Broadcasting House is ours!

I am delighted to report that construction work on Broadcasting House in central London is now complete. Developers Land Securities plc and the main building contractors Bovis Lend Lease completed Phase II of the development at the end of November, some three months ahead of schedule and on budget, and handed the building back to the BBC.

The next 12 months will be spent fitting out the interior plus installing and testing the new technology ready for the news teams to start moving in from 2012.

Broadcasting House will be the new home of the BBC's national and international journalism as well as national radio and music services. It will be one of the world's largest live broadcast centres and home to more than 5,000 staff who will provide television, radio and online services to a worldwide audience. For the first time all the BBC’s national and global journalism will be under one roof, working together and sharing their expertise. Radio 1 and 1Xtra will also move into the new building from 2013.

The new building is inspirational. It's more open, with public spaces including a public piazza, media café and viewing gallery into the BBC Newsroom where visitors can see their BBC at work. It's more flexible, to keep pace with changing media and technology, and it will enable us to deliver better value, cutting costs and raising the quality of services.

The redevelopment is part of our 2020 Property Vision to re-shape the BBC estate for the 21st century, at minimum possible cost. Developing Broadcasting House has enabled us to make potential savings of over £172 million from the disposal of other BBC properties in London, and once the BBC's national and global journalists move in, further savings will be made with the closure of Bush House and Television Centre.

My sincerest thanks and congratulations to all those who have played a part in getting us to this point, and so let's now look to the next exciting chapter of the Broadcasting House project as 2012 gets a little closer!