July 11, 2014 11.23 am This story is over 116 months old

Serco will move to Lincoln for Lincolnshire County Council contract

Lincoln move: The international services company Serco is preparing to open a new office in Silver Street, Lincoln ahead of its five-year contract with Lincolnshire County Council.
County Council Leader Martin Hill (L) announced the contract winner, Serco, alongside Chief Information Officer Judith Hetherington Smith and Councillor Marc Jones. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The international services company Serco is preparing to open a new office in Silver Street, Lincoln, ahead of its five-year contract with Lincolnshire County Council.

In April, the company was conditionally awarded a £71 million contract to deliver the council’s IT, finance and HR services, as well as taking over the council’s customer service centre.

Serco will continue to employ the same number of staff within Lincolnshire and it is hoped an additional 140 local jobs will be created over the life of the contract.

The partnership is set to deliver savings of more than £14 million for the authority over the next five years.

The new offices at Thomas Parker House on Silver Street are close to the Council’s main office complex and will now be refurbished to provide versatile and well-equipped office accommodation for all members of staff who are transferring from the Council and Mouchel in April 2015.

The refurbishment work will feature wall-sized images inspired by the local area and include kitchen and meeting facilities as well as tea and coffee areas, showers and a secure cycle shelter.

The potential for creating an on-site gymnasium and an outside lounge area on the 3rd floor balcony is also being assessed.

Judith Hetherington Smith, Chief Information and Commissioning Officer at the county council, said: “We’re delighted that Serco have found a home right in the heart of the city centre. Having them on our doorstep will not only help to foster a close working relationship, but will also ensure that these existing jobs, and any new ones created, remain local.”