Carillion hands over Fred Perry House

The developer has officially announced the completion of the new office for Stockport Council for 500 staff.

The 46,898 sq ft building consists of five floors and has a BREEAM rating of 'excellent', making it the first council building in the borough to achieve the accolade.

Work commenced on site in May 2009 and completed at the end of 2010. Stockport Council worked in conjunction with Carillion, Ingenium Architects and NPS Stockport to deliver the purpose built building.

Employees were relocated from various offices within Stockport town centre over the last four weeks.

The building also incorporates a Stockport Direct facility for residents on the ground floor bringing a number of council services together.

Neil McMillan, development director for Carillion, said: "The development of Fred Perry House is the most significant development of its kind for Stockport Council since the building of its predecessor, Stopford House, in the early 1970s. Not only has the building greatly improved efficiency within the council by reducing the number of council buildings in the civic complex from 11 to just three, it is also a leader in cutting edge sustainable design."

In July last year, councillors announced they wanted to name the £12m building in honour of the three times Wimbledon tennis champion, Fred Perry.

A ceremony was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Edward to unveil a commemorative plaque.

Fred Perry's grandson, the leader of Stockport Council and members of the project team including Carillion, NPS and Ingenium Architects, as well as staff who now occupy the new building, were also in attendance.

Perry was born in Portwood in Stockport on 19 May 1909 and died on 2 February 1995 in Melbourne. There is a Blue Plaque outside his childhood home on Carrington Road.