough to allow XPS to grow in other geographies - by moving existing clients to the Middlesbrough teams."

XPS's decision was welcomed by Middlesbrough Council's development partner, Ashall Projects.

Director Mark Ashall said: "I am delighted that XPS has become the latest business to move to Centre Square. Its decision provides further evidence that the combination of the benefits of a town centre location, with easy access to local amenities, public transport and quality public realm, and a great, sustainable and flexible working environment is extremely appealing to employers and their staff."