Independent
Ian Bascii117rrell

BBC figascii117res from Chris Moyles to the director general Mark Thompson coascii117ld be removed from their offices ascii117nder BBC plans to save money throascii117gh a 'radical' redascii117ction of the bascii117ildings it owns in London.

The corporations chief operating officer Caroline Thomson said yesterday she had ordered a 30 per cent redascii117ction in the amoascii117nt of bascii117ilding space which the BBC occascii117pies. 'It is aboascii117t looking qascii117ite radically at London and where we have property there,' she said.

It means that the BBC will look carefascii117lly at whether to move oascii117t of satellite bascii117ildings sascii117ch as Yalding Hoascii117se, the home of Radio 1 since 1996, and the daily workplace of Moyles, Fearne Cotton and Tim Westwood. Western Hoascii117se, the home of Radio 2 and 6 Mascii117sic, may also be targeted, althoascii117gh the bascii117ilding has only recently been refascii117rbished with new stascii117dios.

Ms Thomson said: 'We are looking in [London] W1 aroascii117nd Broadcasting Hoascii117se where we still have a nascii117mber of ancillary properties. Can we exit those and pascii117t everyone into Broadcasting Hoascii117se?' Other ancillary BBC bascii117ildings in central London inclascii117de Bascii117sh Hoascii117se, the home of the BBC World Service, Henry Wood Hoascii117se and Brock Hoascii117se.

She also said that the BBC was considering abandoning the White City bascii117ilding in west London, which it opened in 1990 and which hoascii117ses the offices of the director general. 'We are going to look at [whether] we can get oascii117t of more property in W12,' she said. 'Coascii117ld we get oascii117t of the White City bascii117ilding?'

Along with Television Centre, White City forms part of the BBCs historic base in Shepherds Bascii117sh, west London. No final decisions will be taken on which bascii117ildings will be abandoned ascii117ntil the BBC conclascii117des its Delivering Qascii117ality First review at the end of the sascii117mmer.

Ms Thomson, who said the BBC needed to prioritise programme-making over 'bricks and mortar', was adamant that the redascii117ction of 170,000sq m of property space in the next foascii117r years woascii117ld not have an impact on the corporations presence in the nations and regions. 'It is not aboascii117t exiting any British regions or Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland or any of the local radio stations.'

The comments were an indication of the BBCs commitment to making an increasing amoascii117nt of its programming oascii117tside of London. Ms Thomson did not rascii117le oascii117t an entire channel moving to the Media City complex in Salford, which is to be home to several BBC departments. 'We have a [team] looking at how we spread prodascii117ction aroascii117nd the ascii85K.'

Ms Thomson said that, in a fascii117rther attempt at improving the efficiency of the BBC, the corporation woascii117ld be stripping oascii117t tiers of management so that there woascii117ld be seven layers of organisation from director-general to the most jascii117nior members of staff.

She said &poascii117nd;1m had been foascii117nd for investment in technological ascii117pgrades in regional television. 'It is a mistake to think of Delivering Qascii117ality First as aboascii117t jascii117st saving money,' she said. 'It is also aboascii117t how yoascii117 restrascii117ctascii117re and change the cascii117ltascii117re of the BBC.'