Chris and Andy Preston, the redevelopers, have experience of previous redevelopment; turning Kirby College in Middlesbrough into residential accommodation, and turning a 19th century bank into offices. 

 

The site is called Ferry House, and is the former headquarters of the Prince Trust. It is located next to the Tees, and is known for its views of the Transporter Bridge and Temenos sculpture.

 

The intended development will include office space, breakout rooms, a games room, a cinema and a gym, as well as a 20-space car parking area and a secure bicycle area. 

 

Chris Preston said: "We’re transforming Ferry House into super-trendy office space but it’s the view that’s truly unique.

 

"Several businesses with space in our Boho Four offices have expressed the need to expand, so it may even be that one of those moves into Ferry House, as we have a waiting list of small enterprises needing the sort of quality, modern workspace that Boho Four offers."

 

Andy Preston added: “Being so close to the Transporter, Ferry House boasts the best, most iconic view from any office on Teesside.

 

“It’s perfect for the brightest, most ambitious Teesside businesses who are looking for the very best. We’re considering a range of options but it would be perfect for a sizeable local firm to use as their HQ."

 

Source: Insider Media

 

______________

 

 

Office developers put a lot of thought into how to make their projects as appealing to potential commercial buyers as possible. What this requires varies between industries but some elements do have wide appeal, such as maximising available floor space and providing car parking spaces. 

 

Some businesses prefer open-plan to closed offices and vice versa, but everyone understands the value of natural light even if they might not always be willing to pay for it. 

 

One element that designers rarely consider at any point in the process is whether or not they should install a time and attendance system in the new premises. 

 

Access control equipment is sometimes remembered in order to separate any public spaces from employee spaces, but the idea that all businesses should have a way to record the comings and goings of their employees is forgotten. 

 

Many people think of clocking in and out as something which only applies to factory and warehouse workers, or only to people who are paid by the hour. While it is vital in those circumstances, ensuring correct payroll at the end of the week or month, at Time and Attendance North East we believe it has its place in salaried office work, too. 

 

For example, it helps to quantify lateness. Many managers know little more than “this staff member is always late”. This is difficult to act upon, whereas if the employee had to clock in every time, the manager could show the employee a colourful, graphical display using our software which clearly shows when the employee was late. 

 

Our time and attendance software can even be set up to send alerts to the managers once lateness or absences have hit a certain threshold. 

We have physical clocking terminals which could be installed during the development of an office, but if you have moved into an already-developed building as a renter, don’t despair! We can offer an online clocking service through our Self Service Module. This can be used either in a browser or as an app on employees’ phones. 

 

A simple click will record the staff as in or out, and the data is sent straight to the central system where managers can view it, export it, or use it to create reports using our Report Wizard. 

 

The mobile version is also useful if you have staff members who visit clients or in other ways might work away from the building, because when they clock in via their mobile the system records their GPS location. This is a useful feature if you are concerned an employee might be entering false clocking information.