IT IS costing £35million, it will house more than 1,000 staff and the new TXU complex marks the next stage of development for the Ipswich Village.Work is going according to plan in the town's Russell Road and providing there are no hold-ups along the way the organisation should be moving in to its new UK business centre early next year.

By Lynn Abbott

IT IS costing £35million, it will house more than 1,000 staff and the new TXU complex marks the next stage of development for the Ipswich Village.

Work is going according to plan in the town's Russell Road and providing there are no hold-ups along the way the organisation should be moving in to its new UK business centre early next year.

The energy group has long had a firm presence in the town through its origins as Eastern Electricity and the Eastern Group.

So it made sense for them to keep its feet planted firmly in local soil when the decision to open a new UK business centre was taken.

Roger Partington, vice president of TXU Europe said the reasons for the further investment in Ipswich was because of its history in the town.

Although the group acquired NorWeb and TXU looked at Manchester as its base, Ipswich won hands down.

"We have a strong and long presence in Ipswich and the majority of our staff live and work in this area we wanted to minimise the disruption. We have every confidence in Ipswich and want to be a part of its continued growth," he added.

The centre is being built by Bovis and when it is completed it will bring all TXU's Suffolk employees under one roof.

Staff had been dotted around different offices, in Princes Street, Civic Drive, Russell House and at the Wherstead headquarters.

Problems developed at Fison House in Princes Street and staff there were moved in to Civic Drive. Then Russell House was demolished and its staff were also relocated.

When the Ipswich Village development is ready for occupation TXU will sell off its current headquarters at Wherstead and be one big happy family.

TXU has been instrumental in the development of Ipswich Village by being sponsors of the area which already includes Ipswich Town Football Club, AXA, BT at Bibb Way. The Crown Court is also moving to the Village.

n Ipswich Village is a 125-acre scheme and comes in the Ipswich Local Plan. It is scheduled for completion by 2016.