Beginning of the end for Bootle’s former Girobank building
Recent images show that the razing of the old Santander headquarters off Bridle Road has begun, two years after plans to redevelop the site were scrapped.
Known locally as the Giro, the Bootle landmark has almost completely lost its operations block with the dismantling well underway.
Sefton Council received a demolition notice in August for the vacant site, which was sold to E Taylor Consulting 2023 in March for £3.2m, according to Land Registry.
The Giro has lain vacant for years. Credit: Chris Scott
The Giro was opened by the old state-owned Girobank in 1968 as its national headquarters until operations were passed onto Alliance & Leicester in 1990, and then Santander in 2008.
Santander was granted planning permission in 2021 to redevelop the Bootle base. The redevelopment would have seen the existing building demolished and rebuilt to create a 220,000 sq ft campus.
The bank later scrapped these plans in order to introduce more flexible working, making the decision to consolidate its offices into six main locations across the UK. The company’s headquarters is now in Milton Keynes, with bases in Belfast, Bradford, Glasgow, London, and Sheffield.
Demolition is well underway at the site. Credit: Chris Scott
A spokesperson from Santander said: “We sold the former Girobank campus to developers on 20th March 2023 and have not been involved in the recent redevelopment of the site.
“We continue to have a presence in Bootle, in Alaska House on Dunningsbridge Road.”
A community-owned Giro bank providing a public-service at cost, not for profit. What a brilliant idea!
By Anonymous
This is how jobs drain from Liverpool, once a major employer with thousands of staff in Bootle, these have been dispersed around the country and the HQ is down south, with now more or less a token presence in Liverpool.
By Anonymous
@Anonymous 9:08 – the obvious question to ask is why do legacy businesses like Girobank and the Royal Mail seek to leave Liverpool?
By Sceptical
@9.24am, I worked in London with someone who was an ex Royal Mail manager, he told me they wanted to close Liverpool for years because of the union disputes, though they have never closed Mount Pleasant in London I think.
Liverpool I believe is the only major city in the UK without a post-mark, ie no letters posted here are stamped “Liverpool ” anymore.
By Anonymous
@Anonymous 9:03 – a publicly owned bank would spend too much time on strike
By Progress
Capital flight appears structural in Liverpool since the demise of Martins Bank, with little evidence of any plan about to change the City’s dire commercial funding situation.
Contrast to Manchester that managed to maintain its capital base ie Co-op Bank and now expands its indigenous finance offer with the likes of Together etc funding various construction activities in the area.
By Anonymous
To progress: get your facts straight. I worked from 1977 to 2019. We only had one strike in that time. So we were not continuously on strike.
By Girobank
The problem is that one strike lasted from 1977 to 2019
By One Strike
I started working there in december 1969 until 31st august 2006. 37 years best place i have ever worked for. When i left i was a supervisor..
By Robert
Very sad ,much enjoyed working there 25 years with some really amazing colleagues had a very supportive team
By Andy Halliday
Harold Wilson will be turning in his grave!!
By Retired employee
I was there from 1979_1999 best job I ever had this place was brilliant everyone get on with everyone no matter what branch they were in the job was worthwhile will miss seeing it as it was
By Paul
Worked there for twenty years from 68 to 88 great place to work made many frienfs
By Gordon