Google unveils plans for £650-mn UK HQ

Global internet giant Google Inc, which has been under a UK Parliamentary enquiry over tax evasions in the country, yesterday revealed its plans for the company's new headquarters in London, which would be longer than the height of Shard tower, Western Europe's tallest skyscraper.

The detailed design for the £650-million ($990 million) headquarters, located at King's Cross in central London, has been drawn up by architects Allford Hall and Monaghan Morris (AHMM).

Google currently has around 2,000 personnel in two locations in London. The new building, when completed in 2016, would potentially accommodate 4,500 staff.

The UK headquarters will be the one of Google's largest office complexes outside its global headquarters in Mountain View, California. On its completion, the building is estimated to be worth around £1 billion.

The one-million square foot low-rise building will be 330 metres long, surpassing the 310-metre height of the Shard tower. The building's height ranges from seven to eleven storeys.

Google UK's managing director Dan Cobley said, ''Building our new headquarters in King's Cross is good for Google and good for London. We're committed to the UK and to playing a role in the regeneration of this historic area.''

AHMM director Simon Allford said, ''This building is underpinned by cutting edge design intelligence and technologies to provide a sophisticated twenty-first century working environment for Google's staff.''

Subject to approvals, the work on the new building is likely to begin early next year, which is likely to generate around 1,500 construction jobs. Approximately 35,000 people are expected to work in the King's Cross Central once regeneration is complete.

King's Cross Central is a multi-billion pound property development in central London covering an area of around 67 acres which is being built by leading UK development group Argent St George. The cash-rich internet giant bought a 2.4-acre plot in the King's Cross earlier in January.

Google's presence is expected to bring in other technology start-ups to Kings Cross which will help landlords to boost the rents.

This is at a time when Britain's public accounts committee has accused the internet giant of aggressive tax evasion. The public accounts committee had said that the company has paid a meager $16 million in corporation taxes in the country between 2006 and 2011 despite revenues of $18 billion.

Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt said last month that the company used its billions in the tax haven to for investments such as the new £1 billion offices it is building at King's Cross.

''It's been estimated that this investment will generate some £80 million a year in new employment taxes and £50 million in stamp duty,'' Schmidt said.

According to some reports, the move to build an expensive headquarters in London may be motivated by tax incentives.

Tax campaigner and accountant Richard Murphy told Reuters in January that it makes sense for Google to invest its overseas cash holdings in property, since sending it back to the US would subject it to American taxes.