BBC Trust spends £3.2m on new headquarters

Published: 9:00AM GMT twenty-two February 2010

The watchdog, obliged for ensuring BBC looseness price payers get worth for money, has committed to spending �2.2 million on an eight-year franchise of the initial construction in a converted Edwardian palace for the 60 staff.

Records show it additionally outlayed a serve �1m on refurbishment, that enclosed removals, interior designers and wise out the building, prior to relocating in a month ago.

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Previously, the certitude was housed in an additional construction to one side dual alternative BBC departments, BBC London and BBC Training, and when the offices were sole motionless the event was right for a "physical separation" from to concrete the independence.

It has been criticised in the past for being as well closely related with the BBC, and Ben Bradshaw, the enlightenment secretary, has called it a "cheerleader" of the corporation.

The Trust was offering space in Broadcasting House but instead staid on the rented skill at 180 Great Portland Street. since it represented "best worth for money".

The organization points out that the space offering in Broadcasting House enclosed studios and record used by journalists, since they usually need offices.

Jeremy Hunt, the shade enlightenment secretary, told The Sunday Times: "This is a silly incident and one that is costing looseness fee- payers nonetheless some-more money. The BBC Trust is ostensible to safeguard we get worth for money, something that has obviously not happened here.

"What with this and reports of large overspending on buildings, the total of the BBC needs to get a grip."

Land Registry papers show that the Trust is profitable Google, that owns the offices, �346,248 a year in rent. It perceived the initial twenty-one months free.

Gerry Morrissey, ubiquitous cabinet member of Bectu, the media traffic union, visited BBC Trust authority Sir Michael Lyons in the new offices last month, said: "Bearing in mind the volume being outlayed on Broadcasting House, could the Trust not have had a construction there?

"Why would they need to rent a place in executive London? Theyre ostensible to be about worth for money."

A mouthpiece for the Trust said: "The BBC Trust"s bureau move was not done in siege and was a outcome of the BBC"s wider skill portfolio consolidation. The Trust"s stream bureau in Great Portland Street was selected on the basement that it offering the most appropriate worth for income of all the options considered, and we have reused and recycled existent bureau seat and apparatus in the fit out of the new premises as far as possible." ‬‪