WORK is on schedule for Motorola’s move from its iconic building in Swindon’s Thamesdown Drive to its new home at Kembrey Park.

Earlier in the year the company confirmed it would be staying in the town with its 500-strong workforce and there would be no redundancies following the sale of its building to pharmaceutical firm Vygon UK Limited.

Alastair Andrews, from commercial agents Loveday and Loveday, confirmed everything was going to plan and Motorola hoped to be in its new premises at Kembrey Park by late summer.

“When Motorola are in, then Vygon will be moving into their old place,” he said.

Motorola’s new premises are a two-storey building of 80,000sq ft – the equivalent of two football pitches.

It was once the old Mape building, where Lucent Technology used to be.

Motorola will be leasing the building from Highcross, which own the business park and have spent millions of pounds modernising it.

It has been given a new name – the Trilogy building.

“We were pleased when the deal went through,” said Motorola spokeswoman Gemma Priscott.

“We will be working on the premises over the next few weeks and hope to have the operation working full time during the summer.”

The fact that the company is staying in Swindon pleased local business leaders, as there had been fears that Motorola might leave the town.

Vygon UK will be moving from Cirencester with 100 jobs.

“This was extremely good news for Swindon,” said Paul Briggs, the chief executive of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“A lot of hard work was done by a lot of people to keep Motorola in Swindon because they could have chosen to go elsewhere.

“The decision means that we have 500 jobs guaranteed in Swindon for the foreseeable future, plus 100 new jobs which will be brought by Vygon.”

Motorola’s 500 staff are down from the 1,800 it had when the factory was opened 12 years ago by the Queen, and there is no manufacturing in Swindon.

Vygon is part of an international company specialising in medical apparatus and equipment, which has grown significantly over the last 30 years.

The company has submitted a planning application to the council for part demolition and extension of the existing building to transform it into a distribution workforce.

Vygon will retain part of the existing facility and construct a new warehouse facility totalling approximately 250,000 sq ft.

The business will be fully operational from the new site next year.

Adam Fletcher of Adapt Properties, which is Vygon’s retained development manager, said: “This move will provide the Swindon area with numerous job opportunities and give a sizeable boost to the local economy. “