Independent titles to relocate to Associated Newspapers HQ

The Independent and Independent on Sunday are to relocate from Docklands to Associated Newspapers' headquarters in Kensington in a bid to cut costs.

Independent News & Media's two London-based titles will move to Northcliffe House, Associated's HQ in Derry Street off Kensington High Street, at the end of January.

INM journalists will be sharing the building with Associated titles including the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, London Evening Standard, Metro and London Lite.

Under the agreement INM's titles will have dedicated office space and "share some back office services".

The two newspaper publishers will share support services including security, IT services, switchboard and payroll.

However, the two newspaper groups' editorial, management and commercial operations will remain separate.

Today's announcement comes a week after INM revealed that it would be cutting 90 jobs from the Independent titles - including 60 journalists, more than 25% of the company's 230 London-based editorial staff. The redundancies are due to be completed by the end of January.

INM said today that the new shared services agreement with Associated Newspapers would deliver "additional savings". The publisher did not indicate what the extra savings would be.

INM said late that month that it was talking to other newspaper publishers about merging back office functions.

The company is understood to have talked to rival publishers including Trinity Mirror and Guardian Media Group, which publishes MediaGuardian.co.uk, about merging back office operations, before sealing today's deal with Associated.

"This move will transform the prospects of the Independent titles," said Ivan Fallon, the chief executive of INM UK.

"We will have immediate cost savings when we move offices and take maximum advantage of the resources and services offered to us by our partners at Associated to create better and more commercially viable newspapers while staying true to the editorial values we cherish."

The Associated Newspapers operations director, Ian Hanson, said: "We look forward to welcoming Independent News & Media UK to our offices in Kensington.

"The cost savings from a sharing of infrastructures will be beneficial to both organisations."

According to a senior INM editorial source the deadline for staff seeking voluntary redundancy is next Wednesday, but it is understood there have not as yet been enough applications.

As a result, is understood that INM could be forced to announce compulsory redundancies next week.

The insider added that the co-location announcement today could persuade more people to take voluntary redundancy as there are now long-term fears over whether the papers will remain independent.

"[Voluntary redundancy] now offers the last chance to go for big money if you have worked on the paper for many years," said the source.

Barry Fitzpatrick, the head of publishing at the National Union of Journalists, said: "It is important that steps are taken to safeguard the future of the Independent. NUJ members will be looking for guarantees that editorial independence is maintained and that jobs are protected."

Derry Street will be the fourth London base for the Independent titles in 22 years.

The Independent's first home when it launched in 1986 was on City Road near Old Street in north-east London.

In 1994 the paper - which by then had been joined by the Independent on Sunday - moved to Canary Wharf, letting space from Mirror Group Newspapers, in the tower at One Canada Square.

INM's London papers moved to their current site in Docklands, also in east London, in 2000.

It is thought that the Independent titles are going to be housed on the first floor of Associated's offices in Derry Street.

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