FTSE 100 firm Auto Trader Group plc is set to strengthen its presence in its home city of Manchester after agreeing a lease for 130,000 sq ft of specialist, cutting edge workspace at No.3 Circle Square, one of Manchester’s largest new developments.

The £87 million, 267,000 sq ft development forms part of an ongoing £243 million investment across seven assets currently being brought forward in Manchester city centre by Bruntwood SciTech, the UK’s largest property provider dedicated to the growth of the science, tech and innovation sectors.

The building is due for completion in April 2025.

Bruntwood SciTech is a joint venture between Bruntwood, Legal & General and Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

Auto Trader is the UK’s largest digital automotive marketplace.

The firm’s new state-of-the-art workspace will span seven floors — with six floors dedicated to office space, and a private rooftop terrace.

Auto Trader is one of the UK’s largest technology companies, and the second largest UK tech company listed on the London Stock Exchange.

It joins the established ecosystem of global tech brands at Circle Square, including HPE, Avalere, Roku, Bosch and Autocab alongside many pioneering, innovative startups and scaling enterprises within the Tech Incubator, benefitting from a wide variety of opportunities for collaboration and partnerships to support its continued growth.

Auto Trader’s decision to move to No.3 Circle Square signifies its further commitment to Manchester and the surrounding areas.

Auto Trader will also be connected into Bruntwood SciTech’s large citywide ecosystem in Manchester, including those based at Manchester Science Park, Citylabs, Sister, and their city centre innovation hubs such as Bloc, The Exchange, and Manchester One, as part of the business’ UK-wide community of 1,100 start-ups, scale-ups and global businesses.

A joint venture between Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group, Circle Square provides 1.2 million sq ft of high quality workspace offering a mix of coworking, collaboration space and small suites; 1,700 new homes; 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, two hotels; 250,000 sq ft of public realm and car parking for 1,014 vehicles.

Josh Whiteley, Commercial Director, Bruntwood SciTech, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Auto Trader to No.3 Circle Square and have them join our community of science, technology and digital innovators. Their decision to join us highlights the vibrant, collaborative ecosystem we’ve created within Circle Square and throughout Manchester’s knowledge quarter.

“We’ve seen first-hand how the support we offer and community we’ve built at Circle Square forges connections and promotes knowledge-sharing between large, well established businesses, start ups and scale ups, from the Tech Incubator through to the large scale new buildings.

“All customers have access to the same talent, funding, and networking opportunities to help them develop and reach their full potential.

“As work at No.3 Circle Square progresses, we’re looking forward to welcoming even more forward-thinking businesses to the neighbourhood with more to be announced in the coming months.”

Alison Ross, Auto Trader’s Chief People & Operations Director, said: “We are deeply proud of our connection to Manchester, and over the course of the last decade, it’s become ingrained in our culture.

“The access to exceptional digital talent and skills from across the region has been integral to our growth and one of the key reasons why today, we are one of the UK’s largest technology companies.

“To continue to grow, we not only need more space to house our rapidly expanding data and technology teams, but also state-of-the-art facilities which can support their pace of innovation and ambition. We also need a space where we can welcome the wider automotive ecosystem, our partners, customers and peers to share data, insights and work collaboratively.

“The relocation of our head office to Circle Square within the heart of Manchester’s thriving tech community will help us to deliver this growth, and it reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the city.”